Teresa is a mother, performer, yogi, and storyteller. Born in the Philippines, she emigrated to California as a child, but the motherland eventually called Teresa back. She now raises her 3 boys in Manila with her husband. 

We recorded our conversation in September 2024 with hopes of my publishing the episode ahead of the Global Mala Project, which was created with the mantra of uniting the global yoga community together with service and collective action. Aligned with the United Nation’s International Day of Peace, studios, teachers, and organizations across the world come together each year for this event so although I missed this year’s timeline, you can keep an eye out for its return in 2025!

Teresa and I talk about the heyday of LA yoga — the late 90s when we were both fledgling yogis practicing and working at studios in Santa Monica. I have been so grateful (and frankly relieved), that amidst an industry-wide resounding silence when it comes to Palestine, Teresa was calling for a ceasefire in October 2023. We compare our experiences and perspectives navigating the last year from different places in the world, although we ultimately arrive at the same perspective of standing with humanity.

We also question the traditional school system, talk meditation, and come home to compassion and hope. This was the uplifting conversation I didn’t even quite realize I needed until we got to the end; like many of us, I have been riding the waves of despair. A message coming through loud and clear right now is to refuse despair, and Teresa is a great teacher of this lesson in how she lives and expresses all the ever-evolving versions of herself.

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photo by Kieran Punay for Lifestyle Asia Magazine