I am so excited to release this podcast with Lindsay Gonzalez titled Yoga, Surf & Breathwork in El Salvador. Lindsay and her husband own and run a Yoga and Surf retreat center in El Tunco, El Salvador. She specializes in yoga, breathwork and leading surf adventures around El Salvador. Lindsay has an adventurous spirit and is full of enthusiasm for life. Please send Lindsay some LOVE on her channels to show your appreciation for her taking the time to share with us.
Check her out at:
lindsaygonzalezyoga.com
elsalvadoryoga.com
sunzal.com
on Instagram at: @lindsaygonzalezyoga
@balancesurfyoga
YouTube: Lindsay Gonzalez
During this conversation Lindsay and I discussed topics like:
and so much more!
Thanks for listening to this episode. Check out: π
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LinkedIn: Todd McLaughlin
I am so excited to release this podcast with Lindsay Gonzalez titled Yoga, Surf & Breathwork in El Salvador. Lindsay and her husband own and run a Yoga and Surf retreat center in El Tunco, El Salvador. She specializes in yoga, breathwork and leading surf adventures around El Salvador. Lindsay has an adventurous spirit and is full of enthusiasm for life. Please send Lindsay some LOVE on her channels to show your appreciation for her taking the time to share with us.
Check her out at:
lindsaygonzalezyoga.com
elsalvadoryoga.com
sunzal.com
on Instagram at: @lindsaygonzalezyoga
@balancesurfyoga
YouTube: Lindsay Gonzalez
During this conversation Lindsay and I discussed topics like:
and so much more!
Thanks for listening to this episode. Check out: π
New Student FREE Livestream Yoga Special ~ Try 2 Weeks of Free Unlimited Livestream Yoga Classes at Native Yoga Center. info.nativeyogacenter.com/livestream Sign into the classes you would like to take and you will receive an email 30 minutes prior to join on Zoom. The class is recorded and uploaded to nativeyogaonline.com ~ Click Here to join.
Practice to a new class every day with our nativeyogaonline.com course called Today's Community Class with code FIRSTMONTHFREE.
New Student FREE 30 Minute Yoga Meet & Greet ~ Are you new to Native Yoga Center and have questions that you would like us to address? Whether you are coming to In Studio, Livestream or Online Recorded Classes we offer a one time complimentary 30 minute zoom meeting to answer any questions you may have. Schedule a time that is convenient for you. Click Here
Native Yoga Teacher Training - In Studio and Livestream - for info delivered to your email click this link here: https://info.nativeyogacenter.com/native-yoga-teacher-training-2023/
Subscribe to Native Yoga Center on Youtube.
Thank you Bryce Allyn for the show tunes. Check out Bryce's website: bryceallynband.com and sign up on his newsletter to stay in touch. Listen here to his original music from his bands Boxelder, B-Liminal and Bryce Allyn Band on Spotify.
Please email special reque
Native Yoga website: here
YouTube: here
Instagram: @nativeyoga
Twitter: @nativeyoga
Facebook: @nativeyogacenter
LinkedIn: Todd McLaughlin
Welcome to Native Yoga Toddcast. So happy you are here. My goal with this channel is to bring inspirational speakers to the mic in the field of yoga, massage bodywork and beyond. Follow us @nativeyoga, and check us out at nativeyogacenter.com. All right, let's begin. Welcome to the Native Yoga Toddcast. I'm so excited to introduce to you Lindsay Gonzalez. Please check Lindsay out at her website, lindseygonzalesyoga.com. I'm gonna put multiple other links in the description below places that you can find Lindsay. You can find her on Instagram, the handle @lindsaygonzalesyoga, you can also check out her yoga and surf retreat center in El Salvador Central America called Balance Surf and Yoga on a website called ElSalvadoryoga.com. They also have a website called sunzal.com. And there'll be a couple of other links in there as well. I'm so pleased to have this chance to meet Lindsey and to talk about her life down in El Salvador taking people surfing teaching them yoga, as a birth doula and in leading transformational breathwork workshops and classes. And so with that being said, also, if you all enjoy this show, if at the end, if you can write a quick review and or leave a rating and review. I really, really, really, really appreciate it. Thank you. All right. So let me go ahead and let's get into the discussion. Here we go. I'm so happy to have this chance to speak with you. This is Lindsay Gonzalez and Lindsay, you're joining us from El Salvador. How are you today? I'm doing well. Thank you so much for this connection. Um, I'm really appreciative my friend Alexandra, who lives down in El Salvador, She recently wrote me and said, You got to come do a yoga and surf retreat down here in El Salvador. And she sent me your information which led me to be able to get in touch with you. And therefore I'm so appreciative for you to take time out of your busy schedule. Can you tell me how your yoga journey began? Oh, so it's actually come full circle in, in a way. I was a young girl just out of high school and I moved to Costa Rica, and kind of did it on a on a whim, I thought, I don't know if I'm gonna go to college right away. But I know I need to go and get better at surfing. And so I bought a one way ticket to Costa Rica, almost over 20 years ago. Wow. And I lived on the beach with these two women that were just a few years older than me. But they were both yoga teachers from California. And they were they're doing the traveller thing. And they had a little tiny yoga room set up. And we would invite all the local surfers over and they would teach yoga. I had come off of a, you know, life of being young life of being an athlete. And I was really flexible. So they said, Lindsay, you have to be a yoga teacher. You're good at this. And that was the first nudge. And it's interesting that I'm back in Latin America at this point in my life, still