Phina Pillado
meet phina pillado.
Hi Phina, I’m so happy to have this time to get to know you a little and take a deeper dive with you! As a teacher at all 3 of our yoga studios, you hold a special place in Sausalito, San Rafael, and Corte Madera! We’re so grateful for what you bring to all of our studios every week! Let’s jump right in...
I imagine that you see a lot of students early on in their yoga journey as well as experienced practitioners; what inspired you to start your yoga practice?
I have always been a mover and shaker, and as a dancer, being in the studio was what nourished me most. Beginning yoga was not so much a deliberate nor conscious choice, rather a natural progression from one art form to another. Yoga is an extension of what has always intrinsically lived inside me, another way to physically and spiritually release, create and regulate.
I love the image of yoga asana as an art, there’s definitely that letting go of self when we move in a way that nourishes body and soul. Is that sensation of creative release part of the reason you teach yoga?
I teach because I truly enjoy it. I like the challenge too, continually testing my capabilities of cueing, it has a performative element that forces one to be uniquely present. Mostly though I feed off the sensation of moving a room together as one, a group of yogis embodying a sequence and sharing a breath, it’s invigorating. I spend a lot of time curating my classes and I try to cultivate an immersive experience for my students each time they step on to their mat.
Tell us more! As part of this immersive experience, have you cultivated a favorite pose or series to practice or to teach?
My personal practice looks a lot different than what you see in class. These days I mostly focus on stretching and restorative postures. To teach, I emphasize flow and fluidity. While I want to challenge my students I try to lead classes that are accessible to all. I want people to feel a part of something greater, liberating themselves from internal chatter and surrendering to the journey of the class.
Quieting the monkey mind and letting ourselves surrender into the flow of body, breath and movement is a beautiful (& oftentimes challenging) aspect of a yoga class. Is there a family or lineage of yoga that you most associate with? Who have been some of your most inspiring teachers?
If I had to choose, Vinyasa is the style I most identify with, though I like to draw from many types of disciplines. I feel really lucky to have had Eka Ekong and Erika Trice as my initial teachers and to have had the opportunity to study at YogaWorks. Another inspirational teacher I had the pleasure to learn from and train under is Annie Parr. She gave me the confidence to push the envelope and not be afraid to do things a little out of the ordinary.
We’re grateful to your teachers for encouraging you to be you and teach with the authenticity that resonates in each of your classes! Please keep pushing the envelope and encouraging us to do things a little out of the ordinary too! As part of the practice over the years, have you uncovered a least favorite yoga pose?
Arm balances are my least favorite poses and subsequently, what I most struggle with. Naturally I find myself avoiding them, cognizant of the fact our greatest challenges are inevitably our greatest teachers.
Your classes have a glorious reputation for being creative; your background in dance comes through as does your affinity for creative movement. Your sequences feel intentional, inspired and deep. From where do you draw inspiration when creating your yoga classes?
A lot of the time I draw inspiration while on walks. You may have even seen me strolling melodically moving arms, hands and stopping in my tracks to bust the move I’m thinking of. Sometimes too I’ll have an ah-ha moment while cooking, cleaning or driving and the transition I was searching for will reveal itself.
If you could give someone new to yoga one piece of advice, what would it be?
To someone new to yoga I would say, don’t take yourself too seriously. There is no good or bad yogi and yoga can take many forms. Comparing yourself to, and/or idolizing others will only hinder your experience. When I was starting, I had a tendency to put my teachers and peers on a pedestal, which of course is very common in this industry and in life. Today, as a teacher myself I realize we all have something to offer, there is no better than. And unfortunately for me, simply being a yoga teacher does not make you enlighted, as much as I wish it did.
Great advice for yoga, and great advice for life! The more we practice yoga, the more it becomes ingrained in who we are. We evolve from someone who goes to yoga classes into a yogi. Someone who tries to move thoughtfully through yoga asana and thoughtfully through the world. How do you practice yoga off your mat and out in the world?
I practice yoga off my mat by holding the intention of living simply and treading lightly. Above all, I try to practice the notion of non-attachment, Aparigraha. With that, accepting change and consequently, the things I can not change have become more easeful as I’ve gotten older.
Another nugget of great advice! Moving onto the easy questions... What is your favorite thing to do other than yoga?
I just completed a degree in psychology after returning to school, so most of my time was occupied with studying. Now having finished I am enjoying some downtime until I figure out my next step. I enjoy spending time in nature, true crime and a good glass of red wine.
You mentioned that being in the studio nourishes you, is there another place outside of the studio that brings you joy?
I love to be on the trails and at the beach. I spend a lot of time hiking and try to take advantage of our proximity to the ocean as much as I can.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I love this question. When I was little I wanted to be a mortician, my neighbor worked in a funeral home and I was fascinated by what she did. Obviously yoga is wildly different and far from this profession, but it still crosses my mind from time to time.
What?! Ha ha ha - I never would have guessed that! Fascinating! Ok, how about music of the moment? Anything making you dance?
I can appreciate almost any type of music and I spend a lot of time listening and searching for music for the sole purpose of class. Subsequently, I find it difficult to listen to music now without analyzing if it would work with a sequence. A pesky side effect of the musicality I try to convey, hence mostly listening to podcasts in my freetime.
Thanks so much for your time, Phina! It has been wonderful to chat with you and to get to know you deeper as a yoga teacher, and a little outside of that lens as well. Thank you for sharing with us! Is there anything else that you’d like to share with our Metta and Cloudbreak Yoga community?
Although I teach a lot, I rarely get the opportunity to sincerely thank my students and express what large and enhancive roles they play in my life. I am still in disbelief when 20 plus yogis choose to come to my class and still get butterflies everytime I teach. I feel truly grateful for everyone who has walked through my class, given me a chance, and made me the teacher I am today. So if you are reading this thank YOU!
We’re full of gratitude for you, Phina! If you haven’t already popped into one of Phina’s classes, we encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities in San Rafael, Corte Madera and Sausalito! We guarantee you’ll leave with a spring in your step and a song in your heart!
Catch Phina on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:15 @Cloudbreak; Fridays at noon @San Rafael; Saturdays at 11:00 @Corte Madera; and Sundays at 10:30 @CloudBreak.
And if you need even more Phina, follow her on Instagram @phinapillado.