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My Yoga Journey:
From Student to Studio Owner

I grew up in Austin, TX, and found yoga after barely surviving the NY Bar exam in 2008. I was about to begin my life as a stressed-out corporate lawyer, and was freaking out just a little ... but after that first class, I knew that yoga was just the tool I needed to maintain balance (and sanity!) in the midst of my demanding new career. I am now a happily recovering attorney turned entrepreneur, and still use my yoga practice to maintain much-needed balance in my busy life.

Much of my journey as a yoga student involved coming up with creative ways to modify the practice and its poses to fit my body. I've always had a curvy body with tight hips and back muscles, and often felt left out in yoga classes because teachers couldn't offer me guidance on how to adjust the poses to my body, and would instead just tell me to skip it and wait til the next pose. So I started coming up with my own variations and creative ways to use props to make the poses work for me, and now that I'm a teacher, I love sharing those tips and tricks with my students!

​​​I've been teaching yoga since 2012, and from day 1 my mission has been to make the yoga world a friendlier place while teaching my students how to use yoga to feel their best physically, mentally, AND emotionally. I do this by making all of my students feel welcome comfortable on the mat, by keeping my teaching secular and relatable to everyday life, and by incorporating options and instructions into my teaching that empower my students to adapt the practice to their body's unique needs and preferences.  

I opened my first yoga studio in DC in 2015, and opened my second studio in my hometown of Austin, TX at the end of 2019. COVID forced us to pivot online and close the DC location, but when we reopened it was with the added layer of our online community! We now livestream all of our online classes and still have DC clients practicing with us weekly who have been with me since my first year in business!

 

As a studio owner, I'm dedicated to creating a community where all bodies feel welcome, safe, and included - especially those who have had negative experiences with movement or fitness in the past! I make it a point to meet or connect with every new client who walks through the doors or joins us online, and am genuinely thrilled to welcome each new student to practice.

And I can't wait to welcome you too!

xo,
alia

My first yoga class kind of sucked...
here's why I came back.

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