doing exactly what they nudged me to do. Oh, that's amazing. Yeah, very cool. And but so then I'm guessing in that 20 year period, you then went back to the states and then had been traveling back and forth between us and Central America. Us and all over, really. I went back to the states and I said, Well, I think it's time I was 21. I said maybe I should go to college. So I went to college, but I ended up spending all of my time in the yoga studio, just down the road. And you know, being from the East Coast, you may have heard of Charm City. Yoga, it was in Baltimore for a long time. And they they recently were bought by Yoga works. But I trained at Charm City 20 years ago with Kim Min Freedy. And give her so much love and respect over the last 20 years. She's really been a guide in my life. Nice. And then I've always had this, this love of surf. So, you know, I was back and forth between Central America and the US and different states that I lived in in the US. Nice. And how long have you been in El Salvador now? It's been about six years. Wow. Yeah. And both you and your husband is it Adrian, you guys work together and manage the whole center together? We do it all. Family life and work life. Nice. Do you have children? We do. Yes. Yeah, we have two little babies. Our son Luca is three and a half and our daughter, Livia. She goes by Libya, Paloma. So she kind of has two names. But she's one and a half. Nice. Congratulations. Did you did you both meet in El Salvador or here in the States. So funny enough, we met in Colorado, and he walked into my yoga class in the middle of winter. And I had just gotten back from leading a retreat in Panama. And I was telling my regular students about the event and how much I love visiting Latin America. And he was just very kind and sitting in the back of the room. And he said, Have you ever been to El Salvador? And I said, No, that's the only place I haven't been in Latin America. And he said, Oh, I should tell you about my project down there. And we became friends. You know, it was a two year friendship before we before we started our romance. And he invited me down to El Salvador, actually, for a job. He invited me down to help him open and run the yoga retreat center, and really bring it to what it is now. And very quickly, we found that, that we would be great partners. And like, that's amazing. Very cool story. Did. So what is it like running a yoga retreat center in El Salvador? Oh, gosh, it's a lot of work. I think we have to prioritize time for surfing now, where before we did this, we would serve a lot. Yeah. But it's, it's really been such an amazing project to work on together. And now after being closed for about a year, we're reopen. We have new rooms. We have a retreat here right now. That is wonderful. And we have another small group of professional young surfers from Panama. So there's a lot of life here, and a lot of good vibes. So it is a lot of work, of course, but the work is fun. I bet I got to go surfing with the customers. So that was great. That is amazing. That sounds like the dream job for sure. I'm just so everyone listening can find you on your personal website, which is Lindsey Gonzales. yoga.com. And then also, you have a website, El Salvador yoga.com. If people are interested in looking at balance, surfing yoga, and also I just want to make mention that you're on Instagram as well at Lindsey Gonzales yoga, and balancer for yoga, which I'll have all those links down below so people can check out like photos and get a visual on what it is you all are doing your center looks really beautiful. Like it looks like has an amazing pool and rooms I saw from looking at your Instagram today that you have a new cafe opening that is inspired and Balinese style architecture or at least decor. Can you tell me a little bit about that? Yes, so separately of each other. My husband and I both spent quite a few years going back and forth to Bali for different reasons. I was there to teach yoga teacher trainings and he was there to go surfing. and years and years ago he had a small jewelry business with his mother and they sourced a lot of jewelry from Bali. So he was spending time and then finally we got to go to Bali together and when we were there together on our last trip right before the pandemic, we we said this is it. We have to take as many pictures as we can we have to remember this feeling and bring it to Latin America and then create He did in a Latin American way. But I think the Balinese style is, is beautiful with hardwoods and natural fibers and lots of very intelligent details that make the stay feel luxurious and rustic at the same time. Nice. That sounds amazing. Did you find architect Endor builder in El Salvador to build for you? Or is that something that you both were hands on? very hands on. We worked with a local architect. And we had fun meetings where we would come to her with all of these ideas, and then she would put it onto paper. And a lot of times, she would say the builders have never done anything like this before. So we're going to be able to teach them a new skill. And that was an exciting project, even even in regards to like the the thatched roof in one of our buildings. The Fache is done in a Balinese style versus a Latin American style. So very different, very challenging. But it works. And it's beautiful. Nice. We're so proud. That's really cool. That sounds amazing. Is it officially open now? Or are you just a few days away? Well, everything is officially open, except for the cafe. The cafe will open on November 12, which is just a few days away. Congratulations. That's amazing. I'm curious, since you are deep in the yoga world, and also in the surf culture. Can you tell me what it's like to blend these two art forms together? Do you see a lot of similarity similarity between these two practices? Oh, yes, I really feel like yoga and