A conversation with
Elodie Garamond
Élodie Garamond is one of those rather special people who sprinkle a little magic wherever they go. A Parisian with fingers in many pies, she set up a yoga studio unlike any other in Paris back in 2013. We met her at home, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. A chat from her sofa, cup of tea in hand.
Hello Élodie, tell us a bit about yourself and your journey...
I worked for a very long time in the world of horse racing, a rather masculine universe that lives somewhat in a bubble of its own. I travelled a great deal, and as I struggled quite a bit with insomnia, I took up yoga. That was about twenty years ago, and it never really left my life since. Later, I worked in communications and I loved my job, but I felt that what I was doing was missing some sense of purpose. Yoga had taken on such a central place in my life that one day, as if it were obvious, I thought to myself: "why don't I open my own yoga studio?" At first, I pictured something tiny, a place of my own where I could welcome my friends and the teachers I loved practising with. And that's how Le Tigre was born. Of course, I hadn't planned for this place to become what it has become. It's been an incredible adventure, a story of friendship and family above all, as I'm in business with members of my own family, and it was wonderful because we started from nothing. We were terribly unprepared, we improvised everything, but we poured in everything we loved and, well, there you have it. It struck a chord because people would come to Le Tigre saying "we feel like we're arriving at a friend's place", and I think the secret was to create a place that reflected who we were, somewhere we ourselves wanted to spend time in.
During the health crisis, demand for yoga and meditation classes soared even though studios were closed. How did you manage to stay the course and meet clients' needs?
The closure of the yoga centres hit us hard, and we experienced it as a real injustice. We had to stay positive regardless and reinvent ourselves. We turned to digital very quickly, and we had to learn as we went, because it's a different craft altogether. The idea wasn't simply to pick up a camera and film classes, it was to find the same quality of approach, of teaching, of pedagogy. And to create closeness, despite the screens and the sudden, immense distance that had been forced upon us. Our goal was to preserve that connection and that sense of pedagogy which matters so much to us, and which lets us express that yoga isn't just a physical practice but a way of life. Yoga isn't simply about spending an hour on your mat once a week. It's a way of living, of thinking, and of taking care of yourself. Through digital, we had to find new ways of sharing that. We worked hard on it, and it's what allows us today to keep that magical connection with the whole Tigre community.
« It's a way of living, of thinking, and of taking care of yourself. »
You said that yoga is an art of living, I imagine that for you it's more a philosophy of life than a simple sport. How do you go about passing that on to your students?
The idea is to show people that whatever body you have, and whatever its limitations, you can practise simply by breathing. Yoga goes far beyond doing the splits or the images you might see on social media. It’s an approach that respects the body, it’s making the effort to get to know your own bodily patterns, and going further by exploring everything that lies within us, everything we hold in our energetic and physiological field. If we take that on board and learn to find the keys to exploring ourselves, it makes us freer, happier to be with ourselves, and so happier to be with others. It’s the start of a virtuous circle. If we can help people understand that yoga and meditation are pathways to this freedom, this respect and this self-love, it gives them an infallible means to better love others and better love their lives, quite simply.
« Yoga goes far beyond mastering the splits and the images you see splashed across social media. »
What new projects are you working on at the moment?
Les conversations du Tigre, which are conversations with well-known personalities and lesser-known ones too, from the world of yoga or beyond, but who all share this art of living. Besides, I had the good fortune of being elected president of the Union des Professionnels du Yoga, a wonderful lobbying and federating tool to help all studios. I invest a great deal of myself in it, because we need to be better represented, better defended. The values of yoga, the ones I'm talking about, which are truly the bedrock and foundations of yoga beyond the physical activity side of things, aren't given enough weight on a social and societal level.
Right now, in a society that's afraid, disoriented and closed in on itself, we need these values of yoga more than ever to anchor us in our reality and encourage us to turn towards others despite the temptation to withdraw into ourselves. I want to spread and universalise this practice well beyond Le Tigre. It's a very deep conviction I hold, and I've always said it: the world will be better when everyone does yoga. The UPY (Union des Professionnels du Yoga) gives me the opportunity to share that, and it's magic.
At Au Tigre, you made sure everyone felt at home. Here, in your own personal world, your flat, how did you go about making the place truly yours?
As I believe strongly in energies, good or bad, I always make a point of cleansing spaces, whether at home or in clubs. I air the rooms a lot, and I burn sage or palo santo to purify the space naturally. I also love bringing elements of the outdoors in: stones, pine cones, all sorts of little gifts from Nature that I gather on my walks. And all these objects I love having around me form a kind of still life, though a rather lively one, and act as precious channels for meditation. Lots of people struggle to meditate, they find it complicated. But actually, if you have a few iconic objects that speak to you, that remind you of a deserted beach, a mountain, or any landscape in which it's easier for you to meditate, a kind of transfer happens onto those objects. Looking at them, you slip into contemplation, into a meditative state. So there you have it, this whole little world I adore, all around me.
