From Student to Teacher: Danahe Garrido

My name is Danahe Garrido. I’m a Yoga teacher, dancer and choreographer. I live in Vila Nova de Gaia, where I facilitate regular practices and created the YogArte project: a space where Yoga meets art, live music and silence.

This is the account of my journey: from a student of the BeYoga School Yoga teacher training to the creator of my own project that unites movement, sound and body awareness.

How I began practising Yoga

My interest in Yoga came from the body. It was through physical listening that I came closer to the practice in a deeper way. In time, I realised that Yoga offered me body awareness and presence, but also lightness, inner transformation and a new way of being in the world.

I started practising in the United States, at a stage of life when the body was my main channel of expression. There was something beyond the stretches and the form. I felt that early on.

I wanted to learn more about the philosophy of Yoga, about the reason behind the postures, about the connection between the movements, the breath and what we feel. To understand how Yoga transforms not only the body, but also the mind.

Danahe Garrido, trained by BeYoga School, creator of YogArte in Vila Nova de Gaia.

The experience of the Yoga teacher training at BeYoga

It had never crossed my mind to teach Yoga. But it was while preparing my final project that everything became clear. I realised my mission was this: to promote physical health and emotional wellbeing through Yoga, art and presence.

The training was demanding, structured and deeply transformative. I learned to look at Yoga with clarity, respect and commitment.

The influence of Professor Carla Gonçalves

I felt a very special connection with Professor Carla Gonçalves, who inspired me with her serene presence, the rigour with which she conveys knowledge, and the fact that we both share roots in rhythmic gymnastics. That silent affinity gave me confidence throughout the whole journey.

I remember fondly practices in which her words resonated within me like reminders of something that already existed but needed to be awakened. Simple, striking moments that helped me trust myself as a future teacher.

The power of community

If there was one thing that made this training truly special, it was the group. I met women and men who vibrated at a frequency similar to mine, with dedication and a genuine desire to learn. There was respect for each person’s pace, a listening ear in the breaks, a sincere hug when it was needed.

YogArte: the project born out of the BeYoga training.

The birth of YogArte

YogArte was born from the wish to unite everything that lives within me: dance, sensitivity, music, silence and Yoga. It’s an atmosphere that welcomes conscious practices, events with live music, retreats and sensory experiences.

I facilitate regular practices that combine Yoga with live music: piano, violin, guitar, saxophone, percussion. Each instrument brings a unique vibration and transforms the space.

Retreats and sensory experiences

I organise retreats in places surrounded by nature, where silence and simplicity return us to the essential. The days are filled with Yoga practices, guided meditation, mindful walks, circle sharing and reconnection rituals.

In one of the most memorable retreats, we closed the practice with live violin at sunset. There were tears, hugs and a peace hard to describe. It’s these moments that reveal the true power of Yoga when lived with soul.

Yoga practice with live music, YogArte, Vila Nova de Gaia.

Personal transformation through Yoga

Along this journey, I kept rediscovering myself as a woman, artist and guide. Yoga deepened my spirituality. Through the study of philosophy, I dove into an ocean of wisdom that taught me to honour all forms of faith.

My listening became finer, my intuition more present, my words more precise. I learned to trust silence, to respect cycles and to teach more truthfully.

Danahe is one of the 167 graduates you can find on the BeYoga community map — teachers and practitioners across 103 cities and 5 countries.