If you don't know Sadie Nardini, it's about time you meet her! Sadie is an international yoga rockstar and lifestyle icon. Besides being a yoga pioneer on YouTube and social networks like Facebook and Twitter, she's also a full-spectrum transformation advocate: a renowned empowerment speaker, yoga and anatomy expert and Healthy Hedonism lifestyle leader. Whatever works to shift you from suffering to passion and fit, fantastic freedom, she finds it, and helps you apply in your busy life. We had the honour to talk to ask her how she lives and practices yoga.
Current location: New York City
Favorite yoga style: Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga–my own!
Favorite yoga pose: Handstand
Yoga is… 7 million doorways to center (as many people as are on this earth).
What Do You Love Most About Yoga?
Just like picking out a single aspect of a lover, it's hard to choose just one thing I love about my other Beloved: yoga. But I'd say that one of the best things about this practice is the sense of empowerment I get from knowing that, imperfect as I am, when I come to the mat consistently, I'm always growing, strengthening, and becoming more resilient on all levels. I can stand in that inner strength and possibility every day.
How Has Yoga Changed Your Life, Personality and Physique?
As a teen, I was partially paralyzed for 2 years because of a spinal meningitis-type illness. I couldn't walk, breathe well or be any kind of normal. I used yoga, over a decade, to strengthen and heal my body, from a puddle on the floor, to the handstanding, strong woman people see today. Yoga helped me beat physical incapacitation, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. I can't thank it enough, for I would not be the wellness leader I am now without it.
What Everyday Thing Did You Get Better At Because Of Yoga?
Relationships. Yoga gave me a better, more loving view of myself, and with this better treatment of me, it became unattractive for me to relate to drama, toxic people or those who tried to bring me down. Instead, I can much more fully give and receive love, understanding, and maintain through love's–and life's–challenges.
How Do You Keep Your Yoga Practice Interesting and Challenging?
I am steeped in the new generation discoveries of anatomy as it relates to our yoga practice–making it more safe and powerful. This is a wealth of knowledge that, stirred together with my own style, Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga, keeps me creating new and more effective poses, instructions and sequences. So, though I'm a teacher, I will forever be immersed in learning new and improved stuff I can share with my audience. This keeps me on my toes…and my students, too!
What Book, Website or Person Inspires You?
I'm digging on Byron Katie right now. Her 'Work' (www.TheWork.com) is one of the fastest and most miraculous ways to bust suffering and get back to feeling loving and centered. I will use her methodology for a lifetime and I love turning people onto her.
What Do You Listen To While You Do Yoga?
Whatever moves me in the moment. I'm not a huge fan of classical yoga music, but anything else goes–World, R&B, Daft Punk, Beyonce…truly anything with a groove that makes me feel like dancing with spirit. I encourage my trainees to play the tunes in or out of class that make them happy–and they will be a more connected, emotive teacher because of it.
What's The Best Advice You've Ever Received?
I get amazing advice, tips and teachings from the most random places every day, so this question is impossible, but I'll give you one of my favorite pieces, the one that's currently on my iPhone screensaver: "Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace." I don't know who said it, but often, as we enter a spiritual discipline, there's a tendency to over-analyze our own motivations, and those of others around us. We can get just as anxious and obsessed about trying to change everything and everyone to a higher place of consciousness as we were when dealing with unconscious behavior. Instead, selectively ignore the things that are wasting your time, in order to focus solely on the things that uplift you, challenge you to grow, and move you closer towards health and your dreams. It's quite refreshing to know that you don't have to fight every battle, just the ones that take you where you most want to go.
Is There Anything Else You'd Like To Share With Our Readers?
I just wrote a book for Random House, the 21-Day Yoga Body! And I'm so happy to say that I have a special deal for all the doyou.com readers, whom I'd love to invite on a fit, fierce and fabulous Yoga Body adventure into yoga, empowerment, whole-food eating, and even cocktails! For those of you guys who preorder my book now right here, you will get a free gift of my 14-Day Detox and Empowerment online course they can start today! It's going to give you more results, like weight loss (if needed), tone, calm, anti-aging, energy and so much else, faster than any other program I've seen. The book will be sent out on November 5th when it's released. Yay!
Website: SadieNardini.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/SadieYoga
Twitter: @SadieNardini