Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast Episode #13 – Pranic Healing & Rebirthing – Yoga in Lebanon with Tracy Estefane

Welcome to Episode #13 of the Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast! This week, I welcome Tracy Estefane onto the show. She is a yoga teacher from Lebanon, and is located in Beirut. She teaches at Sarvam Yoga in Beirut and co-leads 200hr yoga teacher trainings there.

Tracy was deep in the throes of getting her Master’s in London when yoga came into her life. From the first class, she felt “changed.” This lead her to do a training in Scotland, and then to go to Thailand to receive her 200hr Hot Yoga Teacher Training certification. What I find to be the most inspiring part of Tracy’s journey is that she immediately took the leap of faith into becoming a yoga teacher full-time. While she doesn’t currently own her own studio— although she hopes to one day!— she is deeply immersed in serving her yoga community in Lebanon, and is grateful for the sanctuary that yoga provides to not just herself, but to her whole community, during these difficult times for her country.

How does yoga help? How is yoga a sanctuary? 

Tune into our conversation to hear Tracy’s truths!

Tell me more about Tracy Estefane

Tracy Estefane started her yoga journey in 2014, when she discovered Bikram hot yoga in London as she was completing her Masters degree. In 2015, Tracy took the leap to turn her passion into her profession and joined the 200hours Hot Yoga Teacher Training at the Absolute Yoga Academy in Thailand. Directly upon completion of the program and returning to Lebanon, Tracy started teaching private and public yoga classes including Hot Yoga, Vinyasa, Power Yoga and Yogalates in Beirut’s leading yoga studios and gyms. She is now co-leading yearly 200hr teacher training programs in Lebanon and internationally, specializing in vinyasa yoga. She has a special interest in energy healing and breath-work and attended numerous trainings in Pranic healing and rebirthing breath-work. 

Her mission is to spread the yoga practice and lifestyle in her surrounding to help people experience its life changing benefits just as she did. Her classes inspire practitioners to adopt an introspective attitude and start a journey into self-awareness and personal development on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels.

What to expect in the Yoga in Lebanon episode of the Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast?

Tracy and I share a conversation rooted in her journey— how she found yoga and the gifts that yoga has brought her. Given everything that is happening in Lebanon currently, with the health care crisis, the political turmoil, and the difficulty to have access to basic necessities like electricity and gasoline, yoga is needed in Lebanon, now more than ever. 

For Tracy and for her students, yoga has become a sanctuary, a place of solace and a reprieve from being mired in the difficulties surrounding their daily lives and community at large. 

Given that Tracy also transitioned straight from her yoga teacher training to teaching yoga in Lebanon, it’s only natural that I asked Tracy to share advice for new yoga teachers on how to find jobs teaching yoga. 

As pranic healing and rebirthing breath-work are two of Tracy’s biggest passions, Tracy defines for us what pranic healing is and what rebirthing breath-work is as well. She then walks us through the process of what you would expect during a pranic healing session, and also during a rebirthing breath-work session. These healing modalities cleanse the body of impurities and seek to heal our traumas. 

Tune into the full Yoga in Lebanon episode to find out more!

For the skimmers – What’s in the Yoga in Lebanon episode?

• From Passion to Profession: Taking The Leap!
• Yoga is a Sanctuary
• Advice for Yoga Teachers On Starting to Teach
• Healing a Hurting Community Through Yoga
• The Art of Creative Sequencing
• The Cleansing Practices of Pranic Healing 
• An Explanation: Rebirthing Breath-Work

Favorite Quote From Tracy Estefane 

“One of the things that I did at the beginning, my rule of thumb was to stay open and seek my energies receptive. So whatever opportunities come my way, I would take it and I would just say yes to everything that came in, until I had built up enough experience and so on, to be able to really pick and choose whatever opportunities match, whatever I wanted to do at that point.”

