Speaker 1:45

Welcome to another episode of the Hilltop Glove Podcast. Today we are delighted to have Adia with us today. How are you? I'm doing well. How are y'all doing? Doing great. Adia is not only a dedicated mother, but also a passionate violence prevention advocate, yoga instructor, and entrepreneur. With a 200-hour registered yoga teacher certification and over 800 hours of teaching experience. She is a prominent figure in Columbia, South Carolina's yoga community. You can tell by how she's sitting. Adia brings with her two decades of experience in interpersonal prevention and victim advocacy, but she also holds a bachelor's degree from in psychology from the University of South Carolina. Also a master's in education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Wow. Okay. A lot of schooling. A lot. Yeah. And she also is the owner of a vibe called Yoga, where her mission is to merge creativity, mindfulness, and her passion. Her classes are designed to inspire a new generation of practitioners to explore their true potential while blending the beauty of art and the serenity of yoga with the vibrancy of live music. I love that.

Speaker 1 3:06

Yes. I love the way that that's written.

Speaker 3:08

I mean, that was beautiful.

Speaker 1 3:09

AI.

Speaker 3:13

I love it. Like, have we ever just thanked AI for doing its job?

Speaker 3 3:18

I mean, we're gonna be thanking AI for a hundred years when the all the power and water we sucking up with that thing.

Speaker 3:25

So for our fans or our listeners that don't know you, can you tell us a little bit about your childhood early beginnings in South Carolina or where where were you born?

Speaker 1 3:35

Yeah, so I claim Columbia as my home. Um, but I was born in Athens, Georgia. Okay. Um, so um, but we moved here when I was like three years old, and so so Columbia's my home. Um I have have roots in Georgia, but uh definitely claim Columbia as home. Um I have two sisters. I'm the middle child, and I start with that because I I think that I'm I think I'm a textbook middle child, um, just the forgotten um child. And so um, in a not in a not in a terrible way. My parents are wonderful. Um, but I always like to tell the story that um because this it just says a lot about who I am as a person. Um, you know, my mom tells the story that um that no one saw my first steps. Um and so she was in a room, you know, doing something with my older sister, and she was just like, I just walked in the room and I had not walked before. And so uh so I like to tell that story because it's like that's just kind of the story of my life. Um I don't need a lot of fanfare for anything, like I just like figure it out and do it do stuff. Doesn't matter if anybody's there, doesn't matter if anybody's watching, um, but I y'all, yeah, y'all. Yoga poses there. We're yogis over here, so I love it. I love it. Um so yeah, so that um I again my um my mom is amazing and raised three girls um on her own. And um I had, you know, I think that I um again growing up here in Columbia uh with two sisters, um had a wonderful childhood. I think that we um I talk about my mom sometimes because she's she's just an inspiration to me because I think that she uh has inspired me to just just make things happen um in the way that we've kind of talked about. And um I think that we struggled some financially growing up, um, but I never I never felt like I needed or wanted for anything. And um I think that I hope that I get a little bit of that, just just get it done, find a way um from her. And um, but yeah, I'm you know, that's that's kind of who I am. And uh yoga was not a thing um in my mind um or in my awareness um as a child. I wish it was. Um so that came years and years later, but um, but yeah.

Speaker 3 6:07

Yeah, what started you in your yoga journey?

