Anahi Russo Garrido has joined the Be Meditation Virtual Studio. She has a background in feminist movements and genders studies and a passion for helping students reconnect with themselves and others through meditation.

Read on for more about Anahi, and be sure to check out the studio’s schedule, which offers a wide range of classes throughout the day so busy professionals can take a moment to recharge.

  • Tell us a bit about you

My name is Anahi Russo Garrido. I was born in Montreal, Canada. My mother is Mexican, and my father is from Paraguay, so I grew up speaking Spanish and French. I learned English at school and am now studying Guarani, which is one of my father’s native languages. By day, I am a professor of Gender, Women, and Sexuality studies, and I teach and write about feminist movements from around the world, sexualities in different cultures, and the dynamic of gender, class, and race. When I am not meditating, I like to go for runs, hikes, try new foods, and write.  

  • If you had a magic wand, how would you change the world?

If I had a magic wand, every being would have the potential to develop themselves to the fullest. Joy and laughter would permeate the streets of the worlds, and we would exist in a universe where there is more room for everyone to be their true self.

  • Why did you start meditating/practicing mindfulness and what keeps you returning to your practice?

Many years ago, I saw a book about meditation at a used bookstore. Something in me felt that I wanted to try this practice. Several days, I returned to buy the book and began practicing on my own. I immediately resonated with the practice and eventually found myself sitting with a group. From the beginning, I just deeply enjoyed sitting meditation, and it is one of the main reasons why I have kept coming back. Meditation can also be incredibly grounding and healing, and with time, it simply becomes part of our everyday routine like eating, sleeping, drinking water—the type of activities that are vital to our functioning.  

  • How does meditation affect your sense of belonging, community, and connection?

In my experience, meditation has the potential to (re)connect us to others. Even in the face of difficult conversations, it can be incredibly helpful to ground ourselves in that energy, which lets us relate and act from a place of connection, instead of division.

  • What are your hopes for Be Meditation?

My hope for Be Meditation is that individuals of various walks of life come to form part of the community and bring the beautiful meditative energy generated in class to their workspaces, families, friendships, and all spaces they transit. To be an oasis and guidepost for the world.