Connect with Tracy

https://www.instagram.com/tracyogini/

http://www.sarvamyoga.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sarvamyoga/

Want more?

https://wildyogatribe.com/thepodcast/

Everything you need is just one click away! Check out all the resources here: https://linktr.ee/wildyogatribe

Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast Episode #13 – Pranic Healing & Rebirthing – Yoga in Lebanon with Tracy Estefane

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:00:08

Welcome, welcome, welcome, to the Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast. I’m your host, Lily Allen-Duenas. Together we’ll talk about the world of yoga and we’ll talk to people from around the world. Join us for authentic conversations about the global yoga ecosystem. And we’ll cover yoga philosophies and methodologies along the way. Inhale, exhale. We’re about to dive in. 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:00:36

Hello, and welcome to the Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast. This week, I am so excited to have Tracy Estafane on the show, a yoga teacher from Lebanon. So Tracy Estefane started her yoga journey in 2014, when she first discovered Bikram hot yoga in London, as she was completing her Master’s degree. Then in 2015, Tracy took the leap and turned her passion into her profession, and joined a 200-hour hot yoga teacher training at the Absolute Yoga Academy in Thailand. Directly upon her completion of the program and returning back home to Lebanon, Tracy started teaching private and public yoga classes including hot yoga, vinyasa, power yoga, and yoga-lattes in Beirut’s leading yoga studios and gyms. She’s now co leading yearly 200-hour yoga teacher training programs in Lebanon and internationally as well. And those programs do specialize in vinyasa yoga. She also has a special interest in energy healing and breathwork and has attended numerous training in Pranic healing and rebirthing. So as you can tell, Tracy has an amazing story to share. And I’m so excited to welcome her onto the show today. So thank you, Tracy, so much for being here. 

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:02:05

Thank you for having me. I’m excited. 

 

How did you first get started on the path of yoga?

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:02:09

Me too. So Tracy would love to just dive in and ask you how you first got started on the path of yoga?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:02:18

Sure, as you’ve mentioned in the bio, I was living in London at that point, I was doing my Master’s degree, which was in marketing, nothing to do with yoga at that point. And I just read a lot about the benefits of yoga and I wanted to give it a try. I saw that there was a Bikram Yoga Studio, conveniently located and I went to my first class. And until that day, I remember that first experience, so it was in a room, it was a 43-degree temperature, I walked in, and I was able to do maybe half of the class, it was just exhausting. And my heart was beating so fast, I felt like I was gonna rip my chest open. And I asked the teacher, if this is normal, I was not fit at that point, or prior to that point. And the teacher was like, “Yeah, don’t worry about it. This is cardiovascular”. And honestly, I did not expect yoga to be that hard. So I lied down and savasana for like half of the class. And although I did not finish it, when I left, I felt like something had already been inside of me, maybe it was like the amount of work that I really, maybe it was just a mental challenge of seeing even in that hot room. Although I was not continuing the practice. I’m not sure what exactly it was. But the shift happened directly during my first class. And I was just driven to come back the next day. And I started to feel like I was getting better at it quickly. I was able to do more, time after time. And also the benefits kept on just expanding. And I felt this clarity in my mind, I felt fit and mobile in my body, I felt good with a nice house; more present, more peaceful. And I just kept coming back for more basically. And soon after this, I felt like I needed to share this with everyone. I know how not everyone practices yoga, you know. And this was the main reason why I did my teacher training one year after I started my practice.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:04:33

Tracy, I completely agree that those benefits just expand and expand and expand as you continue to practice. And I think that there’s still benefits that probably every week or every month I kind of am reflecting on my practice thinking, “Oh, that’s, that’s what I’m learning”. I love the benefits that come in. But I think it’s so amazing that you jumped right into teaching after completing your 200-hour training. I would love to hear about how that transition happened.

 

Why did you decide to become a yoga teacher?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:05:05