Speaker 1 6:09

Yeah, so fast forward many, many years. Um I was working at um at Georgia State University in Atlanta, and um I did did a lot of time working in in higher education and in a f in several different capacities. Um and uh they offered yoga and meditation for free to the faculty and staff. And um I mean, yeah, those corporate wellness programs are just like they're just so wonderful. Yes, absolutely. It was so it was such a wonderful offering. And at the time, you know, I was just I knew what yoga was. Um I was just like, oh great, I can get out of the office for an hour on Fridays, you know, and do this really cool thing. And um, and it was um it was a great experience. And I think that I pretty quickly saw and felt the benefits of it. And um, you know, I I tell people that it was so special because um I had just at that time I had just um I was in the process of a divorce and um and we had just recently moved to Atlanta, and um it was the first thing that felt like it was just mine, you know, like it was just, you know, I wasn't doing this as a wife, I wasn't doing this as a mother, like I was doing this thing just for me. And um, and that's part of why yoga holds such a special place in my heart, just because it was like it was the first thing that, you know, that was that was just for me. And um, and and yeah, and and I, you know, practiced there um on campus for uh the time that I was that I was in that role and off and on for the next several years and um and again years down the road I eventually started teaching. Um but yeah, that's that's how I got my my start.

Speaker 8:04

That's amazing. I feel like a lot of people find something for them, but making it your duty or your purpose in life is another struggle. So how did you come about that?

Speaker 1 8:16

Yeah, yeah. I that's a really great question because it's and I just had this conversation recently with someone about um, you know, so again, I I I was I'm glad that I practiced yoga on my own for years before I decided to get my teacher certification because that allowed me to establish my own practice. Um and I think what what a lot of people don't understand is I run into people all the time, they're just like, you know, well, you do yoga all day long, you know, and you know, you should be so calm and all these things. Right. No, I'm not doing it for me. I'm teaching, I'm giving of myself, I'm holding space for others, not myself, not not myself. And so, um, so yeah, so I mean that was a conscious decision, um, you know, to um to to take this practice that that had been that had served me so well and to um and to share that with others so that other people can can see those so those benefits as well. Um it is a struggle though, um, because I'll admit that right now my personal yoga practice is pretty minimal. Um and and I, you know, that's a it's just a transparent moment. I need to be more intentional about um about my own. When I'm now when I'm doing yoga, it's for a purpose. I'm either teaching or I'm practicing a sequence that I'm going to teach, or I'm doing it for content, you know, and so it's um, so yeah, I am doing a lot of yoga, but not a whole lot uh, you know, just for me at this point.

Speaker 3 9:49

Um, but uh so you're right, it is a it is a struggle to kind of take something that uh that you care about, something that you're passionate about, um, and make that conscious decision to uh to monetize it or the monetization discussion we've been having on our Patreon is how it there's just this constant push to try to get money out of all of the things that we enjoy doing. Yeah. It's just kind of the era we're living in where everything's gotta be monetized or else it's not a legit hobby.

Speaker 10:21

Exactly. Exactly, yeah. I'm in the be another transparent moment because I was teaching yoga and then I was like, okay, well, these people say they want to come to the class, but they don't come to the class. How am I not supposed to feel some kind of way when I know that you need the class? Yeah. I want you to have the benefits, but you're not showing up. You can't get the numbers there.

Speaker 1 10:43

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 10:44

That's not taking it personal.

Speaker 1 10:46

Yeah, that's that's hard. That's the difficult part. But it is, you know, I think that it's I have found a way to not take that personally just because I have been on the other side of it. Like, um, for example, I mean, there was um a time when I was regularly practicing at a studio, and um and you know, when my job changed or things shifted, um, finances shifted, um wellness became in my mind a luxury. And so the things that had to go were my yoga classes, my facials, you know, my you know, those things that like make us feel really good. Um, and and that's not the case. That shouldn't be the case. And it's, you know, those things are the things to go. Um, and there are so many self-care things that we can do that don't cost money, but um, but because I've been on the other side of it and um I've had to kind of like, oh, I need to take a couple months off, you know, from uh going to classes regularly. Um, you know, I get it. I get it. And it's um, but it's it's taken time to get there because it is just like, wait a minute, like, yeah, is it me? Right. Um, but uh, but yeah, it's that's a that's a really difficult part about um being a a yoga entrepreneur. Um people come and go. And um uh and it's it's our job, people like me, to um to think of innovative ways to uh to draw people in and to keep people coming. Um and that's yeah, that's a that's a challenge that I face every day. Yeah.

