Meet Dawn Geer & Grégoire Thiry from “Yoga of Elements” & “Oak Tree Club”

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Geer & Grégoire Thiry from “Yoga of Elements” & “Oak Tree Club”

Hi Dawn Geer & Gregoire Thiry, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Dawn Geer was born and raised in Topanga Canyon (CA), and is part of the renowned Geer family. Her grandfather was Will Geer who founded the ‘Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum” Topanga’s very own outdoor theatre which just celebrated its 50th anniversary. She said Topanga was a wonderful place to be born and raised. “I had the best childhood here”.
Dawn has been a preschool and Kindergarten teacher and has been working in the early childhood development field as an educator for 23 years. She is an experienced and certified Montessori teacher who was able to combine different educational approaches including R.I.E and Waldorf methods when she opened her own Preschool in Malibu Canyon at the age of 25.

Gregoire grew up in multi-cultural environments in Central Europe. While studying environmental sciences in Southern France, he started to wonder what his purpose actually was. With the high standards of academia he felt that his energy was focused on trying to absorb knowledge and regurgitate it, without involving his perception.
During his Bachelors a deep sense of loneliness started emerging & he started looking for internship opportunities internationally. After months of looking everywhere from East Asia to Africa, an opportunity came up as an intern at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. That was ten years ago. It was both a relief & a source of motivation.

“I arrived in the US believing I was useless. It was the way I was taught. The experience taught me humility and my preconceived ideas about America were shattered. I learned a wealth of knowledge by working alongside incredible people who helped me and gave me an opportunity to shine. I got to discover a side of the Santa Monica Mountains few people ever experience. I thought everyone lived in places like Topanga. I lived in a dorm in Diamond X Ranch, Calabasas, right next to King Gillette ranch where we teach Yoga on the Mountain now.”

During his internship, Greg was also exploring Southern California by using a site called CouchSurfing. The concept is simple: a person travels, meets locals through the site and they show you around. A great way to get to know a culture & local lifestyles. Dawn Geer, his dearest, was one of the people he got to meet. They got along right away. Neither of them were looking for romance, but there was a connection and their friendship blossomed into something deeper.

The couple traveled together for 2 years: California & other States, Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, various parts of Europe, and lived together in France & Cape Town South Africa. During their travels Dawn got TEFL certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language & they both got certified as Kids Yoga teachers. They also discovered Kundalini yoga together. Dawn had been doing a little yoga before that. It resonated with them both. “Kundalini yoga puts one in places of discomfort and stretches our mind and body to previously unknown capacities”.

Music has always been part of Dawn & Greg’s life. Both their parents were interested in various music genres. Music to this day is a mode of communication for them as it gives beautiful opportunities to connect with people without speaking their language. Throughout the years they both gained experience & got trained to bring Kundalini yoga to various populations & ages, hold council & are always keen on empowering individuals through mentorship & coaching. They embrace the mindfulness teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and Kundalini Yoga (KRI and Yoga for Youth trainings).

Before introducing the students to yoga, Gregoire taught science and music at Topanga Mountain School, a private middle school. “That launched me in my career as an educator and I’m very grateful for that.”
Today they co-teach Kundalini yoga & music classes for all ages, are directors & teachers of their own after school enrichment program in Topanga called “OAK TREE Club for Kindergarten- 12th grade on campus at Manzanita School & Institute. Here they are also school teachers for a specialized cross grade level program called “Stewardship” The class aims at teaching children the importance of reciprocity. They help to create a culture of understanding, awareness and tending to the needs of the land on the beautiful 20 acre campus located in a natural setting in the mountains of Topanga Canyon. Dawn & Greg are currently involved in multiple collaborations centered around mindfulness, meditation & music, creative expression, nature connection & personal development.

Dawn & Gregoire began teaching yoga to children in the Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica. Greg also teaches yoga part-time to children as young as three at Topanga’s Love School.
The couple also teach yoga regularly at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, usually the last Saturday of the month. The class is sponsored by the Western National Parks Association and draws people from the broader LA area. There can be up to 150 people in the class. “Yoga on the Mountain” is held outdoors under sycamore trees.

In addition, Gregoire is part of a collaborative Men’s group called Four Pillars Brotherhood. Based on Mentorship, Yogic Philosophy, Coaching, Empowerment & Mindfulness, he is cohosting seasonal outdoor gatherings. This community is built through integrity, leadership & service, and welcomes all facets of the masculine, truths & beliefs.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Establishment of our relationship & partnership wasn’t without difficulties.
Long distances can weigh on ones heart, but can also strengthen bonds of trust & commitment.
By living in different countries lots was brought to light. We became clearer on what each one of us needed in a relationship.
We were not rushing it. The development of our unity was a gradual process, setting the tone for a partnership of love, evolution & emancipation.

