We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebekah Pubill. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebekah below.
Hi Rebekah , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.
I began practicing yoga as a teenager alongside my professional hairdressing career to develop myself physically in order to meet the ways it demanded optimal performance. Over the years yoga helped me recover from long busy days on my feet and rehabilitate through many obstacles along the way. So I became a big fan. Yoga kept me sharp, functional, and fabulous. I would have started earlier but there was no time freedom for that with corporate America. So eventually I went out on my own and established a tiny little hair salon business and developed the ability to pursue goals of greater personal meaning and purpose.
I studied healing arts such as energy therapy and reiki to understand how to live a life aligned with the cultivation of inner beauty as a hobby/interest. I enjoyed being drawn by the pull of a deeper part of myself that was waiting to be claimed and discovered. I set out on a journey to find myself and yoga gave me the connection I needed to access within to do so.
It wasn’t until service to the community was asked of me through the facilitation of sound meditation that Om Lotus Yoga came to life.
I had participated in a community artist fundraiser for Figment Dallas where I was asked to ‘bring it’. I felt inadequate when asked at the time because I felt what I was “about” was uninteresting and not popular enough to be of benefit to support the event. The staff insisted anyway so I had my first sound meditation offering at WAAS art gallery. I only had one crystal singing bowl, one brass Tibetan bowl, A few paintings, and a little gong. But I brought it and to my amazement I was very well received – to the point that word spread of the success of the event and I was approached by The Cosmic (formerly Cosmic Café) to provide a donation based sound bath on Sundays, which I did religiously for several years every Sunday until just recently where I am now featured on the third Sunday of the month.
Through facilitating this offering my teachings developed. I didn’t realize I had cultivated the wisdom behind the holistic path until inquiries arrived for guidance and answers came intuitively from my background, lineage, and personal practice. I was able to counsel those on the journey- through that I got to know the deep inner workings of what all Om Lotus Yoga had to offer as well as personality and character behind the brand that makes it so unique.
Through the studies of the yoga, I was taught the inner principles of yogic doctrine. Ethics such as non harming, not stealing, cleanliness, integrity, and pursuit of inner truth became engrained into my being . The essence of yoga was supplied to me through structure of discipline and integration of ancient wisdom as a template for creation and manifestation.
I am currently looking forward to continuing sharing my love for yoga at Atma Bhakti Yoga Center offering a version of a “VinYin Yoga Flow” I am designing to combine a light vinyasa flow with a restorative Yin Yoga targeted to stimulate the vagus nerve and improve vagal tone within the central nervous system. A little half and half! Half Vin- energetic, empowered movement to align and strengthen plus half Yin- gentle meditative holds that decompress the joints and deepen awareness within the body and encourage phase change in the fascia.
I decided offer a class that takes you through a journey that starts with the mental focus and physical discipline of sequenced poses that accelerate the heart rate and engage the core and finishes with enough time to really get grounded and go deep enough to impact the inner connection between the brain and the gut. The vagus nerve functions between the fight or flight response and the body’s rest and restore, relax and recover activity. Like hitting the brakes and pumping the gas, the vagus nerve communicates through the body giving signals to stop and slow down or go and speed up, impacting our digestion, mental and emotional clarity, and overall sense of well-being. When we work to improve our vagal tone the entire body benefits and we are more capable of processing experiences, reacting with calmness, and recovering with ease. I wanted to create a full spectrum practice targeted to sustain blissful energies that can help people reset from anxiety and depression with a system specifically curated to cultivate confidence strength and self love. We can all use good vibes in our lives starting with attention we give ourselves so we can look and feel fabulous!
My advice to young pros out there in any field: TRUST!!! Trust yourself, what drives you and fuels your interest. Never lose sight of the original reasons that gave you the resolve to commit to what you believe in, and why you do what you do. Then renew the whys. Revitalize your reason every time you struggle as you gain deeper awareness of your service and your product. Any pursuit requires diligence, so in order to persevere keep your reason within focus. This will give you the unique spice to add flavor to your field with your YOU-ness. The energy of your passion will humanize any industry with the individual contribution only you can offer the world.
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?
I support “zenvironments” for people to grow, heal, and evolve. Serving the community by offering meditation experiences with sound baths and sharing yoga.
When I started to recognize the personality of this brand the vibe was of absolute fabulousness. Why not make embodying this life awesome?! Yoga is not about achieving a state of perfection. It’s about perfecting your ability to participate and engage with what the experience has to offer. Every time you practice you bring new presence to the mat. That means new possibilities which aren’t always rooted in past accomplishments. Leaving room for new depths of understanding, new awareness of all that can be harnessed through the initiation of fresh impressions. This way we can always learn something new.
