TotalLink is blessed to have such a wonderful community of dedicated staff and facilitators. Each month we look forward to introducing you to one of our fabulous facilitators.
This month we are excited to introduce you to our Yoga Nidra facilitator, Hope Barnes.
Q. How did you get involved with TotalLink?
I was connected to TotalLink through my teacher/friend/mentor Sam Bianchini, an incredible Yoga Nidra guide and teacher trainer. I am so grateful to her and to all my teachers for the wisdom and generosity they have shared.
Q. Tell us about the program you are facilitating at TotalLink?
I am very lucky to be facilitating the weekly virtual Yoga Nidra class at TotalLink. Even in the relatively short time I've been facilitating this class, I have found it to be such a special space to be in community. We do a lot of sharing as a group, specifically around setting intentions and cultivating gratitude, and I guide us through a Yoga Nidra meditation each class. We also sometimes play games to get to know one another better. Recently, we did a mini virtual scavenger hunt and got to share a little bit about objects that are special and important to us. It's a really cozy, supportive, and restful space. And we also seem to end up laughing a lot, too, which I love!
Q. What is your favorite part of being involved at TotalLink?
The people! I have felt so supported and welcomed, and I get to share this practice I love with other people. Yoga Nidra is a very personal practice, and it is also innately connected to community. The participants in this class make it an incredibly generous, supportive, and warm space, and we learn so much from what everyone shares.
Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is a fun fact that most people don't know about you?
Hmmm...I'm from Colorado originally, and it's been fun learning about the Colorado ties a lot of folks in the class have. I love stories of all kinds (books, tv shows, movies, plays, talking to a friend on the phone!) Another area of my work and passion is in theater. I studied abroad in London and got to have the lived dream experience of performing a scene on the Globe stage! My adored cat is named Thames, after the river in London. In September, I started a 10-month apprenticeship in herbalism and regenerative healing. Something not a lot of people know about me is that when I was a kid, I had a pet garter snake named Athena. I LOVED her, and she would come with me in my pocket when I would run errands with my mom. I remember her poking her little head out when we were at the bank or the grocery store. She was wonderful.