After I graduated from the program that I was doing in London, I was planning on landing a job in that field. But because I was changed after having started yoga, I wanted to work in the Health and Wellness sector. But at that point, I was looking for marketing jobs in that field. I was looking for jobs, and it wasn’t happening so quickly. And then it occurred to me that I might as well do a 200- hour teacher training just because I had the time, a time that I might not have had later on if I were to be employed. When I decided to do the training, without any intention to start teaching full time at all. I just wanted at that point to deepen my knowledge and the yoga practice, and the yoga philosophy and the lifestyle. So I decided to do that 200-hour teacher training. During the training, I really enjoyed the teaching  part. And I felt like I was good at it. So after I came back home, I was like, “Okay, and I still don’t have a full time job. I’ll teach part time during classes, here and there, with families and friends, maybe in a local studio where I practice”, and that’s how it really started. Without any intention of giving up everything that I’ve done before, and becoming a full time yoga teacher. But as I started to teach here, and there, people were really enjoying the classes, and they were asking for more. And I was really enjoying teaching, and I’ve found it to be so fulfilling. And I found it to be like a true focus of mine. And at that point, I stopped looking for other jobs. And I just continued teaching, with another dream of mine that hasn’t been realized, yes. But I would love to one day own my own yoga studio, maybe like a wellness center and teach on it, one day.

 

Dreams of opening a yoga studio

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:07:03

Would you like that yoga studio to be in Lebanon? Or do you envision it being like a tropical, you know, Thailand destination or something?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:07:12

I’m not sure yet. The situation in Lebanon now is not so great. So existing businesses are really struggling to make ends meet. I don’t envision that studio in Lebanon, for the time being. I would probably see myself opening something up abroad. And then when the situation here is better, I would probably open another branch, or see how to make it work. And I also worked at a local studio, which is called Siren yoga. And I’m very much part of the community, and that studio, I’m one of the main teachers there. So this is my community for now and that studio feels like home to me, although I don’t own it. I’m very good friends with the owner and we work closely together. We get to do the training together, we run retreats together. So, I would not want to open something else that would kind of divide the community in Lebanon. But if one day we had to do another branch or something, then yeah, I would love to do that. But my initial vision from my own center would be to have it somewhere abroad because we are currently working on immigration anyway. 

 

The current situation in Lebanon (2021)

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:08:26

Yeah, I’m glad that you mentioned how difficult the situation is in Lebanon right now. I know that’s on a lot of people’s hearts and minds and prayers. And would you like to share a little bit with our listeners about what it’s like? I’m sure if someone’s tuning in, they’re probably thinking about it as well.

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:08:46

Yes, absolutely. So we are going through a big crisis, economically speaking, but also politically, socially, even a healthcare crisis. So this is all in addition, of course, to the COVID that everyone else and all other countries in the world are going through. Basically, the currency has dropped tremendously in its value, which is making it very hard to be able to export everything that when you export this to the country, we don’t want locally produced much. So all healthcare, oil and gas, raw material, all of it comes from abroad and because of the devaluation of the currency, we are unable to get much of those necessities with countries, including gas to fill up our cars, including electricity. So a lot of the time there’s no electricity at home. Even the generators are not always working. And we have a shortage in medicine and healthcare supplies. Not everything is available. A lot of people are having food exported from abroad, from family or friends who are flying in. And everything is super also overpriced compared to the salaries that we’re earning. We are currently functioning without a government as well. We’ve been trying to form this government for a while now. And it’s not happening due to a lot of political disagreements. And, yeah, so I don’t want to dwell too much on everything that’s going on, we are still trying to stay strong, and do everything we can to stay in good spirits. And Yoga has been helping a lot with it. So as far as to me, my personal practice is sacred, it’s a passive of constellations. For me, every time I step on my mat, I’m able to just sit in my breath and forget about everything going on around me, even if it’s just for like, one hour during the day. But also teaching gives me that as well. Because I do that, with everything that’s going on. Other people as well are seeking allies in their yoga practice and speaking a little bit of peace of mind away from all the chaos happening outside. So when I’m teaching, I see that people, even for this short time, are able to be happy, be with their breath, be with their body and forget about everything. This gives me great fulfillment. And I’m so grateful, more than ever for this beautiful practice. 

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:11:35

Thank you, Tracy, for shining light on the situation in Lebanon, and also for shining a light on how precious and sacred your practices are and what a gift it is for your community. So what is exactly the yoga scene like in Lebanon or in Beirut? I know that Beirut’s a big city. And it’s also I thought it’s been described as like the Los Angeles of your region. And I thought that was so curious. I know you have a strong cinema and movie producing scene. And I just was curious how Yoga is received by your community?

