I met a lot of people in my life and a lot of them were put there because they don't have a choice. They are my family, friends from school, neighbors, co-workers, and others who were there because they are either related to those I mentioned earlier or met me by chance. Perhaps. there are some of them who also realized that they made the wrong choice of knowing me. LOL And there are those who were there for the sole purpose of teaching me some hard lessons in life.
There are also a few of those who come into your life that you totally didn't even know they exist until you met them and ask... where were they when I was screwing up my life and needed to be rescued?
I met Erin through our exchange of text messages in IG when I won the "New Year Better Me Giveaway". She was cordial, business-like, and friendly. Our first communication is out of the ordinary and in an as-a-matter-of-factly way that it took me a few seconds to process. I wasn't expecting it. I never won anything in my entire life and being told that I won a week-long yoga retreat in Greece was something hard to believe.
But we exchanged text messages one after another, giving details of the trip and other things I need to do to prepare for it. At that very moment though, I was sure that something great is about to happen and this amazing "faceless woman" I was communicating with is the reason why.
So looking back now, I proved to myself that "I really did something good after all to deserve this."
And then, I met Erin in person in Amorgos, Greece. She was one of my yoga teachers, who helped me transformed into this wonderful creature that I am now by not doing anything spectacular but by just being the light that she is who shines like a beacon for me to follow my path to be a better me.
Friends... meet my Yin - Erin... she is the woman with a big heart and an infectious kindness that warms anybody's heart.
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Full Name: Erin DammCertification/s: E-RYT 500, YACEP / ACSM - Certified Exercise Physiologist (EP-C)
Place/Yoga School where you got certified:
200-hour Training: Anamaya Resort Center - Reflections Studio ;
300-hour YTT: Total Harmony Yoga - San Antonio, TX
Name of Yoga Studio (if any): Light the Spark Within, LLC; Townlake YMCA, Austin, TX
Website (if any): www.lightthesparkwithin.com
Social Media (If any) yogi.erun
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| She has this sunny disposition about her. |
When was the first time you fell in love with Yoga? How did it happen and what was your inspiration for the practice?
I first dabbled in yoga as a Junior in high school at my local YMCA. I had an injury that prevents me from running and I was seeking something to clear my mind in the same way. I practiced off and on over the next 8 years and I really didn't fully fall in love until 2011 when I committed myself fully to all the benefits of the practice. Yoga creates freedom, a vehicle to explore our true inner selves. I love that it is a unique journey for all that can be done in the community. Personally, yoga evolved from therapy to a job and now to a lifestyle. I love all the doors that it opens and continues to open when I let myself experience the possibilities.
Please describe your Yoga Journey: How did it change your life and how it impacted your lifestyle?
I began my initial yoga practice in response to a physical injury, but quickly realized the mental and emotional benefits it had on me. Yoga has helped me create a deeper relationship with the world around me (other humans and nature), but most of all an understanding and calmness within myself. But most of all yoga has helped me manifest a life I could only dream of: traveling, teaching, and helping others find their release and true voice/self. I've regularly practiced since 2011 and completed my 200-hour training at Anamaya Retreat center in Costa Rica in 2013. I founded my passion Light the Spark Within, LLC, a yoga retreat and training company with my co-creator Clarissa Thompson in 2017 and we have taught all over the world and ran our first Yoga Teacher Training in 2019. Yoga is my sanity, my savior, my community, and my teacher. It has a multifaceted effect on me personally, socially, and professionally. It is life.
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| Enjoying Savana during one of the many yoga classes she taught during the Yoga Retreat. |
What 3 words describe you as a Yoga Teacher and what word or words describe your teaching style?
Fun, Explorative, Calm
What advice would you give your new yoga student who is struggling with letting go and ego?
Show up.
Roll out your mat.
Experience whatever happens at the moment.
But most of all have fun!
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| Erin assisting me during our Aerial Yoga class. |
What advice will you give your yoga students who are thinking of taking a Yoga Teacher Training Course?
If your gut tells you it's right do it. Find a teacher or program that resonates with you and go for it. You will not regret it!
How many years have you been teaching Yoga and what are the challenges you encountered along the way?
I have taught yoga for over 7 years and I love every moment of it. Challenges occur when I concern myself with the opinions of others. I've found that if I show up, I am unique and true to myself my students leave refreshed and strong. I strive to create experiences that speak to the individual while continuing to honor my own voice and journey.
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| Erin is flexible in many ways. |
Is Yoga your only workout or you also do other workouts aside from yoga? If YES, what is it? Can you give a brief description of your other workout?
I run regularly and hike in the Greenbelts of Austin. I also really love to put on random music and dance it out. I'm always seeking new and fun ways to move my body.
Lastly, what do you want your students to take away with them from your Yoga Class?
A sense of self and purpose. I want them to find their own voice, practice, and release whatever no longer serves them.
Anything else you want to add?
“You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.” – Robin Williams
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| Enjoying the view during one of our excursions at the Monastery in the mountain. |
Fun Facts:
Erin is the co-founder of Light the Spark Within, which she co-founded with Clarissa my Yang, so Erin is my Yin. Both of them are amazing yoga teachers, and though they are totally different people with totally different personalities... they complement each other like the avocado in gluten-free toast bread.
Erin is the jolly kind of person who adds personal wit to anything boring and bland and turns them into something magical.
She is a passionate yoga teacher, explorer, and traveler who finds joy in meeting new people and places. She is a wanderer and never gets tired of learning new things about yoga which leads her to go the distance to seek anything that will help her get the knowledge she needed to be the best yoga teacher that she can be.
She is friendly and kind-hearted beyond measure. Her energy is infectious and anyone who comes near her can immediately get her positive vibes.
She is a great sister and an amazing daughter.
Erin is also an advocate for anything healthy, good, and the community. She volunteers a lot of her time helping her community in any way she can.
These things and a lot more made Erin the person that she is. She is fierce but gentle. She is the bearer of light for those who are in the dark. And her passion for life and the goodness in people made her a superwoman in real life.
Thank you, Erin, for igniting the light within me. Keep shining your light for those who need it.
Namaste!
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