Meet Laurie Angress | Yoga Therapist & iRest Meditation Teacher

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

Hi Laurie, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
After years of study in the field of Yoga Therapy and meditation that so greatly enhanced my life, I knew the teachings had to be shared. When sharing tools for living a life in balance and harmony is the business, it is imperative that I practice living a balanced life. I continue to be reminded as I offer my services that I am offering a piece of myself. To be a great teacher, I need to walk my talk and practice what I preach so to speak. Practicing what I teach keeps me grounded and allows me to embody the wisdom so that what I share is authentic and relevant. Additionally, I have had to face my fears as an entrepreneur! Fear of judgment, failure, and even success. Running a business can be a path to self actualization if you are willing to observe yourself and your practices objectively. When I am able to push through self doubt and take steps forward, I am growing both my business and my soul. The way I approach life is reflected in my business and vice versa. I am continuously self assessing and seeking mentorship so that I can be the best I can be as a human and business owner.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My path has been steady and constant toward getting the highest level of certification in both Yoga Therapy and iRest Meditation. I’m proud of these two accomplishments that allow me to live with ease and share these tools with others. The amount of work I put into these trainings occurred over 6 years as I simultaneously raised my children, ran a household and began to work part time in the field of yoga wellness. I had great support from my husband and my approach to slowly growing a business has worked well for me. I acknowledge that each entrepreneur will follow her own rhythm and pace and I encourage this. The entrepreneur’s journey is a lesson in self discovery and should be treated with curiosity and compassion toward the self. My approach to serving others along their path to wellness includes understanding first and foremost who you are and what goals you have. I have over 23 years of parenting skills (read patience, empathy, listening), study and practice in Non-Violent communication (NVC), and listening on the sidewalk with Sidewalk Talk. These humanistic experiences add to the vast toolbox that I draw from within Yoga Therapy and iRest meditation. I approach each individual as a whole, complete and unbroken being and meet you as you are. Establishing trust is key before offering a wellness plan that draws from my toolbox of life (yoga, meditation, listening, communication).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A lovely day might start with a pier to pier walk along the beach in my hometown of Manhattan Beach. Breakfast outdoors at Le Pain Quotidian followed by a drive to Palos Verdes to the Pt. Vicente lighthouse and marine museum. Back to my house to rest and change before picking up a picnic dinner and heading to an outdoor concert at the Hollywood Bowl. One of many amazing options!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout out to Amy Wheeler, my teacher, mentor and friend. Amy is the founder of Optimal State (www.amywheeler.com) and in addition to studying mental health and physical health for Yoga Therapists, she offers a Business Development course. Through this business development course, I have discovered so much about myself! Amy is super skilled at helping me dig deep and discover what I really want to do, what my super powers are, and why I want to serve as a yoga therapist. It’s through Amy’s course that I realized that being a business owner can be a self actualization process. So, it is not easy and it can be fun with the right attitude. I am so grateful to Amy and all of her programs that help so many heal, grow and succeed.

Website: www.mindfulyogatherapy.net
Instagram: laurieangress AND mindful.yoga.therapy
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-angress
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurie.angress/

Image Credits
Katya