Nadja Refaie listens and keeps the dialogue open.
I'm an environmental engineer and dancer who moved to Boston for grad school and was introduced to yoga by a friend. I discovered the precision and intelligence of the Iyengar method and it felt like the 'classical ballet of yoga'. The practice left my brain in a much steadier place. Eventually I pursued teaching.
As a teacher, I want my students to feel that sense of quiet and repose from the daily mental chatter.
I met Justine in teacher training with Patricia Walden. We began teaching together in a church hall and Down Under was born. Through having kids, cancer and more, we have maintained both our deep friendship and our collegial respect, which continues to grow as I take on a leadership role. As a Co-Chair of the Teacher Leadership Council, I appreciate the diverse team that has stepped into leadership.
I'm the daughter of immigrants.
My German mother and Egyptian father moved us to the US when I was a toddler. So the Middle Eastern culture is in my blood and yet we all speak German. This heritage is deeply woven into the tapestry of my life and how I see the world.
More than just an interest in different cultures, it's a longing to hear other points of view and an awareness of other ways of living in the world.
Not everyone will see things the same way, nor do we have to. But we need to listen to each other. The willingness to dialogue and the commitment to a certain level of integrity in communication is a signature of everyone at Down Under. That is how we so successfully find common ground: we work together even though we may not all believe the same thing and we generate great ideas and hear each other.
In our last TLC meeting we discussed vaccinations. While there were many different opinions and feelings, our meeting was respectful, and everyone felt safe saying what they wanted to say. More importantly, people listened to each other and we created next steps that everyone could agree on. I personally enjoy getting to know the lead teachers from different schools.
As I work alongside my Co-Chairs there is a swapping of perspectives and a shared love of the practice. They learn more about Iyengar yoga from me and I learn about their expertise from them. Our commitment to honest and open dialogue takes the school forward in terms of diversity, programming, teacher-driven focus and teacher development. It also allows us as teachers and colleagues to become the best versions of ourselves.
These days there are so many examples of people talking only to those who reinforce their world view or attacking those who think differently. I was part of the rewrite of our codes of conduct that ensure every we, and every new teacher who joins our faculty, commit to basic ethical principles.
I'm proud of the fact that we as teachers will hold each other accountable for professional conduct. That the TLC can be a conduit for ideas and that I can represent Iyengar teachers and issues we care about is very exciting.
As the Assistant Director of the Iyengar School, I am very excited to work with Patricia to maintain and expand our robust weekly Iyengar class schedule. Over what will soon be 5 studios, I plan to help develop workshops and therapeutic programming, mentoring and teacher training, and am looking forward to inviting guests and creating collaborations throughout New England.
