Interview: With Elisa Moga

Words by Elisa Moga and Luke Rees (CONSIDERED Magazine)

Images by Elisa Moga

Elisa Jouannet’s creative reach stretches across various disciplines, including teaching, poetry, and photography. She hopes that, through the power of yoga and the potentials of the human body, she can inspire her students to find balance in their lives. Collaboration and community are key parts of Elisa’s work and interviews form an important aspect of this. Her website features interviews with other members of her ‘tribe’: people who share her ethical values. They cover a variety of people, from ceramicists to poets. Her online presence is an important way in which she can reach out from France and build an international community. At home, she offers weekly yoga lessons and discovery workshops.

We spoke to Elisa to capture the essence of her work and learn about her inspirations.

CONSIDERED: To begin, can you tell us about your teaching and how you hope to inspire your students?

Elisa: I must say that I do not consider myself as a teacher, but as a facilitator or an initiator. I am always learning as much as the students: I am a student too! During classes, yoga is either very slow, holding postures for a long time (such as in Yin Yoga), or it requires a lot of movement (such as in Vinyasa). I aim to inspire my students to welcome, discover, and embrace their inner imperfections. We are all human beings, and all share certain perturbations. I encourage my students to dive deep inside of themselves so that they can make space for stillness, silence, joy and peace. The flow and movement of yoga are a key part of this. I would say that I try to combine physical practice, emotional release and spiritual awareness.

CONSIDERED: That seems like a great way to view your role, it’s refreshing to hear that you are still open to learning new things. What was it about yoga that first attracted you?

Elisa: As a child I always felt bored at school and very impatient to discover the world and spread my wings. I felt different and was not acknowledged by the schooling system or by the other children or teenagers. I knew I wanted to be part of a group, but I did not find the right one for me. I was constantly fighting with myself. After I left school, I started taking drugs and became very anxious and lonely. I have always admired the ability of monks to master their senses and meditate for hours, and one day my mother suggested that I should try a yoga class. We went together and I haven’t stopped since. I felt exactly how, and who I needed to be for the first time in my life. That was over three years ago.

CONSIDERED: For someone at the start of their yoga journey, like you were three years ago, perhaps you can shed some light on how yoga evolves from something which is done occasionally to something that is an integral part of life?

Elisa: I think it is different for us all. Many people start yoga because they want to stretch or strengthen their bodies. Along the way, they find an entire vision beyond the mat. The asanas (postures) we practice are a way to combine both our physical and our spiritual bodies. Yoga means ‘Union’. The unity of all the aspects of our life, including our own visions, and the Universe. We experience this unity when we understand that all of life is yoga.

CONSIDERED: As someone whose lifestyle is closely intertwined with their work, how do you strike a work/life balance? Do you see a boundary between the two?

Elisa: First, I think that boundaries are conceptions of the mind, and mostly appear in western culture. In yoga we learn that boundaries are learnt, having been built by societies and outside influences. So, of course, when working in an office environment, or any kind of stressful job, it can feel very difficult to maintain a good work/life balance. But it is still possible, and it is an important thing to obtain. Being aware that we are more than our work can be a good first step. Knowing that we can invest our energy in both work and free time, our dreams, and our hobbies is vital. I try to teach my students that cultivating this kind of harmony is not only reserved for Yoga teachers! Taking the time to prepare fresh meals, eating those meals slowly, and considering the role of the Earth as a provider is part of balance; stepping off the bus or the subway to walk 5 minutes more to get to the office is part of balance; switching off the computer at weekends is part of balance; renewing ourselves through sport, yoga, or any other practice that make us feel good is part of balance; getting out of the meeting room to breathe for a minute and have some fresh air is part of balance. I believe we all have the capacity to know what is right for us, when it is too much and when we need to step back. This balance is already in us; we must listen to it more.

CONSIDERED: Would you say there’s a connection between yoga and sustainability. What do you think the two have in common?

Elisa: I think, as humans, we must realise that we are not the centre of the world. We are part of a whole and belong to something much greater than ourselves. Nowadays, people either believe in science and natural evolution, or in the divine rules of the world. People feel that our species plays a pivotal role in this beautiful adventure. In yoga, we consider animals, plants, rocks and every other living thing as parts of the same world. We imagine a way of living coherently with all these elements. Thus, we become sustainable in our minds, our visions of life and, eventually, in our words and actions. To understand yoga is to understand an ethical lifestyle.

