VANESSA CHAKOUR |
Vanessa Chakour has been cultivating her multi-dimensional approach as a teacher, artist, athlete and trainer for over 15 years. After a series of physical issues at a young age, including chronic asthma and a car accident in which she fractured her back and neck, Vanessa found healing and release of internal limitations through creative expression, athletic training, and meditation. While slowly rehabilitating herself after a year of stillness, she became fascinated by what held her back physically. Generally it was a belief or story to examine and uproot and move beyond. Visual art and writing were instrumental in her process of revealing the source of perceived limitations. The more she reached within through the creative process, the more she was able to uncover the sources of internal doubt and shed limiting stories to strengthen and embrace her body. She continued pushing boundaries to become a personal trainer and eventually train as a both an amateur and professional boxer, continuing these combined methods to increase awareness and performance.
An avid environmentalist, Vanessa’s exploration led her to study herbal medicine and various sustainable practices. She is passionate about helping to deepen people’s relationships to their own bodies and the body of the earth. Many of her workshops inspire a connection to nature, to the wild—inside and out—and the multitude of healing plants in urban areas. She has studied and taught with renowned Herbalists such as Robin Rose Bennett and Matthew Wood and recently partnered with El Jardin Escondido in Costa Rica where she teaches, runs retreats and studies the local indigenous, latin and afro-caribbean medicines. She has an incredible partnership with the Wolf Conservation Center in So Salem NY where she offers Sacred Warrior workshops and rewilding retreats that also educate about the true nature of wolves and their vital role in our ecosystem. Her explorative artwork continues to be a daily practice and has gone on to be featured in prominent private collections, art publications and public exhibitions. She shares her methods of creative exploration at many of her workshops and retreats. As an inspirational speaker, she has spoken at Northeastern University, The Muhammad Ali Center, Brown University and The United Nations.
An avid environmentalist, Vanessa’s exploration led her to study herbal medicine and various sustainable practices. She is passionate about helping to deepen people’s relationships to their own bodies and the body of the earth. Many of her workshops inspire a connection to nature, to the wild—inside and out—and the multitude of healing plants in urban areas. She has studied and taught with renowned Herbalists such as Robin Rose Bennett and Matthew Wood and recently partnered with El Jardin Escondido in Costa Rica where she teaches, runs retreats and studies the local indigenous, latin and afro-caribbean medicines. She has an incredible partnership with the Wolf Conservation Center in So Salem NY where she offers Sacred Warrior workshops and rewilding retreats that also educate about the true nature of wolves and their vital role in our ecosystem. Her explorative artwork continues to be a daily practice and has gone on to be featured in prominent private collections, art publications and public exhibitions. She shares her methods of creative exploration at many of her workshops and retreats. As an inspirational speaker, she has spoken at Northeastern University, The Muhammad Ali Center, Brown University and The United Nations.
A personal trainer since 1996, Vanessa has worked at top NYC gyms such as Chelsea Piers in addition to overseeing and creating boxing programs, working with fighters for the Golden Gloves and fine-tuning trainers’ teaching technique. She began boxing in 1998 and entered amateur competitions in 2000, training at Gleason’s gym in Brooklyn where she was discovered by world-renowned trainer, Bobby Miles. His proficiency as a trainer helped secure 8 World Championships and inspired Vanessa to embark on a professional career as his first female fighter.
Vanessa has studied various styles and approaches to movement from martial arts, strength, conditioning and agility training, to yogic practices. She began a disciplined meditation practice in 2000, starting with a study of Zen meditation and after several years, moved on to study other traditions and methods such as Tibetan Buddhist and Taoism. She continues to explore various integrated methods, using training and sports as an extension of mindfulness practice. She approaches boxing as an internal and external martial art, integrating exercises to cultivate self-awareness. She has a wealth of experience as independent trainer working with, and creating programs for people of all ages and fitness levels and combines her knowledge of herbal medicine and nutrition to further the empowering process of self-healing. Vanessa is an advisor to many initiatives that involve the use of sport and art for self-awareness, community building and understanding, most recently presenting at the Muhammad Ali Sports and Social Justice Forum on Sports, Self-Awareness and Sustainability. Vanessa Chakour: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/vanessa-chakour/4/b48/6a6 Sacred Warrior: http://sacredwarrior.co |