Tell Me All About It: Q&A with Angelyn Shapiro

Meet Angelyn Shapiro. She's an amazing yoga teacher, mother, blogger, and all around inspiring lady who recently made the jump from a high-powered day job to life as a full-time yoga teacher + mama (or yogini-mama, as she calls it). 

I personally know Angelyn, and am consistently impressed by her poise, her impeccably-sequenced classes, and her passion for life (and teaching!). 

She is one of those women who does it all without ever batting an eye--I'm always blown away by her thoughtfulness, her adorable holiday cards and thank you notes, her perfect hair (both before AND after yoga)--and every interaction with her leaves me wondering, "How does she stay so on top of everything and do it all with such grace?"

So, today, we get to learn a bit more about Angelyn and how she makes it all work while rocking never-greasy, never-sweaty, never-out-of-place hair (am I obsessing a bit over her hair, here?). 

Read below for the inside scoop on all things Angelyn and New Beginnings...

What's your yoga story? What made you want to start teaching?
I have to confess that I first became interested in teaching yoga because I saw it as a path toward a free gym membership. Fast forward to the present, and I can’t even recall the last time I visited a gym! What keeps me teaching is the joy of helping a student overcome a challenge or achieve something they thought wasn’t possible, as well as providing much-needed respite from the stresses of everyday life.

What inspires you?
My baby girl. She is incredibly joyful and curious – two traits many of us lose with age and real-world experience. The sound of her laugh reminds me not to take life so seriously and the delight she expresses when she discovers something new encourages me to find the wonder in every moment.

Describe a "typical" day in the life...
Since leaving my former career to become a full time yogini-mama, there is no “typical” day… One day I may work from 6am until 8:30pm with clients ranging from active high-powered professionals to toddlers to mobility challenged seniors to mamas-to-be, and the next I may spend most of the day working on writing projects from the comfort of my favorite coffee shop.

If you had to give one piece of advice to women (or men!) who want to take the plunge and pursue their dreams of working for themselves or starting their own business or blog, what would it be?
I have to cheat here and offer two pieces of advice that were critical for me: 

(1)  Ensure you have the support of the most important person/people in your life. Your leap will affect them tremendously, and you will need support when it gets challenging – because it will at some point.

(2)  Start small. Not everyone has a job they love, but many imperfect jobs provide the freedom or resources to pursue your passions outside of the office. Take a training, submit an article, teach a class on the weekends. This may be all you need to feel more fulfilled – and if you are still craving more, you can move forward with the benefit of experience.  

What's your favorite part of your job(s)?
I have fallen in love with the flexibility and constantly changing landscape of this new venture. But the best part by far is the ability to spend so much quality time with my baby girl. I am able to spend entire days with her, and even on the days I work away from home, I can stop home between appointments and meetings to read a book to her or join her for a tea party.  

What's your favorite type of music to practice to? Favorite yoga song?
I am almost embarrassed to admit the soundtrack to my home practice is most often Morning Edition on NPR. The steady voices provide grounding when I am struggling in a challenging pose, and the stories help me stay present when my mind might otherwise wander to plans and preparations for the day.  

Words (or quote) you live by? 
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

To say I am successfully living by this mantra would be a stretch, but it is a constant reminder to let go of the past and live in the present.

How do you try to live a mindful life?
It is so easy to get caught up in the demands of our roles and responsibilities, but I know that to be the best mama/wife/teacher/daughter/friend I can be, I need to spend less time planning and looking ahead to the next thing and more time simply enjoying (or at least experiencing) the present moment. I am constantly reminding myself that THIS moment is the only one of its kind, and if I miss it, it is gone. 

Want to learn more about Angelyn? You can find her in the following places: 

• Website
• Blog
• Facebook

Thanks for telling me all about it, Angelyn! 

Now one last question for you: What's the secret to your perfect hair? ;)