surfing go together perfectly, because they they kind of balanced the opposites, you know, and no pun intended, I always find myself giggling when I say balance, balance, balance over and over again. But it's it is the balance of the opposites. It's the the hands together, it's the semester up, it's all of that. So in surfing, you usually are looking up and arching your spine and spotting your direction so that you can catch the wave. But in yoga, we do a lot of internal work. And so curling into the body, rounding the spine, rounding into the neck and then finding more expansion. So they go together perfectly. I have to, you know, I was about to say like, I have to go surfing on a daily basis. And I have to do my yoga practice to heal my body from all of the hard work of surfing. That's cool. I hear you that. That makes perfect sense. I feel the same way we were our studio is a wall steps away from the ocean. And there's nothing like if having a really big day to be able to get into the saltwater. And even if it's just for a swim, we definitely do not have waves like you do and El Salvador. I'm curious, what is the surf season like there in terms of like if a beginner comes and has never really been in the ocean and is really new to the ocean environment? Is there a time of year where it's a little bit more conducive to that? Yes, I'm glad you asked. Because November 1 is the day that it turns into summer here. It's the end of the rainy season. The month of November is one of the most beautiful times to be here, though the waves are a little bit smaller, and the rainy season is over. So the water feels a lot cleaner, very fresh, but there's greenery all around so sitting out in the ocean is just magnificent to look back at the green hillsides nice like November through April to answer your question is really the best time for beginners or travelers that are like surfing but they don't surf all of the time. But they want the combination of surf and yoga. That's the best time of year to come. Because the other time of the year is when it gets quite big. I'm gathering from from hearing my friends that traveled down there to go surf they were there recently or when they were there last they said it was really big and almost too big. Like, like a lot of work just to get out there too. And I'm curious, do you surf big waves are you out there when it's at its peak? You know, I do not not huge waves but we are the land El Salvador is the land of right hand point breaks. And opposite from beach breaks. Beach breaks just kind of come at you and they're harder to get out. But the beauty of a point break is it's a rocky point. And you can paddle into a channel and then take the channel out to the wave without a lot of fuss, catch the wave, write it down the line and then get right back to the channel. Yes. So I think that's why El Salvador is so accessible for people that are even at just an intermediate level is that it helps them advance their surfing. When you're taking newbies out, are there are there some soft sandy beach break? places that you go to take them out in? Yes, yes. And so our little town is is in a cove called Alto. And l tumko. is predominantly a river rock break. But during the months of November through April, all of the river rock is covered up with sand. And the sand is pulled on to the beach covers the rock makes it much more friendly. So we have two spots right out front of where we are, where people can learn how to surf. And then the next code just five minute drive down the road is an all sand beach. So perfect. It's possible. Yeah. Cool. And where are you guys where your yoga Shala is and our yoga studio and accommodation. Is it right on the ocean? Are you up on a hill somewhere? Yeah, no, we were pretty close to the ocean where about a three minute walk? Wow. But we're right right in front of the river mouth have a point break called lavo Khanna and LeBeau Khanna is incredible. It's actually one of the only left's but it also works as a right. And it's the wave that was the Olympic qualifier in 2020, or 2021, the Olympic 2021 qualifier. So that is steps away from our front door. Very cool. Can you give me some inkling or insight into say I mentioned to somebody, I'm getting ready to go to El Salvador and their reaction here. Maybe they haven't traveled much, and they're in the States and they go, ooh, isn't that dangerous down there? Be careful. Is that? Does that hold any truth for you? Or is that more just maybe folks that don't travel a lot that get nervous about thinking about being outside of the states more of a myth? You know that that comment alone is probably what kept me from coming here for a long time is just a warning. And I didn't really know what it meant. And so I said, Okay, well, maybe I should actually go check this place out. Because Adrian says it's wonderful. So let's see what it's all about. It's where we live. So some some that is a safety concern. But where we live, it's 45 minutes from the San Salvador Airport. The San Salvador airport is actually on the coastline. It's not in the city of San Salvador. And I do tell people that when traveling anywhere in the world travel with caution, you don't want to be out in the city late at night in the neighborhood that you're aware of. And so when you fly into San Salvador, you would fly into the airport and drive along the coast for 45 minutes, and you get directly to our door. Our business is inside of a guarded and gated town called El tiempo. And so what I appreciate so much about this town, especially raising my babies here, is that there's a police station within the community. And in El Salvador, the police are really the good guys. So you know that are I know that I can go to them if something is feels uncomfortable, and they can assist. Yeah. Cool. I appreciate it. Yeah. Yeah. I'm curious also is Do you travel around El Salvador