#49 – Keen on Yoga Podcast with Santina Giardina-Chard

Santina’s journey from suffering to awareness and understanding through yoga has led her to a rich and real study of yoga as a living practice. She holds degrees in Law/Arts from the University of Melbourne as well as a Master of Gestalt Therapy. Santina was given her Level 2 Authorisation to teach Ashtanga Yoga by KPJAYI in 2016.

She believes there are many pathways into and towards healing and inner transformation. After years of anorexia, bulimia, heroin and other substance abuse, she came to understand that these compulsive behavioral patterns were just a means to escape the boxed-up feeling of terror, rage, shame, despair, grief and unworthiness deep within her psyche and physicality.

San has developed an intimacy with the physiology and spirituality of our human form. Her commitment to a life of process, practice and courage cultivates rich soil from which to provide meaningful guidance as an Ashtanga yoga teacher. Her practice embodies the Ashtanga Yoga system, and she has diligently completed the Primary, 2nd and 3rd series of this method under the guidance of Mark Togni.

Both Ashtanga Yoga and Gestalt methods helped her to realise that whenever she wanted to escape herself through compulsive behaviour, what she was really hungry for was a deep and abiding connection with herself that brings forth the joy of being comfortable in her own skin.

It is through Santina’s theoretical and applied educational background that enables her to insightfully and compassionately work with students of all experiences and skills.

“Personal Philosophy of Life, Practice and Process” 

Santina believes that with each breath and in every moment we are in a process of evolving from who we have been to who we are becoming.  Blending yoga asana and the Gestalt Method, she works using an experiential, dialogical and integrative approach to self-discovery and embodied awareness.

Through compassionate understanding, confirmation to present-moment experience and heightened awareness, we can complete what is unfinished from the past and open pathways to our emerging creative selves.

Understanding how our inner processes can function to sustain disruptive patterns, as well as challenge and support the possibilities for creative problem solving, can lead to deliberate actions that transform our relationship to ourselves, to others and to life!