Speaker 12:37

Well, talk about how you I guess created the creative space between art and yoga.

Speaker 1 12:44

Yeah. So this um this was an idea that I sat on for for months. Um, so I guess we started uh 2024. Um and so probably the beginning of 2024, um, I was thinking about this, and I'll just admit it was kind of selfish because I was just kind of like, I want to create something that I would want to attend. Um, so that's something something that I would be interested in. And as we kind of talked about, I've uh kind of been in and out of practicing at uh yoga studios, and and there's so many really great yoga studios in in and around Columbia. Um, and uh they're so valuable to the community. I think it's so valuable to have uh dedicated spaces to a yoga practice. I also think that um there are some people that will never step foot in a yoga studio for whatever reasons. Um and so first thing I thought was that we have to create um an environment that uh you know we can do we can do yoga, we can do mindful movement and um and kind of go to where the people are rather than you know wanting people to come to us. And um, you know, I'm a I'm a lover of of art and and really good music, and and so I had this idea. And I remember um I was following Soul House Gallery on social media, and um, and when I was thinking of this idea, I was like, that's the space. Like that's I didn't know Preach Jacobs at the time. Um I was like, that's the space though, like that's where we have to do it. And um, so fast forward a few months, uh he had a um art pop-up show, and I went, and um, and one thing about me, I'm the most introverted, like um shy person ever. I was so scared to talk to him. We are really good friends now, but I was so scared to talk to him. I was just like, I don't know what I said. I was probably just like, can I please do yoga in here? Sorry, thank you.

Speaker 3 14:54

Wait, which what's your sign?

Speaker 1 14:56

Capricorn.

Speaker 3 14:58

An introverted Capricorn. I don't think I've met one. Either. No.

Speaker 1 15:02

Oh my god, they're all like outgoing. I don't know a whole lot about the signs, but I yeah, I am I am a capital I introvert. So um so anyway, so yes, I I you know um worked up the courage to say something to him at that event. And um he was like, yeah, like what'd you have in mind when you want to do it? And I'm like, what? You know, how to speak to how to stuff prepared. And so um, so yes, I was really fortunate to have made that connection early on, and um, because he was really instrumental in helping to connect me to the art community. I have never considered myself a creative. Um, and so I was I was a little nervous about that. Um it's like, hey, is is this gonna be a thing that art people wanna come to? Um and um or is it gonna be like this this kind of closed community that I that I can't work my way into? But um, but it's it's been really great. And I I you know I I um give preach props for helping to make those connections. And so um, and it and that's that's how it came about. Um I um I worked with a fantastic um branding marketing person, um who's a good friend of mine. And um shout him out, go ahead. Yes, Will Featherstone. He's um he's amazing, and um, and so I I before, I mean it didn't have a name yet. Um, so we literally met up and um I was like, guess what? I just went to this pop-up art event and I talked to this guy named Preach Jacobs, and I and I just started explaining the event. He's like, love it. Can I help? You know, and I'm like, please. And so he thought of the name or you thought of the name? He he is the uh the brain behind the name. Yes, yes, he's brilliant. Um, and so yes, I'll give um give all the people their props for um I have the concept, but I worked with some really great people who um who helped to shape it. And um, and yeah, I think it's it's it's been such a beautiful journey. Um and I think, yeah, I think it's been great. It's been well received, I think.

Speaker 3 17:17

So walk me through if I came to one of your events. What would what would that look like?

Speaker 1 17:21

Yeah, yeah. So um, you know, one thing that I really um I really love about a vibe called yoga is that we have um been really intentional about um about making it making it personal for people. And um I I I talk to people about, you know, I want you to feel welcomed in the space, but I I want to really go beyond that. I want you to feel valued in the space. I want uh you to feel like I want you to be there and we want you to be there. And so you'll be greeted um at the the Coger Center doors. We're at the Coger Center now, um, downstairs, and you'll be directed uh upstairs to the gallery space, and um there'll be somebody there to greet you, help you check in. Um and uh first thing that you'll see is our big um, something I'm really proud of, our big uh welcome board uh that has everybody's first name on it and this beautiful lettering. I'll give my sister a shout out as well. My older sister does beautiful hand lettering. And so when we register um folks for the event, we you know, we make this uh this welcome board. So you're welcomed by your first name and come in. There's mats available if you need one. Um, and there's preaches um uh playing music, and um there's mingling, there's food, there's you know, um, we always have an herbal tea station. And so it's uh, you know, we try to make it just a really comfortable, inviting experience. And um the yoga practice itself, uh we do a about a 40 to 45 minute class and um beginner-friendly. And so, I mean, there have been so many folks that have come to the event that have never stepped foot on a yoga mat before. And that's the event. This is the space for you if you've um if you've not uh done yoga before. Um also a really good class for for for those who have practiced before. You know, it's um it's beginner-friendly, but it's um it's it's challenging enough to where you know you feel like you can get something out of it um as well. And so uh so we go through breath work, we you know, we get up, we warm our bodies, and then we relax. Um we also do uh we do infused lavender-infused towels at the end. So you get a cool lavender towel at the end. I'll be there. Yes, I'll see you next month. Um be there. Um so yeah, so it's and then after we finish, we uh we we also um spotlight a local artist each time, um, each event that we do. Uh most of the time that artist is there practicing um yoga with us and they get to say a few words and um preach will talk about you know the new exhibits um that are there and um and folks will get a tour of the soul house space, which is on the third floor. Um, so yeah, so there's that the art piece is very much integrated um, you know, throughout the event. Um there are we have little journals that we give away. And um, you know, because the event is so uh tied, uh, wellness and art, you know, we we talk about the fact that our yoga practice, our mindfulness practice creates space so that we can explore and be more creative. And and say there's like markers and colored pencils and journals and things like that. And so so we've done little things to again to make sure that we are celebrating that that marriage between art and wellness and um and making it really personal for people. And um and again, we hope that that's what keeps people coming back, um, is just the way that they felt when they were at the event. And so um, so yeah, so you're um that's that's the event. And um, and then um we have opportunities for you to sign up for the next one while you're there. Um, and there's typically a a discounted rate um um for those who are at that event um to go ahead and sign up and get that.

Speaker 3 21:37

And how often do you do them?

Speaker 1 21:38

So that right now they are every other month. Um, yes. And so um we are we are looking to expand. This has always been an event that was intended to move around. Um, I think we will always be at Soul House in some capacity. Um, but we uh we are looking at um other locations, um not just in Columbia, um, but but just um we will be expanding next year. Um I don't have a whole lot of details yet, but um, but stay tuned for that. Awesome.

Speaker 22:08

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I love the whole idea because I know, right? You have me at the lavender. I went to an event, uh, it was a yoga class actually, and they had lavender, and I was like, oh my gosh, this is like so heavenly. Yeah. If I can get this everywhere I go, yeah.

Speaker 3 22:24

You know you can put that little oil in your in your laundry water and get all your clothes for a little like that too.

Speaker 22:29

I think I need to try that.

Speaker 3 22:30

Yeah, lavender water, yeah.

Speaker 22:32

But I also like how you have multiple steps to the event, it's not just one concept, like, okay, I'm just going to get yoga, do yoga. It's opening your mind to more creativity. Yes. And the fact that you're inviting the artist to actually join in. I was thinking maybe having the artist paint a group session or something. That's super cool. Like a live session, a live painting. Yeah. That you could probably auction off or something. That's just my creative mind. That would be dope. Yeah. You can have that idea. Thank you.

Speaker 1 23:01

I appreciate that. I will give you all the credit. Um, yeah, but no, you're, I mean, I I think it is, it is a multi, multi-faceted event. And um, and it was intended that way because, you know, when we uh s just kind of started talking about what the strategy is for the event, um, you know, it was like, I want art people to be creatives to be introduced to yoga, I want yoga people to be introduced to art. And um, and those people in between who are like me who love both, like I want this to be a really great, you know, experience for for everyone. And so, um, so I think kind of making it uh multifaceted so that uh we can engage as many uh as much of the community as we can uh and and uplift local artists. Um that felt really important too. Now do you teach every class or do you have some people sub in or so good question. So I have been teaching most of the classes. That will likely change next year. I thought it was important for our first year or so to uh to really establish what it was uh so that when I did bring other instructors in I'd be able to really clearly articulate, you know, what's what is the vibe, you know, what, you know, what are we going for? And so uh so I did I did have a guest instructor once this year and and like I said it'll we'll rotate a little bit more uh going into next year for sure.

Speaker 24:30

What about the DJs?

Speaker 1 24:31

Uh do you um work with other DJs or so as of as of now no um and again I think that there will always be um an event that we do with Soul House with Preach. But yeah as we go to different places and you know different cities and things like that we'll definitely we'll rotate the instructors we'll rotate venues we'll rotate DJs yeah yeah because you get to build your uh network that way definitely definitely yeah makes a community of artistic yoga creatives yes absolutely yeah so on a daily basis how do you um I mean what do you do on a daily basis to stay well and at peace and at ease yeah well who said I'm at peace great question um and and I joke but I I also think it's important for me to be really authentic um because because I think that um that a lot of people struggle with um you know not intentionally doing things um to to bring themselves peace and and all of that stuff every day and so for me I and this is also what I say to other people too is I find small moments like I think that that um that's big for me because um I uh I would get overwhelmed if I was like I need to sit on my mat for one hour when I get home after work um after before I make dinner and you know things like that like I'd be like uh uh I'm not I can't do that because I don't have I don't feel like I have an hour sometimes and so uh so I think that um for me it's it's really important to find small moments throughout the day to uh to just ground and um when I talk about grounding I you know I think about when we are when our minds are doing what our minds do they're going all over the place um you know grounding is a tool that we can find to just bring that all in and and so that can be anything from deep breathing to um you know I I have one of my favorite grounding exercises is five four three um so identify five things you can see four things you can hear three things you can touch um and um you know so things like that like I will um I will I will do those things just throughout my day so as I'm driving I do it a lot when I'm driving because I I don't love traffic and you know um so um so yeah so just finding those small moments throughout the day and I think that that's even more I think it's great to have a home yoga practice and if you can be on your mat for an hour and do all of those things that is wonderful that's perfect. I think it's also still really important to be integrating mindfulness grounding techniques and things like that throughout your day um so that it becomes a little more of your of your norm. And that's what I try to do. I try to um take a moment to I mean even like 15 seconds of just deep breathing um or just just intentional breath because we're we're always breathing obviously but um but really thinking about it um and and thinking about how you're breathing like breathing deep into the belly not you know into the chest yes um so uh so yeah so I um I just find those those small moments to do my little grounding exercises to um uh to to breathe deep and like smell the flowers I mean yeah just like being being mindful um of the moment sometimes uh is just really important yeah it seems like this comes up every time we talk about yoga that there's more to it than bending and breathing.

Speaker 28:37

It is it's a whole lifestyle I I want people to um really tap into it because for me it started out as just stretching you know just stretching and then my my friend was like you know this is yoga and I'm like what's that and then we just started doing actual poses and stuff and then that led to me getting certified and then then it leads to wellness and me working out all the time. So it's like one thing leads to another so if you can start somewhere just start anywhere.

