Read Maya Fiennes' interview in the November 2008 issue of Spirit Voyage.
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Teachers in Focus - Maya Fiennes "To be in her presence, and to feel her spirit, her energy, and her teaching is an extraordinary experience" Deepak Chopra Musician and yoga teacher Maya Fiennes combines her talents to create a stunningly beautiful Kundalini practice focused on fortifying the bodys stress defenses. Maya uses movement, breath, mantra, and chants all set to her own exhilarating music to awaken the spirit, energize the body, and relax the mind and is the creator or the "Kundalini Yoga to Detox & Destress" video. Spirit Voyage: How did you discover Kundalini Yoga and what inspired you to become a teacher? Maya: As a classical pianist, I started yoga as I wanted to relax before concerts and to improve my musical performance. I have now been doing yoga for ten years, having tried all different styles including Hatha, Ashtanga and Bikram in search of spiritual growth. When I found Kundalini yoga, my search was over. Once I realised the effect Kundalini Yoga had on me I wanted to share it with others; hence why I became a teacher. Spirit Voyage: You travel and teach throughout the world - can you share some of your experiences teaching yoga to different cultures? Maya: I have taught all over the world, including the Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Greece, Asia (Taipei, Hong Kong & Singapore). It doesnt really matter where you are. Kundalini Yoga is all about the journey within one self; the outside world becomes irrelevant. With the help of my music, I am able to teach yoga to people of all types of cultures and languages. I often find that not having a common language with my students is even more powerful as it allows us to communicate via energy lines only. Spirit Voyage: Teaching is a real form of seva (selfless service). In what other ways is seva a part of your life? Maya: I am a mother and a wife, which in themselves require selfless service. Apart from that, I am very connected to teaching youth in general and helping them on the road to adulthood and responsibilities. Embracing yoga tends to give confidence which is really useful at an early stage of youth. As I teach, and now that I am on Sky TV, via the channel Body in Balance, daily in the UK, I come across people with big needs and I always try to help be it through yoga, general advice, presence or other types of support. Spirit Voyage: What type of Mantra/Chant music are you listening to these days? Maya: I find myself listening only to mantras these days..in fact I have a mantra in my head all the time...as I create music its not so strange that I have it in my mind. I am in the studio at the moment recording the last mantra of my new album and it gives me pure joy. I am working on the miracle mantra, Guru Ram Das...its very healing, it opens the heart which prepares us for the arrival into the Aquarian age safely. I also listen and work to other albums such as: Long EK ONG KAR on Gurunam's "The Seal of Higher Destiny" album, Grace by Snatam Kaur, Yatri by Prem Joshua, Wheel of Sound by various Kundalini artists, The Guru Singh experience volume one, I especially love his Ong So Hung. |
