Founder of Tej School

Hi Honey, can you tell us more about you and what influence made you change your way of living and begin your journey of transformation?

I’m a teacher of Indian Spiritual and wellbeing traditions based in Australia. I’ve been practicing Yoga for more than two-thirds of my life so rather than a big change it was more of a gradual deepening of embodying the systems that I was orbiting.

How did you discover and begin your journey in Ayurveda? How did it impact and change your relationship with your body and health?

As I’d begun practicing traditional Hatha Yoga at a very early age and having in-studio Yoga practice as a twice daily non-negotiable in my 20s, Ayurveda just popped up one day as one of my teachers mentioned it. From then on I was fixated and drawn so deeply, very quickly into this ancient wisdom.

I would say the way I was previously living my life was ruining it! Understanding the concepts of energies, balancing and cultivating a deep sense of awareness and a “sensitive” body enables me to make choices that are most supportive of what my day requires.

When was your first contact with yoga and what made you choose and become an embodied yoga teacher? Can you tell us more about this type of yoga?

I was around 12 years old and absolutely obsessed with this idea of Yoga. I lived in the countryside so my mum had to drive me 45 minutes each way for a 45 minutes traditional hatha Yoga once a week. It was very traditional which meant it was based in subtle practices and mostly inner yoga - which was very strange to the untrained eye and made me even more intrigued.

I became a Yoga teacher only when I was offered a scholarship for my 200 hour certification in my late 20s. Embodied Yoga + Ayurveda is a way that I personally define my own practice. It means to live in alignment with the tradition, the philosophies and ethics, to eat, move and speak in a way that is supported by the traditions. I feel this needs to be distinguished from most Modern postural Yoga teachers as the vast majority of in-studio teachers understand very little about the context of their practice and aren’t passionate about learning it.

Ayurveda, yoga, tantric philosophy and practice, Vedic counseling, are all eastern disciplines. Have you had the opportunity to travel over there? If you have… what was the most inspiring about their culture?

Yes I have. I love India, can’t wait to get back and am hoping to study in Kerala (the home of Ayurveda) and spend time in Sri Lanka when it’s possible to do so. The most inspiring thing about Indian culture to me personally is the essence of being laid back. I’ve had a lot of Indian people talk to me about non-attachment and this is why there is a vibe of “going with the flow”. It’s relaxing even amongst such an at times chaotic place.

Can you tell us about your daily routine and your practice of sacred rituals?

On my best days my sadhana (spiritual practice) and ritucharya (Ayurvedic seasonal routine) begins around 5:30 am. I move through a series of kriya, pranayama, checking in with the energies at work, Goddess worship with mantra, meditation and closing with writing poetry.
The rituals then move to the bathroom where I’ll be undertaking daily self-massage and body brushing and bathing.

I also make sure to walk my dog, find space for more movement, take healthy breaks, work at a slow pace, get out into nature (which living inner city means watching the river or walking through our Botanical Gardens). My work day ends with a gentle self-guided Yoga nidra and a non-negotiable traditional emotional processing practice before bed. Eating and cooking homemade Sattvic (harmonic) foods is a big part of my daily ritual as well.

You work and teach about ancient Goddesses. Which Goddess has inspired you the most and how has working with her been helpful to you?

The Goddess that I’ve worked with for over 2 years now is a more secret Tantrik Goddess and I like to keep her close to heart. She’s inspired me to be spacious, to allow and to lean into all that I don’t know.

What inspired you to create Tej School and why did you decide on that name? Does “Tej” have a special meaning?

Tej School is an educational platform - so calling it school was fitting. Tej is a root word for the sanskrit word Tejas (tay-jus) which is one of three vital essences of all life forms. It means inner fire, digestion, processing and the ability to nourishment from that metabolic process. We can kindle tejas with discipline and dedication, staying true and on our path when we do this cultivates an inner radiance which is seen through the skin, eyes and energetics - some might also call it beauty.

What would you say differentiates Tej School from other holistic-spiritual schools?

Well we channel integrity, authenticity + direct action. We are studious, dedicated + aware.

I ensure that our teachings aim to slice through the self-absorption now dominant in modern postural yoga + wellness. We present complex ancient technologies in understandable, relatable + relevant formats. And we embody unity consciousness by offering a portion of our profits to marine conservation and are of course, carbon neutral.

In your experience, what would you say are the most common challenges we face in order to live a balanced, embodied and radiant life?

An addiction to mind created suffering aka. Self-pity, staying small, comparison, competition and allowing ourselves to be perpetually distracted. Know yourself, know where you intend to be headed and move in that direction - without attachment.

In your opinion, what’s the importance of recovering ancient wisdom? Do you think our generation is on the way to embrace it?

These ancient practices are a means to liberation (from suffering) when they are adhered to. There’s nothing more important than being fully alive while you are here, being fully present in your experience of life as it unfolds and these tools allow us to be that way.

I think there’s more interest and leeway, I have a lot of Indian students who have re-investigated their grandmother's traditions through working with me and that says a lot about how needed it is now.

How can we give back and contribute to Mother Earth using the wisdom we have learned?

Ayurveda is about living in alignment with nature, Yoga is about not causing harm. Live by those two principles most of the time and without judgement.

What do you think is the major impact of social media on our self-awareness? What advice would you give us to better use social media?

Social media is a blessing and a curse. I’m grateful for having students all over the world and these platforms allowing me to live an abundant and purposeful life. At the same time if we are already rajasic (anxious/stressed/ungrounded) social media will only exacerbate that.

I have no personal social media accounts - so that’s saying something. The way that I use social media is with strict rules and processes. I would say get into a competition with yourself around lowering your screen time, use app limits and take consistent extended breaks to rejuvenate your own creative nature and remember what life was like without it. I only follow people who inspire me, educate me or offer me something beautiful to look at.

You describe yourself as a bookworm and also have a book club section in the “Kula Membership”, which are the 3 books that most inspired you and which would you recommend?

I love these books by beloved teachers - A Life in Balance by Maya Tiwari, Yoni Shakti by Uma Dinsmore Tuli and The Recognition Sutras by Christopher Wallis.