My Why for Starting The Traveling Yoga Studio
A new era is among us and my philosophy has, more than ever, become to look for opportunity amongst the rubble. Every day may not be the perfect scenario but we all get to choose how we show up. I feel that there are only 2 choices for me; create and lean into opportunity, or crumble and cry under the covers.
There have been days where I have let the news and social media get the best of me and I go with option 2. I regret it every time. The majority of 2020 I chose to lean in. Yes, I was resistant. Early on in the Pani, it was suggested by my good friend Adria, to keep teaching yoga— but online. I said no.
After more text and instagram messages I decided to teach some yoga classes via instagram live. I received more messages which really changed my mind.
People shared that the classes were giving them hope and helping with their anxiety.
My intention is to elevate the globe through yoga— so I leaned in. I continued to teach online via instagram and YouTube, but felt that there was a huge piece missing. CONNECTION.
The above mentioned platforms don’t have the able to share dialogue via a voice or screen. For this reason I took a Zoom class and it changed everything. Funny thing is I didn’t like it because I couldn’t skip out. I couldn’t interrupt my practice and do the dishes. I couldn’t leave the video running and fold the laundry. It was more challenging, especially in my own home.
Zoom made me accountable to my practice.
The other thing I noticed about zoom, was the connection. I was able to interact with people, I could say hello and have a conversation after class. This is something I missed so much about my life before PATRICIA (aka the pani).
Even though I had no prior experience teaching via zoom (I didn’t even know how to get an account in early 2020) I decided I would do it. I decided I would learn to teach via Zoom.
People showed up to classes and it inspired me to give more. I dove back into my core values, wrote down a bunch of ideas and started to manifest what would be next.
I had assisted many times with Yoga Teacher Training and education from personal experience is one of the things I love most about life. We all get a different experience even if we do the “same things”. I love learning and I also love teaching. I don’t think I’m an expert by any means, but I do have A LOT of experience and don’t mind sharing what I’ve learned, both good and not so much.
With all studios closed in California and Yoga Alliance allowing virtual trainings to take place starting in April 2020, I decided I would do it.
I facilitated my first solo Yoga Teacher Training in April 2020. That’s right, I wasted no time, because there is no time like the present and you never know if the opportunity will slip away if you linger too long.
The entire training I was worried. I really wanted everyone to have the amazing experience I did while doing their first YTT. I was worried they wouldn’t find connection with each other. I was worried they wouldn’t be able to teach. I was worried my encouragement wouldn’t be felt through the screen. But I was wrong.
Every single soul who has taken my YTT has said that they were blown away with how they were able to connect with other individuals. Some of met their best friends through the program.
One of the coolest things is something that I didn’t get to experience: people get to connect and share space from all over the globe.
There have been souls from Canada, Sweden, Hawaii, Mexico, New York, Washington, California and Arizona just to name a few. While I wouldn’t change my experience for anything, everyone in my YTT was from a 30 mile radius.
So how did The Traveling Yoga Studio get started you ask?
Well, in the middle of the fist virtual YTT, I started thinking about all of these amazing humans and how there was no opportunity for them to teach at a studio when they were finished. I wanted to find a way.
At first, I had planned on doing it all myself. Teaching all the classes, leading all the trainings, managing the website, creating content for instagram, and then I got overwhelmed.
I always want my class to be an experience for others.
With doing all the back end work there is no way I could give as much as I wanted to the classes. I also have the experience from different sides of the spectrum as far as yoga in concerned. I like variety and enjoy holding space for others. I wanted to give back more and felt that I could do that in at least three ways: share yoga to people anywhere in the world, create a teaching tribe that had similar values and wanted to grow, and provide opportunity for new teachers who wanted to teach yoga and develop the skills to teach authentically.
In the middle of Spring 2020 YTT I announced to the group that I would be opening a virtual studio. Collectively we were all thrilled.
I could feel the support through the screen and still feel it today.
The studio continues to grow, and 25 more souls have graduated from TTYS with another 18 on the way.
I now lead two trainings a year and have a 1:1 mentorship program that is for anyone who wants support going after their goals and dreams- I’m not just talking about yoga here.
Not everyone is on the teacher training path but all are welcome at the studio.
There is something for everyone. This is your invitation to join in, to connect with others across the globe and find yourself both on and off the mat at The Traveling Yoga Studio.