Speaker 1 29:06

Yeah absolutely it's all so interconnected and I mean I I tell people all the time that like since I started doing yoga I um I eat better I you know I'm just again just more mindful um of how my actions behaviors words affect others it just it just makes you a more mindful person um and so that's where you know other fitness activities come in wellness um practices come in um because you're just a little more mindful of your body of your mind and um yeah and it's a yeah I I love that start start somewhere yeah how does um your family feel about your yoga journey and have they gravitated towards it or support you?

Speaker 29:56

Yeah that's a really great question.

Speaker 1 29:58

So um yeah my family is very supportive um I um I think that uh on the one hand so I think everybody in my family um has has come to at least one of my classes at some point in time um I don't know that my dad has I need to talk to him about that um but but he's he's still very supportive um um you know my younger sister um again she's been to she's been to more than one of my classes but she is just kind of like yoga's too slow like she she likes you know she likes to get in there and sweat and um and so you know and I've what I've told her is just like you need to come to one of my power yoga classes because like I mean there's so much more she's been to a couple of my beginner friendly classes which I'm just like yeah those are going to be a little slower. But but yeah I've kind of had to say that like they're they're different cons. You will work up a small burn some calories and so um but no you know my my family's been really supportive and um and I I am the only one in my immediate family right now that is um is an entrepreneur. And and so I think that um again they're very supportive but I think that um my parents you know when I told them a couple years ago that I'm like hey I'm gonna leave my job and you know pursue this full time um there was certainly some some trepidation like what are you gonna do for health insurance you know how are you gonna survive and so um and and that's very understandable and and I um you know it's that part of it has been a journey for sure um but um but overall I mean it it has been really good to have have the support of of my family um throughout this journey.

Speaker 3 31:50

How long did it take you to make that that leap that it was not going to be a side project anymore.

Speaker 1 31:55

It was going to be your main focus um so I I probably thought through it and processed it for a maybe four to five months. And in my mind as I'm saying that out loud I'm just like gosh I should have given it a little longer.

Speaker 3 32:19

Yeah that seems pretty quick.

Speaker 1 32:21

Again remember I just I just start walking figured out along the way it's fine. Figured out yeah so um yeah so I mean um it had yeah it had been a a side hustle um for a bit and and I again kind of processed what it could look like um you know set myself up to be able to like I had teaching jobs throughout the week um you know when I made that trend transition um and and I I just leapt like it was it was truly a leap. Yes um yes and it's so I'm going on two years now I say in um in February it's I call it my quittiversary that's when I quit my job I like that's great so um um and it's you know it's I mean some I don't have zero regrets um but some of it has been really hard and going back to kind of what you talked about it's just like my livelihood is dependent on other people choosing to do yoga showing up in a world where nobody shows up you know yeah and so I have had those moments where I'm just like wait a minute like um is this sustainable and so far I mean it's it's been good. There like I said there have been some rough patches to be really honest but um but again like my my job is to to be innovative and to again like I said before I've never thought of myself as a creator until now until I've been until I started entrepreneurship because I'm having to be so creative in um in marketing and um and outreach and um you know just figuring out what it is that that people need and want and um and it's been it's been fun and and scary and a whirl. A worldwind yeah absolutely absolutely yeah can you talk about your community that you've built um what's what's that like yeah so I mean I think that that's that's one part of this uh this especially the vibe called yoga um initiative um that has been so so incredibly rewarding um you know again I was I was had some trepidation about like how I would be received um uh within the the art community in Columbia and I just yeah I just want to say that like I have I have felt so welcomed so valued and um and and people appreciate the um the fact that we we are wanting to uplift um local art and um and so yeah so I like I said I've I've made friends and and you know the collaborations um the folks that are that come to the events regularly um you know are are so much a part of of my community uh my tribe now so um so that's that's been really really great I'm excited yeah yeah we gotta go yeah I'm definitely trying to go yeah I will send y'all the link thank you I'm inspired yes I'm so inspired I'm so glad you guys every now and then we'll we'll be like are are you stretching right my friends like they don't like to go work out with me anymore because I'm like all right it's time to stretch and I'm like yeah see I can tell you haven't been stretching just by looking at how far your your leg is off the ground how you're bending yes I can just tell yeah and then I don't want to be like so critical where I'm like you need to stretch every day.

