IN THE KITCHEN

MIND. BODY. SOUL.

healthy living

Lakshmi Trambauer teaches students to downward-dog into uplifted state.

PEOPLE

Taking on a spiritual role spiritual role

Yoga instructor Lakshmi Trambauer strives to create atmosphere fit for mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health. fit for mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health.

STORY: VICTORIA SCHLABIG ≈ PHOTO: NICOLE HAMEL

racey Trambauer instantly fell in love with yoga when she took her rst class with yoga when she took her rst class in the late 1990s. She soon became an in the late 1990s. She soon became an avid student, practicing yoga almost avid student, practicing yoga almost daily, and eventually lling in as a daily, and eventually lling in as a substitute teacher. substitute teacher. In 2000, Tracey visited the In 2000, Tracey visited the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp in Quebec, Canada, for her rst yoga teacher in Quebec, Canada, for her rst yoga teacher training. “I started teaching in various places training. “I started teaching in various places around Clermont, but eventually wanted to around Clermont, but eventually wanted to open my own studio just to have a home for the open my own studio just to have a home for the students. A place where I could really control the students. A place where I could really control the atmosphere,” she says. Her rst studio atmosphere,” she says. Her rst studio in Clermont was open for 17 years. in Clermont was open for 17 years. She now owns and runs Eustis Yoga, which She now owns and runs Eustis Yoga, which celebrated its fth birthday in October. celebrated its fth birthday in October.

In addition to the instruction received In addition to the instruction received in Quebec, she travelled to India in 2005 in Quebec, she travelled to India in 2005 to take advanced training in Sivananda to take advanced training in Sivananda Yoga, Yoga, a spiritual yoga system founded by a spiritual yoga system founded by Swami Vishnudevananda that takes a Swami Vishnudevananda that takes a classical and holistic approach to yoga classical and holistic approach to yoga that stretches and tones the whole that stretches and tones the whole body, pairing physical postures with body, pairing physical postures with breathing techniques. breathing techniques.

During her advanced training, During her advanced training, Tracey received her yogi name, Tracey received her yogi name, Mahalakshmi, through the Sivananda Mahalakshmi, through the Sivananda tradition of name initiation. “You tradition of name initiation. “You basically take on a yoga name or a basically take on a yoga name or a spiritual name. It resonated with spiritual name. It resonated with me, so I nally decided to make it o cial in March and I had my me, so I nally decided to make it o cial in March and I had my name legally changed,” she says, going by Lakshmi for short. name legally changed,” she says, going by Lakshmi for short.

Her favorite type of yoga to practice and teach is her own Her favorite type of yoga to practice and teach is her own take on Sivananda yoga. “I was drawn to Sivananda take on Sivananda yoga. “I was drawn to Sivananda yoga and continue to be inspired by it because it yoga and continue to be inspired by it because it emphasizes not only the postures but also breathing emphasizes not only the postures but also breathing exercises, relaxation, diet (plant-based) and exercises, relaxation, diet (plant-based) and meditation. It’s a comprehensive system for wellmeditation. It’s a comprehensive system for wellbeing,” she says. being,” she says. Her version isn’t as structured as a classic Her version isn’t as structured as a classic Sivananda class. “It’s not so gentle that you Sivananda class. “It’s not so gentle that you don’t feel like you’re waking up the body, but don’t feel like you’re waking up the body, but also not so quick and extreme that you feel also not so quick and extreme that you feel like you’re in the gym throwing your body like you’re in the gym throwing your body around,” she adds. around,” she adds. Lakshmi also focuses on providing a Lakshmi also focuses on providing a holistic experience. “Students are coming holistic experience. “Students are coming in and realizing that through the practice in and realizing that through the practice they can gain strength, but they can also they can gain strength, but they can also

gain gain

con dence in themselves and a good body con dence in themselves and a good body image, and for the senior population it image, and for the senior population it even helps with things like balance and even helps with things like balance and bone strengthening. So I’ve just felt really bone strengthening. So I’ve just felt really happy that I could help people,” she says. happy that I could help people,” she says.

Lakshmi has been teaching yoga full time Lakshmi has been teaching yoga full time for over 20 years. “It’s the ideal job because for over 20 years. “It’s the ideal job because I get to help people on all these levels, and I I get to help people on all these levels, and I look forward to meeting everybody that look forward to meeting everybody that walks through the door because the walks through the door because the people that come in to do yoga people that come in to do yoga are generally a really lovely are generally a really lovely population of people.” population of people.”

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