Maria Chal

I first got involved in yoga at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky in 2008. Fitness has always been important to me, and yoga proved to be the perfect outlet for me to let go of some undergraduate stress and to cross-train. Running was my major hobby, but yoga kept my muscles flexible and prevented me from getting any major running injuries. During undergrad, I ran 3 half marathons, 2 marathons, and a mini triathlon--and I had a blast every step of the way, but after a while the running was just too strenuous on my body (at the amount that I did it). I turned more and more to yoga.

At Bellarmine, I studied Biology and English. I was always fascinated by the connectivity of the natural world and the intricate functioning of the human body--and other living things too. I think that is also what I like about yoga. It allows us to foster a connection between breath and body--taking us deeper into our own selves and bringing us to the forefront of our lives, the present moment. However, when I graduated in 2011 I still didn't know what I wanted to do. I was always bouncing back and forth between being a doctor or a teacher. I was pre-med and took the entrance exam for medical school, but I was still unsure if that's the direction that I really wanted to go in. I decided to spend a year volunteering as a teacher in Uganda, East Africa. I was teaching Biology, English, Computer, and even teaching Yoga during the P.E. classes. I was worried about teaching yoga at first. First of all, I wasn't officially certified as a yoga instructor. Secondly, I was afraid that it wouldn't fit into their culture very well. But when I began teaching, they loved it. I was teaching the high school girls that attended the boarding school where I worked. We didn't have mats, incense, or a well-lit studio to practice in, but that didn't matter because yoga is yoga wherever you are.

When I returned from Uganda in August of 2012, I began a Masters in English at the University of Cincinnati, and I signed up for Teacher Training at Yoga ah studio in Northside, Cincinnati by recommendation of my first yoga teacher and mentor, Holly Holland. I spent the winter studying and learning more about yoga, building myself a disciplined practice, and teaching. I found the teacher's voice inside of me--and realized that I don't have to go to medical school to share the amazing facts about biology and life with others. I spent my summer vacation back in Uganda, teaching Biology and Chemistry and Yoga! It was a blast. I also love to travel, if you haven't picked that up yet. I also work as an Editorial Assistant for Edible Ohio Valley Magazine and as a tutor at the Boys and Girls Club in Covington, Kentucky. I have been attending UC since then, and I will graduate this December. Yay!