Speaker 3 36:10

That's the thing if people have never done yoga like you think it's just these bendy positions and it it is but then when you're you know your eyes are closed and you're doing it like there's so much nuance in your balance and in the transition between different poses. Yeah. And it like you really like it takes a long time to be doing each thing right. Yeah. You know you'll you'll get through it and you'll be like yeah I did it but it wasn't didn't feel right it wasn't on. And you really gotta work at it before it's like nailing it.

Speaker 1 36:42

Yeah and I think that that I mean I I I think that that's a wonderful point. It's like you know that's part of what when I started doing yoga um at uh at my job that's part of what kept me going because I was like really focused on some of these poses. I'm like ooh I want to I want to refine that like I want to get it because I'm I'm a little competitive on the inside and just like yeah I want to get it right and um right you know and so as a as an instructor now I'm just like you know when people are asking me is this right I'm like how does it feel in your body you know but it is it is you feel it in your body like when everything lines up you're like oh this is what that person's trying to get at okay all right let me try. Yes when you hear that right cue and you're just like oh you know that's that's what it's supposed to feel I didn't know my muscles lined up like that that's pretty cool.

Speaker 37:35

You learn a lot about yourself when you're intentionally when you're intentional period I just learned a lot.

Speaker 1 37:42

Yes and when you're when you're focused like I mean and that's that's another thing that that I feel like I've has been so enriched in my life you know in doing yoga is just my focus because I mean it's you know we we talk about mindfulness a lot um in yoga practice and and a lot of people we hear mindfulness you think about meditation we think that it's we think that we're supposed to clear our minds out and I tell people it's the the opposite you're supposed to really fill your mind mindful you're supposed to fill your mind with either a singular thing or something in the present moment and so um so when we're doing yoga when we're focusing on this balance pose this you know is my core you know um am I breathing you know all of that we are we are laser focused on our body our breath um and you'll notice that all of those all of those other things that your mind chases all the time have quieted um so that you can kind of hone in on um on what you're doing in that moment and that um again I always talk about creating that just creates space in your brain um to be able to to explore what's happening in here in here in your body um and that's that's that's valuable yeah yeah it's priceless yeah yeah I like to tell some people get um kind of scared when they hear yoga so I like to say it like just think of it as stretching so every night find the muscle that hurts yeah and just stretch it.

Speaker 39:23

And then next thing you know you're you will become so flexible because you know exactly okay my back is hurting because of this okay I know what kind of stretch will help me because I've done it so many times.

Speaker 3 39:33

That's something I've noticed is like like it's like the map of my inside is better. And so when I feel like my back is out I can just pop it back in. It's not like that big a deal yes you're mindful.

Speaker 1 39:49

Yeah and more in tune uh to what's what's happening and and what your body needs uh I think that that yeah that's awesome.

Speaker 39:57

Can you talk about men coming to the class? Because Mike's been to one of my classes but a lot of guys don't think yoga's only guy yeah they don't think yoga's for them for some reason.