much? Or do you pretty much stay? I'm so you guys are so busy. And you have your business? And have you had a chance to travel around El Salvador? Yeah, we have. We've had so many amazing trips, we usually go twice a year on big excursions to different parts of the country to check out the lake or the volcanoes or the waterfalls or some other surf breaks. And I've never had a bad experience in El Salvador. That's cool. I feel really comfortable with the people here. And you know what, one of the amazing things is that the infrastructure is so lovely. The roads are great. So driving around, you're not driving on potholes, and the people are lovely and kind and welcoming. That sounds amazing. I'm curious Lindsey, what is your background in different yoga styles and traditions? Do you have a specific style that you gravitate toward during Your daily practice, or are you well versed in multiple different approaches? Oh, great. Yeah, I, I feel like I'm pretty well versed I started as a young athlete, with Ashtanga being my main focus, and learning all of the history and the philosophy around Ashtanga gave me a very good foundation as to what yoga is. My teacher came in for the she trained directly with batavi Joyce. And so I feel very held on the shoulders of the teachers before me. When I moved to Colorado, so I lived in Colorado for a long time. When I moved out there, I got immersed in the INR culture, I just felt the intelligence behind the INR teachings and I found on usara and started practicing on usara. So my, my style has evolved a lot throughout the years from a strict Ashtanga practice to a very fluid and athletic vinyasa style practice. And now I call myself an align and flow teacher. So alignment based with intelligent movements. And I've spent a lot of time studying in the Pilates world. I'm not a Pilates teacher, but I do really value the pelvic floor work and the core work that comes with that, and I tried to incorporate it into my class. It's very cool. It seems like a logical progression if we're starting off in the Stanga to at some point, really appreciate some nice, gentle, restorative alignment based yoga as well. Do you agree? I totally agree. Yeah. Especially with age. Yes. How do you do you feel like the process of practicing yoga and getting out in the surf regularly? Kind of keeps you in that level of fitness? Or have you had any challenges over the years in terms of any injuries and or rehab needing to rehab anything? Luckily, I have not had a lot of injuries in either surfing or yoga. But But yoga has evolved for me, there have been times in my life where I've needed gentle restorative years. And there's also been times in my life where I need fast, athletic, long periods of time. So luckily, you know, the yoga mat is always there. And it's it's there, even if you just have to want to sit and cry for a good spot to hang out. Yes. Good point. Good point. I noticed as well, one thing that got me really excited to have a chance to speak with you is my wife gave birth to our children at home in the water with a midwife, and I noticed that your birth doula, can you talk a little bit about how you got interested in becoming a birth doula and what you are how you're servicing in that field now. Thank you. Yes. So this actually starts as a surfing story. My, my husband and I were on the trip of the surf trip of a lifetime in the mental islands of Sumatra, Indonesia. And we, we were talking about how much we loved each other and that we wanted to have a baby in the next couple of years. And we came home from that trip to find out that we were pregnant. And so it's it's a fun surf story. You know, don't take your girlfriend on a on a surf trip. But we we were so excited to find out that we were pregnant, and I didn't know a lot about pregnancy or birth or any of that. I just wasn't immersed in that world and my friends are all having babies later in life. So I said, Okay, I think I need a midwife. And I think I need to learn how to do this, like I want to dive in. And he was in full agree, you know, he agreed fully that he would support me in this process. So I started to learn about about Hypno birthing, and I started to learn about doula work. And I said, Well, I'm going to hire a midwife and a doula and I'll never forget my first meeting with my midwife. She just calmed my nerves. She made me feel so comfortable and welcome and special. And so that that work. It also made me feel similar to how I feel about the yoga world. Everyone is so accepting and loving and Chi. And I hired the same doula for both of my babies. And she she said to me, you should become a doula, similar to my yoga story with the girls in Costa Rica, they just said, do this. And I heard the call and loud and clear. So that's amazing. Yeah. That's cool. Did you have both your children at home as well? Or did you go to the hospital or what was yours? Yeah. My son, my son, we were we were here in El Salvador through both of our pregnancies. But we went back to the US to have our children. My son was born at a birthing center, naturally, in the birth tub. And it was a really spiritual hypnobirth experience. It was a really wonderful, gentle. I, I just couldn't even believe it, you know, and I'll tell you a small snippet of the story. As he was being born as he was descending in my pelvis, I got into hypnosis so deeply that I didn't really feel pain or discomfort. But in my mind, I went to the visual of red, orange, yellow, red, orange, yellow, and that is the kaleidoscope of the lower three chakra colors. And I saw this kaleidoscope of color. And it was really fascinating. And so rather than thinking about what was happening in my body, I, I leaned into the visualization. And then he was born. And the midwife had to rush to flag my husband and saying, Hey, baby's coming down, back in here. Wow, that's amazing. I mean, cuz I know, obviously, for