We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dawn And Gregoire. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dawn and below.

Dawn and , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

We learned to do what we do by being committed to our self growth. We also gave constant acts of service to humans and the natural world. Since the beginning of our relationship we traveled extensively, discovering cultures, practices & perspectives. By being involved in various educational, social & environmental initiatives, we got to immerse ourselves in the daily life, struggles & celebrations of local people.
This lead us to finding great teachers leading us on the path that we are walking today. During our travels Dawn got TEFL certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language, Gregoire completed his Masters Degree, and we both got certified several times as Yoga teachers to bring mindfulness, self-actualization tools & physical, as well as socio-emotional resilience techniques. “Kundalini yoga puts one in places of discomfort and stretches our mind and body to previously unknown capacities”.

Establishment of our relationship & partnership wasn’t without difficulties.
Long distances can weigh on ones heart, but can also strengthen bonds of trust & commitment. By living in different countries lots was brought to light. We became clearer on what each one of us needed in a relationship.
We were not rushing it. The development of our unity was a gradual process, setting the tone for a partnership of love, evolution & emancipation.

In addition to our personal growth, we went through multiple situations linked to health & family. It is fascinating how something so oppressive, can shape-shift in one of the greatest life lessons leading to our own individual ascension.

Together we also discovered a pattern; we are continuously asked to be of service, while being taken advantage of.
We had to learn how to stand up for ourselves & know our worth, while managing our time & energy more wisely.
Achieving a balance between personal needs & world output is a daily practice.
This also is a precious lesson on the importance of Reciprocity.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Music has always been part of Dawn & Greg’s life. Both their parents were interested in various music genres. Music to this day is a mode of communication for them as it gives beautiful opportunities to connect with people without speaking their language. Throughout the years they both gained experience & got trained to bring Kundalini yoga to various populations & ages, hold council & are always keen on empowering individuals through mentorship & coaching. They embrace the mindfulness teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and Kundalini Yoga (KRI and Yoga for Youth trainings).

Before introducing the students to yoga, Gregoire taught science and music at Topanga Mountain School, a private middle school. “That launched me in my career as an educator and I’m very grateful for that.”
Today they co-teach Kundalini yoga & music classes for all ages, are directors & teachers of their own after school enrichment program in Topanga called “OAK TREE Club for Kindergarten- 12th grade on campus at Manzanita School & Institute. Here they are also school teachers for a specialized cross grade level program called “Stewardship” The class aims at teaching children the importance of reciprocity. They help to create a culture of understanding, awareness and tending to the needs of the land on the beautiful 20 acre campus located in a natural setting in the mountains of Topanga Canyon. Dawn & Greg are currently involved in multiple collaborations centered around mindfulness, meditation & music, creative expression, nature connection & personal development.
Dawn & Gregoire began teaching yoga to children in the Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica. Greg also teaches yoga part-time to children as young as three at Topanga’s Love School.
The couple also teach yoga regularly at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, usually the last Saturday of the month. The class is sponsored by the Western National Parks Association and draws people from the broader LA area. There can be up to 150 people in the class. “Yoga on the Mountain” is held outdoors under sycamore trees.

In addition, Gregoire is part of a collaborative Men’s group called Four Pillars Brotherhood. Based on Mentorship, Yogic Philosophy, Coaching, Empowerment & Mindfulness, he is cohosting seasonal outdoor gatherings, monthly council circles, as well as individual online coaching sessions. This community is built through integrity, leadership & service, and welcomes all facets of the masculine, truths & beliefs.

In all our programs, our approach is centered around responsiveness, adaptability & service; may it be in the way we involve children in co-leading our classes, or making movements accessible to people with various physical conditions.
Through our curriculum, students learn how to increase their physical resilience, explore their creativity, discover & nourish aspirations, apply conscious listening, acknowledge different world views, while understanding the importance of nature conservancy.
We are known as teachers both in yoga, music and education. We are also known for our mentorship roles and believe in sharing the tools that empower wellbeing to young children, teenagers and adults.

The target of our educational programs is to spread environmental consciousness, social cohesiveness, communicate mindful techniques through breath and movement while promoting an attitude of awareness to all. These programs upholds core values of inclusivity, self empowerment, equality & freedom.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Our aim is to empower the individual by promoting commitment to self & others, confidence, health & clarity. We aim at bringing the content of our work to all traditions and socio-economic classes; in traditional and private school districts, under-served urban areas, after school programs, as well as native reservations.
Yoga of Elements especially targets to reaching all youth growing in an environment that threatens the integrity of their education, health and well-being.

OAK TREE Club aligns with the curriculum & Philosophy of Manzanita School & Institute, centered on mentorship (peer to peer, and teacher-student), environmental advocacy, as well as the cultivation of everyone’s inherent gifts.

Four Pillars Brotherhood is a non-dogmatic initiative for men looking to gain and practice tools for awareness of self & others, while cultivating alignment & purpose. We believe that by being supported & empowered, while tending to our own personal needs, we allow ourselves to show up with confidence in acts of service & leadership. The mission of FPb is to accompany & further men’s growth for them to continue thriving on their own path and show up with resilience, integrity & humility in all aspects of their lives.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

We would frame the potential of creativity as “the audacity to act upon our innate feelings, while having the courage to express ourselves freely to question the structures & paradigms framing our state of being”.
Combining scientific thinking to movement, improvisation, philosophy, esotericism & student-centered creativity, led to the creation of interactive, engaging, fun & multi-sensory educational lessons reaching a vast array of learning styles.
Some of the most rewarding aspects of being a creative artist is being able to pursue our passions and do the things that bring us the most joy in life. In this way every day is a day to celebrate life and the journey along the way.
It doesn’t matter if it is a Friday, Saturday or Monday, everyday we get to wake up and do the things that inspire us and allows us to use our creative inspiration in many ways. We get to share the tools that helped us and we get much back in return from the people and children that we work with.
Of course life has it’s ups and downs like any human and that’s why we do try our best to dedicate most Sundays as our “Sunday Fun Day”. In this way we leave one day out of the week to just be, with no plan and let life unfold naturally. We do love to give and juggle many different things in this busy city of LA with so many events and opportunities to share our creative forces.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yogaofelements.com ; www.oaktreeclub.org ; www.fourpillarsbrotherhood.com
• Instagram: @yogaofelements ; @oak_tree_club ; @fourpillars_brotherhood
• Facebook: Yogaofelementsworldwide
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZqJ_vcoFzo-uIfcB2TOxQw
• Other: Link to our recorded Music:

  https://yogaofelements.com/music/

Image Credits

Miriam Geer Photography