Meet Amanda Trevelino

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Trevelino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amanda, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I like a particular quote by the artist Pablo Picasso. He said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
And yoga, of course, is the art of life.
I’ve come to believe that life isn’t something that happens to us. It is something we create, an ongoing study of free will in response to fate. My purpose is to steward my own experience, and inspire others to do the same. My enthusiasm for life’s adventures seems to be a gift; I’m always up for a new experience, a new journey, and I can inspire others, not only on a physical path, but also a spiritual one.
I steward self-health by understanding that the physical body (what yogis called in Sanskrit the anamaya kosha) is largely a result of the subtle body, particularly our thoughts (manamaya kosha) and energy (pranamaya kosha). Many may think of yoga as a physical practice, and it is, but more important is what we do with the mind and the energy. We change the way we think. We change the way we feel, We change our tolerance for observing ourselves compassionately and witnessing our subconscious patterns.
This is the juicy part to me. Self-discovery. Supporting personal evolution.
I know that “as we think, so we become,” because I’ve lived that experience. Yoga was the tool I used for my own self-heath, guiding me from a very disregulated nervous system and a disfunctional physical experience, to a new way of thinking and being. The philosophy of yoga has given me a framework for living and appreciating the art of life.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

There was a turning point in my life around age 40. I was doing everything “right,” running my own business, parenting, prioritizing fitness with cardio kickboxing six days a week. But I had a severe headache that wouldn’t quit, that I couldn’t sleep through, and eventually I lost cognition and was hospitalized.

After that, I needed a “no impact workout,” so I went to the nearest hot yoga studio. The deliberate pace and focus on steady breath was very new to me. Some of the philosophy interested me. I did a teacher training at the hot yoga studio, then became interested in yoga therapy and found my teacher, Yoganand Michael Carroll,

Fourteen years later I’ve explored various forms of yoga and traveled to places like India, Thailand and Nepal to learn more.
In Nepal, two things happened. First, I introduced myself with my spiritual name, Ananda, which I’d been taught meant “bliss is our essence.” Every person responded to my name with “Ahh, relax, relax.”

My name meant relax? Relaxation was supposed to be my essence? This reminded me of the Chinese proverb that says “Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” How old must that wisdom be? Yet, I know its common to embrace tension because I see it in most every body I work with.
The second thing was, when visiting the ruins of the palace Siddhartha Gautama, a princely person who left everything he knew to become the Buddha, I was invited to contemplate his renunciation, I made the decision to renounce ambition. No more working in service to my ego or anyone else’s. Of course, ego-serving ambition is sneaky, so that’s an ongoing sort of practice/renunciation for me.

Now my work prioritizes guiding clients toward the power of relaxation, stillness and letting the unconscious mind have a chance to “speak.” I work with private clients on finding embodied balance between effort and ease, and I emphasize practices like Yin yoga and yoga Nidra (sleep-like conscious relaxation). I’m offering my first destination retreat that prioritizes yoga Nidra in January in Costa Rica, UNTAMED: Nature, Nurture, Nidra; and a similar concept will be incorporated into next May’s EARTH + SKY retreat in Amorgos, Greece.

I find that when traveling, many people can let go of their identification with who they think they are long enough to observe who they really are beneath all that. Having the communal support of new friends who are experiencing something similar results in productive transformation.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I embrace change and am a catalyst for others.
I’m an abstract thinker who loves adventure.
I value authenticity, seek Truth and honor abundance.

My advice is to know yourself as best you can and embrace your unique gifts. Don’t invest energy in the things that don’t come naturally to you or “light you up” in some way, Personally, I grew into self- acceptance with the help of tools like traditional astrology, human design, enneagram, etc. When I was younger I looked outward for validation and self-definition. I didn’t have anyone who could guide me spiritually toward believing that everything I needed was within; my upbringing focused on an outward Source. So my advice would be to follow your curiosities and passions, and to align with a mentor, teacher, spiritual guide, coach, counsellor, friend, cheerleader – anyone who can really see you, then trust what they reflect back to you.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Although I operate a private studio, Santosha has always been a platform for collaboration with the entire yoga ecosystem – yogis, artists, musicians – all playing a role in the self-health journey. And I continuously seek aligned collaborations. This year I’ve joined the faculty of YTT Collective, a teacher training concept by Kim Saunders that links several North Atlanta studios to give students diverse perspectives, inclusive teaching styles and adaptability as new teachers. I also have expanded from guiding solo retreats only to working with guest teachers and co-creators who have different skill sets, and who help bring together new cohorts of guests to mirror each other and enhance the learning environment.

As my teaching, interests and personal growth evolves, I’ve become dedicated to emphasizing conscious travel as both a learning experience and a lived experience of yoga off the mat. I’m seeking to connect with other experienced retreat leaders who embrace adventure and have an existing group of students who are eager for new experiences and containers for deeper learning, I love creating curriculum with a sense of place — all life is yoga, and new experiences that are just out of our comfort zone, but, supported by like-minded seekers and experienced space holders, are a catalyst toward powerful inner transformation and lasting growth.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Merry Waldroup

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of

Productivity
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Leadership Development
Finding Your Why

Not knowing why you are going wherever it is that you are going sounds silly,