SharedBliss: Interview with Yoga Therapist Diane Cesa

Diane in a lovely backbend!

Listening to: Persian, Rumi-inspired music for Diane.

Today's Bliss Formula: Having a post done very early in the morning means a free day when I can spend lots of time writing with a pen and paper or perhaps getting out the Olivetti for some clicking and clacking!

Diane Cesa is a perfect example of someone following her bliss -- no matter where it takes her and with utter willingness and abandon.

She describes herself as a refugee from the 9 to 5 world, having walked away from a lucrative career in marketing copywriting. Many people dream of taking such risks, but Diane did it. And in listening to her heart, she is an amazing roll model for the rest of us.

Now her whole life revolves around yoga.

Diane writes one of the most popular blogs about yoga -- Everything Yoga -- and that title is accurate. There is nothing this fearless spiritual warrior won't try, and we are lucky to witness her struggles and her growth vicariously through her writing.

She has even completed the five levels of Shambhala Warrior training. (Blisschick is thoroughly impressed by this! And, yes, I just wrote about myself in third person.)

After years of exploring, Diane considers herself, first and foremost, a yoga therapist. She works one on one with people, believing that there is no such thing as "one yoga for all." And thanks to her intrepid search for knowledge, she has a variety of trainings from a variety of traditions to draw from in her sessions.

You can also find Diane here.

(PrimeBliss (n): that which everything else is connected to, comes from, is affected by; that which you wish to share with the world; your driving passion in life; the thing that makes you you.)

Describe the PrimeBliss of your life. How did you come to know that this was your PrimeBliss?

I have a lot of bliss in my life, so this question actually gives me pause for thought. Being that I write a yoga blog this probably won’t come as a shock – yoga is my PrimeBliss. I came to yoga at a time when I was confused about where I was going in life and I was suffering from a big-time case of “is this all there is?!?!?” I knew yoga was my PrimeBliss at first glance, like when you find that one special person with whom you know you’ll have a deep and lasting link. I didn’t know it with my head – I knew it with my heart. I immediately wanted to immerse myself in the practice, go deeper and learn more. I felt as though I had stumbled upon something big and something that was going to transform me and my life. Turns out my inner compass was right – it was and it did.

What types of choices and sacrifices did you make to be able to craft this bliss-filled life?

To boil it down – I had to make a commitment to being awake. I’d been running on autopilot for quite some time at that time and I was so anesthetized that I didn’t even realize that I was sleeping (or more aptly, in a coma). In order to wake up, I had to get quiet so that I could actually listen to myself. I also had to push against my boundaries, which had been pretty solidly constructed up until that point. In one of my yoga trainings we called this “pushing your edges.” I’ve done a lot of pushing over the past 7 or 8 years. Basically, I had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I gave up the type of career I thought that I “should” have and the one that others expected me to have. When you do that, a lot of things you formerly identified with fly out the window. It was scary – and sometimes still is – but letting go was very freeing for me. I remember one time I let the doubt rear its ugly head and I started to second-guess myself and my decisions. The very next day I was receiving a yoga therapy session from a fellow student and I had this amazing sense of clarity around my new choices. I was overwhelmed by a sense of “surety” knowing that I was on the right path and that I would follow it no matter how many obstacles or potholes showed up. To this day, I can still remember the feeling. And it banishes any doubts that may come up – every time.

How does your PrimeBliss radiate out into the rest of your life?

My bliss IS my life and I am bliss – it’s all intertwined with me. It was my desire to live a passionate, juicey, joy-filled life that gave me the courage to break free from my old thoughts about work and live and move in the direction of my bliss. Once I woke up and shifted my perspective, amazing things starting happening. Opportunities presented themselves. I recognized them for what they were and said “thank you” rather than wonder why all of these wonderful things were happening to me. I’d always wanted day-to-day life to be integrated with my passions/bliss – it just took some self-reflection to figure out how to do it. For a long time I got stuck on the how. When I let go of that struggle, things seemed to click into place. I’ve been very lucky and I’m incredibly grateful for all that’s been provided for me.

What are some other activities that also give you this sense of bliss? Things that make you lose track of time?

Being out in nature, participating in a kirtan, reading a good book, spending time with a loved one, learning something new (I’m addicted to learning – I can’t get enough – and I’m always attending workshops, teleclasses, and online courses. Learning turns me on!), driving, kayaking, listening to music.

What is your daily or weekly spiritual practice?

I practice yoga every day and I try (I have weeks when I meditate every day and others when I only meditate a few times a week) to meditate every day as well. Every day I take numerous breathing breaks to get back in touch with my body and get centered. I use breathing techniques and pranayama all the time. In fact, these practices are so interwoven into my day that I don’t even realize that they’re such a huge part of my day-to-day. Recently I’ve added Qigong to the mix. I also try to get out in nature a few times a week for a hike.

What music is your bliss?

All types of music bliss me out. I absolutely, positively love drumming – and live drumming catapults me into ecstasy. I listen to everything from chants/new age/yoga music to country to pop to rock to classical to big band. My iPod has an eclectic mix of music. One day I’ll be listening to Sufi music, the next day it’s a smooth tantra groove, the day after that I’m dancing along to Bhangra or Indian dance music, and the next day I’m chanting Hindu mantras. I’m a mixed bag.

Name books or authors/poets or people who are your bliss, who influenced your bliss.

That would be a loooong list. So many people that I’ve met and experiences that I’ve had have influenced me in one significant way or another. Off the top of my head, I’d have to say that some of my favorite authors/poets are Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Rumi, Rainer Maria Rilke, Mary Oliver, Hafiz, David Whyte, Jack Kornfield, Pema Chodron, Osho, Roger Housden, Elizabeth Gilbert, Michael Singer, Mark Whitwell and those are just the “big names.” There are a lot of folks that could be on this list – and many of them have never written a book nor do they have a well-known moniker. Those folks are the ones that have been in my life (some have been constant while others have passed in and out) – like loved ones, friends, teachers, business associates, soul mates – and taught me many valuable lessons. They have all challenged me and inspired me to be a better person and remind me that the divine lies in the gross as well as the subtle.

What advice would you give to someone who feels they have not yet discovered their PrimeBliss?

Stop and listen to you – not what’s swirling around in your head but what’s deep inside of you. In other words – wake up! You can’t “just get by” or go along on autopilot or live a life built on the expectations of others. You have to commit to being awake, which comes down to getting out of your head and into your heart and being in the present. My advice is to stop doing and start being. It’s so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the daily grind or get distracted by the static of life. You need to slow down, take some quiet time, and breathe. When you do, you tap into your true self, the true core of you – the you beyond the static of the mind and the world. That’s where the road map to your bliss lies.

Do you have a favorite quote you would like to share?

I have quite a large selection of favorite quotes that I turn to for inspiration (I get some fabulous messages delivered to my inbox daily from Tut’s Adventurers Club, Esther and Jerry Hicks, and Daily G), but I’d have to say that my ultimate favorite is more like a Bliss Lover’s Anthem. I found it in an unlikely way – on the pin of a self-proclaimed “wild woman.” It says it all as far as I’m concerned:

“To hell with happiness – I want ecstasy!”

See what I mean? Diane faced the fears, looked expectations in the face, dared to be different, and forged her own path. Because of this, she can say she is bliss.

Thanks, Diane.