Please note: it’s now November and I’m just getting to write about my second September ambassador. Hannah is such a beautiful soul, inside and out. In fact, beautiful isn’t even how I would describe her, more like radiant. This girl glows! Her heart is visible from miles away and you can feel her come into a room, even if she hasn’t yet said a word. Her rockstar hair, long limbs and beautiful smile light up this world and the reason I haven’t written about her is her fault! She needed time to think about her answers, and my goodness am I glad we waited. I cannot wait for you to meet this rockstar yogi and learn more about her as we dig deep with the good stuff.
Without further ado…. meet Hannah:
1) You’re taking the teacher training at Barefoot Yoga Shala in January…what made you choose to do your teacher training here and why do you practice at BYS?
I have heard from everyone I know in the yoga world that teacher training is a life changing experience. I know that this is the exactly where I am supposed to be. I had some decisions to make and I finally have made up my mind about all of them, and this is just what I am meant to do. My soul and spirit LIGHT UP when I think about this next step in my life and I can’t wait to start! I am so excited to learn more about yoga: especially the chakras, ayurveda, more asanas, assists and pretty much everything else. I am excited to learn more about my body, teaching style, and how I can share all of the love I have inside of me that I absolutely need to give.
I decided to take some free classes during the Barefoot birthday celebration. I loved the community feel and the spiritual energy. I went to a reiki circle and met Jacalynn who is my absolute angel! I have never been in a place where I have felt so loved and where I have felt like I truly belong until I stepped through the doors to BYS.
2) Your journey from student to teacher is about to begin, what is it that you’d like to gain from this year ahead?
I found a perfect quote the other day for this:
“You have only just begun to discover your magnificence. This period of your life marks a New Beginning. You can feel it. And you have only just begun to know the treasure and the glory of you.”
I think I realized that this is just the next step in my life. It feels natural. I’m hoping to gain a greater understanding of all benefits of yoga, on and off the mat. I am looking forward to experiencing this phase of my life with other people on a similar path. I can feel that this is my year! I am so excited to learn more about yoga both on and off the mat, and how I can spread love throughout my life and the lives of others through yoga. I am so excited to see where this journey takes me!
3) As a former dancer, is there anything about the physical aspect of yoga that is especially hard for you?
Because I danced from when I was 1 to 15, I think all of my joints grew up in first position. It was really fun and I loved it, but it took a toll on my body. Sometimes I have to take it easy in yoga especially in warrior II and some other poses with very open hips or lower back compression. I used to be really flexible too (but I mean, I think everyone is flexible as a 6 year old) but now I definitely cannot currently do a split or even touch my toes in forward fold. Sometimes my inflexibility is discouraging and all I want to do is have loosy-goosey hamstrings so that I can get deeper into some yoga poses, but I just have to remind myself that I am right where I am supposed to be. One day I’ll get there as long as I keep trying!
4) What is your favorite thing about yoga?
Yoga makes me the person who I am supposed to be. Yoga helps me grow each and every time I experience it. It is a constant evolution and the fact that through yoga I can actively bring my life, mind, body, and soul closer and closer to their full potential just creates so much hope, love, and excitement into my life.
5) You work in a full time job and have just moved in with your love!! How do you balance work/yoga/home life? And what are your favorite ways to bring yoga off the mat?
I try to always make time to attend several yoga classes during my work week. I love practicing with a teacher’s guidance and support from other yogis. Since I work from home during the week, Sean and I are able to connect throughout the day and have a lot more ‘we’ time than we would if I had to commute anywhere! I am so very grateful for that. It feels very balanced.
As for yoga off the mat? I deep breathe pretty much all the time. It’s so funny because sometimes when I sigh extra loud, Sean thinks something’s wrong and I’m JUST BREATHING. CAN I BREATHE? Also, I shut the door to the back porch with my foot in half moon pose, I sleep in tree pose on my back, and cleaning the house and cooking dinner are my moving meditations!
My boyfriend Sean is my favorite person and I am so glad that we get to live together! Our first date consisted of me bullying him into going to a yoga class with me. He didn’t have any idea what he was doing but it was really fun (for me) and we’ve been together ever since. Yet another reason why I LOVE YOGA.
6) Tell us a fun fact about yourself
I am really excellent at Sudoku. I’ve been playing….puzzling (?) since I was 10.
7) If you could tell your pre-yoga self anything, what would it be?
Do what makes you happy and don’t worry too much about anything else. If something makes you feel bad, sad, or just doesn’t feel right, then LEAVE IT ALONE, because it has served its purpose. This is YOUR life and you’re the ONLY ONE who gets to live it! Do YOU, boo!
8) What’s your favorite yoga quote?
“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.” —B.K.S. Iyengar
I love, love, loved interviewing Hannah and getting to know her a little better here on the blog. All of our ambassadors really light me up and I am so happy I created this program. Getting to know my students on a deeper level, playing with them during their photoshoot and learning about the shala from their perspective is such a beautiful adventure. Thank you Hannah (and all our ambassadors so far) for being complete rockstars. Love you lots.
Get out there and make your dreams come true!!
Namaste
Jenny
p.s. If you’re ever interested in being an ambassador for Barefoot Yoga Shala and are a regular student, give me a holler!!
