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may/june 2015

yogajournal.com.au

PHOTOS: MATT PEYTON; (FACING PAGE) KRIS DAHL. ILLUSTRATION THROUGHOUT FEATURE: TASHSAT/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Organic transformation

Corn was born in 1966 in the US working

class town of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey.

Despite a happy home life with two

brothers and devoted parents, she moved

to New York after high school graduation

when she was just 17 years old. C orn began

working in city hot spots and loved the

change of scenery; the excitement, drama,

creativity – and admittedly, drugs and

alcohol. She worked as an underage

bartender in a gay nightclub called Heaven

(situated in an old church rectory), and was

adored by the male patrons; particularly

a warm-hearted African American man

named Billy, who – like many during the

1980s – had HIV/AIDS. It was Billy who

encouraged Corn to, “Ignore the story

and see the soul... and remember to love.

You will never regret it.”

“Billy’s words never left my mind,”

says Corn. “He didn’t want me living

a life of drugs and alcohol, and was like

a guardian angel that helped me make

healthier choices. Many others were

loving and supportive, giving me guidance

when I didn’t have much. They saw my

potential – perhaps they saw heart.”

Her other job at the trendy Life Café

presented additional guardian angels;

co-owner David Life and fellow waitress

Sharon Gannon, who later founded

Jivamukti Yoga. Life and Gannon’s return

from visiting their Indian guru in 1987

ultimately spiked Corn’s interest in yoga.

“David’s heart was already really big,

but it evolved after he got into yoga,” she

recalls. “I saw a deeper level of peace,

acceptance and compassion, and was

curious; what was he doing that changed

the way he dealt with conflict so much?

The people I knew doing drugs were

avoiding conflict or life by numbing out.

Upon first assessment, Seane Corn’s catchy name, curly blonde locks and toned physique grab your

attention, but it doesn’t take long to discover that something uniquely powerful exists beyond the

surface. When the internationally-acclaimed yoga teacher and spiritual activist isn’t enjoying rare

downtime with her supportive fiancé Al and their treasured cats in the mountainous surrounds of their

Los Angeles home, she is busy spreading the seeds of health, happiness and hope across the globe.

It’s Corn’s profound commitment and open heart that brings her admirable mission to fruition;

making her a precious gem amid a time when the world perhaps needs a little extra love.

Seane Corn – bringing

yoga beyond the mat

heart By Diana Timmins

authentic

yj43_30-35_FEA seane corne.indd 31 31/03/2015 8:47 am