In addition to our personal growth, we went through multiple situations linked to health & family.
It is fascinating how something so oppressive, can shape-shift in one of the greatest life lesson for our own individual ascension.

Together we also discovered a pattern; we are continuously asked to be of service, while being taken advantage of.
We had to learn how to stand up for ourselves & know our worth, while managing our time & energy more wisely.
Achieving a balance between personal needs & world output is a daily practice.
This also is a precious lesson on the importance of Reciprocity.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
In all our programs, our approach is centered around responsiveness, adaptability & service; may it be in the way we involve children in co-leading our classes, or making movements accessible to people with various physical conditions.
Through our curriculum, students learn how to increase their physical resilience, explore their creativity, discover & nourish aspirations, apply conscious listening, acknowledge different world views, while understanding the importance of nature conservancy.

We are known as teachers both in yoga, music and education. We are also known for our mentorship roles and believe in sharing the tools that empower wellbeing to young children, teenagers and adults.

The target of our educational programs is to spread environmental consciousness, social cohesiveness, communicate mindful techniques through breath and movement while promoting an attitude of awareness to all. This program upholds core values of inclusivity, self empowerment, equality & freedom.

Our aim is to bring the content of our work to all traditions and socio-economic classes; in traditional and private school districts, under-served urban areas, after school programs, as well as native reservations. Yoga of Elements especially targets to reaching all youth growing in an environment that threatens the integrity of their education, health and well-being.

We are trained internationally in a multitude of fields (Yoga, Mindfulness, Environmental-Social and Educational Sciences, Childhood development, Counseling, Mentoring & Coaching). Our team is constituted of educators & professionals with a strong passion for what they do. They are experienced specialists coming from an array of disciplines to provide content with an adaptive approach for all students to feel safe, seen & supported.

Our message is of peace and unity among people, while highlighting the importance of education and self empowerment.
The goal is to close generational, socio-economic, and cultural gaps by bringing forth various teachings in a practical, applicable and transferable manner.

We teach weekly adult Kundalini yoga classes every Wednesday night from 6:30-7:45 pm in our Geodesic Dome structure in Topanga Canyon and also offer private & group lessons and sound healing music and mediations. They also offer group counseling and individual coaching sessions.

Their afterschool enrichment program OAK TREE Club is available to the wider community and accepts students 5 days a week for their specialist classes.

The collaborative Men’s group called Four Pillars Brotherhood is based on Mentorship, Yogic Philosophy, Coaching, Empowerment & Mindfulness. With his community of co-facilitators he is cohosting seasonal outdoor gatherings to build a resilient community embodying the values of integrity, leadership & service to welcome all facets of the masculine.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
We have a creative and intuitive approach allowing us to adapt to the needs of our audiences from a heart centered and honest way of being and living. We teach from our own experiences and aren’t afraid to be vulnerable and real.

Nature awareness, sustainability, and connection as well as reverence to all truths and beliefs is at the forefront of our thoughts. We are approachable and don’t take ourselves too seriously. We cultivate a solid practice based on commitment and caliber. A daily practice of yoga and meditation keeps us grounded and able to multi-task the many offerings we provide to our local community and beyond. Our dedication to self love and acceptance while taking the time to confront our shadows and do the work together has been part of our journey back home to ourselves. This allows us to fill our cup so we can give back to others as well. Sometimes we have to put our egos aside and rise up from the pressures of life. In this way we come out stronger and able to move forward with grace.

Pricing:

• $20-40 donation for our weekly Yoga classes in Topanga Canyon
• $250-350 for 2-6 people for private Yoga & Sound Sessions in Topanga Canyon
• $900-1,700 for 2-6 people for private day retreats in Topanga Canyon (4 hours+)
• $50 drop-in day rate for OAK TREE Club Enrichment Program in Topanga Canyon
• $350-$530 for 2-6 people for private Yoga & Sound Sessions in your private home

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yogaofelements.com ; www.oaktreeclub.org ; www.fourpillarsbrotherhood.com
• Instagram: @yogaofelements ; @oak_tree_club
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yogaofelementsworldwide/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yogaofelements1402
• Other: https://thisisgregwah.bandcamp.com/ ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml4jWwd4wsM&ab_channel=T-SPICE

Image Credits
Miriam Geer

Mindvalley (MVU Pula)