As a wildly preferred yoga and meditation teacher, Gina Caputo provides a down-to-earth, no-nonsense, sensible, intuitive and accessible method to the beloved practice of yoga.
Impressively, Gina curates, styles and produces all of her personal content on her site, newsletter and social media platforms.
Gina Caputo is a correct powerhouse each on and off that mat. This lady is unstoppable!
An seasoned teacher and guide, Gina is the founder of The Colorado School of Yoga and The Yoga Potluck, an on line platform connecting mindful yogis from across the globe for month-to-month yoga and meditation practices, plus a mindful gathering known as satsang. Gina is also an ACE Certified Health Coach and a Behavior Change Specialist.
Gina Caputo Talks Social Media, Festivals and Why Teachers Shouldn’t Offer Free Yoga
In complete disclosure, Gina Caputo is my main teacher so I’m definitely a Enormous fan currently. I’m not right here to convince you to join her fandom since I know her unbounding tenacity and infectious power speak volumes.
Strong AF, she inspires me and numerous other people (such as fellow YA teacher and my bestie Reace Daniel on the day-to-day.
I am actually honored and humbled to shine a light on this outstanding soul for our YA readers.
Gina Caputo Shares Her Journey of Yoga, Meditation and Living a Healthy Lifestyle
Gina shares several private stories along with what she’s discovered and a lot of inspiring wisdom along the way.
1. YA: You moved to Colorado in 2010. In what approaches have you evolved as a teacher due to the fact then?
Gina: I’ve evolved in so several approaches more than the final decade, but the most significant way has been shifting from asana feeling like a main focus to the subtler practices like meditation, pranayama and contemplation becoming my key interest and focus.
In a way, it is basically been walking down Patanjali’s eight-limbed path, shifting from gross to subtle. And as portion, I’ve changed my opinion on so several items – the concept there’s a universal “right” alignment, hands-on assists are vital, all yoga is inherently “good”.
Everything has a season. Everything and every person in our lives.
I really feel myself now embracing simplicity, spaciousness and patience. Complexity seemed enjoyable, density was entertaining and I believed I could entice every person to be prepared to go deeper. Now I’m focusing more on self-care and private practice which, counter-intuitively, enable me to be of higher service. I think this now.
2. YA: As a yoga, meditation, and mindfulness teacher, how has your teaching shifted as you move offerings more on line vs. in individual?
Gina: I taught the second half of a 300-hour instruction on line in early 2020 and was pleasantly shocked at how nicely it went. I didn’t really feel a lack of connection and really feel confident the students did not either, primarily based on their feedback.
What I noticed was when I was in my household studio, close to my personal kitchen and had quiet breaks that grounded me, I felt considerably more present, focused and clear.
And with the students, they have been also in their residences, and the breaks on line mastering expected gave them quieter possibilities to integrate what we discussed. To digest it, so to speak.
So though becoming collectively in individual fosters a unique level of connection (on the physical plane), it is also more stimulating. If mastering is a main objective, I had a excellent knowledge on line. It’s not for each teacher and not for each student, but it can actually work.
I guess for me, I see Teacher Training as an chance to study and items like group retreats as an chance to connect and foster neighborhood. So in this regard, I’m a fan of live, on line Teacher Training and live, in individual group retreats!
3. YA: You show up authentically and you inspire so several. How do you remain motivated? What keeps you going?
Gina: Thank you! What a compliment!
On a larger level, I remain motivated by this concept that it is not possible that I, as a human, came into becoming to cruise by means of life on auto-pilot or live semi-engaged or to embrace mediocrity. That’s a core belief it is an insult to the Source to live something significantly less than complete on: curious, engaged, evolving.
I remain motivated by this concept that it is not possible that I, as a human, came into becoming to cruise by means of life on auto-pilot or live semi-engaged or to embrace mediocrity.
On a sensible level, music keeps me going, excellent meals keeps me going, finding outdoors, wonder, paying focus to other men and women, artists, writers . . . I’m inspired by engaged men and women so I spend focus to what fearlessly engaged men and women do.
