We are excited to highlight our La Jolla yoga family in spring of 2020 - get inside their yoga journey, passions and lessons learned via FIVE questions!!!
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1. Was there an experience on the mat or in life that called you to teach?
Looking back it was never my intention/PLAN to teach, my mother was a teacher and I found myself teaching for years - without ever thinking of myself as a teacher. I had always dreamed of traveling to India solo, and that's exactly what I did. The training was an excuse so my loving, but protective mother would be onboard to me traveling solo, and a training offered structure, community and safety - still denying I was becoming a teacher.
I was 26, at that point I found some wings, lived in different countries, loved passionately with fearless abandon, immersed myself in various trainings, internships, opportunities to be a healer, but all the while I couldn't help but feel something was missing. A year later...I was faced with extraordinary life choices, changes - I became a single mother at 2 months pregnant, left my life of traveling and living in Maui and it was then, I finally heard the call.
There were a series of insane signs that lead me to the decision to begin a donation-based yoga school in a church down the street from my childhood home in a pretty conservative community, where people's main exposure to yoga was at a gym or with Wai Lana Yoga on PBS:) These few life decisions forged a new path, one I never imagined possible and would expose me to and force me to grow beyond what I thought I was capable of doing
For those of you who know me, know my story, but if there's one nugget I would pass on about be called to this path it - IS - never stop believing in YOU. We are resilient beings and capable of much more then we'll ever admit or realize in the moment. Let life, especially the challenges and heart break - transform you - you will never STOP BECOMING - you will always have something incredibly valuable and precious to SHARE and GIVE.
2. Who and/or what inspires you?
Kindness and Bravery
3. Passions outside of yoga?
Chocolate + Travel + Random Adventures + Hiking + Cooking + Anything to do with the Sea + Dancing + Movies + Coffee Walk/Talks with People I Love
4. Best life advice?
Show Up.
I learned this very young. I have a childhood memory that will forever haunt me, and not in a "awe you poor little thing" kinda way. That is NOT my intention of sharing this intimate story. It was my 7th birthday. My dad I went to a Schwinn bike shop weeks before and I showed him the exact pink Schwinn I had my heart set on. So, day of my Big Day, my Mom threw one of her infamous themed, kick-ass kid & adult party, but I couldn't wait till it was over, because my dad was dropping off my Schwinn!
You probably know how this is going to end... yes - curls and summer dress - I sat on our front porch till dark, everyone left the party by then. My mom (heart breaking, probably silently cursing) kept sweetly calling me inside, but I was STUCK, literally like a little doe in headlights - I just believed with every part of my soul - HE - WOULD - SHOW. He never showed. A part of me broke. A part of me is still sitting on my front porch... believing... waiting...O.K. I know a sad story - but forever imprinted and my reason for sharing is to spread this life lesson.
Life Lesson - Showing Up, might possibly be the most important thing you ever do.
5. Favorite quote?
“What if I fall? Oh,but my darling,what if you fly?” ~Erin Hanson
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Take a yoga class online or in La Jolla with Gabrielle and explore her yoga teacher trainings for vinyasa, hatha and restorative!
