Let's go back to summer of 2017 when I had the absolute pleasure of photographing 11 of the CorePower Yoga Instructors at the Redondo Beach studio. This was surely a year of building self-confidence in my work! I really pushed myself to shoot more often, exploring more styles and ideas. I am so very thankful for each and every person who came to participate in this shoot. Thank you for being truly inspiring human beings and giving back to your community.

We had snacks for those who got hungry while we stretched out and warmed up. Outfits and poses were coordinated ahead of time to ensure complete efficiency. I’m a firm believer in planning most of the details beforehand making the process of shooting quicker and much more efficient. Each Yogini (short for Yoga Instructor) had a 15-minute time slot. There were two time slots for group photos. Both studio managers and the Hot Power Fusion Instructors. We lucked out with having a large 10-foot open window full of natural light. I filled in the rest of the light with my Octobox for softer even light.

Everyone was recording Instagram stories while we shot with each Yogini. Fun playful music played in the background making the experience smooth but relaxed. Above are a few of the behind the scenes stories from that day.

I am quite proud of the outcome of this shoot. I had never shot in a yoga studio before. Checked it off the long list of dream locations I want to photograph. The images were overall pretty sharp in focus even though I could have made the Shutter Speed a little faster. Below are a few of my absolute favorite shots from the day. I hope to photograph at the studio again in the near future.

My favorite part of this shoot was getting to showcase all the Instructors abilities and strengths. It’s always been important to me as a Photographer to capture all the beauty each of my subjects posses. Until next time CorePower, NAMASTE!

This year I embarked on the most beneficial journey of my life. I was able to meet amazing people, grow deeper into my yoga practice and learn how to guide others into their practice. An experience that I will never forget!

The photo above was captured the first night of training and the last photo was captured on the last night we all gathered. We all started out our relationships with total strangers but soon became the best of friends. I remember thinking to myself "I'm going to bond with these people because of yoga. How incredibly blessed am I". Blessed I truly was. From the nights we spent practice teaching to the day we did karma yoga at the beach, I formed the tightest bonds with my fellow yogis.

My nerves were calmed when we opened the first session with an OM. It was my first experience and it totally shifted my mood completely. We gathered in a circle siting cross-legged with our left hand on our hearts and our right hand on our neighbors upper back. With two deep breaths in and two breaths out, we began creating vibrations with our vocals. Getting to feel everyone's vibrations flow throughout the room was truly magical.

By week four we finished going through the C1 sequence and covered the rest of the adjustments we learned. I felt a sense of nostalgia thinking that just yesterday we started going through the integration series of the C1. There was a beautiful transition happening inside me that I can't help but embrace.

Yoga anatomy was broken up into two 4 hour sessions the same week. I think we all kind of forgot about how fast training was going by at this point. Anatomy was one of the lectures I was looking forward to the most. We took on quite a bit of information that really broke down the "why" of what we teach. Re learning about the muscle groups and what purpose fascia serves in our bodies was eye opening. Suddenly I felt how right everything was. This is where I needed to be and what I needed to be doing. I was becoming more of what I wanted to be, a yoga teacher.

Our last night together as a group of 18 newly found teachers, we shared in a group circle. These people were no longer total strangers to me but 17 of the most inspiring humans I've ever met. Not a day goes by that I don't think of them and send my positive vibes. Below is a poem I read to my fellow yogis that describes how training felt for me. The title is linked to where I found it!

I Will Be Your Sun

You carry a whole world with you.
A planet rests upon your shoulders.
You may not see it, but I do.

There is a Universe Within that you carry wherever you go.
Ecosystems of passion and romance. Warring nations of worry and fear.
A billion living ideas, stories and experiences that make up a whole history
named You.

Wherever you go, I promise to be your sun.

It’s not that your life revolves around me.
Think of it like this:
Whenever you come to me, I will do my best to be quiet and still
and shine nothing but kindness and light upon you.

Fast forward to finishing training in June, journaling and essays have become a way of life. "Gotta get this done" has been a repetitive mantra for months now. I'm proud of myself for finishing the program and working towards such a big goal of mine. The support from my parents, boyfriend and friends has been a big motivator for me and I don't honestly know where I would be without them! Thank you for always believing in me. NAMASTE!

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