Life

A Reintroduction

Well, hello old friends. It feels a bit like coming home writing in this space again and I couldn’t be happier about it. I find myself totally shocked every time I look at this blog and realize it’s been around for 7 years. When I first started blogging I was in the process of leaving my “9-5” to pursue my entrepreneurial dream. I sit here now and tell you that it all worked out. That girl who wondered if she’d ever have students fill up her classes, or if she’d ever make enough money “just teaching yoga”, well if I could go back in time, I’d be able to let her know it would all be ok. I made my full time income, taught way too many classes, sold out many sessions, and eventually had to start saying no and subcontract out excess work. My business survived the pandemic (I hadn’t imagined teaching students through my computer when I first envisioned this journey!). And now? Well I currently write this with two squirming babies beside me while we wait for our two year old to wake up. Not quite the ending I had thought of when I started this journey, to be honest.

It’s funny, when I started this blog it was because I wanted to bring traffic to my site to promote my classes, build a community, and share my knowledge, thoughts and experience with everyone. I have returned to this blog with many of the same intentions. Now that I’ve paused my career to focus on my family for the next couple years, I miss the community I built while teaching. I find myself with lots of experiences I want to share and have a lot more advice for others based on the experience I’ve had as a small business owner. So here we are. Let me reintroduce myself. I’m Sandra. A certified yoga teacher of 10 years and owner of Your Best Yoga, which is currently on pause because in 2022 I was given the surprise of my life when I found out I was pregnant with twins. So now I am a mom of 3 boys under 3, which is actually busier than it sounds, and I spend more time these days changing diapers than I ever thought possible. I love being a mom and I also have been craving a creative outlet to connect with other adults so that I don’t lose my mind (you feel me?).

So what can you expect in this space? There may be some yoga tutorials and content, but there will also be my opinion and perspective on motherhood as I navigate being a #twinmom and mom of 3 under 3, as that’s what my day to day consists of lately. You can also expect some helpful content on the business side of the yoga world. I started creating and gathering some really good content and advice for future yogi-prenuers when I was pregnant, but I greatly underestimated how little energy I’d have with two newborns and a toddler, so I’ve been sitting on it all this time. Now is the time to get it out there!

So stay tuned! I’d love to connect with you! Leave me a comment here or follow me on Instagram. I would like to commit to a regular posting schedule but I’m not making promises I can’t keep at the moment. I will as always, just do my best.

Sandra

Your Best Yoga ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Hello There! 

Well, it feels pretty great to be here typing out a Blog Post (since it's been about 2 million years since I've written....) What can I say?? I was NOT feeling inspired to write. I hit a wall. I got busy with other things. I've missed you. 

Since I've been away, I've been happy to see that folks are still getting all sorts of information from this here Blog. This Post seems to be the most popular, which is a little concerning - are there that many of you feeling sick after Yoga?? I hope the post offers you some answers, and also encourages you to get back on your mat and try again!

I've stopped in today with a couple of Announcements!!!

First of all, Your Best Yoga is looking to EXPAND this Fall!! I would like to bring this program to more people in Winnipeg, and to do that, I am going to need to provide classes in different areas of the City. So, I am looking into additional City of Winnipeg Community Centres that will take our Beginner Friendly & inclusive Yoga program, in. I'm certainly open to suggestions as to which centres to approach, so if you are currently in a part of Winnipeg without readily available Yoga classes - let me know!! I hope to have an additional home for Your Best Yoga by August (we won't be leaving our original home of Winakwa CC) so stay tuned. 

My Second announcement is equally as exciting! Your Best Yoga will be offering a FREE/DONATION based OUTDOOR Yoga class on July 26th in support of Manitoba Underdogs Rescue!!!! Check out the poster below for all of the details. I really hope to see you there :) 

I have a couple of Blog posts planned for the next month, so, if all goes well, I'll see you again here real soon :) I hope you are enjoying Summer so far! 

- Sandra 

Real Life: 5 Brutal Truth's about Being a Yoga Teacher

Real Life: 5 Brutal Truth's about Being a Yoga Teacher

You have just completed your 200 hour Teacher Training and received your certificate. You are officially a Yoga teacher, and you can't wait to hit the ground running (or sun saluting as it may be). Before you take the leap into becoming a Full-Time Yoga teacher, I want to pass along some of the lessons (ie: Brutal Truth's) I've learned along my journey, including some things I wish I had learned sooner. 

Disclaimer: These brutal truth's include money talk but I am not implying that money/income etc. is the end all, be all when it comes to deciding on a profession. 

How to Clean your Yoga Mat - Tips and Products!

How to Clean your Yoga Mat - Tips and Products!

When people arrive at class and start rolling out their Yoga mats, I often hear one of a couple exclamations... "I left my mat in the car - it's frozen!" (It's very cold where I live), or "My mat really needs a wash". If I hear the second statement, it is often followed by the question - "how should I clean this thing?". We have a pretty intimate relationship with those mats of ours. We lay, sit, roll, and sometimes fall asleep on them, however, we clean them a lot less often than we do our homes, floors, or clothing. So, what is the best way to clean your Yoga mat? Here's a few ideas...

Making Yoga Accessible for Children with Special Needs - Why it's Important to me

Making Yoga Accessible for Children with Special Needs - Why it's Important to me

One of my offerings through Your Best Yoga that I don't talk much about is my "Your Best Kids" program. This program offers Yoga for children and youth with various and special needs, either in an in-home, private setting (I come to your home), or at school or other community organization. Today I wanted to give a bit of background on why this type of programming is so important to me and how I try to make Yoga accessible to children and youth with varying needs, so they can experience the joy, and many benefits, of Yoga and Mindfulness.