 

What is the community response to yoga in Lebanon like?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:12:13

Yes, so our country has been primed that way. And unfortunately, that was before the crisis that happened a couple of years ago, that started a couple of years ago. But it has been basically forming for years and years now, because of our crap government. Basically, the yoga community is amazing here. And again, before the crisis, there were so many studios, around every corner of the city, a lot of them had to close down. Because as I’ve mentioned, businesses are really struggling to make ends meet and to cover their expenses while still generating income, paying their teachers, covering their electricity, and so on. So expenses are really huge. And income is really low at the moment. 

 

So unfortunately, a lot of the studios have closed down, a few of them are still open, and those that are open, attract a lot of practitioners, the community has been growing over the last maybe five to 10 years. And we have a lot of advanced practitioners who are really committed, really dedicated, and we also run a program called a morning yoga challenge. So every morning at seven to 8am, we have a certain crowd that commit to coming in each and every morning and practicing. Because that has also created a community of its own, because the same people that come at the same time every morning. And also because we run retreats every now and there, we were able to also defend our community, especially now that everything is really hard. So Lebanese people are really enjoying taking these and doing locally organized yoga retreats. We have also run the 200-hour teacher training, and we’ve done so far two of them in Beirut and that has also worked to expand the community. I love how we’re growing with seven yoga because it’s really organic. So we get a lot of students that are committed and dedicated. And then when we do our yoga teacher training, they are usually very interested and once they complete that training, a lot of them are spending time at the studio. So, expansion has been really organic, which I think is beautiful for the community here.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas:  00:14:43

Oh, that is beautiful. The fact that you’re training these students and or that they have this history with you, and then you’re training them and then they’re teaching with you. It’s just a gorgeous continuum of study from student to teacher, but always, of course, a student for life. So I’m curious though Tracy, what advice would you give to your TTC students about how to get started teaching after they finish their TTC, if they’re not going to teach at the studio that they learned at. What do you think is some good advice, since you’ve jumped yourself right into teaching after completing your training? I’d love to hear what advice you’d give other students about how to get started as well.

 

Would you like that yoga studio to be in Lebanon?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:15:25

Sure, I understand that it can be a busy space to get started, it can also be a little bit intimidating to teach yoga to a class with students. I sure was intimidated at the beginning. But I honestly truly believe that someone is following their passions. And in that passion also work to serve others, somehow, then things start to fall together and work. So my advice would be enough to not stress too much over it. So just dive in. Try to teach from the heart classes you’re in, even if they type the changes for free and slowly more paths will open up for them, and more opportunities will come their way. And one of the things that I did at the beginning, my rule of thumb was to stay open and seek my energies receptive. So whatever opportunities come my way, I would take it and I would just say yes to everything that came in, until I had built up enough experience and so on, to be able to really pick and choose whatever opportunities match, whatever I wanted to do at that point. 

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:16:38

Yeah, I think that just getting started and just diving in and actually just just doing it is some of the best advice out there. As well as, yeah, offering things for free here and there just getting your feet on the ground getting a sense for it. I agree. It’s very important to just try, just go, just do. I know there’s a lot of hesitation and nerves and it can be scary to be leading a group of people through Asana practice, but I agree, just get started.

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:17:12

Right, and just remembering why we’re doing this in the first place. For me, it also helps to think, “Okay, so it’s not about me, I’m doing this because I want to help my community, I want to serve, I want to share the yoga practice so that people can feel better about themselves”. So when I remind myself of my intentions, I feel like things are a lot easier and things fall into alignment as well.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:17:42

Yes. So Tracy, I know that you teach Hot yoga vinyasa, power yoga, yoga-lattes, and maybe other different styles of yoga as well. I wanted to ask you which style you enjoy teaching the most and why?

