| Who's Felina Chung? |
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| It's hard to protray oneself to the world. Saying I'm this and that is like imposing identities upon onself. While the term "identitity" addresses the greatest pain in each Taiwanese citizens's heart, identity issues beyond nationality remain mystic to most of us as human beings. So in answering the question of who I am, I shall quote Sri Poonjaji's line: I AM THAT! |
| OFF THE MAT |
| ON THE MAT |
| Felina is a certified and registered Yoga teacher by Yoga Alliance in the United States. She specializes in Vinyasa, a beautiful style that incorporates breath and movement. Felina was introduced to the world of Yoga in 1999. She was drawn to Yoga because she found great similarities between Yoga and Buddhism, which is intertwined with her Chinese roots. Felina self-learned asanas for about three years before taking any formal Yoga classes. As a child she had danced for about 5 years. Her body, in her words, thus "has the memory of openness" that would propel her to "move" whenever she felt tightness. It is true that since she stopped dancing she has done poses that she learned in her childhood dance lessons to rejuvenate herself, without knowing that they are in fact Yoga poses. Felina's "official" yogini life began in 2002, when she started her first Yoga teacher training with Sivanada Yoga teacher Martha Longerman. Prior and in the beginning of the trainning she was suffering from depression and poor health. One day after bursting out in tears in Martha's class, she knew that she had found her calling. It did not take long before she witnessed how Yoga cured her chronic ailment and healed her soul. Today while Felina continues to advance her own Yoga education, she hopes to bring the benefits of Yoga into the world through sharing and teaching. She currently lives in Falls Church, Virginia, U.S.A.. |
| Yoga FAQs |
| FAQs: Q:What does Felina mean and where did you get that name? Is it Italian? A:I really didn't get that name from anywhere, I made it up. I decided to be known as "Felina" to my non-Chinese speaking friends because a) my official name (translated from Chinese) is too hard to be remembered, and b) the name "Felina" does address something about me. "Felina" comes from the English word "feline". I admire and would like to learn the independece and confidence of cats and their graceful poise. In Chinese "naming" is in fact of great importance. Parents usually name their kids for attributes that they want their kids to have. It is the same idea here. I'm being actually being Chinese to name meself "Felina". Q:Where are you from? A:I was born and raised in Taiwan. My hometown is Nan-Tou county, where the beautiful scenic spot Sun-Moon lake is located. Q: How would you describe yourself to a stranger? A: An Asian-looking woman with big teeth. Q: What are a few of your favorite things besides Yoga? A: Oh boy then there won't be only "a few". Sportswise I enjoy hiking and walking in the Mother nature. In terms of entertainment I enjoy western classical and new age music, and independent films. I love exploring different religious and philosophical ideas through reading, discussing, and endless thinking. Thinking is my both my hobby and habit. Of course, international travel and learning different languages always bring me happiness. Lastly I like cooking. Q: What is your non-Yoga education background? A: I have a BA from the National Chengchi University in Taipei in Arabic language and communication studies, an MA in international affairs from the Elliott school at the George Washington University, where I'm currently pursuing a graduate certificate in international trade and investment policy. Q: What are a few things you would like to do in your lifetime? A: To serve and to be useful; to learn to play Pipa (a traditioanl Chinese/central Asian musical instrument) and to learn more languegs. Go to Argentina to see penguins. |
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