Gisela Collazo :: yogadoula
Yoga for the Perinatal Year :: Childbirth Preparation
Advocacy for Reproductive Rights
Postnatal Yoga :: Nurturing Baby Massage :: Baby Yoga
Gisela Collazo
Since my first encounter with yoga in 1995, I have delved into many different styles of Hatha Yoga, from Kundalini to Jivamukti, Ashtanga Vinyasa to Anusara, with many fusions thereof along the way. My explorations on the yogic path culminated in a 4-month journey to Mysore, South India, in 2004, where I practiced Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Guruji Pattabhi Jois and his grandson Sharath. I had the pleasure of visiting many sacred places, including the Sivananda Ashram at Neyyar Dam, the Ramana Maharshi Ashram at the foot of the holy Arunachala Mountain, and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. Ever since I have had the privilege of deepening my understanding and practice further with many gifted teachers from the West. I am grateful to all of these experiences and teachers who continue to inspire my practice and teaching to this day. For more information about my Hatha Yoga offering please visit www.yogaprema.ch.
I began teaching Prenatal Yoga in 2005. But it was not until I was pregnant a few years later that I experienced the full effects of the Birthlight approach for myself. As I underwent my own metamorphosis, so did my practice and my teaching.
The intuitive techniques of the Birthlight method, combined with the heightened ability to turn inwards during pregnancy, allow for a more refined awareness of the subtleties of the practice. Tapping into this somatic experience allows the body to communicate in her own language. The more we listen to and trust our body's language, the greater our sense of security and harmony with ourselves and the world around us. This, in my opinion, is what Yoga is all about.
I have learnt so much from the many families who I have had the privilege of teaching over the past 15 years. As a mother of two children budding into adolescence, I am reminded daily of the importance of clear presence, tolerance and open-mindedness in our intentions, thoughts, and actions. I incorporate these daily lessons into my teaching to cultivate respectful relationships with my students that encourage growth and healing.
After certifying in Birthlight Perinatal Yoga in 2009, I have continued to deepen my knowledge by shadowing my mentors, Birthlight Founder Françoise Barbira Freedman and Senior Tutor Kirsteen Ruffell. I am certified in Birthlight Postnatal Yoga and Birthlight Well Woman Yoga. Since becoming a Birthlight Tutor in 2016, I teach trainings in Birthlight Perinatal and Postnatal Yoga in Switzerland and throughout Europe. I look forward to continuing this fulfilling journey, sharing the healing practices and philosophy of Birthlight with families, from the time of conception all the way into great-grand-parenthood.
My passion to support individuals and families as they journey life's transitions has led me to certify as a Full Spectrum Doula with Doula Trainings International (DTI). As a Doula I expand my scope of care to hold space for my clients at their most vulnerable and exposed moments, whether that be in childbirth, when experiencing a loss, making decisions about contraception, or in the postpartum phase. I provide empathic and non-judgemental support regardless of age, gender, race & cultural background.