Kate Watkinson
New Zealand
I offer physical classes in Southland, New Zealand on the last Friday of the month. These are held in a beautiful yurt within sacred geometry for extra potency! Information on these classes can be found at www.thriveinlight.co.nz/qoya.
For as long as I can remember I've been a seeker. Even as a child, I was on a quest to understand myself, the universe and the purpose of it all. I am a deep-sea diver, star seed, dancer, mother, soul sister, and lover of nature.
Thrive in Light was birthed from my passion for Yoga, Qoya & Soul, and the embodied knowing of their potency to empower women. My vision for Thrive in Light is to empower women to move from surviving to thriving; living with heart & soul.
I am blessed to live in Aotearoa, New Zealand where the sacredness and beauty of Papatuanuku (Mother Earth) nourishes my soul.
When did you take your first Qoya class? In 2015 with my dear friend Heather Hubber in Southland, NZ. I was hooked! My advent into Qoya brought me home to essence as a woman. I attended Heather's classes regularly and felt the call to dive deeper into Qoya. I completed the various parts of training over several years. The Intensive was truly one of the most magical, cathartic, divine experiences of my life.
What does it mean for you to teach Qoya? It means to answer the call of my soul. It means I'm aligned with my true purpose. It means I simultaneously embrace my divine wisdom while also sharing this grace with other incredible women. To teach Qoya is a great privilege. To hold space for women where they feel safe to explore their authenticity, wisdom, wildness and truth is magic. To be part of a soul community of empowered women that are courageous enough to walk this path is deeply sustaining. It means I'm part of a sacred web of priestesses who are empowering women to embrace their sovereignty. It means that as women we are all supporting each other to shine, to rise, to thrive.
What is your favorite song to dance to right now? Oh my goodness, such a tricky question. This changes as my mood changes. At various stages of my cycle I'm looking for softness, nourishment, rest and a song that is divine then is 'Mother's Milk' by East Forest, Katy Kanfer. Other times I want to get angry, release the shadow, say 'fuck you' to the world, in which case I can't go past 'Killing in the Name' by Rage Against the Machine. My current fave choreographed dance to get some feminine sass going to is 'No' by Meghan Trainor. The answer to this question will always be fluid and for ever changing!
What book has inspired you on the path to embodying the feminine? I dearly, dearly love Uma Dinsmore Tuli's book, YONI SHAKTI - A Woman's Guide to Power and Freedom through Yoga and Tantra. This is a rich celebration of our superpowers as women, the sacredness of our womb, the call to embrace our divine feminine.
What would you tell someone who is thinking of taking a Qoya class for the first time? Answer the call of your soul! Listen to the stirrings of your heart! Feel the truth of your womb! Your body is wise and knows what is for your highest good. If you have stirrings to come to Qoya then come! Step into the most divine, empowering, fun, cathartic, delicious practice. Be held in a community of soul sisters. Be authentic and feel safe to express all of you - the light and the shadow. Qoya has answered a longing in my soul - to be wise, wild and free. Give it a try for yourself and see how it resonates. It could be just the medicine you're craving to life an empowered life.