4. YA: As a correct Italian, you know your way about the kitchen. How do you remain inspired to build healthier and entire meals cuisine for oneself and your family members on the typical?
Gina: I by no means really feel challenged to remain inspired to cook. It’s art and creativity and I appreciate the chance to engage with it in my personal uncomplicated approaches.
Cooking is art – there are flavors that go nicely collectively, like colors.
There are shapes and textures that work far better than other people with every other. Like the size of your dice tends to make a distinction, the noodle you pick out with which sauce tends to make a distinction. When you have a appreciate and appreciation for stuff like that, engaging with it is effortless.
The inspiration is ABUNDANT. Social media is a treasure chest of nourishment inspiration. I appreciate seeing what other meals artists / cooks / chefs are undertaking and I study.
It also assists to know oneself. I’m super uncomplicated. I do not do fancy items. I experiment for certain, but I also maintain it super uncomplicated and that tends to make it really feel a lot significantly less daunting. And do not be afraid to have your favored 5 meals and make these on repeat. Something new will pop in at some point, but attempting to reinvent the wheel every day is silly.
5 Quick and Healthy Plant-Based Dinner Recipes to Try This Week
5. YA: When you have off days, how do you course of action these damaging moments? What are your go-to sources for finding out of the funk?
Gina: The very first factor is to reconnect with the notion of impermanence. I remind myself this funk, as you place it, is short-term and will adjust.
So I’ll typically say to myself “Girl, you are feeling like a turd sandwich right now. Damn this hurts. So emotional. It’s awful. And it’s likely to feel this bad for a day or three and the intensity you’re feeling right now will move through you, it always does.”
Be sincere, not significant.
And then I get on with my day. I make certain I move, preferably a lot. I make certain my music is uplifting and propulsive. I do not force myself to interact with other men and women, I have a tendency to go quiet, but that is me.
I’m gentle with myself, not attempting to “snap out of it” sooner than it is all-natural timeline. I attempt to let it exist with no adding drama and storylines that just make it worse. I let it be and run its course.
6. YA: You have studied with globe-renowned teachers like Shiva Rea and Pema Chodron. Which teacher inspires your practice the most correct now?
Gina: Pema Chodron and S.N. Goenka are the most present and influential to my practice correct now.
In terms of my continuing education, Pema is with whom I most lately took a course, for instance. But more informally I’m mastering a lot about the complete magnitude of what we’ve carried out to yoga right here in the West from teachers like Anusha Wijeyakumar.
5 Inspiring Life Lessons from Pema Chödrön’s “When Things Fall Apart”
I’m also actually inspired and engaged by writers and teachers like Yung Pueblo, James Clear and Dr. Nicole LaPera. I’m so grateful they place their work out in such accessible approaches.
7. YA: You lately began working as a WHOL Health Coach and Behavior Change Specialist. How do the yoga practices influence your supplying?
Gina: WHOL (Whole Health, One Life) Health Coaching is centered in behavior adjust, which, in a way, is specifically what yoga is all about.
Yoga is a practice of transcending the limitations of conditioned consciousness (the habits of your consciousness) in the exact same way finding holistically healthier calls for transcending the limitations of your conditioned behaviors, your habits.
So for me, WHOL Health Coaching is an chance to help the sensible application of yoga to items like physical wellness, nutrition, mental wellness, far better sleep, and so on.
8. YA: What are you most excited about for the rest of 2021?
Gina: I’ve regressed a bit tension-smart due to the fact March 2021 so I’m excited to get back to the spacious, grounded calm I had going in the course of 2020. I’m excited about modifications to my coaching, I’m back in college and am excited for the fruits of that knowledge also.
And my husband and I are committed to following more adventures this year so I’m stoked for that!
A Big YogiApproved Thank You to Gina Caputo for This Inspiring Interview!
If you have the chance to practice with Gina, count on to be greeted by her genuine smile, sincere method to yoga, mindfulness and wellness and soak in the air of her warm and infectious character!
A tremendous virtual air hug goes out to Gina for her willingness to share her story with our YA readers.
To study more about Gina Caputo, verify her out at ginacaputo.com or on Instagram at @ginaontheloose.
