Faiza

Faiza embodies both the homegrown and the far-flung. She grew up traveling the world, spending chunks of her childhood in Libya, Sweden, and Bangladesh. She has spent the last ten years in the United States, six of them in Austin. But Faiza’s yoga education has been largely homegrown, anchored here at Yoga Yoga with our own senior teaching staff and visiting masters.

Faiza teaches Ashtanga classes at Yoga Yoga. She is committed to that lineage as her personal practice, and thrilled to have the chance to share it with others.

Coming to yoga as a long-distance runner, it’s not so surprising that Faiza fell in love with Ashtanga. For someone who loves to find a rhythmic run and take it as far as possible, Ashtanga might feel like the next most natural thing. After Faiza came to yoga to heal a running injury it wasn’t long before she was straining to fit in runs around her class schedule. “At some point the focus shifted,” she said, “and everything seemed to revolve around yoga.”

After completing Yoga Yoga’s 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training program, Faiza refined her studies with David Swenson's 40-hour Ashtanga Teacher Training. Faiza has studied with certified and authorized Ashtanga teachers Matt and Dominic Corigliano, David Swenson, Russell Case, Sally Evans, and Mary Flinn. Working with masters has strengthened Faiza’s faith in the Ashtanga practice as a means of detoxifying and purifying her body and mind. “To have the chance to do that every day is a blessing,” she says.

When she works with new students, Faiza keeps in mind how everyone comes to yoga for different reasons, and that whatever we are searching for can be found with the right practice. The universality of yoga is inspiring to her, and keesp her engaged in her own practice and in teaching.

Faiza’s hobbies include traveling, yoga, running, reading, anything that requires being outdoors in warm weather, and hanging out with family and friends.

Click here to see when Faiza teaches.

“Before Enlightenment - chop wood, carry water; after Enlightenment - chop wood, carry water” – Zen saying