I love asking people what their superhero origin stories are for yoga.  How did you come to yoga?  What made you stay and make it your career? 

• I often hear similar stories from my guests.  We came to yoga for fitness, fighting the urge to take the spiritual path provided, until we realized how much we needed it. 

• OR we came to yoga for healing help, as we were trying to navigate a tricky scenario, situation, or particular challenge.

I, personally, came to yoga for the second reason.  I came to heal.  I did spend some time trying to do the contortionist postures that many people did in the late 90s and early 00s, and I look back at those days fondly.  Because I never came for the fitness part of yoga, it’s physical benefits took me by surprise.  

This week on the podcast is Sonya Chapnick, a yoga therapist on the West Coast who came to yoga to help her heal, deal with stress, and face a challenging diagnosis.  She shares how she slid into yoga, what inspiried her to take her practice into a profession, and how she ultimately took our professional career path to be a yoga therapist.  

Sonya is currently working with the yoga therapy school The Optimal State to offer yoga nidra programming for the students and talks about the full spectrum of what yoga offers us with such ease and grace.  She has translated her passion for sharing gentle space into programming for seniors, diabetes patients, and more.  

It was just a joy to chat with Sonya, and to hear her story about coming into both yoga practice and in being a yoga therapist.  I think the more we are able to share our stories together, the easier it will be for us to come together as a yoga professional community, sharing industry space and working together to co-create the professional future we have are proud to be a part of.  

Please make sure you subscribe wherever you are getting your podcasts!

RESOURCES:

More info on yoga therapy:  www.iayt.org

Sonya’s website:  www.yogagently.com

Optimal State Program:  www.optimalnidra.com

Working In Yoga Website:  www.workingingyoga.com

Working In Yoga Support & Bonus Comentary: https://sunlight-streams.heymarvelous.com/product/46341