Meet Nona Chiang | Yoga Teacher, Teacher Trainer and Mentor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nona Chiang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nona, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
My work as a yoga teacher helps people to live healthier, happier and more peaceful lives. Through the physical practice of yoga postures, we learn how to work with our bodies in a peaceful, loving way, exploring the many possibilities available to us. We literally get to know ourselves better through our practice of yoga. “What are your habits, your tendencies, your preferences?” is something you might hear me say in class. In this process of self-discovery, we sometimes find things we don’t like, ways of being or habits that can be shed. If we choose to follow through and either consciously make changes OR practice self acceptance of what is, then we have the opportunity to become better versions of ourselves. The peace that we develop within ourselves can then spread out into our communities and the world around us.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been teaching yoga since 2003. After completing my 200-Hour Teacher Training at YogaWorks in Santa Monica with Maty Ezraty and Lisa Walford, I was asked to sub a few classes here and there. For the first year or so, whenever I walked into a room to teach, I was absolutely terrified! I felt self-conscious and unsure of myself. Simply put, I lacked confidence. As I gained teaching experience, I became more confident and my personal teaching style developed and grew–I improved the use of my voice, my hands-on adjustments and sequencing abilities. Moreover, I heard from my students that my teaching was helping them improve not only their physical health, but also their mental state. That’s when I knew I was onto something, and that I had something to share that could help others.

One of the lessons I learned along the way is not to take myself too seriously. For example, if I say “left” instead of “right,” mis-state the name of a pose or fall over while I’m demonstrating, I just laugh at myself and move on. I’ve also learned to establish healthy boundaries and have a great respect for the student-teacher relationship. I try to treat others the way that I myself want to be treated. I listen to my students and do my best to treat them with respect and consideration. I try to nurture and encourage students to be the best versions of themselves. I’ve also learned not to hold onto students too tightly. Every student will eventually outgrow their teacher. There is another teacher who will help them along the next leg of their journey.

Before the pandemic, I taught regularly in Pasadena, Tarzana and Larchmont Village. Since March 2020, I have taught primarily online. I’m really proud of myself for stepping up to the challenge of bringing my teaching online and starting my own business, Nona Chiang Yoga, this past year. I cater to both beginning and experienced students and offer a variety of classes, workshops and teacher trainings. I have been called compassionate, articulate and kind by students and teachers alike. I am probably best known for my ability to teach challenging poses in a methodical, step-by-step fashion as well as the ability to make yoga philosophy accessible and applicable to our daily lives.

I am very fortunate to have some very loyal students who have been taking classes with me for many years now, and I am so heartened that they have had the courage and fortitude to transfer their yoga practice online with me. I have also really enjoyed “meeting” new students who are now “regulars” as well! Teaching and practicing yoga has definitely been the highlight of each of my days during this crazy year.

For me, and for most yoga teachers, the past year has been a huge learning experience. We have had to up our game in terms of acquiring and using new technology, develop our marketing and social media skills, and even adapt our teaching style to meet the demands of online instruction. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to continue to grow and improve as a teacher and as a human being!

And yet not a day goes by when I don’t think of the thousands of people who lost their jobs because of the pandemic and the sacred spaces where we used to gather, practice yoga, laugh and cry together. The loss is palpable, even after more than a year. I think we took for granted that these places would ALWAYS be there and it is a real shock to the system to realize that many have closed their doors permanently. Most of us are aware of the impact of the pandemic on small businesses in general, which is heartbreaking in and of itself. However, the impact of the pandemic on both the yoga community and theater community in Los Angeles and beyond cannot be understated. My husband and I have been intimately connected to these communities for decades now, and despite it all, we remain hopeful for the future. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, we begin again.

The lessons from our practice of yoga can definitely help guide us through life’s many challenges. We are charged with simply putting one foot in front of the other, and making any amount of forward progress, despite the numerous obstacles placed before us. Can we navigate life’s many twists and turns in a graceful, methodical way, while keeping our wits about us? Can we practice tolerance, patience and kindness towards ourselves and others?

As a Yoga Teacher, Teacher Trainer and Mentor, these are the types of things I try to instill in my students. It’s a journey we are all on together, and I am grateful to live in a diverse city where we can continue to make forward progress together.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Many friends and family have visited me in Los Angeles lots since I moved here in 1998 and back in the day, we would never leave the westside! But in 2005, I moved from Santa Monica to Highland Park, which is about as far from the ocean as you can get and still be in LA.

Highland Park has gone through such a transformation in the last 16 years! There are dozens of new restaurants, bars and shops, and it is heartwarming to see that so many of them have survived (or opened during!) the pandemic.

Some of my favorites are:

Joy on York Boulevard, which serves excellent Taiwanese food and has a thriving takeout service.

Ichijiku Sushi, which has the best lobster handrolls and wonderful outdoor seating in a courtyard out back.

Ramen on York, of the famed Silverlake Ramen team, need I say more?!

Highland Park Bowl, LA’s oldest bowling alley, is a great place to hang out, eat, drink and people watch.

Tenshoppe, a new clothing and lifestyle store on Figueroa which just opened in the old Forever 21 location. They have beautiful things at affordable prices, and with great service, too!

Amara Kitchen on Avenue 64 has lots of vegan and gluten free options, including pancakes, purple eggs and more. It’s our go-to spot for brunch! Sssshh.

La Estrella Tacos has two locations in Highland Park, and they’re always a sure bet to feed my family’s to-go burrito habit.

My kids and I love going to the Broad Museum and Disney Concert Hall, although obviously we haven’t done that for some time now. I’m also getting excited about the immersive Van Gogh exhibit, I just have to work on getting some tickets…

The public staircases in LA never appealed to me as much as they have since the beginning of the pandemic, when my local YMCA closed. I’ve walked every day for the past 14 months and often climb multiple staircases in the process. They are definitely a hidden jewel of our city!

As much as I love Northeast Los Angeles, I’m always up for a road trip! It would be a toss up between heading south towards Encinitas, north to Ventura, Ojai and Carpinteria, or east to Joshua Tree or Palm Springs. I love spending time in nature, either at the beach, in the mountains or in the desert. We could camp or book a stay at one of my favorite vacation spots, which shall remain nameless for now. We would hike, take a soak in a pool or hot tub, and then just relax!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate this to all of my students. Their commitment to practicing regularly, to showing up for themselves and for each other during this incredibly challenging year is very inspiring. Together, we have built a wonderful online yoga community and each time I teach, I look forward to seeing students login to class from places near and far. Of course, it’s always bittersweet to “End Meeting for All.” I wish Zoom would change that to, “Until we meet again!”

Website: https://nonachiang.com

Instagram: @nonachiangyoga

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nona-chiang-02402a4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nonachiangyoga

Image Credits
Headshot – Appelusa Photography; Chair Shoulderstand – Darra Baker; 2019 Teacher Training – Heather Kirsten; Ardha Chandrasana – Eddie O’Neill; Parsvakonasana w/ Students – Geoffrey Prather; Ustrasana Setup – Olivia Eng; TT Sequencing – Olivia Eng; 300-Hr Graduates – Unknown