Infocus: with dancer/yogi Sacha Flanagan
Images by Melle Branson
“When you’ve got to give all of yourself to a little human, there might not seem like there’s much time for self-care. I’ve been utilising small moments by cultivating presence. A hot shower, my skincare routine or a warm drink. Practising gratitude and positive affirmations or a moment to thank my body, the home that housed my baby and continues to give him life.”
Sacha is an ex-professional dancer, yoga teacher and new mother to Otis (11 weeks). Studying contemporary dance at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth, after graduation, Sacha spent years dancing in London as a freelance dancer and choreographer before landing in Melbourne. Career accolades include performing with Luca Silvestrini’s Proteine Dance at The Place Theatre in London and touring with Bricolage Dance Movement as a soloist in Story of a Night Pianist throughout the UK and Switzerland.
On the other side, like many dancers, she is a yoga teacher and not just any - one of Melbourne’s best. You may know her face from Good Vibes Yoga, where she teaches expressive, fluid yoga classes and has done for over ten years. She is also the founder of State of Shanti, an embodied collective hosting radical sound baths and weekend retreats for the soul.
In this freshly postpartum interview, we discuss dance, expectations and new beginnings. This interview feels close to the heart. Thanks for opening your heart Sacha.
Welcome. Can you tell us a little about your dance career? When did you fall in love with dancing and when was the shift when you knew this would be more than a hobby?
I’ve basically been dancing since I learnt to walk- my life has been completely immersed in movement since day dot really. I was put into ballet around 3 years old and apparently I was innately rhythmic. I am from a family of musicians. As young dancers often do, I performed in competitions and was accepted into a performing arts high school on a scholarship in the specialist ballet program. Being a rebellious teenager, I started to resent having to stay back after school to rehearse and just wanted to hang out with my friends. I left the school and chose to enrol at my local high school (despite my mum’s efforts to keep me in the program). My life felt meaningless without dance and I realised that I wanted to give it a real crack, so I jumped back in and ended up completing a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours in Dance at WAAPA. It was during my Post Grad year that we toured Europe and I got a taste for the dance scene over there, so the following year I moved to London and the rest was history.
What does it feel like when you are on stage? And on the inverse, what does it feel like in down periods of work?
There is nothing quite like performing. The feeling you have in the lead-up to going on stage is exhilarating -pure adrenaline running through your veins. Or equally bringing an artistic creation to fruition or delivering something to an audience you’ve poured your heart and soul into. When you’re on stage, you’re completely present, there’s focused attention that draws you into a state of being. No space to be anywhere else other than in that moment. I guess in that way, there is a noticeable parallel to the practice of yoga.
I love the feeling of having the bright lights on my face and the audience a blurr, until hearing the final sound of applause. Those are some of the highlights. On the downside is the inconsistency of work. The arts don't get a whole lot of funding, let alone the niche industry of contemporary dance, so it’s a constant hustle. Auditioning is how a freelance dancer picks up work, so in London I was spending my time between projects working a part-time job, going to open professional classes to maintain my craft and travelling to auditions on the weekends. You win some and you lose some. It was pretty rough when the odds didn’t work in your favour. There is an immense feeling of disappointment and frustration, especially if you spend two days giving it your all and make it down to the final two only to not be given the job. It wears you thin after a while.
Did yoga feel like a natural career progression?
It was never my intention to become a full time yoga teacher. I was practising a lot in London to support my dance career, mostly for the physical aspects. When I travelled back to Australia, I stopped through Bali and dived into my first 200 hour teacher training. Learning about yogi philosophy is what hooked me. I started to teach a few classes alongside dancing, but the dance scene felt so clicky in Australia, I’d been away for such a long time. When my Grandad passed I really didn’t feel like being in that environment. It was a very insular time for me. I wanted to move but be free from judgement, and on my mat, I was able to do just that. I journeyed through my grief and yoga was really a solace for me, so naturally I wanted to share the tools that helped me to navigate through that challenging time. That was almost a decade ago. There are so many facets and lineages of yoga. I enjoy teaching a creative vinyasa that feels like a dance, but I also love leaning into the softer, more gentle practices like yin. There is something for everyone. Passing the teachings through different modalities will forever be my life’s work.
Did you use yoga and your practice to centre yourself leading up to your birth?
Absolutely. It was the perfect time to train up in Pre/ Postnatal Yoga. This gave me lots of specialised knowledge to support both myself during pregnancy as well as the mums I was teaching at the studio. I leaned into a lot of releasing breath work and mindfulness techniques, which was a big support during my birth.
Three words to describe your birth.
Excitement. Surrender. Euphoria.
Did you have expectations going into birth and how it would be? If so did yoga help you carry that shift in headspace?
Non-attachment is a huge part of yogic philosophy. We can’t always choose what we’re dealt with, but we can choose how we respond. I found out Otis was breech one week before he arrived earthside. I’d moved hospitals late in my pregnancy because I dreamt of having a natural water birth, and The Royal Womens are able to facilitate this, but ironically due to his positioning, we were recommended a planned c-section. This was upsetting to me but after hearing the risks associated with birthing vaginaIy, I chose to go ahead and booked it in for the following week. That evening after my appointment with the obstetrician, my waters broke going into spontaneous labour . I was happy my son chose his own birthday and that I was able to experience some of the physiological effects of labour. I laboured for 7 hours before he was delivered via caesarean. Even though it wasn’t the birth I had planned, I flipped my perspective from disappointment to gratitude for the safe delivery of my boy, which was trauma free. I’ve chosen to let go and accept that this is our story and we’re both happy and healthy.
Recovery tips that helped you after birth.
Slowing down. Calling in for help for things as simple as making the bed and laundry etc and resting as much as possible.
I also loved using a combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine methods, such as consuming a postpartum tonic of herbs to replenish Qi, and Moxibustion therapy for healing my wound. I bought some Moxi Sticks to use at home on my scar. The sticks are made of dried Mugwort leaves which when lit can be traced close to the wound. This practice warms the scar and has a therapeutic feeling as it targets your meridians, which carry energy throughout the body.
When you’ve got to give all of yourself to a little human, there might not seem like there’s much time for self-care. I’ve been utilising small moments by cultivating presence. A hot shower, my skincare routine or a warm drink. Practising gratitude and positive affirmations or moment to thank my body, the home that housed my baby and continues to give him life. Practising a loving acceptance can make all the difference.
An ideal weekend in Melbourne looks like.
A lazy morning with coffee and a yummy brunch. Hunting for records and slipping into a cute bar for a cheeky cocktail or two.
Follow Sacha’s Journey here: