Teacher Feature: Chona Bernardo

Chona Bernardo has been working at Namaste for quite some time now, and the energy she has brought to our studio through her work at the desk, sharing her art, and practicing Reiki has been such a gift!

Now that she has completed her teacher training she has taken on another role at our studio. Chona's yoga classes have already gotten wonderful reviews from our students. In case you haven't had the chance to get to know Chona, we asked her some questions about her personal practice and her teaching philosophy. Read her answers below and carve some time out of your schedule to experience her class! Every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30am.


Where could we find you as a child?
 You could probably find me by my baby grand piano staring at notes and matching it to the sounds on the keyboard.

What was your first yoga experience like?
It was at One Down Dog with Kristina Serna. She was so gentle and adjusted me all she could.  At the end she had me inhale an essential oil and gave me a head massage.  I remember that it was everything I needed at that moment...a loving touch, sisterly care, a sense of feeling embraced and looked after.  I felt that all in my first savasana.  I’m not sure if it was because it’s what my soul yearned for or it was who she embodied, maybe it was both.  All I know is that that moment changed me had me coming back for more.

At what moment did you go from thinking, "I like yoga," to, "I'm a yoga teacher?"
When my regular student told me that their coworkers notice that on Tuesdays and Thursdays their energy is different at work, and that’s because take my class first thing in the morning.  It was that moment that I realized I make a difference in one person’s life when I realized I am a yoga teacher.

What do you hope people take away from your class?
I hope they realize that the act of showing up to their mat is an act of self love and self care.  How they treat themselves is essentially how they treat others around them. So choosing to do yoga for themselves resonates and affects everyone that they encounter everyday.

How does yoga go beyond the mat in your life?
When I go through challenging times in my life, I learn to breathe through it and stay calm.  When I am kind to myself and take baby steps to pursue a challenging pose, I am also kind to myself when I deal with real-life situations.  I try not to hold attachments to any outcome, but continually showing up to practice will get me closer to my intentions.  As cliche as it sounds, it really is about the journey, and not the destination.

What does your personal practice entail?  
I wake up and give thanks.  I meditate for 20-30 minutes, I get on my mat and practice, make a cup of tea, and journal before starting my day.

What is something we'd be surprised to learn about you? 
I unapologetically love talking to the Universe aloud, and somehow Universe talks right back through synchronicities, or in ways only I could understand.  Universe got my back and it’s a mystical and magical world I live in.

What brings you to Namaste, and what do you hope to gain from our community?
What brings me to Namaste is that most everyone is seeking to improve themselves, whether to physically strengthen their practice, or to seek spiritual enlightenment. It’s a safe space where they cultivate inner peace.  Most everyone leaves class feeling blissed out. Why wouldn’t anyone want to be around that kind of energy?

What I hope to gain from our community is to be a better teacher.  Everyone has different body types and have different intentions for coming class.  I want to be a well versed teacher and learn from everyone so I can help others experience a good class.