#sparkchamber 121817 — Stefanie Tovar
Sharing her light in the #sparkchamber today is aspiring yogini artist Stefanie Tovar. Stefanie began her yoga journey in the practice of Baptiste Power Yoga in 2004. She travelled the world as a performing artist, and found that yoga gave her a sense of grounded-ness and peace, no matter where her work and suitcases took her.
While touring, Stefanie often felt a sense of isolation and disconnect from the world around her, and she craved an opportunity to hold space for herself and others, to make a lasting impact.
A tragedy, losing a loved one suddenly, hit her heart. She decided to make a big change — from the stage, makeup, and lights, to the dark solace of the yoga room — to process her grief, disconnected-ness, and isolation.
Initially, Stef thought she would get her teacher training certificate and move to NYC to pursue her ambitions in the arts. But love and yoga kept her in Texas. She met her Bhakti Yoga Teacher Sean Johnson, of Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band, who lead her back to her creative spirit — time of sharing her love of music and storytelling, helping to heal and renew in a yoga room, one breath at a time.
Passionate about finding and sharing light in dark times, Stefanie founded Hanuman Homies, a non-profit that provides opportunities to take yoga off the mat and into the community. Hanuman Homies gives back by hosting yoga and fundraising events, championing donation drives, and providing yoga within the community.
And, continuing to sincerely work with her own darkness to find her true light, she recorded an EP, Shine a Light, a peace-filled, soulful respite from the everyday hustle and bustle.
Stefanie hopes to travel her offerings, and welcomes any inquiries from people who may be interested in hosting her work and collaborating. Connect with her here.
You can see more at her website, and hear more at her Spotify.
1.] Where do ideas come from?
Being present to life and all that contributes to the human experience ... the more awake we are to the life within and around us, the more alive we can be to ideas and creative flow.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
The desire to positively contribute to our world and to use what is firing me up to support Healing and Transcendence.
3.] Early bird or night owl, tortoise or hare?
I work best when I am flowing with my true energy and nature rather than fighting what isn't there. This requires constant checking in, and accessing my ways of checking in honestly: Yoga, Mindful Sound, Introspection, etc. Sometimes I am an owl that indulges in night hours while my toddler and husband are asleep; sometimes I am a hare racing with glee during the day; and sometimes I need to hibernate like a bear, gathering what I have learned from life experience and taking time to integrate the teachings. It is important <-- and I struggle with this, to honor my true energy rather than giving in to the energy around me and what is expected of me. For example right now I have taken time to hibernate and harvest like natural law, when our society only knows constant productivity and praising the overworked and glorified busy. We need to be aware of what drains and what sustains.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
This is a hard one! I think once I drive myself crazy and acknowledge when I get neurotic about the product that I need to be done. It is a challenge for me to rest my perfectionist in me and rest in the perfectly imperfect. When it comes to live performance or time on my mat it is no problem, it is the recorded offerings that challenge me — and thank goodness for the challenge in allowing myself to be seen ... perfectly imperfect ... because life is never polished nor is it never really over. ;)