Hi! I’m Raquel Scalon and I’m a full-time private yoga teacher
this is how yoga found me and caught me completely off guard.
Back in 2008, just before earning my graduate degree in Psychology from PUCRS (Pontifica Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil), a classmate invited me to attend her yoga class. Without any expectation, I decided to go.
Towards the end I was lying down over blankets and a bolster, feeling quite warm and comfortable.
As we continued to deepen the breath, emotion started bubbling up. I attempted to think my way out of it.
I tried to suppress it... it didn’t work.
Suddenly, I felt my heart beating faster, the chest expanding, my throat gripping... tears down my face.
I had absolutely NO IDEA where that was coming from.
Until I did.
That moment exposed the truth underneath - the body had been keeping the score all along and was waiting for me to let my guard down.
And just like that, after the simple act of allowing my body to relax, I finally connected with the vulnerability I had been tightly keeping under wraps for years.
The sense of ABSOLUTE physical and emotional relief was INDESCRIBABLE.
What was THAT all about?
That was the very first time in my whole life that I consciously started to connect FULLY with the wisdom of my body.
That fateful class single handedly supported my nervous system to self-regulate and allowed me feel super grounded and ALIVE.
When the class ended the deep sense of relief and relaxation made it very challenging for me to get off the floor!
I recall having to LOOK to my legs and tell them to move!
When I finally stood up, stared at my friend in silence, wide eyed and in complete awe of that impactful newfound awareness of my body. She just smiled in quiet recognition.
The imprint of feeling my body completely relaxed and my mind clear yet alert left a MAJOR impact.
It sparked my curiosity about how the ancient practice of yoga could help me navigate my life with more ease and less overwhelm.
I see now that my nervous system was clearly overburdened and craving release and balance, and how I was completely unaware of it.
WHY?
Because up until that point I hadn’t been given SPACE and PROPER GUIDANCE to DROP-IN and connect with what was happening INSIDE.
Such an intense yet grounding experience was what I truly needed to self-regulate and ARRIVE.
It helped mind and body make friends again. It allowed me to become more intimate with my direct experience.
It taught me what it means to be PRESENT.
It was that quality of quiet stillness and presence I became interested in recreating in my everyday life and also share it with my clients.
Then the trainings began
On July 2011, I completed my first 200h Yoga Teacher Training, and continued to attend numerous other trainings for the following 8 years straight (just couldn’t get enough!). I gravitated towards alignment and biomechanics infused trainings, which focus on function and rehab types of movement.
It has become clear to me the body craves functional, nourishing and intentional movement. Once you focus on HOW you are sensing your body and moving, the actual outward expression of the shape doesn’t really matter, it’s the quality of your awareness that does.
It’s that extra texture of self-awareness and subtlety that I weave into sessions.
My strong background in yoga psychology, Somatic Experiencing tools (in training), therapeutic yoga, classical tantra yoga, mindfulness and breathing techniques are the tools I use to help you ARRIVE.
The tools I offer allow the WHOLE of you to self-regulate and slow down.
In other words, you hit the RESET button.
I’m here to help you experience more ease and presence, less overwhelm and feel more like yourself, one class at a time.
my journey in numbers
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hours of formal university education, accredited psychologist in Brazil (2008)
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hours of formal training in Somatic Experiencing, functional movement, breathing techniques
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hours of individual mentorship specialized in private yoga and therapeutic, body-centered approaches
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500ERYT - Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher status with Yoga Alliance in the United States
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years of teaching experience in a variety of settings and to students of all ages and conditions
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positive YELP reviews from private and group class students throughout the past 14 years!
“When slightly out of sorts, I tend to be more on the anxious side.Yoga has helped me identify and welcome those jittery parts.
This is the journey I want to help you with because I know I came to this world to calm people down.”