Julia Algya

I found yoga in my early 20's after I had struggled with chronic pain as a result of major surgery in my teens. Before yoga, I was extremely active and a disciplined athlete, and had never dabbled in any other form of exercise but cardio and organized sports. Yoga changed my perspective about everything. It changed the way I reacted to my personal life, situations out of my control, my thoughts, my body, and what I was capable of. I was addicted to how quickly my attitude and feelings changed after spending 60-80 minutes alone, just moving and breathing. It was so simple. After 2 years of developing a daily practice, I decided I wanted to become a teacher. It was the best decision I ever made for myself. My perspective about teaching has changed so much over the last 5 years, two studios, and the influence of many teachers and students. I don't teach because I have something good to say or because I know everything about yoga, I teach simply because yoga changed my life in many ways. It brought to light so many areas that needed growth, to be acknowledged, and it forced me to find myself. Every single time I step foot into my home studio, I feel like I belong. I don't struggle with my identity, I don't struggle to impress, I am just me, flawed and all. I teach so that others might allow themselves to heal, to breakthrough, and so that others might feel loved and accepted if only for an hour.

“Yoga is not to be performed but to be lived. Yoga is not about what you have been. Yoga is about the person you are becoming”.