a lot of women, it's a very painful experience. So the fact that you're able to actually put yourself into that level of hypnosis and, and work through it on that level is really amazing. That's incredible. It was the I'm, I'm so grateful this, that birth was the greatest gift of my lifetime. It just changed. It changed the course of my life. And it made me want to help other women to experience something similar, and to guide them in this path. So then my, my daughter, I said to my my Doula, hey, I think I want to have a home birth because I have this two year old now. And how will I go to a birth center with a two year old and she said, great idea, you are going to have a home birth. And we just follow that path. My I have a deep tub, thankfully, at our house in when we have our US home is in Washington. And I have a nice deep tub. So I showed her the space and she was very comfortable with that idea. My daughter was born at home just steps away from my bed. And her birth story is also a hypnobirth story, it's a little different. Because my son with my son, I had a very long labor, and my water broke very early in my labor. With my daughter, I had a very short labor, just three hours, and my water did not break until a few minutes before she was born. So it was a little different in the way that there was one great effort on my part. And I remember visualizing this like, like kind of Kali goddess. And there was a roar that came out of me but not not like a deep guttural roar, it was more like ah, I can own and, and she was born with sound into the water, but also very, very much painfree very comfortable births. That's amazing. I know a lot of people I remember when we were preparing to, for my wife to have a home birth, we found that we needed to be very careful about who we told that we were doing that other people that were supportive of the idea were, you know, really supportive, obviously. And then if I told maybe some of that work to the hospital or something, maybe a physician or somebody they, you know, would meet us with like, are you crazy. That's why we have medical science, this this is why we have hospitals is what if something happens and planting a lot of doubt about the safety of that experience. And we had such incredible situations both times that we were thankful that we didn't weren't persuaded by that and that we held true to the idea. What do you as working as a doula, do you find that you come across this sort of Support slash, you know, are you crazy concept? Often? Yes. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. I think, you know, humanity we want to protect each other. But we're, we're actually express expressing the discomfort around homebirth I think people are just expressing their own fears. And in in my work with hypnosis and hypnotherapy, it's, it's about creating healthy boundaries and stepping into your own power as a as a woman and as a family. So that in the classes that I teach, the the father is very present or the birth companion is very present. And they have a role to support and help the mother release any fears or anxieties or tension or pain. And then pain can be transformed through this practice of visualization. And you know this through your own work and through meditation that we can really decide to change our own minds and release the the fears of others. Here's the point, Lindsay, that's amazing. Do your have your children expressed curiosity for the ocean and surfing? Yes, I do. Do they have a choice? No, not really. My, my son is three and a half. And by the time he was two and a half, he was an incredible swimmer. And we we didn't do any sort of training, we just put him in the pool every day and made water very comfortable. And so now my my little daughter is jumping in the pool, you know, so she's excited to be a part of that as well. The waves, the waves are still big and scary, but the beach is fine. And the tide pools are, are where they're happy. That's cool. But my my son is very cute. He likes to show people his surfer stance and he likes to stand on the boards and wax the boards. So we'll take it slow, but they have to be strong swimmers first. I hear you Yeah, when you're in a more serious environment like that it's a little different than just playing in a little kind of tide pool by the ocean. Yeah, some of the similar I'm always because I love surfing and yoga, I'm always looking for you know, similar similarities in terms of the two practices and differences and, and how they kind of helping feed each other. And one thing I noticed that in the surf world, there's this like dream of being alone, an uncrowded space where there's not a lot of competition. And then when I observe, like, we have a pier here, June up here, and when the waves are good, there's so many people in the water, and it's really competitive. And you kind of see people getting really aggressive and angry. And, you know, there's just like, so much emotion and testosterone sometimes, and, and I'm curious. And in the yoga world, I don't feel like when we go into a crowded yoga room, it's exactly the same type of competition, because it's different. Like with waves, there's only like, 234 waves coming in a set. And there's 100 People all trying to get those four waves. So you have like, so many people competing for a small resource, and sometimes that doesn't bring out the best in humanity. But I noticed like in a larger yoga setting, because we're all on our mats, it's not really competitive, because we're not like going to get like a yoga wave in the room or something. But sometimes there is competition, I think in terms of trying to impress others, and like, show off and there is a little bit of that, or I've definitely, I felt that myself. So I'm aware that you know, I have to, you know, taper that and I and I also feel like in yoga, I do dream of a silent retreat, and like