 

Which teaching style of yoga do you enjoy the most?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:17:58

So I did my teacher training in Hot yoga, because at that point, that was the only practice that I was doing since I discovered Bikram. I was dedicated to it. So after I did my training, and I first experienced other styles of yoga, I really found myself in the Vinyasa style. So for example, Ashtanga is great to build foundations, to build thanks, to build discipline and so on. But for me, doing the same thing over and over and over again, just like Bikram as well, it’s the same sequence that we repeat every time. But sometimes I feel that it creates a little bit of rigidity inside of me. So I like being and having the freedom to create my own sequences. Because I also like the spatial aspect. I like the changing aspects. I like how flexible it can be, and they love that extent. It really ignites my creativity because I’m really very much into designing creative sequences, my favorite thing and for practicing as well as Vinyasa style yoga.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:19:00

Yeah, vinyasa is so creative. There’s so much possibility and fluidity. I think it really inspires a lot in your practice to kind of have that flow that you can kind of get lost in and as you’re creating it yourself, you feel more connected to it as you’re creating it. 

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:19:19

Absolutely. 

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:19:21

So what do you think is the key for creative sequencing? I feel like that’s a hot topic right now, how to create more creative sequencing. Do you have tips or any advice on that?

 

What is the key to creative yoga sequencing in Vinyasa Yoga

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:19:34

Yes. So, sometimes when we start to get so creative, I feel like that message of yoga can get a little bit lost. And also some of the base key and foundational elements of sequencing can also get lost. So it’s really important to stick to the rules, to practice feeling safe and effective, especially in the long run, because a lot of the things that we use today might not have a negative effect on our bodies right now. But if we keep doing them over the years, then the body will suffer. So one of my ground rules is forcing space and sticking to certain rules and sequencing that will keep the practice effective without creating any damage. And then with those foundations in mind, I will try to stay around in ways that will surprise people when we’re practicing. And I think one of the keys to creating those sequences, so I am really good with visualizing. So a lot of times I will just close my eyes and visualize where I can go from posture to posture. But other people like to practice, whatever sequences they’re trying to design and test it out of mind. So it really depends, it’s a little bit of a personal thing. I also really like to watch different yoga videos, different techniques. And without copying any of their sequences, just getting inspired, in order to basically and mix things up in my own sequences. Because a lot of times if we are just committed to self practice, and we don’t attend other teacher’s classes, we tend to see the same thing over and over again. So it’s really important, I think, as well to practice with other teachers, whose practice maybe even online, just to freshen up things a little bit in our mind and start to incorporate different things that maybe we had forgotten about, or things that maybe we never thought of.  Of course not in a way we were missing a thing or something but just in a way we’re getting inspired, and incorporating some elements that we were inspired from, in our own teaching style that is really reflective. Very important to stay authentic, although we are getting fired from others, and we are here to like, really inspire each other. 

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:21:58

I like that you made that point Tracy, of not sacrificing the foundations and the safety when creating these sequences, because sometimes I do think on perhaps social media, you see a 30 seconds, you know, it’s been sped up to look faster than it is. And you see all these back openers into our balances and there can be this desire to really emulate very entertaining sequences. And I think our job as a yoga teacher isn’t to entertain. It’s not to just push those limits of creative sequencing to the absolute limit so that we can keep our students entertained, it’s not our job. It’s to make sure they’re safe, balanced, and feeling the effects of yoga in the body in a positive way. And as you said into the future as well, they’re not creating bad habits or or negative impact on the spine or on the joints. So I’m really glad you mentioned that.

 

A yoga teachers job is not to entertain…

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:22:58

Yes, I absolutely agree with you. I don’t think it is our job to entertain. But I also find it interesting because a lot of times what lures people into the practice at the beginning, could be maybe the fun postures. And I for sure know that this is what lured me in. So a lot of people and they want to practice and they want to get there. And at the beginning that might be what really lured them in. But then later on, the effects of yoga practice. So I don’t necessarily think it’s the best thing to entertain. I don’t have to call it interesting, but just to extract people with more playful postures. And this eventually will translate into deeper, more meaningful benefits to them as well. So there’s nothing wrong either with giving a little playful practice but of course without losing the purpose of it and the foundation for sure.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:25:59

Absolutely. And since you mentioned playful Asanas being attractive. I missed a little question, what is your favorite yoga Asana right now?

