How I Met Ceara:

I remember the day I first discovered Ceara Caisido.  It was nearly 11am on a Saturday morning and, having just crawled out of bed with a slight hangover, I was still in my pajamas and on my second cup of coffee.  I’d convinced myself 11am was late enough in the day to enjoy an oatmeal cookie with my coffee, so two cookies (and one cherry cheese danish) later, I decide I was going to get some work done.  Then, after an hour of playing on-line Scrabble, and another half hour of watching funny cat videos on YouTube, I realize my late morning has quickly morphed into early afternoon, and I still hadn’t accomplished anything with my day.  However, by that point, I’d degenerated into a comfortable state of mild atrophy, that I had no desire to do anything except convince myself it was late enough in the day to indulge in a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

It was at that moment, while scrolling mindlessly through my Facebook feed, that I saw a shared post from Nina Joy Rizzo, Yogi Yoga Wear’s fractal artist and designer.  The post was from a Facebook page called “Buti Yoga: A Group for BUTIsattvas”.  I had no idea what “Buti Yoga®” even was, so I checked out their page and watched a couple of videos to see what it was all about.  Buti Yoga® is a soulful blend of cardio intensive tribal dance, mixed with Plyometrics and yoga.  Music leads the intention and movement, and boy, can they move fast!  After just a few minutes, I was so impressed and inspired by the stamina and energy of these women, I immediately rethought my plans to raid the freezer for ice cream and opted for a handful of almonds instead.

One of these amazing and inspiring women was Ceara Caisido.  a Filipino-American with wild locks of dark curly hair, a radiant smile that instantly gave me the impression that she had a kind soul, and a body that I surprisingly didn’t feel jealous of because it was clear she’d earned it through countless hours of sweat, dedication and hard work.  Even as I was brushing the cookie crumbs off my flannel pajama top, I immediately thought to myself, “You go, sister!”.   I had no choice but to admire her.

Ceara: Butisattva and Yoga Instructor

So began my journey of following Ceara on Facebook.  I discovered that she not only practices yoga, she’s a yoga instructor!  She teaches Buti Yoga four times a week, Hot Core four times a week, and Buti Sculpt twice a week. She also enjoys participating in Hatha Yoga classes and had recently started attending Bik-Yasa yoga at her local studio. (I linked those words to video descriptions, because, if you’re anything like me and a novice at yoga, you may not know what half of those words meant).

Ceara: Accomplished Cellist

Then a couple of months ago, just when I’m thinking this woman lives in her yoga pants and does little else but work out and be fabulous, she surprised me yet again!  This time with the announcement that she would be going on tour with an orchestra!  Turns out that, in addition to being a bad-ass butisattva, she is also a classically trained musician, currently serving as principal cellist for the New Mexico State University Philharmonic!  That’s why, when it came time for us to choose a person for Yogi Yoga Wear’s “Inspired” blog, I didn’t have to think twice.  I knew exactly who I wanted to nominate, because, unbeknownst to her, she’d managed to inspire me every day for several months.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to catch up with Ceara and learn a bit more about her on a personal level.  When I asked her what her favorite food was, she answered, “A blend of strawberries and bananas in almond milk with honey and dark chocolate granola”.  I thought to myself, “Wow, this girl maintains a super healthy diet!”.  I’d no sooner processed that thought when she smiled and added, “I’m sure it’s probably not all that healthy, but we can pretend.”  *Gulp*.

Ceara’s Story: A Journey from Trauma to Self-Love

But as we dug a little deeper, I learnt that life hasn’t always been easy for Ceara.  When she was just 8 years old, she was diagnosed with Trichotillomania, which is a self-mutilation and stress disorder.  When she would be in high stress situations, she would pull her hair out as a means of coping.  She suffered with this disorder for 10 years of her adolescence. She had been raised with an active duty military father and he was deployed 9 different times during her childhood, the longest tour being 22 consecutive months. Her Trichotillomania was the only way she knew how to cope with the stress.  As a result, she was often bullied for it because her classmates didn’t understand why she had bald spots.  She struggled with her self image and her self worth, painful challenges which stuck with her throughout her high school years and well into college.

The turning point for Ceara was developing a strong support system, which included adding regular yoga to her exercise regime.  Not only was she able to overcome it by using yoga and music to get her through high-stress situations, (she is proudly 3.5 years free from Trichotillomania, way to go, Ceara!) she now teaches it to help others overcome their traumas as well.  She strives to be the best yoga instructor that she can be, and she reaches out to people “off the mat” as well.   Ceara credits yoga for helping her get through one of the hardest times of her life, which is why she is passionate about extending her gifts and knowledge to others because she knows firsthand how much the combination of both music and yoga can truly heal the mind and soul.

Ceara: On Inspiration

When I asked Ceara, “Who in your life inspires you?”, her immediate answer was, “My father. That man has worked so hard to support his family, and his undying love for me, my brother and my mother, is the reason I am able to have the things and the opportunities I’ve had.  His drive is something that is unparalleled by anyone else, and he always inspires me to do the same.”  Once I heard that, I felt like I understood Ceara so much better.  I recognized that her drive, ambition and seemingly limitless amount of energy came from having a role model in her home that mirrored the behaviour she admired, which would shape the person she became.

Ceara: On Music and Passion

Always a hard worker and a person with the tenacity to be her best self, Ceara began to study music when she was ten years old.  After discovering a love and talent for it, she went to university to receive her Bachelors Degree in Cello Performance at NMSU.  She also had the privilege of studying and performing Chamber Music with Latin Grammy-Winning String Quartet, La Catrina.  Throughout her career, she has participated in master classes with several esteemed cellists and performed with a variety of choirs, quartets, orchestras and festivals.  Her most recent passion is setting up chamber music series in intimate settings, such as local homes in Las Cruces, NM.  She enjoys public speaking, particularly when it comes to creating a new dialogue for musicians and audiences alike to help modernize and integrate classical music into multiple educational experiences.

However, even despite her impressive and extensive resume, Ceara really is a lovely, down-to-earth woman who is as kind as she looks, and she really does live in her yoga pants!  Or at least she would if she could get away with it.

When I asked her if she had a quote or a mantra, her response was, “Not really. More than anything else, music drives all parts of my life and inspires me.  A song that always helps me get through the tough days is ‘Self-Machine’ by ‘I Blame Coco’.  She added, “The chorus in particular is my favorite part.”

Since I hadn’t heard the song myself, I listened to it (and you can too by clicking ‘here’).  The lyrics to the chorus are as follows:

Lonely robot in a wasteland
Rusting in a lonely harbor,
Lonely robot in a wasteland
Rusting in the harbor’s water.

I’m not a human if you say I’m not
I’m not a human if my engines lock,
And this motor that you call my heart
Is another machine that wont stop.

Now that I know Ceara a little better, I understood why those words would strike a chord with her.  Ceara, thank you for sharing your inspiring story with us, and I am truly excited to see what the future holds for this “unstoppable machine”!

Ceara: Yogi Yoga Wear Affiliate Marketer!

I am also very proud to announce that Ceara will be joining the Yogi Yoga Wear Team as one of our affiliate marketers!  Can’t wait to see our gorgeous gal in our beautiful Booty Shorts!

If you’d like to join Ceara’s journey, you can follow her on Facebook by joining the group, “Buti Yoga: A Group for BUTIsattvas”, or by following her on Instagram at: @trustnocellist, and/or @butiyogawithce.

For all you Buti Yoga lovers — it’s time to Beautify that booty Yogi Yoga Wear styles! Check out our growing line of Booty Shorts! We are obsessed and know you’ll love them just as much as we do!