Publicado el 19 Jul, 2017

Interview to Kat Shaw

Hello everybody! Today we interviewed Kat Shaw, who will teach yoga at the «Beyon asana: A moving meditation» retreat that will be held on September 24, 2017 in MasQi.

About ​Kat Shaw

Kat Shaw has been practicing yoga for over 25 years and starts most days at home on her mat going through the Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga sequence. In her classes and workshops, she weaves in knowledge learned from her dedicated self practice, as well as information picked up from intensives and workshops with great teachers such as John Scott, David Swenson, Matthew Sweeney, David Williams, Chuck Miller, Maty Ezraty, Danny Paradise, Dena Kingsberg, Sarah Hatcher, Kino Macgregor, David Keil, Shiva Rae and Leslie Kaminoff. Her current teachers being Sarah Hatcher and Dena Kingsberg.

Yoga lies deep in Kats heart. She is sensitive to the energy around, and an expert at holding a safe and supportive space where everyone can explore yoga with a sense of fun and adventure. Kat believes that our lives should be fun, and our yoga practice should reflect that. An experienced yogi and IIN Health Coach, she is positive, grounded, generous, intelligent and funny. When not on the mat, Kat is swimming in the sea, walking in the forest out playing in nature.

Kat Shaw Retreat in Spain

Interview to Kat Shaw

Why and when did you start practicing yoga?

Kat Shaw: I was first introduced to Hatha yoga through my mother at age 8. I had breathing difficulties which Doctors coudn’t diagnose but natural movement did. Yoga and swimming helped which I was grateful for. I practiced till about 13years old then not until about 22years did I make it to a regular yoga class. At 8, I liked practicing yoga because it helped me breathe and I loved the meditation side of the postures, the stillness. Now, I love practicing yoga daily because of the benefits I feel from it like a sense of calm, greater sense of humour, a connection to Self, a greater awareness, a control over my thoughts and boosts my confidence all while keeping me grounded.

And why to become a teacher?

Kat Shaw: I felt as though I didn’t fit in to a system and yoga gave me a freedom in myself that I liked. I liked the idea of practicing asana mindfully and mid-morning and not being stuck to a computer and answerable to a boss. I was a workaholic and drove my well-being into the ground for other peoples gains and what I thought I believed in, only for other peoples gains. I love what yoga offers people and how it makes them feel. I love the timelessness of holding space in a class. I love that it takes people away and people feel refreshed, happy and grounded after leaving a class. I love the community it creates and I love that it is selfishly healthy to be about the Self and connecting and that it is so much more than asana. I love it is full, rounded and not pigeon-holed. Yes, people pigeon-hole, label and judge yoga but for me it gives me tools to liberate my mind; I want to share that with people so we live together.

Why ashtanga yoga?

Kat Shaw: I love all yoga avenues. I respect all yoga practices. Ashtanga yoga for me simply has it all. It really does. It has the stories, the not stories, the postures, the breath, the emotion, the feeling, the ease, the grace, the fear and struggle, sweat, tears ​ and laughter, chanting, detoxing, connections, beginnings, ends, the journey, the destination. the Self, the Guru, the religion ​ the not religion, he​ the science. For me it is my perfect circle full of everything I love and fear it at the same time and it makes me the person I’m loving growing into.

For who did you design this retreat?

Kat Shaw: Our retreat is for anyone who wants to escape their mind for a moment and engage with a form of samadhi and themself. For anyone who wants to sit comfortably with themselves. We take our retreats seriously with a lot of laughter and gratitude.

Is it needed a certain yoga level to join the retreat?

Kat Shaw: We welcome everyone on our retreat. Everyone and anyone, we welcome.

What are we going to live during this retreat?

Kat Shaw: Nature, Mountains, Fresh Air, Amazing Food, Exercise, Good thoughts, Gratitude, Laughter, Great company. Sunshine, Stories and Stars! What more would anyone want!
Maybe a massage or a therapy, that can happen too!

Could you explain us how it’s going to be a day in the retreat?

Kat Shaw: We open the morning quietly with sitting meditation followed by introducing you to your moving meditation practice. A beautiful breakfast will be served after and then there will be plenty of free time to relax and explore. We may adventure into the mountains running or hiking. We will be eating gastronomic food prepared locally and organically to nurture and serve your body/mind/practice so you leave the retreat feeling empowered. There will be days of added pranayama practice techniques or restorative or building on yoga classes. You can opt in or out as much as you want. We will end the day on a deep relaxation and we are hoping for some star gazing/moonbathing.

Kat Shaw Retreat in Spain

What are you offering together KAT-PAMELA than you can´t offer separately?

Kat Shaw: We work brilliantly together and we love working with each other. Pamela inspires and I learn from her everyday. We offer support to each other and to our guests. Together we create a greater ripple effect to inspire a greater sense of well-being in individuals. We are both inspired by our yoga, our ​healthy ​

lifestyles, we are both inspired by being creative and we are both inspired by positive solutions. Together we want to move people forward to a place of samadhi within themselves. Together we want to share the message that with a good mindset anything is possible.

Why in Spain? Why in MasQi?

Kat Shaw: We love Spain, its sunny, its cultural and its easy access from Scotland. It also reminds me a lot of Australia with the Flora and Fauna.

Why MasQi? We were recommended to MasQi from a girlfriend, Esme. It agreed with us that the gastronomic organic and locally sourced food is a draw-card as amazing food for us is really important in serving your practice and lifestyle; along with the rural and stunning setting within Sierra De Mariola National Park. The fresher the air the better to breathe, we nurture our body. We are always looking for a connection to nature in our retreats and so far its mostly been forest retreats. We love being in the forests, trees and mountains as we feel they turn the volume down in our minds ​ and connect us to a stronger more potent, intuitive and natural wi-fi​

MasQi is a boutique hotel and we loved the intimacy this offers guests. MasQi also provides really beautiful and different kinds of therapies which we wanted for our guests to experience. Sonia Ferre, Founder of MasQi, has an intention to live and share her dream by inspiring and introducing people to a healthier and more connected way of living which is similar to what we are doing and wanting. We want people to live peacefully in their hearts while experiencing a ​ natural and​ full life.

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