Every time I have a run in with Leila, it brings a smile to my face. Her visible beauty extends way beyond her dark eyes and long lashes; she infuses every ounce of her life with the passion of a symphonic crescendo. In a first encounter, it can be overpowering in a country where people are generally a bit more reserved, but stay tuned, for Leila is as wise and lovely as she is passionate.
Her class at Triyoga Chelsea began with Leila drawing everyone in close to her, to hear her thoughts on intention setting, being more loving and more loved, and imagining the midline of the body; themes that she brought through the entirety of the class. There was no music, but instead we were talked through a variety of standing postures and some backbends with ample choice of chatturanga, downward dog or child’s pose in between. Next, Leila demonstrated a preparation for tripod headstand, when the class was broken into groups of threes to practice inverting. People seemed to especially enjoy this bit of human interaction and contact, though I opted out in favour of my own headstand practice, which was also welcome.
At the end of the class, we took a couple of hip opening stretches before ending with savasana. The class was physically challenging, and Leila was highly energetic, enriching the whole class with her enthusiasm for the practice. As much as it was physical, it was also highly spiritual, and Leila came across as knowledgeable and practiced on both fronts in equal measure. The locker room chatter was abuzz with those who either wanted to, or planned to take her upcoming inversion.
Leila teaches weekly at Triyoga, The Life Centre and At Indaba Yoga Studio.