being, you know, off alone for just a few days to really have quiet space and enjoy meditation and practice. Do you have any thoughts around those thoughts? Yeah. You know, I was I was in the water today, and it was I was at a break called students all which is one of those beautiful right hand point breaks. And there's never any competition out there. Never I'm I, today there was, and it felt different. And I had to come back to my my yoga space and come back to the hotel and say, Wow, I, I'm really surprised that that happened today. You know, but but it's also I think going back to the other story about other people, that's, that's them and not me. And so we get to choose how we respond in those types of interactions. And the surfing world can be quite aggressive at times. But I was out there with a couple of girlfriends and we just said, You know what, let's just go in. We'll go surfing later when that energy is, is there. And so I think that's the the vibe here in El Salvador is the vibe of when owned, which means like good vibes or cool like, chill. Thank you low like understanding that we can, the waves will still come and we don't have to fight for them. So it depends on what kind of surfer you are. I do like to travel to the places with the uncrowded waves, though. I definitely do. Yeah. agree there's a good wave about 20 minutes up the coast from us that my husband and I went and had a great date at the other day. And so we needed that we needed to get away from the local waves so that we could go to something that not everyone knows about. And there are still secrets around the world. Good point. Good point. Do you have like if you had to pick like your top two or three yoga poses post a surf session? What would be your go to poses? Like, like a rabbit position, you know the rabbit pose from the Bikram series. I'm not a big fan of the Bikram series for my personal life, but that pose is gold after surfing, and starting to breathe into the intercostal muscles of of the ribs. That all moving again. Yeah. And maybe maybe like another you know, I cat cow, but with rotating the ribs and hips. So I call it cleaning out the inside of an almond butter jar with your ribcage. Nice. That feels good after certainly lots of mobility flexion extension and side bending. Very cool. Yeah. Can you explain what the teaching situations are like where you're at in terms of I feel like I read that you're in charge of the trainings and or do you offer teacher trainings there in El Salvador? We did. We offered a teacher training here in 2018. And we have not offered one again here yet, but we will in the future. But right now we are the only Yoga Studio in the town of El Junco. So people come from all over and can drop into any of the yoga classes. Excuse me, we also have some workshops going on and I guide, I hold space or facilitate space for transformational breath work as well. And that has been a really wonderful offering in this community. A lot of travelers find out about it. And then a lot of the the local community and expats are coming to breathwork to do some big healing work. Nice. Can you can you describe what a transformational breathwork class is like? Sure. It's, you know, it's about two hours long. So it's a long evening, I hold the classes in the evenings and we breathe in a certain pattern, so that you can release the the conscious mind and tap into whatever the subconscious experience needs to share with you. And it could be a subconscious experience of grief patterns in your body and in your life that you're holding on to or traumas can definitely be supported through breathwork or past life experiences, it can be quite profound. And so in a breath work class, you will just lay on your back. And you can have a little eye covering and have something behind your knees and you do this breath pattern that eventually starts to take over. And you have to surrender right? So as a participant in your own life. It's important to get out of get out of our own way. So that's the work of breathwork is to see what comes up I sometimes tell people that this is similar to plant medicine, but without the plant medicine. You know, it's just the power of your breath. You probably, maybe on purpose choose not to explain the exact breath technique, but I'm just curious is that one where you're exhaling really intensely? Or? Because I've heard I've never actually taken like an official transformational breath. workshop, I did one recently, in a style that some the facilitator called it reset breathwork. And it was, like, three short inhales and long exhale. And it really like I didn't think it was going to be I just thought, how could this be an intense experience, and people beforehand had kind of worn like, Your hands can almost like crab claw, because it draws all the prana into the center of your body. And obviously, with like, the change in the oxygen and carbon dioxide ratios in the body. And I, when I heard that, I was like, Okay, we're just gonna breathe. I don't see how that could happen. But it was so intense. Oh, my gosh, like I didn't expect. And I'm curious, is it is it? Well, when he said, If this is a little bit like a plant medicine ceremony, but without the plant medicine, it sounds to me like these experiences can be extremely profound. Can you tell? Are you able to talk about learn? Yeah, sure. Of course, yeah, it's similar. It's, you know, in the past, it's been called Holotropic. Breathing. And so different than the three short breaths, we do a big, strong, powerful inhale, and a very soft, light exhale. And so it's kind of a pattern, and I describe it like climbing a roller coaster. So it's this. Like, you're climbing to get to the top of the experience, and then the body is so over oxygenated. That there may be a point of suspension, where consciously you'll say I'm, I'm not breathing. But subconsciously, you're