VETERAN YOGA TEACHER LOURDES PAREDES, A PILLAR IN THE WELLNESS COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, STARTED PURSUING SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AS A YOUNG WOMAN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. HER INTEREST IN SPIRITUALITY LED HER TO SEEK ADVANCED STUDIES AT THE JESUIT SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AT BERKELEY. IT WASN’T UNTIL GRADUATE STUDIES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK CITY THAT SHE SOUGHT OUT YOGA AT INTEGRAL YOGA IN GREENWICH VILLAGE. PAREDES BELIEVES YOGA ADDS A PHYSICAL DIMENSION THAT CULTIVATES STRENGTH, GRACE, AND INCREASED HEALTH TO ONE’S LIFE. COVID-19 HAS ALTERED HER TYPICAL ROUTINE OF TRAVELING THE COUNTRY ATTENDING AND TEACHING RETREATS, CONFERENCES, AND TEACHER TRAININGS. HOWEVER, SHE HAS FOUND ONE OF THE GREAT ASPECTS OF YOGA IS THAT YOU CAN DO IT ANYWHERE. PAREDES TOOK A MOMENT BETWEEN COBRA AND DOWNWARD DOG TO SHARE HER CITY AND SHORE FAVORITES WITH SHERIDAN ROAD.

What’s on the horizon? Teaching meditation and transformation (in addition to yoga) and more high performance coaching Mantra? “No mud no lotus” and “What I seek is seeking me” Best grooming tip? Find high quality small batch skin care products Guilty pleasure? Playing brain games Favorite foods? Juice (kale, cilantro, green apple, lemon, carrot, cucumber, and ginger) and Chilean Sea Bass Music you love? Michael Franti, Coldplay, Macklemore, and Beats Antique Best advice ever given to you? Leave others better for having met you Best advice you’ve given? Don’t take things too personally Earliest memory? Walking on the beach and thinking the waves will pull me into the ocean When you wake up, you? Meditate Before bed, you? Kiss my husband What’s on your bookshelf? Joe Dispenza’s Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself You can’t live without? Meaningful connection with people I love and admire Love to escape to? Anywhere with my husband Advice you would give to your younger self? When you feel judged or criticized by someone, it’s likely they are triggered by your belief in yourself to take courageous actions

ON THE SHORE

Your style is? Athleisure, as I am usually teaching yoga Can’t leave the house without? Phone, lipstick, mask Transportation? Honda CRV Driving music? A book on Audible or my morning playlist which is very inspirational and upbeat with Meghan Trainor, Natasha Bedingfield, Jessie J, Jill Scott, and Katy Perry Place to eat? Sushi Kushi Best thing about the Shore? Parking and gas prices The perfect day is? No traffic, teaching an inspiring class for my amazing yoga students, a walk at Chicago Botanic Garden with a friend, and an easy drive home

IN THE CITY

Your style is? Stylish-casual: James Perse and Rag & Bone Can’t leave the house without? Phone, lipstick, mask Transportation? Honda CRV or walk Driving music? Audible or songs curated to get me feeling my best Place to eat? Eataly Shop? Blue Mercury Best thing about the City? Great restaurants Worst thing about the City? Traffic The perfect day is? Making coffee, reading in bed, then taking a kundalini yoga or intenSati class, journaling/writing/taking a workshop (I love learning) and then making a delicious fresh dinner and sitting by the fireplace watching a movie