English version of Kathryn Budig interview

How important is inspiration in our Yoga practice and in our Yoga teaching (if you are teaching) ?

My answer is : it is INCREDIBLY important !

Staying inspired is just what nourishes our practice and gives us the will to step on our mat again and again to practice.

When we read books or blog of inspiring Yoga teachers or practitioners, it has got an amazingly positive influence on our own practice + love of Yoga !

As I discovered this fact, I published an article about the best Instagram + blogs among the Yoga sphere.

And I also started a series of renowned Yoga teachers’ interviews.

I started this interview series by asking a few questions to Elena Brower ! If you missed the interview, check it out there !

And today, I just got the incredible luck of interviewing Kathryn Budig, a yogini and famous Yoga teacher I have been admiring and following for a few years !

So let’s dive in now for this exclusive Kathryn Budig interview !

Who is Kathryn Budig ?

Kathryn Budig is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher and author known for her accessibility, humor, and ability to empower her students through her message, « aim true. »

She is a warrior for self-acceptance, honesty, and helping her students and readers find true balance. The Kansas native graduated from the University of Virginia with a double degree in English and Drama before moving to Los Angeles, where she trained under the tutelage of Maty Ezraty and Chuck Miller.

With over a decade of experience in her field, she is the yoga contributor to Women’s Health magazine, writes weekly for Yoga Journal, and serves on the Yahoo! Health advisory board as well as contributing regular recipes.

She’s a sponsored athlete in Under Armour’s « I WILL WHAT I WANT » campaign, an ambassador for Ford’s « Warriors in Pink, » and the founder of her animal project, Poses for Paws.

She is the creator of the Aim True Yoga DVD produced by Gaiam, author of The Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga, and will be releasing her second book, Aim True, in early 2016 through William Morrow; an imprint of Harper Collins.

You can practice with Kathryn around the world at workshops, festivals, and conferences, or save yourself the plane ticket by practicing with her weekly online at Yogaglo.com

Bio from Kathryn’s website.

Get to know more about Kathryn and be inspired by her through her exclusive interview !

First of all, I would like to thank Kathryn and express her how grateful I am to her for having been so enthusiastic to answer my questions and for her precious time !

I LOVE practicing with Kathryn online and following her on social but I have not yet had the opportunity of practicing live with her. No doubt I will have the chance one day 🙂

So let’s get started with the interview !!

Portrait of Kathryn Budig

Claudia YogaPassion  : Can you tell us how the 1st Yoga class you took was? How did you feel?

Kathryn Budig : Honestly, I really disliked my first proper yoga class. I couldn’t connect to the teacher, found him annoying and too hands-y. My friend convinced me to try another teacher, which I did—that’s when I fell in love. Thank god for my friend’s persistence!

Kathryn Budig moving through a handstand

Y.P. :  How did you go from being a local Yoga teacher to a superstar Yoga teacher?

K.B. : I never intended to make a career out of yoga. I was teaching locally and loving it. I started off by teaching a few local workshops then wondered what it’d be like to teach in other cities. I reached out to cities that I’d already be visiting or places close to my family and would call them up to see if they had any interest in hosting. This slowly picked up and then without even realizing it I was on the travel circuit.

Y.P. : What is it you prefer in your job?

K.B. : It’s all about the students. The travel exhausts me and I’d much rather be home these days, but the students make it all worth it. I adore teaching and love seeing the light turn on behind people’s eyes 🙂

Y.P : Do your drama studies have an influence on your teachings? If so, how does it happen?

K.B : My drama training prepared me to have a presence in front of large groups of people. It taught me how to deal with the stress of performance and to keep an audience entertained.

Y.P : Do you identify some links between sky-diving and yogic breathing? I also saw that you are practicing boxing and other sports, does it balance right with your Yoga practice? What’s your work-out routine?

K.B : I’ll do pranayama work before a skydive, but once I’m in the air, it’s back to regular breathing. More than anything, yoga and skydiving both teach me how to be completely present in each moment and to stay calm and open. I’ve recently fallen in love with martial arts. I’m practicing Kempo Karate, Brazilian Ju Jitsu, sparring and some Kung Fu. If I have a particularly intense day of training with martial arts, I do a more restorative yoga practice at night. Martial arts and yoga are wonderful complements to each other.

Y.P. : Can you tell us a little bit more about your motto « Aim true » and how it reflects in your own life, practice and teachings? How close is it related to Satya?

K.B : Aim true is my ability to embrace my natural talents and passions regardless of what others think or say, dropping the fear that prevents me from pursuing them and knowing when I do this, I always hit my mark. It shows up in everything I do—how I teach my students, how I behave, how I post on social media and the list goes on. I’d say it holds components of Satya as it encourages people to find and own their truth.

Kathryn in a crow pose (bakasana)

Y.P : What are your upcoming projects?

K.B : My 2nd book called Aim True is releasing on March 29^th next year. The writing is done, but now I’m moving into prep for its release and planning book tour and events.

Meet and follow Kathryn Budig on her own website and on social networks :

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

Now it’s up to you !!

Did you like this interview ? If so, share it with your friends and leave me a comment ! What did you discover today about Kathryn that you did not know yet ?

I wish you an amazing Summer Yoga practice 🙂