“There is power in yourself in the goal. When diversity shows up in the room the inspiration of possibility soon follows” – Natalie Blakeney

Yoga was something that I did here and there. It was like a crush that I idealized but never had the courage to engage.

In 2018 that changed.

• Slowly but surely I found role models like Jessamyn Stanley. Not only did she totally strip me off my excuse that I was too “big” to do yoga she was the first person I ever saw practicing yoga to hip hop.
• Then when I told myself I was too old I saw a woman around my age in my gym going doing all types of things during her practice.

I stopped worrying. I would say to the instructor “okay, now let’s see what this body is going to do tonight.”

I stopped chasing the goal of yoga. It wasn’t a have too it was a want to. It wasn’t an every day grind it was a “I need the peace of my mat” choice.

• Then in August of 2019 I signed up for a 200 hour yoga teacher training.
• A little of three months in the program I turned 50 and confirmed that I had the knees to prove it.

But I did not quit. It was the opposite. I became even more determined to give back what yoga has given me.

Natalie Yoga Sessions started as a way to practice teaching for various assignments in my program.

It is now a space that I want to create to help more beginners, well um begin. I look forward to teaching and learning from a host of people who too have made the move to starting and deepening their yoga practice.