Tessa's journey into the world of yoga began at a tender age, shaped by an upbringing that instilled in her a yearning for an authentic, self-determined life. Growing up amidst the rural hills of Pennsylvania, she heeded the call to explore the West Coast, making Seattle, Washington, her home for eight formative years. Her time in the Pacific Northwest kindled an ardent passion for yoga, nature, communal living, meditation, music, fasting, herbal medicine, healing, raw veganism, and animal rights - all becoming cornerstones of her existence.
In 2006, a solo trip to Asia unexpectedly unfurled into a full-time nomadic lifestyle which she has maintained for nearly 2 decades. Exploring Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, India, Nepal, and New Zealand, she fostered a deep love and connection with the people and cultures of Southeast Asia, a bond that endures, shaping her distinct approach to life, a foundation for
her teachings.
Continually a student on this soulful expedition, Tessa started teaching Hatha and Vinyasa in 2010, spreading her knowledge across various international landscapes in Central America, Southeast Asia and California. Her journey led her to delve into further studies of Ayurveda, Thai massage, Acro Yoga, Chi Gong, Dance, and Chinese Medicine with a pivotal deep dive into Tantric Hatha Yoga in 2020, igniting a new passion and practice within her.
Since 2017, Tessa has been an integral part of two exceptional retreat centers - in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Annually, she leads retreats there, intertwining her heart and soul with these spaces. Joining School Yoga Institute team in 2018, she's been leading trainings, primarily in her soul's eternal sanctuary, Bali, Indonesia, a place she has gratefully called her home base since 2017. Bali has bestowed upon her boundless inspiration, wisdom, growth, beauty, magic, and healing.
Nature, with its elements and stillness, serves as Tessa's guiding muse. In these natural realms, she discovers the essence of the great teachings of yoga, finding connections between the profound teachings and the serenity of the elements, nurturing her understanding and practice of yoga as a way of life.
Bhakti Yoga encapsulates Tessa's path in yoga. She adores practicing and teaching Mantra and Kirtan, and has a passion to encourage her students to activate their teacher's voice with chanting and singing. Tessa has truly found her soul's purpose in guiding others in trainings, sharing the infinite depth of yogic wisdom, which she perceives as a way of life. She bows deeply to her teachers, the sages, and the traditions that have shaped her, brimming with unending gratitude and love.
I focus on the function of the Asana more than the form. So the pose is more about the pranic impact ( energy flow). What is happening that you can only experience directly and feel internally but not see with the eyes. Most days I am inspired to hold poses longer and cultivate tapasya and stillness…and when the pose is released I feel the rush of prana. So it's my favorite pose when it's practiced with full presence, smooth breathing, and a steady mind. For this reason, I love forward folds, for their incredible grounding effect!
Two come to mind:
If it's out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind too.
Questioner: How are we to treat others?
Ramana Maharshi: There are no others.
The connection to Source. The peace it brings is like nothing else. All illusions of the mind fade away. The great sages and masters, living and already passed. They are an infinite source of wisdom, grace and love. A direct connection to Spirit and reminder of what the practice is truly about.
Devotion and consistency, which provide a sense of freedom. Showing up and seeing those results ripple into my life. Transcending the mind and returning again and again to each present moment. Observing the way everything in the world, our mind and lives constantly change, but experiencing what is everlasting and infinite. Om. 🤍🕉🤍
~Tessa has a vast knowledge, willingness to share and a lightness in her approach. She is very peaceful and doesn’t take herself too seriously which was nice. Her connections for bringing in live music, a nutrition and cleansing expert and Himalayan kriya was really special. Her knowledge of Bali and Balinese people and sharing that with us was really cool as well.
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~Tessa was incredible! She is soft and caring but also strong and grounded and knew how to bring her wise energy and enthusiasm from day one to the end of the training.
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~I appreciated her enthusiasm and natural way of teaching, it shows that it comes from experience and not just reading off of a manual.
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