Name: Lea Sevigny
Lives in: Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States.
From: I was born in Pontiac, Michigan, and I grew up in the West Bloomfield / Walled Lake / Wixom area.
Occupation: I am a middle school teacher in a suburban area of Grand Rapids, Michigan. I teach 12 to 14-year-olds outdoor (place-based) communications courses with a focus on stewardship and service. My students are outside most days experiencing the natural world. My school campus has forest, wetland, and prairie ecosystems, so there are a lot of exciting ways to get close to nature. There is also a focus on environmental and social justice issues.
Tell us your first three jobs (ever!): The first job I had outside of babysitting was working in my mom’s canvas shop where she made boat covers, reupholstered campers and did other creative things with fabric. I answered the phones, wrote up invoices, organized supplies, and helped wherever I could. Then I went to college and worked in the dining common. During the summer I was a camp counselor at Interlochen Arts Camp in northern Michigan.
Zodiac sign?: Leo
Enneagram type (if you know it)?: I am a Type Three 3 (achiever/motivator); 3w2 with a self-preservation subtype.
What do you love Greece? I love the vivaciousness, intensity, and charisma of Greek people. While I’ve never been to Greece, I’ve met many people of Greek heritage over the years and have found a deep connection with several of them. I hope to visit Greece one day and see where this love of life emanates.
Tell us something most people don’t know about you: People usually either know about my background in theater as a director, stage manager, and actor or about my current work in place-based/environmental education. Most people don’t know these are both significant aspects of my life.
Where we are most likely to find you in Lynn’s Kundalini Yoga? I have used several of Lynn’s YouTube classes during my daily practice and find myself gravitating to the Calm Heart Meditation or the kriyas she’s chosen for Enneagram type 3. In addition to yoga, I was a regular in Lynn’s Wednesday Wellness Zoom class during the shelter-in-place of the Coronavirus. What a lovely group of people who joined together for that class!
First time you tried Kundalini Yoga (where/when/with whom)?: I first tried Kundalini Yoga in March 2015 at Kundalini Yoga GR from Susanne Werblow and haven’t stopped practicing since. The marriage of physical work and meditation is just what I need to keep my spine and neck limber and my spirit whole.
Tell us your top tip to combat climate change: Our children truly are our future, and I believe that by teaching by example to be mindful of purchasing habits and waste, I can give young people experiences where they can develop a love for the natural world and make a positive impact on it. These experiences will remain with them as they grow into adults living sustainably and voting for a better tomorrow.
Anything else you’d like us to know?: It’s important to me to find opportunities to get into the woods, in the sun, under the moon–anytime I can be closer to nature I am at peace. I especially enjoy foraging and then crafting food and medicine for my family and friends.