insider: BodyRock's yoga girl Deanna Di Carlo

Hey body rockers! My name is Deanna and I am a yoga practitioner and yoga teacher. Some of you might already know me if you've come across my BodyRockTV yoga tutorials. Underneath it all, I'm really just a girl with dreams of travelling the world, doing and sharing something that I love. I would like to share with you a little insider to my life, how I got here and how I made this my reality. I'm a city girl turned island local! That's right, I moved my life on a little bit of a whim to an island (without having been there first) to teach yoga full time. I was born and grew up close to Toronto my whole life. Currently, I live on a small island in the Caribbean where I teach yoga six days a week. Yes, life at the moment is pretty sweet. In the following weeks I will be opening my world to you and in that I promise to be as transparent as possible. My practice, favourite poses and flows. My thoughts, what yoga has taught me and what it is teaching me. What inspires me, what I eat, and where I go will be a big part of these posts. How did I get here? I could probably bore you with all the particulars but I'll try to best to give you the Coles notes version of the story. In today's age of social media, I think most of us are guilty of creating an image of ourselves that isn't fully correct. It's the best moments or what we would rather people see. it's very easy to just post "the good stuff" and leave out the struggle and not so enjoyable moments of life. I can assure you what you see is me. Sometimes I'll post quotes, this doesn't mean I am those words rather something I aspire to be. Remember, I am human, I am not an ancient sage, I don't have all the answers, I make mistakes (a lot) and I am completely imperfect and a work in progress just like everyone else. Like I said, I am just a girl sharing my journey with you and, I am still finding my own way. I am not a seer or a guru. The style of yoga that I teach is an interpretation of the lessons of all my teachers. What I teach is not traditional. I am not the be all end all, I am one of the many ways to the way. I hope what I offer, if it speaks to you encourages you to dive further into this world of yoga and find what speaks to you, because what works for me might not be best for you! We are all unique with many different needs. I always say yoga is like the rabbit hole, once you fall in there is a lifetime of knowledge and self work. It never ends! I encourage you to follow your own truth and honour those who are doing the same, even if that doesn't fit with your own path. There is no right or wrong in yoga. On the mat or off the mat. One of the main principles of yoga is non-judgement, towards yourself and towards others... I'll delve into this thought more in a later post. I grew up dancing from the age of two and for me school was always a struggle. It was never my thing, moving or dancing was my salvation. When high school ended I was enrolled to attend a dance conservatory but last minute chose university. Why? Because everyone else was doing it and "that was the RIGHT" thing to do. I hated it and regretted my decision for a long time. I would consider myself to lean towards the more artsy creative side and that is not what university was in my experience. I felt stuck. I started having panic and anxiety attacks. Hospital at least twice a week because I had convinced myself I was dying. I now recognize it was my body pleading for me to make a change and to pay attention to my inner voice instead of the ones around me. I was anything but happy and I needed to find my own way. Not what was right in everyone else's eyes but, what was right for me and me alone. It was then that I fell hard into my yoga practice and began this whirlwind. Once I started to learn more about yoga the more I drifted away from school. I dropped out to take on teaching full time. I would love to say "and the rest was history.." But it wasn't quite that simple. There have been many bumps and detours but they all have lead me to where I am now. Yoga means to yolk mind, body and soul. To me it is the way I am able to see myself, grow as a person, learn in a modality that helps me be the highest version of me. It is a direct way to see my habits, my tendencies, to choose if those help me or hinder me and to move forward. For me yoga, mindfulness and meditation helps to burn through the imprints this world and experience has left on us to come back to and act from our truest and highest selves. This is my experience, others have a similar experience when they cook, paint, build, do math, write, etc... The experience is similar, the medium which we find this is different for all of us. I encourage you to find yours! I hope to share more with you in the following weeks, and I hope you stay with me for the ride! Best Deanna