That’s what I am most proud of, as I reflect on ways my followers have expressed their gratitude for my work. I once did a Mother’s Day meditation that attracted families to come enjoy the experience after which one mom sent me a message. She said “you were my gift for Mother’s Day.” During that session they were able to share their first meditation as a family. They sat in an energy of love and healing and chanted Om together for the first time. I didn’t need to know the details of what they were overcoming to understand how beautiful that moment was for them.
Another time I was asked to provide a sound meditation session for the employees of a government office after the beginning phases of coming back to work after the pandemic lockdown. So I brought my crystal singing bowls and played them on courtroom floor, playing soothing sounds with vibes of peace love and unity in my heart. The feedback was so powerful they still continue to ask for my presence at various events.
My most recent proud moment is the 4D sound Healing Event held at YAM (yoga•art•music) Dallas. This is an event initiated by Alexander Coronado, another passionate sound healer who had the vision of collaborating on an event orchestrated by multiple facilitators. This event is a 2 hour Shamanic journey designed to take the participant through an adventure of discovering new depths of self using a variety of instruments , techniques to inspire the vision, uplift the spirit and empower victory within. The most amazing thing about this was seeing that the impact was not only reaching people beyond the usual audience of such an event, but also bringing people back to the community who once lead it many years ago. It attracted elders who have since joined us shining this light and even some of the original people who first introduced me to this art form over a decade ago. Like a call to welcome home, safe and sound. It attracted other space holders who practice medicine and law, keeping our community healthy and in order. It attracted enthusiastic new participants of younger generations who are beginning to explore and discover themselves through meditative practices seeking to expand themselves as they set up for future success. Setting the tone for beauty to unfold among the heart mind and spirit in people of all different backgrounds, cultures, and careers for ultimate progression towards a world unified by loving kindness.
Om Lotus Yoga gets its unique identification from the ancient Sanskrit mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, translated as “Hail the Jewel in the Lotus, illuminating the dynamic of light within the innermost heart of the spirit. Instilling generosity, ethics, compassion, patience, diligence, renunciation and wisdom. Purifying ego, jealousy, passion, ignorance, greed, and hatred. Refining wisdom, equanimity, quality, compassion and bliss. In my personal practice chanting this mantra helps me concentrate, persevere and tolerate with a method of sustaining greater patience and appreciation for life. In class this mantra keeps the experience of meditative practices fun and welcoming. Much like using a key to unlock the door to an inner world waiting to be discovered, and explored.
Om Lotus Yoga gave me the grace and fortitude to overcome obstacles and thrive in new ways of being. It granted me the ability to hold safe space for myself and for others to expand evolve and express. My hope for the future is that Om Lotus Yoga takes root in the world and blesses its followers throughout and beyond my lifetime. This ancient teaching is capable of awakening humanity through compassion, wisdom and loving kindness as it already has throughout the ages dating back thousands of years through many cultures, traditions, and walks of faith.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
That it takes hard work and sacrifice. Difficulty, struggle, and so much defeat that until you have paid your dues in dire servitude you don’t deserve to experience any rewards. This is not the way.
Even when trailblazing there is methodology.
It takes presence, commitment, and the perseverance to follow through.
Show up and do the work.
Do it right. Make it awesome.
Perfect the practice, don’t practice to pursue perfection.
Fun is always allowed no matter what.
Enjoy your chosen path and appreciate each stage you are in.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
If I could go back I would start with medicine and neuroscience. I love to learn about how we function within the body.
Walking the tightrope of holistic health and spiritual development required my approach to be a mastery of fine art, which, while still beautiful can be challenging as we are still in a world that is divided in their views of wellbeing.
I feel like these practices will continue to develop popularity as society awakens to awareness of holistic wellness to the point that it is recognized by law. How awesome would it be if the priority of sovereign concern was quality of human life for all?
Very.
Regardless of the many ways practicing yoga and meditation is acknowledged as beneficial, it is still widely misinterpreted by many.
But the world continues to change.
Many companies have begun to provide corporate wellness programs. Organizations have begun to enhance their image with more of an kind, ethical approach.
It took a long time for people to see me with respect instead of disregarding me as a weird hippie. Now it’s cool to be ‘woke’ and principles of integrity and holistic wellness are becoming more widely accepted.
It would’ve been easier to be a doctor then practice yoga then share ideas given the platform of the medical establishment.
But the opportunity presented itself so I studied cosmetology as a sophomore in high school at 14. I was a professional teenage hairstylist before I even knew what a chakra was. At 19 I was teaching hair and developing salon business with corporate America in a world I did not yet understand. I was adopted into a path that claimed me so completely that it wasn’t until a couple decades later that I had the freedom to make my own choices with what to do with my life, to prioritize my practice and evolve accordingly.
So we get a stylist yogi from me.
A yogi that seeks to present the teachings with a specific vibe, a fun, fabulous flair and a hint of glam.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.omlotusyoga.com
- Instagram: @omlotusyoga
- Facebook: @omlotusyogi
- Other: Tiktok : @omlotusyoga
Image Credits
Henna by Danila Marilu