saying I'm getting exactly enough of what I need, or I already have inside of me what I need. And so it's a it's interesting, yes, it is a play on the balance of the of the oxygen. But the, the hand position that you're talking about is called technique. And that is very common in any type of Holotropic or transformational or rebirthing, breathwork. And so that's, that happens when there's a holding pattern in the mind. If the mind is holding on to something very deeply, it will show up in the body. And maybe you've you've read or heard of the book, The Body Keeps the Score. I refer to this book a lot, because the body is trying to tell us something when it curls into a technique pattern. And so it's at the point when we get out of our own way, that the body actually releases the tetany pattern. And then it feels quite euphoric. And so it can feel quite spiritual. And it could be in combination with either laughing which is very euphoric, or, or tears and crying, which is also a wonderful release. Interesting. So there's a lot to say about it. When that starts to happen, your hint or suggestion is don't develop fear around the sensation of that and just continue on with the breath practice and just see what evolves. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Because whatever we resist, persists. And so if there's a resistance around the technique, it could actually become a little bit more challenging. It could, it could hurt, it could become quite painful. And so if you if you notice it and say, there's an interesting thing happening, my hands are hurting. Okay, I'm just gonna keep going. Eventually that will release and it releases in a really euphoric. Wow. Good advice. I will I will try that next time for sure. Yeah. That's an that's amazing. Rosie. So I mean, you we've kind of covered like, love of the ocean and surfing yoga in terms of asana and different styles of yoga. You're involved in the doula work and like really, into obviously using that same skill that you're talking about with the breathing and then bringing that into the doula work. Makes perfect sense because obviously, that A similar type of fear and sensation of pain and or discomfort, and then transforming that to be something that you can release and relax into is pretty amazing and intense stuff. Are there any other areas that we miss like that you're really passionate about? I mean, another area that I'm curious, I do want to ask you What about in relation to music and or mantra and sound? Do you have any personal practices? Because you did make mention that during the birthing experience that it was like a home, you know, experience? Do you? Do you have other daily rituals, routines are practices that involve sound and or music? Yeah, so So breath work in the breathwork workshops, the music is really quite intense and quite stimulating. But in any type of breath work or ceremony that I have done in the past, or I lead, I guide people towards using their voice to release their chakra energy and I, I daily Hum, I hum, I own my children ohm and sing mantra with me and I don't, I don't do like singing bowls all the time, just because I don't have them, I'd like to have them. But I do love. I do love sound. And I do love expression of the heart through the voice. So that being said, that is just a lovely daily offering is to create some sort of opening from the heart. I agree. One of my one of my favorite things about being out in the ocean and, you know, big set coming and you'll start hearing people start to hoot, a little bit out in the water. Like, either to let you know, like, Whoa, there's something coming get ready. Or, you know, expressing real excitement for somebody having an incredible ride and dislike, you know, you're out in an open environment where it doesn't feel like you're doing something inappropriate by just like yelling really loud. You know, it's like usually welcomed by people. Do you find in yoga classes? Do you incorporate that, like into an actual Asana session, not like yelling out loud, but I have seen different like yoga modalities where they encourage people to dislike really just kind of let loose and start, you know, either moving their body shaking around yelling at the top of their lungs. Is that something you've ever experienced? Or? Or no, yeah, you know, Kundalini and all of that. I even yesterday in the class, we were doing this surfer shoulder class, and I had everyone reaching their arms up really high. And then with a big, powerful exhale, take their arms back behind them. And then we did it quite fast. And we did it a, you know, a dozen or more times, just inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, and it builds this fire inside of the body that is so stimulating. And immediately after a few rounds of this big powerful exhale, we just brought her hands to our heart center and closed her eyes and felt the floor. And some people started crying. Wow. Because it's it's a lot to bring up that sort of energy and breath inside of your body. And so it's a beautiful way to release. So yeah, I'm all about it. I hit in the water. I cheer people on. I love the the power of the voice. It's connected to the heart. Amazing. What about local arts and crafts there? And in terms of board building and or board buying? Do you come to the States? Get new gear fly home? Do you have local shapers like I've always I practice bodywork and I'm a massage therapist, and I love reading surface Journal Magazine. And I love the part in the surface journal where they highlight the shapers and they really go into the art of crafting a homemade board and like all of the thought and planning and years of history and then learning it from their teacher and it being passed down in the evolution of the shaping process and sometimes when I'm doing body work all just to kind of keep my imagination, having fun and in the process