“A Day in the Life” is BostInno’s weekly series, where we’ll profile a variety of residents to get an intimate glimpse into their day-to-day. These are your neighbors. Get to know them.
Most of us, at one point or another, have participated in a yoga class. But how many of us could really teach the fluid yoga poses to other students? It’s harder than it looks, requiring concentration, expertise in your field and of course, the ability to lead a class. I wondered how these yoga instructors teach and perform on a daily basis without losing their peace of mind.
I decided to find out by interviewing Lauren, a mid-twenties yoga instructor living in the Boston area. The yoga instructor has taught at numerous studios around the city and spends her time teaching between Newburyport and Boston. She completed her teaching training at Rasamaya in Newburyport and started her career teaching yoga for children at a summer camp in the Boston area. She then began teaching classes at Rasamaya in Newburyport as well as working at Lululemon. Recently, Lauren taught yoga at Babson College for the Next Step’s No Longer Voiceless Conference and One Love Project.
How do you spend most mornings?
As a yoga instructor, most morning schedules are especially sporadic. I’m usually teaching anytime between 7am to 7pm. But the great thing is all I have to do is put my hair up, a yoga outfit on and I’m ready to go. I always do a few handstands to help me wake up (coffee helps, too).
What are the top priorities on your to-do list right now?
To read as much as possible. Since my teacher training I’ve realized the best way to stay on my game and teach the best classes is to keep learning. I’m actually reading a book on Yin Yoga right now. Another priority of mine is to start teaching yoga to children. Kids are so free-spirited and always a great reminder to not take yourself too seriously.
I’m also currently doing a Joulebody Cleanse for the very first time. I’m trying it out before recommending it to my students.
What is the worst part and the best part about your typical day as a yoga instructor?
I’d say the schedule is both good and bad. There are some days when I would love to have the typical 9-to-5 job and a real routine. But other days it totally rocks to have a random weekday off.
If you could impart one piece of advice to your students and our readers, what would it be?
Much like a difficult pose in yoga, a huge part of life is overcoming challenging or uncomfortable situations. But the best piece of advice I have is don’t forget to breathe! It’s an automatic response to tense up and forget to breathe when you’re in an uncomfortable pose. But the best thing you can do to counter that is breathe through it.
What would you do if you were suddenly granted a day off from work tomorrow?
I’d spend the day at the beach. Even when it gets colder out I love leaving my phone in my car and taking my dog there for a few hours. For me that’s the ultimate escape from daily life.
What’s one TV show you can’t live without right now?
I’m a huge Sons of Anarchy fan. I’ve been watching it since season one and never miss an episode. It’s pretty violent and gory, and I’m pretty sure my friends are secretly horrified that it’s my favorite show. But I think that’s why I love it so much—it’s so different from own life.
If you weren’t answering my questions, what would you be doing instead?
This is super embarrassing but I’d probably be cleaning my room. I’m not the type of person to set my outfits out the night before or color code my closet. If my room was clean though I’d probably be reading an article online from Elephant Journal or Origin Magazine. There’s so many great yoga related resources available on the internet—I can get distracted for hours reading article after article.
Think you have an interesting day-to-day life or know someone who does? Send an email to marian