CONSIDERED: Walking is perhaps one of the most eco-friendly ways to travel, and you recently walked across Australia. This must have been extremely challenging at times. What were some of the greatest challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?

Elisa: As a child, I dreamt of travelling the world and exploring so that I could discover new cultures and new ways of living. Later, when walking across Australia, I learnt so much about myself, about my fears, my doubts, my dreams and my inner imbalances. Sometimes, I felt very low. I questioned my abilities as a yoga teacher, for example, and worried about my finances. Day by day I wrote poetry, meditated, and practiced asanas. I realised that although I was on the other side of the world, I could not escape myself. My heart will feel the same wherever I am. Of course, landscapes can have a profound influence on us, but only temporarily. But my discontent shifted to motivation. I thought about how I could improve my life and feel more at peace with myself. Many wonderful women I met on the road taught me that these conflicts we sometimes feel, are actually part of the same emotion, like Yin and Yang. I learned that I could be French and a world-citizen, emotional and grounded, strong and vulnerable. My journey was very liberating and, in that way, it changed my life.

CONSIDERED: You work across lots of different mediums including poetry, photography and Yoga. Do they blend into one another or do you see them as separate practices?

Elisa: These various mediums are different expressions of the same flow. We have to be aware, be mindful, and listen to the emotions passing through ourselves so that we can transform these things into positive energy. Art is healing in the same way that movement is healing. The message goes beyond the form.

CONSIDERED: The human body is a recurring theme across much of your artwork. What is it about the body that interests you? The body inspires me because of its capacity to materialize ideas, dreams and intentions. Through your hands you can garden, you can cook, touch, practice yoga etc. You can feel the air touching your skin, and you can smell the sweet breath of the ocean. It feels extraordinary to be able to call this beautiful and mysterious thing home. Our bodies are also vessels for our souls. They are a means through which divine and creative energy can be inscribed onto the physical world. They are also a way we can shake the norms and question cultural relationships we have with the body. Nakedness, for example, is seen as something natural and simple in some parts of the world, whereas elsewhere it can be offensive. Womanhood is also a very powerful topic we can explore through the body. It can help us to love and respect our imperfections in image-based societies. Everything about the body inspires me!

CONSIDERED: It certainly seems as though you are inspired by many things, including the people that you work with. What do you look for in a person or a company before you collaborate with them?

Elisa: I look for coherence between their aesthetic and the message that they share. I want to collaborate with sustainable, caring and creative people. 10. Who are the people that have inspired you the most? The first name that comes to my mind is Mahatma Gandhi. He was an incredibly thoughtful philosopher, yogi and activist. Vandana Shiva, the ecologist fighting peacefully against Monsanto, Pierre Rhabi, the French philosopher and agro-ecologist, Ohad Naharin, the Israeli choreographer, Lao Tseu, the Taoist philosopher, Mathieu Ricard, the monk and activist, Lee Ufan, the contemporary artist, Olafur Eliasson, the ecologist artist, Séverine Perron (Nés de la Terre), alchemist and herbalist and Lora from R.N.R creative, the mindful and wise designer (a friend, hosted in my blog). And of course, the sound of the birds singing in the morning, the river flowing, the sun light warming my heart, the infinite sky, the fire, Mother Earth!

CONSIDERED: That’s a great list. Finally, do you have any ideas about what you will be doing in the future? Classes, collaborations, travels etc?

Elisa: I have many plans for the beautiful future! I am currently finishing my first poetry book, which will be published in the next few months. It will hopefully serve as a tool that people can use to heal, grow and gain strength. I am also starting to explore the potential of recycled papers and natural materials in works of art. I am launching many workshops about yoga philosophy in the modern world, and its theoretical and its physical elements. I am also hoping to work with Survival International, an organisation that helps indigenous populations to share their knowledge and affirm their rights. After returning from Australia, I ran a donation-based class for the first time. The proceeds went to help wildlife in Australia during and after the horrendous fires this year. Donation-based classes are something I want to explore further. I also have some great guests to interview this year. Artists, herbalists... some more magic to come! Finally, I am about to run some retreats in Asia and Morocco, combining mindful practices and with local populations. Travels? Of course! Tibet, Vietnam, New Zealand, Congo... the whole world is calling me!

CONSIDERED: Wow, it sounds like you have lots of exciting things planned and we can’t wait to hear about your adventures! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us Elisa, it has been a pleasure.

Find out more about Elisa and her work at www.themogayogart.com