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Romi’s story:

Movement has been one of the most profound sources of soul-nourishment in my life. Within the dynamic and subtle energy waves inherent in the nature of movement, there are pathways to endless Self-discovery. I have practiced gymnastics, dance, and music for as long as I can remember and get lit up inside when I explore physically and spiritually provocative art forms. My mindfulness practice is primarily nature-based and I am passionate about causes that support ecology, nature-based education, and sustainable living systems. I strongly believe there is a direct relationship between nature and one’s individual healing process. How we treat the earth directly impacts the individual and global psyche. Yoga is a metaphor for living in harmony with the natural world and the limbs of the proverbial yoga tree extend into every aspect of life.

I began practicing yoga in 1995 and I completed my first teacher training and massage program in 1998. After working with massage and yoga clients for ten years, I had a calling to understand more about patterns of imbalance in the body, as they pertain to the psyche and spirit. In 2012, I completed a Masters degree in clinical, somatic (body-centered) psychology and the journey has opened me up to many new realms of self-awareness.

My graduate school thesis was about the neurobiology of mindfulness as it pertains to embodied practices and interpersonal relationships. I discuss the work of Charlotte Selver who was a pioneer of a somatic-based mindfulness practice called “Sensory Awareness”. Like yoga, Sensory Awareness advocates various body-centered experiments to assist people to get in touch with their most authentic state of being. Just as a Buddhist practitioner focuses on Loving Kindness, or a Yogini practices Dharana and Diyana, (concentration, meditation), a Sensory Awareness practitioner focuses on Conscious Sensing. Somatic practice, which includes many forms of Hatha yoga, can bring us into deep knowing of the Self via body-centered presence.

For centuries, yogis have known what psychologists have only been able to explicate in the last fifty years. Similar to many reputable yogis, Charlotte Selver believed that we benefit when we, “learn to give up this doing” (Sensory Awareness Foundation, Journal 1, p.36). After practicing yoga for seventeen years, my most advanced accomplishment has been my ability to learn how to take in. I spent many years trying to “move out” stuck energy, be it through gymnastics, dance, yoga, or meditation. Today I feel most aligned with my inner wisdom when I listen to what my body says and take it in.

An individual’s physical abilities have nothing to do with their ability to become more somatically aware. Be it breath work, nature awareness, dance, a thirty-minute asana practice, or a two hour Ashtanga practice, there are myriad forms of body-centered exploration that can transform the self. When we choose practices that support us to observe our experiences, our interactions with others, and our feelings during such experiences, we are more capable of seeing ourselves holistically, and more likely to cultivate inner attunement and equanimity. If you would like to read my thesis on the neurobiology of mindfulness and relationships, feel free to visit http://romicumes.com/blog

My teaching style is a blend of technical and intuitive knowledge. I have been greatly influenced by Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Anusara, and Restorative yoga, though I rarely teach the same class twice, and believe in the effectiveness of various systems. I have studied Ashtanga Yoga since 1998 and participated in traditional workshops with Sri K Pattabhi Joyis in various states across the U.S.

I am grateful for many teachers who have influenced my life, as well as for all the teachers yet to come. I have been practicing at the Santa Barbara Yoga Center since 1995 and have taught there since 2000. We have had some supreme yoga teachers here at the Center. I would like to offer a special heart-felt thanks to my original SB teachers including: Kristin Laak, Tina Brant, Steve Dwelley, Michele Nichols, David Miliotis, Andrea Werner-Miliotis, Scott Blossom, Deb Dobbin, Heather Tiddens, Laurie Burnaby, Anne Van de Water, and Cheri Clampett. You all shaped my practice in invaluable ways.

The planet is in disarray and amidst the cracks of uncertainty and dissolution, we find flints of hope, like light reflected off of granite in the California Sierra Nevada. We can turn to this light to be reminded of the hope that exists within, and the power of our planet. Love has more power than the futile attempts of the ego to demonstrate its importance.

“A call for world wide fellowship, is a call for all embracing power of love; is the key that unlocks the door of ultimate reality. Love is a God. Everyone who loves, knows God.”
     -Dr. Martin Luther King.