Name: Sundes B

Occupation: Full time yoga teacher, part time graphic designer, traveler & lover of all good things life has to offer

Instagram: @sundes.does.yoga

Sundes is a goal-driven, full time yoga teacher and a part time graphic designer originally from Oman but based in Kuwait (for now!). She did a lot of solo traveling, trekked through mountains and muddy valleys. She’s also an excellent cook, a clean beauty advocate, and is exactly who she wants to be.

She just opened an at-home yoga studio that’s both calming and warm and it doesn’t stop there, the light extends to the rest of her apartment and it’s a clear reflection on her firm belief in Feng Shui, minimalism, and energy.

During her classes, strong bonds are formed with her students with the help of her assistant who happens to be a cat (called Malfoof!) that provides many of her clients with therapeutic vibrations. This combined with Sundes’s yoga teachings makes it easy for them to put you in a trance and silence that voice within so you can fall into a deep savasana at the end of the class, leaving you feeling refreshed and clear minded.

How did your interest in yoga come about?

I started practicing yoga in 2014. At the time, there were no yoga studios in Kuwait. But a coworker was a member at the Palms Hotel and she said she was practicing yoga there with this amazing teacher. So I decided to give it a shot since I had heard so much about it. I was hooked. I started going three times a week for (I think) almost a year. And then life happened and I stopped being so consistent.

But I always went back to yoga. It became something my body longed for and I didn’t fully understand why. I would get a membership here and there, stick to it consistently. It wasn’t until 2017 that I started practicing on my own. I bought an expensive yoga mat and just went for it. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing but I was doing it and it dawned on me that I don’t need anybody except my breath, my body, and my mat.

Was there a moment of epiphany that made you want to pursue it as a career?             

I started my Yoga Teacher Training with the intention of learning more about yoga and taking whatever knowledge I learn for my own personal practice. It wasn’t exactly an epiphany but rather a slow but strong passion to pursue it as a career.

About 2 months into my 6 month training, I started realizing this is exactly where I am meant to be. It felt like the universe had aligned to get me on this exact path. I had so much joy practicing teaching a yoga class, and I felt like I was good at it, which is something I never feel. I don’t know if this makes sense, but when I teach yoga, it feels like my heart is smiling. It feels like this is where I need to be and nowhere else.

So I don’t know when exactly was the moment, but I definitely remember the growing feeling of contentment and passion cementing my love for yoga as a career.

Since you have attended many classes in different studios, what are some of your yoga pet peeves? 

Ok, yoga pet peeves. Where do I even start?! One of my biggest pet peeves is when studios and teachers believe they know all there is to know about yoga. When they offer different styles of yoga that they aren’t necessarily certified in or know anything about. And just because you went to Bali or Koh Samui and got a certification to teach 4 yoga styles in 3 weeks does not make you an expert. Yoga studios/teachers need to be students first and foremost. It’s ok to not know something but oh dear god, do some studios and teachers think they know everything!

How do you distinguish yourself from other instructors? Tell us about your personal yoga teaching style that your clients seem to love.

I think something that may distinguish me is that I mainly do verbal cues. The first few classes I’ll demo and show you how to get into a certain poses and walk you through it a little more. But for the most part, I want my students to understand their body. Yoga is a conversation with your body, and one of the most challenging things I’ve noticed with my students is translating my words into their bodies. What that does is create a relationship and knowledge with YOUR body, rather than just copying what I’m doing. My body is not yours. Every single body is different and once you understand your own body, you can understand yourself a little better.

I also think I just teach from my heart. This might sound obnoxious but I want to be real when I teach yoga and teach to real people (if that makes sense). I won’t feed you mumbo jumbo that I don’t believe in. Literally everything I teach is something I truly believe in. I welcome each student with an open heart and I truly love every one that walks into my home studio. I read somewhere (probably a meme on Instagram but it still counts as reading) that “I am humble enough to know I am not better than anyone, but yet wise enough to know that I am different from the rest”.

Before we get into your yoga studio, could you a quick apartment tour?

Of course! When I walk into my house, I love seeing my plants, the family photos, the sunlight spilling into the dining area and the view of my yoga studio. We don’t own a TV because I hate the way a TV looks and how it seems like an obligation to have all your furniture point at the tv. So we have a projector on the bookshelf instead, which keeps the living and dining area simple and light yet practical and spacious.

My bedroom is as minimal as possible because I like to keep my mind clear when I go to sleep and when I wake up. I like for my peace of mind to reflect the lightness of my bedroom. If I can choose two words to describe my apartment it would be: cozy and calm.

How did the idea of at-home yoga studio and teaching private classes start?

2020 happened. Studios closed and I had just finished my teaching certification. And one day during lockdown, a neighbor decided she wanted to do private classes and it just went from there. I love the interaction and energy I get from a one on one session, I feel like there is more intimacy and more to gain for both the student and myself. My attention and focus is 100% on that student alone and I can customize a class for them, all while those students can 100% just be with themselves without distractions of others. It’s a special type of class when you’re the only one in it.

What is one life changing yoga ritual that you incorporate into your daily life now?

Every single morning, I practice savasana in bed for at least 10 minutes. The alarm goes off, I throw the blanket to the side (so I don’t fall back to sleep) and I channel my inner observer. I observe my thoughts and observe my body and how it feels. I take a few steps back mentally, a few deep breaths, and visualize the day ahead. I ask myself how I am today, at this very moment, without judgment and without expectations. I find some stillness so I can gain the momentum to start the day.

Biggest take away from this yoga experience thus far? 

I have so much more to learn! About myself, about my body, and about this beautiful practice of yoga. It is truly endless.

How do you set intentions every morning and how do they affect the rest of your day?

The way I set intentions for my day is that I try as much as possible to not put any expectations. Instead of making it a goal, I try to make it just a general feeling or direction that I want to move into. Expectations get in the way of your joy, so I have a tendency to be really detailed with my intentions, which only leads to disappointment. Nowadays, I just leave it open and choose to feel “calm” or “strong” or whatever it is my intention/feeling/direction is for the day, and it just gives the whole day a purpose. Moving through your day with meaning is so much more satisfying than numbingly going through the motions.

Yoga pants vs slacks? 

How do you transform your daily yoga attire to fit your busy schedule and work meetings? 

My yoga attire has become more and more of my daily uniform since I go from teaching class to going to a meeting or getting brunch with a friend or going grocery shopping. I usually transform my looks by putting on a jean jacket, and in the warmer months, a nice loose blouse or blazer. As for my hair and face: I put my hair down, a pair of earrings, sunscreen, mascara, concealer, blush, and BAM! Ready for the world off my mat.

If you are not designing or teaching yoga, how do you spend your free time? 

I spend my free time recharging myself. I play fetch with my cat (she still isn’t bringing the items back but we’ll work on that), go on a walk near my apartment to get coffee, see friends (literally have like 4 friends and that’s how I like it. Quality over quantity!) but most importantly, grocery shopping. It is so therapeutic for me to go grocery shopping. I love a good grocery store. All the aisles and ingredients and possibilities of what to cook and eat!!!

Sundes gives private yoga classes both at her home studio (@sundes.does.yoga) and outdoors as well as teaches yoga classes at Valhalla Valkyries gym every Sunday and Tuesday morning. She also owns a graphic design boutique studio, White Space 
Studio (@whitespacekwt).