Name & Hometown: Claudette Robena Davis Bond/native Michigander since 6 months of age, am soon to be 76 years of age.
Who & What inspired you to be a yoga instructor? Krishna Kaur of Los Angeles, California and Gail Twitty of Detroit, Michigan were the Ladies of inspiration, promoting Yoga teaching to and for me.
Describe your style of yoga: Per one of my many mentors/ Ms. Tamara Lee, my style is Integrative Hatha.
What’s your favorite yoga pose? I particularly love three poses: The Warrior Trio, Shoulder Stand, plus Plow and variants.
What brings you to the mat? I really enjoy the freedom, inner peace and tranquility just to be…on my mat.
Do you work for a yoga studio, or have a private practice? My Yoga work is a mix—Southfield Park & Recreation Center – Mondays: Moderate Yoga at 11:30 ; Oakstreet Health – Mondays at 2 pm ; Ascension Group in Southfield: Tuesdays at 10:30 am – Chair Yoga; plus my home church, Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church: Wednesdays at 9 am – Sleep Chair Yoga.
How has being a YAGD member helped you in your yoga career? Over the years my YAGD membership has provided great Yoga learning opportunities, via our varied workshops, quite inspiring to see Jason Crandall develop over the years…
Do you have a favorite yoga story, from your personal experience? One of my most memorable and inspiring comments came from a Southfield Park & Rec student, who had knee surgery and the physicians inquired as to what she had been doing prior to the surgery, since her flexibility was so amazing for her age—her retort: attending chair Yoga class once per week.
Additionally my granddaughter, when she was in middle school won a flexibility award for being the only student in the entire school to stretch the farthest, while seated on the floor. She had been attending some of my Yoga classes while her parents were at work.
Is there anything else you would like to add? I am so very thankful for the many traveling opportunities I’ve had to expand my Yoga experience. One of my travels took me to Rishikesh, India located at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains. Later at the Delhi airport, a native Lady was quite taken aback when I retorted that I was not a vegan, she was quite upset and taken aback as to how I could be a Yoga teacher and not be a vegan… Also, the lovely pink colored buildings in the Rishsikesh area had what appeared to be a swastika symbol near the top only to learn that the symbol was for LOVE and not hate as used years later in Germany.
Also, I’ve traveled to Accra, Ghana, Africa for week attendance at Health retreat with local University, we attended a workshop taught by a Professor of Sound for about an hour and a half, it was long but not boring. He shared a story as to how he actually was able to discern the sound of a spider spinning the web !