Marga Yoga 2: Jeanne Torrefranca (Cebu)
From the Big Apple we head to the land of mangoes – the island of Cebu, southern Philippines. We meet with Jeanne Torrefranca, who is not shy to say she is a golden girl who feels younger and stronger – thanks to yoga!
Jeanne Torrefranca doing the Astavakrasana (Eight-Angle Pose)
Image from coconutinsider
“Marga Yoga : On My Way to Yoga”
Part 2
JEANNE TORREFRANCA
Dragonfly Yoga Studio
DDoA: When did you start practicing yoga?
JT: In 2003, a friend of mine led me to try yoga with the Ananda Marga organisation.
DDoA: What sparked your interest in the practice?
JT: I was going through some personal issues and wanted to keep my mind and heart busy with some activity. I was more interested in the meditation part .
DDoA: What was your profession before teaching yoga?
JT: I worked in the sales and operations team of an international cargo forwarding company ( U-Freight, Inc.)
DDoA: From where/whom did you get your yoga training/certification?
JT: Under David Kim, 200 hours teacher training under the Yogaworks
Jeanne will teach yoga anywhere:
Top- At a park, Bottom- At Plantation Bay Resort- Partner Boat Pose (Navasana)
Stand Up Paddle Yoga Class with Jeanne Torrefranca
Image from thelonerider
DDoA: What were the challenges that you encountered when you made the career change?
JT: When one transitions from the business world to a yogic world it’s not easy, but it’s a choice and if you have a strong belief in the choices you make, then you can easily adjust and adapt and move on from there.
Jeanne lovin’ the practice of yoga
Image from coconutinsider
DDoA: What advice can you give yoga practitioners who want to train to teach yoga or run their own yoga studio?
JT: Practice, practice, practice. The masters say, “you have no right to teach if you do not practice”. Join as many classes as you can. Try different yoga styles, learn from both new and older teachers. If you want to run your own studio one day, keep it simple, a home studio is the easiest to maintain financially and it’s more personalized too. Maintain a tough mind but a tender heart – know, understand, and practice your Yamas and Niyamas.
DDoA: How has yoga changed you?
JT: Health-wise, I feel younger and stronger even now that I am in my golden years. Towards people – I have more compassion and always encourage others to practice compassion also to make life easier and happier.
DDoA: Please share some information on the nature and location of your YOGA teaching practice.
JT: I have a home studio- Dragonfly studio. Students, neighbors and fellow teachers come every now and then. I also teach at Golds Gym,
Yoga Hub, Studio 108, West Gorordo Hotel and do some private sessions in students’ homes.
Aqua Yoga Class at Jeanne’s private pool
Dragonfly Yoga Studio
Image from thelonerider
DDoA: Please give us a glimpse of your daily routine as a yoga professional…
JT: Breakfast, bike to studio, teach morning class at studio, lunch at salad café, meditate, bike home, teach afternoon class at community centre, read book, meditate, go to sleep… My day is easy and simple. I wake up around 5:30 a.m. and have some bread and coffee, then prepare for either teaching a class, or joining a class. In between classes, I do a lot of personal stuff like answering emails or doing groceries or hardware stuff, then heavy lunch always with rice, fish and veggies (no meat). Then after lunch, prepare for mid afternoon class. Then surely coffee or chai after class. Some days, I have evening classes and some days none. Dinner is always lighter. After dinner, I could watch TV or a movie, then read a yoga book or magazine right before I sleep. There is always yoga everyday of my life- it could be meditation, yoga asanas, community service or yoga reading. Everything I do is related to yoga.
DDoA: What dictum/philosophy do you live by now that you are a yoga professional?
JT: A yogic life is a compassionate life and you can be a happier person if you practice this each moment.
Jeanne always makes time for some community outreach.
Photo shows her leading cyclists to some stretching exercises before the Tindak Sugbo Ride; more cyclists across the street stretching with Jeanne
“Tindak Sugbo (Bike Cebu) -Pedaling towards a Livable, Sustainable and Egalitarian Cebu” is a bike awareness campaign organized by the Psychology Volunteers on Bikes and the Office of City Councilor Ma. Nida Cabrera. The campaign is in support of the Tindak Sugbo Shared Priority Bike Lanes Ordinance proposed by Councilor Cabrera to provide for sharrows on the streets of Cebu. Learn more
DDoA: How in your opinion can YOGA change people?
JT: Yoga brings people back to their breath and back to the present moment and this kind of awareness is always a good starting point on your road to change…
So do… as Jeanne Torrefranca does – “practice compassion and encourage others to do the same to make life easier and happier.”
DAILY DOSE OF ART 
Miss Jeanne is my first yoga instructor. She’s such an amazing woman, such an inspiration! Miss Jeanne taught me a lot of things through yoga. Yoga is not just about making fancy poses or memorizing the asanas/postures. It’s about making a difference, helping and reaching out to people in need. Miss Jeanne is truly making a huge difference in the yoga community. I have been learning yoga for more than two years. Miss Jeanne is my mentor and she is also the reason why I am teaching yoga. Her energy and personality bring warmth to the hearts of the people she meets. Being a Yogi/yogini, our goal is not just to better ourselves but also to make a difference and make this world a better place.