My name is Gigi Vincentine and my Sanskrit name is Gopa, which means “close friend to God”. When I write that, I get a little sweaty because it means so much to me and I hope to embody that wish for myself and others.
I was introduced to Yoga during a cleansing retreat in the 90s in Thailand under a beautiful Shala overlooking the ocean. I knew then that I would one day do the Yoga Teacher Training, I loved it so much. During that time, I was living and teaching English in Taiwan and I found a yoga teacher who was a disciple and nun of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, who founded Ananda Marga Yoga in 1955. It’s motto is Self-Realisation and Service to the Universe. Daily meditation and yoga became integral to discovering my passion for Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture and Taoism. For a few years I received treatments and herbal formulas from Dr. Lu, who became my mentor.
After living in Taiwan for 4 ½ yrs, I moved to Victoria in 2002 to formally study Chinese Medicine at the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I continued my practice of Yoga as I immersed myself in the Doctor of Chinese program and the practice of Taoism. I’ve always blended the two philosophies, and during my YTT I really had a realization (epiphany) that they were the same, simply different countries, different practices but the roots ran so deep, they mingled near the bottom.
For over 18 years I’ve been practicing and running my own Chinese Medicine clinic in downtown Victoria.
My experience at the Centre began in 2003, a classmate had invited me to Shivaratri, for the overnight ceremony of chanting and devotion to Shiva. A few years later another friend was living on the land and invited me to the Annual Community Yoga Retreat. I believe it was the last visit that Babaji came up from Mount Madonna. It was an honor to be in his presence, but I didn’t know then, how powerful his teachings would become.
Yoga Getaway weekends were a yearly treat for myself and close friends until that one day, when YTT became a possibility.
Here I am after graduating from the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, Yoga Teacher Training YTT in 2017. I’m the woman in the white, holding Babaji’s framed picture.
I’ve taught weekly yoga and meditation classes to school teachers, I’ve assisted at YTT at the Centre, I’m also a regular teacher during the Yoga Wellness weekends. “ Teach to Learn” is so true for me. In Taoism, there’s an idea, that we learn until we no nothing. Ha! I’m trying!
Before I moved to Taiwan with my husband, I studied at Concordia University in Montreal and received my Commerce Degree with a focus on personnel management and leadership.
Learn more about Gopa:
- Newsletter article: “My Journey Inward” (2019)
- Traditional Chinese Medicine biography from gigivincentine.ca