What is your favorite yoga asana right now?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:24:10

That’s a really, really tough question. I have so many favorites, but maybe the Savasana or that fishbowl is one of my all time favorites because it was in the prime sequence. And it was one of my favorite postures that I really love doing over and over and over again.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:24:42

Yes, it’s a beautiful expression of the body. Okay, so Tracy, I would love to ask too, if our listeners are interested in your offerings or interested in tapping into the resources you have online, or if they’re interested in coming maybe to Lebanon or following you wherever you will go, what’s a good way for them to find you?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:24:56

The best way to do so is through my Instagram channel. I try to keep the access as much as I can with some posts. Especially if there’s any big events, I’ll put up some of my pages for sure. And then my stories as well. I’ll always advertise my yoga classes, the timing, locations, and all of that over there. 

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:25:14

Sounds good. And are you teaching anything online? 

 

Do you teach yoga online?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:25:17

So we asked online a lot during the lockdown, during COVID. As for the moment, I am teaching at the studio. But some of the classes I teach are live-streamed online, via zoom.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:25:32

Great, got it. And the 200-hour teacher retraining programs, is that something available to students internationally and if so, do you have a website for that, that they should check out? 

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:25:43

Absolutely. So on the paragonyoga.com website are all the details about our upcoming teacher training. 

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:25:51

Perfect. And Tracy, I realize I didn’t get to ask you about your interest in breathwork and energy healing and all the training you’ve attended in Pranic Healing and Rebirthing. Can we touch on that? I’m totally open to hear anything you have to share?

 

How can people get in touch with you and learn more about your yoga offerings?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:26:07

Yes, absolutely. So [unintelligible 00:26:10] practices. I went to see an energy healer one time based on a friend’s recommendation. And he just used two things. I had no idea what they were. And then less moving, also kind of strange. And I was really intrigued. I was really interested So he ended up becoming my teacher and I did several workshops with him and several training sessions, including Pranic healing and Rebirthing breathwork. So Pranic healing is a lot about cleansing one’s energy, cleansing the chakras and basically we believe that a lot of physical ailments that we can get. A lot of times they start energetically before manifesting physically and in the body. So when we regularly cleansing energy, it really helps out with any potential physical sickness or so on. As for Rebirthing, it is a type of breath work. It’s a really conscious breathing and when you do it for like 5 to 10 minutes, you enter a friend and your body starts reading on its own. And you enter a space of consciousness that is beyond just the physical realm. 

 

And several people have very different experiences. So a lot of people experience fluming, a lot of people experience sweating, others experience becoming extremely cold and of course the ritual [unintelligible 00:27:41] for every person. The reason why it’s called Rebirthing, is because it is believed that our birthing experience is the first trauma that we go through. So we are used to being in the mother’s womb where everything’s familiar, everything’s safe, and all of a sudden, the baby comes out in a whole new world and the umbilical cord is cut and the baby is breathing for the first time using his own lungs, and so on. So this is believed to be the first trauma and through rebirthing breathwork, the things that we entered are there in order to help us ease our traumas. A lot of people actually during their session, they might experience their birth basically. And I kind of have that as well and I’ve heard about many people that experience their birth [unintelligible 00:28:35] They might get memories of how it happened. They might feel like they’re being pulled out of something. So again, it depends really, it’s something personal every person will experience , but I really recommend every person to give it a try because it’s something that I’ve never felt before. And after the session, when we’re done with the breathing, we go into this deep state of meditation. So a lot of times, meditation can be really hard to access. But after this breathing, I become so extremist and the mind and all the physical the body and so on and respect to feeling deeply connected to the soul, very peaceful, feelings of bliss like nothing experienced before, and no matter how much they try to explain it and talk about it, the only way to really understand it is to just give it a try and experience that for oneself.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:29:37

Wow, you definitely want to try rebirthing, that’s amazing. Is it something that you said everyone should try. So is rebirthing techniques something you can join or say a class for, I’m not sure in 60,90 minutes and then you can just try rebirthing or is it something you need to work up to?