Speaker 1 40:07

I know and gosh I um so in my um uh my yoga teacher training uh part of we had to do a couple of like research papers and um one of mine was on yoga for men and um because I'm like yes we we need we need more men doing the yoga um it's I mean it's just so valuable and and I mean we we get quite a few men that come to a vibe called yoga um I think that um it can just be so beneficial um you know I think for the body um I think that uh just just historically genetically you know men tend to be tighter in certain areas hips especially um sometimes in the back um and and it can just be so it can just be so beneficial for the body and then we think about like the mind and um and how um you know men just need that space I think too I think we all do but I think men especially um can use that space to just be to just exist I use the term sometimes in classes we we need to shift sometimes from doing to being um and and I think and again not to be gender stereotypical but I think men in our society are just are are doers and um and I think that it's uh important to uh to create space for men to to know that yoga is not a um a women's uh practice it's um it's for everybody and um I do I do a specific program for for boys uh so for like elementary to well it's an elementary age program uh I've written a curriculum for it but I work with boys all the way through high school um and just to get them started early just because it's such it's such an important practice I think um uh just with especially for boys you know it's just that emotional regulation the um so these these kids are stressed like kids are stressed and and like they need um something they need an outlet and listen boys love yoga like they yeah they are all about it I think there's this like I don't know this and I can only speak for my generation too because the the the the younger kids they got a whole new set too right like it's a whole whole whole new ballgame for them.

Speaker 3 42:40

But like I mean you want to go and do strength training in the gym and you want to feel it burn in all of your muscles afterwards and you want to you know feel like you're gonna pass out and your blood pressure's too high and you know and I I think yoga sometimes is seen as more of a relaxing thing which it's I mean it's relaxing but it's not really relaxing. You're tired at the end of it.

Speaker 1 43:03

Yes and you work muscles that you can't get to any other way too it's more of a full body workout instead of just a targeted you know absolutely absolutely yeah it's got to try it yeah try try yoga guys try it's funny it it really is and I think and you know what I say too to uh to men to everyone who is um the folks who are working out wanting to sweat building building building building those muscles um you know I say two things to that number one again try my power yoga class you will you build muscle there like we still do that with yoga um on the other side of that great a more gentle yoga class is is great to take after your before really and and or after um your really intense workout because you're you've got if you're building you've got to also stretch you've got to balance that out because you're so much more prone to tearing um and and you know muscle injuries when your muscles are way way way too tight. And so um so that's what I typically tell especially like athletes um it's just like those little stretches that your coach has you doing for like five seconds before not enough not enough it's not enough like you don't even understand the way the more flexibility and the mobility you can gain just by doing a little bit of yoga. Yes absolutely absolutely yeah yeah it's so important.

Speaker 44:35

So um tell us about your next event and how we can find you on social media.

Speaker 1 44:40

Yes yes so our um next event is um Sunday December 7th um it's at 2 o'clock p.m coger center for the arts and uh you can sign up at avibecallyoga com. Um follow us on Instagram uh at a vibe called yoga and Facebook and um we've got so many other things uh happening we've got a um you hear it heard it here first we've got a festival in the works for next year um uh so stay tuned to follow us um and and just kind of stay up to date on and all of the things that we have going on um but that's when our next one is that'll be our uh the December event will be the last one for 2025 and then uh we'll announce we'll release our our 2026 dates um shortly here and um and yeah stay tuned for the growth for the expansion um we're really really excited about where where we're gonna be going from here and you teach regular classes every week also I do yes where can people find find that yeah so I am mostly at Drew Wellness Center um yeah so several days out of the week I am there um I teach some classes at Fit Columbia I'm also uh an aerial yoga certified so doing lots of silk simples Columbia right okay yeah yeah so those are super fun um so yeah so I teach a a few classes in a few different places each week um and then you know my signature event a vibe called yoga every other month right now yeah awesome yeah but thank you for being here today thank you so much for having me this was wonderful if you turned this into a wellness retreat just let me know oh maybe stay tuned yes and I love how you'll maintain your yoga poses the whole time I had to adjust a little bit my knee was starting to out to adjust myself so well I'm I'm disciplined so sorry I just had to say that all right but just to wrap up the episode thank you guys for tuning in oh shout out to the space that we're in Celeb Studio um and especially shout out to Chef J.

Speaker 46:58

Um it's located at 224 O'Neill Court Unit 19 Columbia South Carolina 29223 you guys can rent this space for events and also podcasting if you would like it's on peer space. So with that being said tell somebody you love them thank you for being here and we'll see you guys on the next episode.

Speaker 3 47:17

Peace