Meet FRÉ Ambassador Lydia Zamorano, Yoga Teacher

@practicewithlydia

About me: I was born in Vancouver on the West Coast of Canada and I currently live between the Canadian Rockies in Canmore, Squamish BC and Okanagan. I’m a yoga teacher and a mother of two.

Becoming a yoga teacher

I started practicing yoga when I was 19. I played a lot of sports, but I came to yoga as a way to heal my body and its imbalances.I realized that I was doing yoga for its meditative aspects. I had never experienced relaxation before in my life. I had a lot of anxiety as a kid and became hooked on this relaxed version of myself. For the last 20 years, yoga has been part of my daily routine. Often, my yoga is focused on breathing practice or meditation.

Trauma informed yoga

Trauma informed yoga is the path I’m on right now. I tried lots of different styles. I took about 24 hours of training courses through the Trauma Center in Boston on trauma sensitive yoga.

It’s a paradigm shift in the way yoga is instructed. For each pose, there are variations; there is no agenda, but there are options for everything we do.

The premise is to develop agency and the ability for someone to have a choice. This form of yoga has also influenced the way I teach Vinyasa yoga and, on a personal level, it has been healing for me. The first time a teacher gave me options, it was empowering, fun and playful.

Wellness tips

Before I had kids, I thought a meditation had to last half an hour to count. When I had kids, this discipline seemed grueling and I didn’t have time. Now, I work for Yoga Anytime and use their 5-10 minute led meditations. These are so accessible for me, a busy mom and entrepreneur. With just 10 minutes every day, I noticed a real shift in my sense of grounding. Consistency is very important, so 7 days of 10 minute sessions is better than half an hour twice a week. There are tons of amazing sessions on yogaanytime.com. My yoga sessions on the site are for different bodies. There is gentle, slow work, there’s a series of yoga for athletes, and there are challenging practices. Basically, there’s something for everyone. I also do a monthly online session via Zoom on my IG @practicewithlydia.

Adventuring

My husband is a professional climber sponsored by Patagonia. We have worked with them for years. He also guides. When our kids were younger we dreamt of taking a rock climbing trip together, so we took a year to travel, climb and boulder together. We spent time in Yosemite; my husband focused on wall objectives and I hung out with friends in the park. It was a dream though it had its challenges. It was hard for me to fit in my alone time. The kids had an amazing experience—they still talk about it all the time!! And my husband, Sonnie Trotter, established a new climb on Yosemite.

Supporting anti-racism

Right now, I donate a portion of the profits from every course that I teach to anti-racist causes. The cause I’ve been spreading awareness about in Canada is the fight against the gas pipeline in Wet'suwet'en territory and a reserve near Canmore.

I’m passionate about switching my teaching to a trauma informed lens, which focuses on providing services that are welcoming, compassionate and genuine. It helps to integrate more people into yoga who might not usually feel comfortable there.

I’m not fully certified in this style yet, but this is the direction I want to go in. I’m always trying to educate myself further. I just applied for a 5-day Free Racialized Trauma Home Study Course created by Resmaa Menakem, the author of My Grandmother’s Hands.

In order to dismantle the ingrained traumas in our bodies, we must talk about how trauma resides within them. Right now, I’m taking it one step at a time. Most of all, I want to be integrated into different communities and not just be part of the affluent white community which makes up most of the yoga community. I realize that even if I teach people in marginalized communities it means I’m still at the center of the group as the teacher. So, I’m trying to understand how to decenter myself.

Skincare

My skin is my favorite part of my physical appearance, because it hasn’t given me much trouble. But I do have combination skin, so I have an oily T-zone, blemishes around my nose and upper lip and my skin is dry in other places. I exfoliate and oil my skin every day.

I also dry brush my body before I shower and then use FRÉ’s GLOW BODY. Dry brushing is great for limbs and circulation.

I use DETOX ME on my face; I also use it as a daily cleanser! I love it even more than PURIFY ME. I love the size of the grains. I love I AM LOVE and GLOW ME. I don’t usually use foundation, but I film yoga sessions almost every day and this product really helps with the shine, so I use it daily.

Rapid Fire:

• Favorite exercise? Rock climbing, back bending in yoga
• What does sweat mean to you? Cleansing
• What comes to mind when you think of FRÉ? Smooth, clear, happy
• What are you most excited about in life right now? Supporting my kids and seeing their joy outside and diving into the world of trauma informed yoga
• What’s something you’d still love to learn? Everything!
• If you were a hashtag, what would you be? #explore
• What is your mantra? I’ve had many. One of them that’s really useful is, “Instead of backing away from something that’s scary, slowly go in.”
• What’s the best advice that you’ve ever received in your life? Trust in yourself
• What is an issue that you wish we spoke about more often? Social justice
• What are your dreams for the FRÉ community? I really like the way FRÉ is moving with social justice. You can’t separate it from climate change and environmental issues. I’m excited that FRÉ is making this issue part of their social impact, and I am excited to see that impact continue.