Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Vardakas
Hi Danielle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 1993, I started practicing asana ( postural yoga) as a cross train for the Jr Ballet Company that I performed with as a child, Around the same time I started looking into alternative spirituality because I felt like there was more to that connection that I had learned previously. During my teen years at The Philadelphia Creative and Performing Arts High School., I wrote book reports on the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, The Bhagavad Gita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika and other classic and modern texts on Yoga and Buddhist Meditation. I did not realize the two parts that I started researching simultaneously actually fit together naturally. I continued on to college at Temple University Tyler School of Art and carried my passion for yoga and meditation throughout that visual art BFA and then proceeded to study dance further in a degree at University of the Arts. My first teacher training was in Children’s Dance in the 1990s and then I took my first yoga teacher training in 1998. Throughout my college career and beyond I taught dance and yoga and performed
through the country and on two tours of Australia. I moved to Arizona in the early 2000s, after performing on the Vans Warped Tour, to direct two Performing Arts elementary schools and teach Hip Hop Dance Technique History and Culture at Maricopa Colleges in Phoenix. I taught yoga and dance to over 800 children during that time. I returned to the east coast to be with my mentor, Cara Bradley, who encouraged and inspired me to write yoga teacher training programs. In 2008, my son was born and we moved to Burlington, Vermont to raise him in the country. I started my yoga alliance certified teacher training company and then opened two brick and mortar centers, one for yoga and another for dance. Besides teaching teacher training programs, I also always loved to take courses to further my own study. During this time, I became a 1000 registered Dharma Yoga Teacher, 500 hours with John Friend, 200 hours with Pauly Zink and to this day study yoga sutra-s with Kausthub Desikachar. For 8 years, I directed and owned my centers before deciding to sell them and move to West Palm Beach Florida. We moved to Florida for my son’s education. During our 11 years in Vermont, I also taught Yoga Teacher Training programs throughout the country, including South Florida. The locations where I taught teacher training in FL are how we found out about school programs where my son would excel academically and artistically. Now I have a space in West Palm Beach for private lessons, small group courses and teacher training programs. I also teach large group classes for children and adults at several locations in WPB and on the island. Because the pandemic was boring, I got my masters degree in Yogic Studies and Buddhist Mindfulness at Naropa University. Currently, I am studying with Edwin Bryant and am in search of a PhD yoga program. I lead yearly retreats to India and Mexico to help others go deeper into their own dharma as I share my dharma of assisting others to be liberated while still in the body.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are always struggles in life, I personally had two car accidents and a divorce. None of which were peasant but my yoga practice helped me through. Yoga and mediation practices continue to help the struggles of body and mind while propagating my connection to spirit!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My dharma is to help people feel liberated while still in the body. How I start the process is to assist individuals in healing physical pain. This is the first sheath known as Annamaya in yogic philosophy. Koshas are the five layers of a human being, or energetic sheaths that surround the true self. The next layer is working with energy through breath or Pranamaya. Next we work deeper with the mind’s health, Manomaya, and then the intellect and intuition, Vijnanamaya. The final sheath is Anandamaya also understood as the sheath of bliss. Beyond that bliss experience lies the true self. I assist people layer by layer so that they can gain better understanding of themselves and increase overall well being. I am honored to share yoga to all of humanity.
I am proud of my ability to mentor Yoga Teacher Trainees. I have lead over 60 groups in the last 16 years and feel that I am able to help more people by guiding compassionate humans to better serve this world through sharing yoga.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is actually of a mishap. I was dancing with my jr ballet company and I was supposed to stand in formation with the corps de ballet. I mistakenly moved forward and began to dance a different section of choreography. When I realized I was at the wrong spot I just danced back into formation. There were some cheers. After the performance I told my family how I messed up but they said they did not see where that happened. Later I was told by a few that they really liked my solo. This was a great learning experience. A mistake can be thought of as a great achievement if one continues gracefully through after the mistake. I have had many mistakes in my life but I continue to dance through them and make the best of it.
Pricing:
- Single private session $125
- 10 pack of private sessions $1000
- Yoga Alliance Approved Teacher Training 200 hour: $2950
- Yoga Alliance Approved Teacher Training 500 hour: $4950
- Virtual Mindfulness Instruction Month of Private sessions $200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.garnetheartwellness.com
- Instagram: @garnet_heart_wellness
- Facebook: Garnet Heart Yoga
Image Credits
Tristian Davis Photography