You've also chosen By Charlot plants, which one best represents the philosophy of yoga?
I absolutely adore Le Voyageur. This plant speaks to me because yoga, and life in general, is a long journey. A journey through time, through space, but also an inner journey. I love looking at this plant: it's poetic, elegant and airy. And it really has the build of a yogi, because a yogi is the link between earth and sky, feet firmly rooted to the ground. In yoga, you should be as grounded as possible, always seeking that sense of anchoring, of being planted. My teacher always used to say "Everything on the ground is heavy, everything light is airy", so the hands, the face, the thoughts should be light, airy. You connect to the sky, and the more the energy rises towards the crown chakra, the more ethereal and spiritual you become. I think this plant really symbolises that connection between earth and sky, it's a true yogi's plant. In any case, it speaks to me!
« I adore Le Voyageur. This plant speaks to me because yoga, and life in general, are one long journey. »
Decor matters to you?
Décor, for me, goes hand in hand with contemplation, with developing the senses, all five of them. I’ve got candles everywhere at home, like the By Charlot candles. I love decoration when it lets me travel inward. I’m not drawn to decor that’s simply beautiful to look at, but rather to something intimate, where every object has its place. That said, I’m not afraid to get rid of plenty of things. The moment there’s an object, a stone, even, I’ll admit, a gift someone once gave me, anything that feels weighed down with bad energy or that just doesn’t find its rightful place, I let it go.
Do you have little rituals at home?
In the morning, before the children wake up, I practise for half an hour. Yoga, meditation, breathing. I settle in among the plants and candles, always lighting one. It's my morning ritual. And in the evening, our little ritual with the children is to put on some music. Mantras, rap, classical music, it doesn't matter what, but we dance and we sing. It's our special moment. For now, they still enjoy it... But soon, when adolescence rears its head, that'll be the end of it, I'm under no illusions!
With two children, do you find it hard to carve out moments for yourself, quiet moments to recentre and practise?
I wake up before they do, otherwise it gets complicated. And I’m lucky enough to be able to go on yoga retreats regularly. Well, not at the moment, and I must say I miss it enormously, but in normal times, retreats are my escape. And when I don’t have the children with me, I need to go walking in nature regularly, it’s important to me. I walk in silence, which can be a little unsettling for the people with me, my husband for instance, but I really need that deep, intimate reconnection with Nature as often as possible.
« I've got candles all over my home, like the By Charlot candles. I love décor when it takes me on an inner journey. »
Funny you should ask, that's exactly the question I was going to put to you: living in the moment, reconnecting with nature... do you actually manage to put all these principles into practice, despite a life lived at 200mph, very much in the city?
No. I try, but I can't say I manage it. It's funny because lots of people say to me, "Hang on, you're a yogi and you get angry?". Of course I get angry sometimes, I'm not trying to be the perfect yogini. Since I'm not, that's a lost cause, so I've stopped trying. What I do try to do, though, is live each moment fully, and say yes to everything life offers me. In fact, I tend to say yes and think about the consequences afterwards, which can be a bit unsettling for the people around me. But I think that's what quality of life means for a yogi: seizing that imagination, jumping into life, welcoming surprises, and so on. The present moment is right there. But I'm not claiming any perfection. Of course it's complicated, being a business owner and a mum, locked down, locked down again. I have moments of really intense anger and frustration. But I also think all of that feeds into what makes me creative, I'm forever having new ideas, wanting to move forward and launch projects, meet people… It's because I let all these emotions come flooding back out. Whether it's sadness, anger or anything else, these are the things that feed us. Nowhere is it written that because you practise yoga, you must always be perfectly calm, grin and bear it, and let everything wash over you. Yes, plenty of things do wash over me… but not everything!
Finally, could you give us 3 small or big joys from your life, from your everyday?
It's a little basic, perhaps, but coming home is a great joy, every single day. Because there's something quite particular here. There are these scents, these colours, these candles, these plants, a certain atmosphere that makes me look forward to coming home every evening. My other great joy is writing. It does me the world of good to write. I'm currently working on an encyclopaedia of yoga, so I've got dozens of books scattered everywhere. I dive into them, I search, and I feel rather like a mature student burying herself in her textbooks again. I'm so grateful to Flammarion for saying yes to this project, as it's become a real everyday joy for me. And then, above all, there are my children. I'm lucky enough to have two very cheerful children. My daughter sings all the time, she dances, she's funny, and these are simple, infectious joys. Happiness is being at home, with my children and my husband.
