Hi my name is Sophie Sanders, but you might also know me as Sophie Kassim.

I was born in 1977 in Singapore as Shariffah Binte Kassim, and to be honest, the real reason I changed my name is because I hated my given name. I was also made fun of because I had a lisp and I was mispronouncing the letter R. I did keep Shariffah as my middle name as it’s still my heritage ( and Ok I do like my name a little bit). And my nickname is Papa.

Now you know.

My dad is 2nd generation Boyanese and my maternal granddad was a Bugis and lived in Pulau Bukom before moving to Singapore. I’ve 4 sisters, and I’m the second child, and the joke was that my dad kept on trying for a boy, and gave up at girl no. 5. When I was younger, I wished I had a brother, but right now I wouldn’t exchange my sisters for the world.

We lived in Bedok South Road till I was 12 before moving to Pasir Ris, and that’s where bulk of my family reside till today, and where you can find me almost every Sunday.

I’ve always felt like the black sheep of my family, the one who don’t belong. And there was a time when I entertained the thought that I was adopted because I felt different. And so I’ve done things totally opposite to what I should have done like I did a banking degree, instead of an accounting degree (like my dad wanted me to); I chose a school furthest from my home, I moved out when I was 22, I dated non-muslims and I didn’t encourage my husband to convert to my religion.

My parents are not perfect but they made me who I am today. My dad worked 2 jobs to get all his daughters to university. My mum is a housewife who cooked, cleaned and took care of 5 girls, the best she could. My very wise husband said this -  they raised 5 strong-willed and independent women into this world, whether they liked it or not, and that is no mean feat. And for that I am grateful.

 Before yoga, I had 15 years of mortgage financing expertise in both Singapore and Australia and I graduated with a business banking degree from Nanyang Technological University of Singapore.  

 My first passion has always been dance; My earliest memory was at 9 - I watched enviously, as the ballet girls pranced around, in pink tutus, whilst I had to head to the studio next door to play the organ.

In my early school years, I was in the choir and then the school band. (I played the clarinet and the bells)

I didn’t really get into dance till college, where I got together with a group of friends and we won a dance competition!!

With my first pay cheque at 21, I paid for a monthly dance course at a local studio.

I got to perform in various salsa congresses in Malaysia, Philippines, Los Angeles and New York; the the Chingay Parade and National Day Parade.

My high in my dancing foray was being part of “thebodytalks” teaching team, which was the first studio that introduced exotic dance and pole dancing to the female masses in Singapore.

And so I’ve tried jazz, hip hop, salsa, bachata, exotic dance, pole and zumba…

When I found yoga I had no idea how much my life would change. I don’t have a typical yoga teacher experience where *poof* I fell in love with yoga right away. The first yoga class I tried was when I was 21, it was so uncomfortably slow. And so I stopped.

Fast forward to 2011, and because I pulled a hamstring muscle and I was desperate to find a safe way to move and heal my body - I signed up for yoga and pilates classes.

And the rest….. is still a journey..

How I got into Baptiste Yoga ➤

Braving INFERTILITY AND HOW IT STARTED ...

I married in January 2018, aged 40, and embarked on our roller coaster ride to make a baby with my best friend of 10 years.

I think I’m just a late bloomer. My biological clock didn’t start ticking until my nieces came into my life. At 40, I thought I had lumps in my breast - examination showed nothing - and I put it down to belated puberty, as the pain went away and I went up one bra size.

If someone ever asked me if I ever regretted not getting married earlier, first I’d hit them on their head….no... I would say no. Because at 20 or 30, we wouldn’t be able to afford the IVF treatments, and true, we might not have had issues as we were younger but who knows. I always believe there are divine reasons why things happen the way they do.

And if anyone says IVF is easy - it is to some, and for most, it just takes a bit longer and does put a lot of emotional, physical and financial stress on a person.

By January 2020, I’ve had 4 rounds of IVF stimulation, hundreds of needles poked in my body from hormone injections, blood tests to acupuncture needles; 5 unsuccessful Frozen Embryo Transfers (FET), 9 embabies in embaby heaven, 2 chemical pregnancies; swallowed hundreds more of hormone tablets and supplements, drank disgusting chinese herbs, and I put on 10kg...

 I’ve also been getting a full 7-8 hours of sleep, (I think I have) solved my hangriness problem; I’m starting to love HITT exercises, I’ve been walking 5km a day and meditating almost every day, I’m getting certified in a fertility yoga/coaching program, and I found the courage to share about my IVF story.

There’s still a stigma and shame around the inability of a woman to conceive and what I hope to achieve through my sharing is to change perceptions and create a safe space for the IVF warriors to be with, and have brave conversations without judgement or the need to fix.

As cliche as it sounds, yoga saved my sanity - when I say yoga; it’s not merely the physical asanas, but the meditation and inquiry.

Through Baptiste Yoga, I’ve discovered there's something that needs to be borne out of me - a future child of course, and this fiery need to be of service and to live a life of purpose. 

My life is for empowering others to live life with courage and kindness. And by helping others, I’m also helping to heal myself.

……

So that’s how I’m braving infertility so far.

Fertility Support Specialist Certification, Bebomia 2020

Social Impact Training (Baptiste Foundation) 2019

Unstoppable Program (Baptiste Foundation) 2019

Baptiste Level 3 Training The Baptiste Institute, Level 3, California 2018

Apprenticeship Program: The Baptiste Institute, Level One Phuket 2018

Tier 1 Certified Baptiste Yoga Teacher

Baptiste Level 2 Training (The Sanyasin's Journey): The Baptiste Institute, New York 2017

Relational Coaching: Rohei Institute Singapore 2017

Baptiste Level 1 Training (Journey Into Power): The Baptiste Institute, United Kingdom 2016

Anatomy Trains For Movement Professionals: Michael Watson, Singapore 2016

Pre & Postnatal Specialist Certification / Rocking to Release /Diastasis Recti Recovery: The Center for Women’s Fitness by Carolyne Anthony, Singapore 2016

5 Days Teachers Immersion: Noah Maze, Singapore 2015

60 Hour Yin Yoga Teacher Training: Power Living, Australia 2014

ERYT200, YACEP Yoga Alliance

200 Hour Power Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training: Power Living, Australia 2014

Xtend Barre: Upside Motion, Singapore  2014

Mat Pilates; Stotts Pilates, Singapore 2013 - Current

Bachelor of Business in Banking: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 1999