 

What is Rebirthing?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:29:57

Anyone who would like to try, they can find a Rebirthing practitioner [unintelligible 00:30:03] through it. It’s better to have someone to provide for you the first time. Later on, it’s completely fine to do it on your own. But at the beginning is just to have someone who knows what you’re doing. Just providing, holding the space, guiding the person to do it. A lot of times, maybe some yoga studios will offer a group with a working session. So there will be tributing the entire class through it and it can be really, really powerful because the collective energy brings up so much on each individual, you can just drop it and try it. No need for any prior experience, no need for training. Nothing at all.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:30:45

Perfect, and so I would love to tap into Pranic healing just a little bit more, because I didn’t realize it was so much about energy cleansing, how is this energetic cleansing happening in Pranic healing?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:30:58

So basically, if you are certified to be a Pranic healer, you can either be doing it on yourself or on anyone else who needs this. Whether they are physically in front of you or they’re not there. And it’s all about directing energy with the power of one’s intention. And breathing is conscious and it draws energy. Basically there is a certain method that we learn regarding how to use energies in order to cleanse the Chakras or cleanse different body parts where we feel there’s any blockages or so on. And it’s just using really the power of intention with the mind to direct energy, who basically cleanse, maybe energy that needs to be cleansed and maybe also renewable energy where there’s lack of it. Maybe to remove with extra energy sometimes that is not working to our advances. So it’s really just been the power of intention, visualizing can help a lot and we normally use our hands to direct energy although it can be done through our consciousness. It can also be done through crystals. So there’s more advanced levels of Pranic healing, using crystals and they really amplify the power of the energies that are coming in and out to cleanse, first the person, even an animal or one house or whatever that needs to be cleansed. 

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:32:21

It sounds so much like Reiki. 

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:32:24

Yes, it is very very similar.

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:32:27

Yeah, so how do you distinguish the difference between Pranic healing and Reiki, then?

What is the difference between Pranic healing and Reiki?

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:32:32

I am not very familiar with Reiki so I would not know how to answer that very specifically. But they’re both energy healing practices, but just following many different methodologies. And maybe the founders are different, so each one certainly has it. But I really believe that excessive energy healing and the end of the day is one, and there’s really so many different ways in doing it. 

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:32:57

Yes, I agree. So thank you so much, Tracy for answering all of my questions and for being such a wonderful guest here on the podcast and I’d like to let my listeners know that I will link to Tracy’s Instagram and to The yoga studio she’s affiliated with Sarvam yoga and that will be linked in the podcast show notes. As well as on my website the wildyogatribe.com. So thank you so much Tracy for being with me today. Been a joy to be with you. 

 

Tracy Estafane: 00:33:25

Thank you so much for having me. 

 

Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast Outro

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:33:32

Thank you so much, dear listener for being with me and Tracy Estefane, a yoga teacher from Lebanon today here on The Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast. I hope you enjoyed learning more about her journey getting started with hot yoga in London and then diving into her profession as a yoga teacher right after doing her yoga teacher training in Thailand. I love stories when people immediately kind of seize that opportunity, take that leap of faith and then dive right into this passion and calling of service to their communities. I feel so grateful that Tracy took this time to be with us given everything that’s going on in her life. She still carved out time. I’m very grateful as well to your listener that you took time. I know your time is precious to hear us here today. Be well. 

 

 

[Music Outro 00:34:21]

 

Lily Allen-Duenas: 00:34:24

Thank you for being on this journey with me, it has been a privilege to be with you. I know that your time is precious and I am both humbled and honored that you chose to spend your time with me here on The Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast. As you’re on your own inner journey, remember that you are not alone. There are so many of us on this path to awakening, this path of self discovery and expansion, and we are right here alongside you. Remember to hit subscribe so that you never miss an episode and if you feel called, please share this episode with someone that you think could benefit from it. Leaving a review will also be so appreciated. If you’re on Social media. I am there at The Wild Yoga Tribe. You can tap into all the amazing resources on my website the wildyogatribe.com. And you can meditate with me on an insight timer and get your flow on with me on my YouTube channel, where I’ve recorded free yoga classes. If you’d like to schedule a private yoga or meditation class with me or a coaching session you can find the link to do so, to book, in the show notes, or on my website again the wildyogatribe.com. Thank you once again dear listener for being with me. May your day be light and bright. May you be peaceful and happy and lead on the right path free of suffering and free of sorrow. Be well dear one, be well.

 

[End Transcription 00:35:55]

 

[Music Outro 00:35:55]

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