Meet Kendall, our December Teacher Feature as she shares her yoga journey!
Warrior III is the yoga pose that best describes Kendall’s life:
“Some days I feel super grounded and strong. Other days I feel a little more wobbly and uneven. Either way, I’m always looking for that sweet spot between strong and soft, open and grounded.”
Feel free to attend one of her class and read on to learn more about Kendall.
Kendall’s Class Schedule:
- Tuesdays at 8 PM, All Levels Flow @ Dupont
- Sundays at 10:45 AM, Flow 2-3 @ 14th St.
- Sundays at 6:45 PM, Powerful Flow 1.5-3 @ 14th St.
What is your name and your favorite style of class to teach?
My name is Kendall. I love teaching power vinyasa classes inspired by Baron Baptiste. I’m most able to relax and get out of my mind when I feel like I’m getting a really great workout. I find that power classes are quicker paced, allowing me to focus more on my body and less on my to-do list back home. These classes are strong, playful, and just challenging enough that they push you to find your edge and maybe discover something new.
Describe your personal circumstances or experiences that made you want to share yoga.
Throughout college I volunteered with an organization that provided programming and support to mentally disabled adults. One of the activities we offered was yoga. On my first day volunteering at the yoga class, the regularly-scheduled instructor didn’t show up. As someone who practiced yoga, the volunteer coordinator asked me to step in and sub a quick 30 minute class. After 30 minutes of stretching and laughing, I saw most of the room find some stillness and calm for the first time. This transformative power of yoga made me want to share the practice with others.
What advice do you have to someone sharing yoga with others?
Be authentic! I think the best yoga classes are the classes where teachers are comfortable to be themselves. If you’re silly and energetic, then let your classes be silly and energetic. Yoga should never be so serious that you (or your students) are afraid to laugh.
What pose or practice do you like to teach to help students feel empowered? To relieve stress?
Any type of inversion. I think there is this amazing breakthrough that happens the first time students face their fears and change their perspective. Inversions come with this great sense of pride and frustration that both lift us up and humble us at the same time. I think they’re empowering because they show us that we’re capable of things we never thought we’d be cable of (like balancing on our heads!).
To relieve stress, I really like seated forward folds. These poses allow us to ground down, steady our heart rates, and turn inwards. They allow us to close the eyes and just focus on releasing any areas of tension in the body.
What is your favorite thing to do around town?
Some of my favorite things are yoga, coffee, policy, and the outdoors. I’d say I’m definitely in the right place. When I’m not at the studio, you can usually find me exploring one of DC’s many coffee shops, listening to an NPR podcast, or escaping the city for a weekend hike.
What is your favorite thing about the DC yoga community?
The people! I think we are surrounded by incredible teachers and students in DC that constantly challenge me to grow and improve. I’ve met some of my closest friends through our DC yoga community and am incredibly thankful for their support and guidance.
How long have you been in DC?
I actually grew up right outside of DC so I have been in the area my whole life. My parents even still work in the city, so occasionally I can convince them to come to a class or two!