but think of it as like a shaping process. And And I'm curious, are there local shapers there in that you that you support or what is that experience for you there in El Salvador? Yes. Just locally, we have a gentleman who's who goes by the name papaya. And he has a pious surf shop here in town. So he has been making boards for 15 years, probably. And he does a great job. They're beautiful boards. But he just linked up with the company sharp eye out of San Diego, California. And the the owners of sharp eye came down and they taught papaya how to make sharp eye boards. So I think there's this cool collaboration going on. And the reason that they did that, because they obviously want to increase the brand. But they also want people to be on really well made Ford's that they can get a good deal here locally in El Salvador versus paying the higher US price point. That's really cool. So all the guys all the young guys, including my husband, my husband just bought one of Popeye sharp eye boards. Nice. All right, yeah, they're on that board now. Very cool. Do do you practice body work? Or do you have a team of body workers that help work for you at the at your retreat center? Yeah, they're local ladies. There are some wonderful local ladies that hold space for bodywork. And I always get to the benefit of getting to interview them. Yes, let me see. Let me see if you're any good. Oh, actually, you're really good. Keep going. Exactly. I have recently found a woman who blew my mind. She's a local woman here. And she's been doing bodywork self trained for 20 years. And she is an incredible healer in that way. And so she is training in some of the other local women community. And I feel like that takes us back to the roots of what bodywork used to be. It used to be a mentor, and a student. And I really love seeing that. That blossom in this community. Wow. And I like being on the receiving end. Well, I'm, I'm totally sold. Lindsay, I want to come down there and hang out with you guys. That sounds so fun. I mean, surfing, yoga, breath, work, body work, amazing food cafe and Balani style. I I don't know that I can think of anything else to add to that that could make it any better. Personally, I'm sure you've been thinking of different things, but I don't think it would need anymore. Like that sounds like such an incredible combination. So I hope anyone listening, please, what's the best way for someone to reach out to Lindsay to go to your website and or via Instagram and just send you a message or? Yeah, favorite info at El Salvador yoga.com We'll get you to the right place. And you can message on any channel. But that's the best email address. Yeah, very cool. And I if anyone is interested in taking a yoga retreat, and surf retreat to El Salvador, definitely contact me as well. I'm hoping that we can come down there, Lindsey, that would be so amazing. I really I've always wanted to go and I have friends here in Florida that go regularly just because they love that it's not Costa Rica. And in terms of its its I hear El Salvador is not as like built up as Costa Rica is is that. Is that true? Yeah. Totally true. Yeah. It's just different. Yeah, yeah. It's different in regards to tourism. I think Costa Rica has really have, they have an advanced Tourism Program. And here in El Salvador, we're just, we're learning. Yeah. We're learning we're always the student. And we're having a lot of fun taking people and, and really immersing them in the culture of what it's like here. And how beautiful this country is. Wow. That's amazing. Lindsay. Well, thank you. I'm curious, do you have any thing that you would like to close our conversation with? Such as a prayer, a wish, a dream, an intention, a thought? Yeah. Thank you. Let's see. Let's, it will probably just be around choice. So let's go back in Two choice. There's I'm a big fan of a lot of different books. And there's a book that I recommend to people all the time called A Man's Search for Meaning. Have you ever read that book? I have not a man. It's yeah, it's a, it's a book about a gentleman's choice during the time of the Holocaust. So it's a very heavy book in that way. But the lightness that comes out of it is that you have choice and how you respond to other people's choices. And so I would like to leave everyone with that, that there's a gentle way to be in the world, whether you're out surfing or you're in the comparison trap, or you're on social media, and you're seeing all day lives so great. But but really, you have a choice in your own life to choose greatness. So I must say, I hope everyone chooses greatness for themselves. Thank you, Lindsay. That's perfect. Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me and organize out of your busy schedule. And I look forward to having a chance to actually meet you in person. For those of you that are listening to the podcast, I will put this up on our YouTube channel. Also, Lindsey, I noticed that you have a YouTube channel as well, Lindsey Gonzalez, I went ahead and followed you today. So everyone listening, at least go in, give Lindsey like a follow up comment. And we appreciate it. We like to know that people are watching and listening and all that great stuff. So on that note, thank you, Lindsay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. All right. Great connection. Appreciate it. Have a great day. Native yoga Todd cast is produced by myself. The theme music is dreamed up by Bryce Allen. If you liked this show, let me know if there's room for improvement. I want to hear that too. We are curious to know what you think and what you want more of what I can improve. And if you have ideas for future guests or topics, please send us your thoughts to info at Native yoga center. You can find us at Native yoga center.com. And hey, if you did like this episode, share it with your friends, rate it and review and join us next time