3 Words to Describe My Teaching Style:

PLAYful, cathartic, meditative!

My music style:

funk, disco, house, baile funk, soul, psychelic-ambient, (vogue)ballroom music

I fly with Jaybird Because:

Jaybird allows a space for us to remember our movement not just about a workout, or a goal, but challenges us to drop out of the thinking mind and into our feeling mind. Remember that these practices are somatically healing, and releasing! There are already so many spaces about perfection, being right or wrong, shaming what we can and cannot do. I'm so grateful for a platform and community to remember JOY and the importance of not taking ourselves too seriously all the time. The emphasis on music, and the intimacy of the dark reminds me to make my practices about moving with, and for my body, not against it! Loud, high end sound systems make moving with amazing music feel like an active meditation and so incredibly INVIGORATING and motivating during spicy sequences. I love that Jaybird classes are challenging! They humble us and allow us to feel and honour our growth, and agency to take our care into our own hands when we need to take breaks, or want to explore going deeper! Jaybird is a full body-mind-soul experience, and I feel very grateful to be able to share offerings in this community.

My journey to jaybird:

Renelyn Quinicot (she/her) is an artist and movement & meditation guide trained in various methods such as Kundalini Yoga, Pilates, Aerobic Exercise, Sound-Meditation,Yoga Nidrā, Yin-, Pre-and Post-Natal-, and Restorative Yoga, and more. She teaches with an emphasis on music, and utilizing movement as a form of curious Self-study, and cathartic, freeing, self-nurture. Renelyn deepens her studies in how these methods of mindfulness can reach more bodies through trauma-awareness, and anti-oppressive training as well.

In all her work, she explores the body as a keeper of story and lineage, PLAY as a radical act of resistance, and is most of all, passionate about sharing supportive breathing tools to remind us of our own body as a wise resource of care.

What MiNdfulness Means to Me:

Mindfulness is learning to loving witness ourselves as we truly are. To not get consumed by the ways western 'wellness' ideals have sold us the idea that we are only 'well' if we feel 'zen' or 'calm', but to instead, recognize all parts of our Selves as wise teachers, emotions that are not as easy to feel as well. Some days showing up to our mat will feel harder than others, and maintaining a mindful practice to me, is committing to showing up for ourselves regardless, and holding loving awareness, compassionate curiosity to hold space for all that may come up, the sadness, the grief, the joy, the frustration. Mindfulness is befriending ourselves as perfectly imperfect as we are.

words to live by:

“I would love to live like a river flows,
carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”
― John O'Donohue

I love this quote because it reminds us to stay curious about our Self and to not get stuck in our stories but live live with loving wonder. Every time I meet myself on the mat, is an opportunity to listen in, and get to know myself a bit more.