Words by Thandiwe Ogbonna
Joaquin De Teresa, AURA Music & Arts Festival 2014’s Yoga and Meditation Director
Joaquin De Teresa, AURA Music & Arts Festival 2014’s Yoga and Meditation Director, has a passion for yoga and hopes to inspire this year’s AURA family with an impressive lineup of classes and workshops to fit any interest.
Fresh out of teacher training, De Teresa was first invited to teach yoga at AURA three years ago, and has since added Boom Festival in Portugal and Gratifly Music Festival in South Carolina to his resume.
Before becoming a full-time yoga teacher in December 2010, he was influenced by yoga in many ways. His mother introduced him to meditation while he was growing up in Gaudalajara, Mexico, but he lost touch with the practice while he was still a child.
At Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, De Teresa attended his first yoga class as a freshman. During the class, he became sick, which he believes was due to his unhealthy college lifestyle (drinking, partying, etc.).
He did not return to the class, feeling a bit frightened by his body’s reaction. Instead, he went back to partying and having fun.
Editor’s note: This is MY kinda Yoga!
As an elective course, De Teresa enrolled in a class called “Yogis, Shamans, and Mystics,” where he was introduced to several interesting people who visited the class. He learned about a selection of ancient traditions and practices from around the world.
However, he still was not sure what he wanted to do with his life. Post-graduation employment at a microchip company was unfulfilling, and a job at a bar followed. During this time, De Teresa began practicing more yoga and returned to meditation. Eventually, his practice grew so much that yoga became a center point in his life.
Soon after, he completed his teacher training (quitting his job before it had even ended), and began promoting himself as a teacher. With the help of some fellow teachers, he was able to secure work and begin a career.
De Teresa now owns BoomYoga, based in Miami Beach, and offers private yoga classes, workshops, and Thai massage. Also a certified acroyoga teacher, De Teresa offers classes in that style, as well. In addition, BoomYoga develops yoga programming for yoga and music festivals and other events.
Listen to my interview with De Teresa to learn more about the program he has developed for AURA ‘14 and his experiences teaching yoga at music festivals.
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