MEET OUR TEACHERS: INTRODUCING MAXIME
Our darling Maxime has been with Humane Yoga since 2022.
Hailing from Belgium, she grew up in Europe and brings a wealth of experience to our sweet little studio. She has a professional background in sociology, education, counseling, gestalt therapy, yoga, and horsemanship, which she weaves seamlessly into her classes.
Maxime is passionate about helping her students to thrive from a place of empowerment - both on and off the mat. If you’ve spent time in Maxime’s classes, you’ll know she approaches the practice of yoga with great respect. With an in-depth knowledge of the body and human psychology, Maxime has a special skill for inspiring students to move, with self-kindness and compassion, towards a healthier body and mind.
You can expect to leave a practice with Maxime feeling confident, inspired, and nourished.
We sat down for a chat with Maxime so you can get to know her better.
How did you discover yoga?
I discovered yoga after a couple of challenging years in my early twenties. I left my home country to come back to a balanced sense of self, and discovered yoga only four weeks after I left. I signed up for two months at a yoga community and never looked back.
How did you become a yoga teacher?
In Australia I signed up for a Certificate IV with Byron Yoga Centre and felt inspired to specialise in yoga therapy and trauma-informed yoga.
Nowadays I integrate yoga in my own daily practice to support my own mental and physical health, but also in my mental health support sessions with students and participants.
Where did you train to teach yoga and what was your experience like?
I started with yoga in Central-America and then continued to practice with a variety of studios and teachers. I felt inspired and "at home" when I started practicing Tantric Hatha Yoga and then continued with a variety of trainings to specialise in yoga for trauma, depression, body image, and in yoga therapy for specific diagnoses and health issues.
If you could go back and give your beginner yogi self one piece of advice, what would it be?
I think I could learn a lot from my beginner yogi self. The first year that I practiced yoga, I had a lot of space and time to fully dedicate to my practice. The challenge these days is to practice all the teachings and wisdom yoga offers me, in day to day life, filled with distractions and challenges related to society, my personal life and professional life.
The advice that I would give to anyone in their early days of yoga practice is that there is no right or wrong when it comes to yoga. Many people enter a yoga space assuming they can be “good” or “bad” at it. But this is not the point of a yoga practice. Yoga is a state of being, and you can be in relationship with it, or you can choose not to be in a relationship with it. The fruits of yoga are experienced through regular practice, but that doesn’t mean that not practising regularly is a failure. So, I believe there is no right or wrong in yoga - there is only curiosity, enquiry, and practice.
As a yoga teacher, what is one question or comment you frequently receive, and how do you respond?
Mostly I receive questions about a yoga practice can support specific health issues, whether they are physical health challenges (eg. sleeping difficulties, asthma, lower back pain, etc.) or mental/emotional health issues (eg. anxiety, depression, trauma, body image issues, etc.).
When dealing with emotional and physical challenges, I advise depending on the ailment, but I always try to remind my students that holistic health begins with awareness. An increased awareness can help us to realise that we can have thoughts, feelings and sensations - but we are not defined by them.
How do you integrate the teachings/philosophies of yoga into your everyday life?
By really understanding that the only constant in life is change, reminding myself that with time and practice the dark night will pass, and in those times consciously practising gratitude to really appreciate life. I believe the purpose of life is simple - we’re here to live, to support each other, and to love. Yoga isn’t a panacea for all that ails us, but I’m really glad it’s part of my toolkit and I believe it helps me not only to survive but to thrive.
Check the timetable to see when you can Maxime on the mat - teaching Yang (Hatha), Yin, and Sculpt.