Meet Anne Van Valkenburg | Yoga Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anne Van Valkenburg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anne, what’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
I have had two difficult decisions. The first one was in 2019 when I decided to leave my yoga career, and my yoga community, in Los Angeles. I had a great teaching schedule at Yoga Works, as well as many private clients. I was also teaching at least two teacher trainings a year, traveling internationally. I accepted a full-time position as the lead yoga teacher at a start-up wellness company in Hawaii. Besides teaching, I became a manager and kept this role for two years. The second, and most difficult decision was to leave this role and pursue my yoga career, essentially doing it all on my own. Leaving a guaranteed salary, health benefits, and future job opportunities in the company was (and still is) scary. Navigating through this new era of online yoga, social media marketing, and putting myself out there more actively also brings a lot of fear. It’s easy for insecurities and self-doubt to arise. In the end, I chose to follow my heart and pursue what I am passionate about and what brings me joy. It has been a full year since I ventured out on my own. I’m still in Hawaii. I launched my yoga platform back in April, which was a big deal for me. I still have a long way to go, especially with not being shy to put myself out there and trust that I will add to my yoga community, and build my business successfully. Fear is a funny thing. It can either immobilize you or it can be the thing that propels you into positive action. Even though there are challenging days, I’m going to stick with courage and see this path through.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets me apart from others? I would say that I love to create unique sequences for every class. Because Iyengar Yoga and Yoga Works influenced me, I prefer teaching with a specific theme that varies from style to class. I nerd out on sequencing, anatomical movements, and details, as well as the creative aspect that comes with teaching yoga. You will rarely practice the same class with me twice. I’ve been told that I have a way of teaching that sneaks up on you. Poses that might appear basic but become challenging. All of a sudden, you realize that you are working hard, yet you feel relaxed at the same time. Finding the sweet spot of practicing with effort and discipline while also being calm is consistently an underlying theme in my classes. I find it’s also helpful to lighten the mood with some dry, dad-style jokes.

What am I most proud of? I am most proud that I have been able to sustain a career in teaching yoga and that I get to share my experience of yoga with others. Currently, I am proud of myself for taking a leap of faith and choosing to be my own boss again. I’m excited about the freedom I have to travel and teach on the road, as well as all of the possibilities I have with my yoga platform.

Professionally, I got to where I am because of my commitment to my practice, staying true to my style, saying “yes” to all my opportunities, and becoming a teacher trainer at Yoga Works. To financially sustain a yoga career, I made myself available to teach as much as possible. This led to an invaluable teaching experience. I have learned so much from teaching others, which has helped me grow both professionally and personally. Being a teacher trainer has also been an important role in my career. Wanting to be sharp and present with the students has been helpful in reinforcing my studies and practice. I love being consistently immersed in the study of all things yoga.

Was this path easy? Yes and no. When I committed to teaching full-time, that path was fairly easy in some ways. Between classes and privates, I consistently taught 20-25 times per week and maintained that for many years. The challenge was finding the work/life/sleep balance. For starters, teaching in Los Angeles means spending a lot of time in the car, waking up very early to teach, and teaching late at night. Eventually, I was able to find some balance by arranging my schedule so that I had two days off in a row. Also, for my own practice, I held my teachers’ classes sacred and would never schedule anything work during those times.

What are the lessons I learned along the way? Stay dedicated to your practice. This is the only way I can stay inspired as a teacher and help others. Continue to study and learn new information. Don’t be afraid to adapt and evolve with new information. Question everything, even the asana points that have been instructed in one particular way for many years. Just because you were taught something one way, doesn’t mean you can’t change how you see and understand things today. There are many ways to practice a pose. I have learned the importance of strength in our practice, not just flexibility and mobility. Stay true to your teaching and avoid trying to be someone you are not. For many years, I would worry that my classes were not spiritual enough. My classes are very asana-based and anatomy-inspired, with sprinklings of yoga principles, and that’s ok! It took me a while to see that, but I realized there are students out there who are like me. For me, it’s more authentic to let the physical practice be the foundation and for students to have their own experience.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Hawaii now. When I was living in LA and friends came to visit, this would be a go-to itinerary of my favorite places:

Malibu: El Matador Beach, Point Dume, and Malibu Country Mart. Eat at Malibu Farms or Moon Shadows.

Venice Beach: (where I lived) Ride bikes to the beaches and along the boardwalk. Visit the skate park on the beach. Walk around Abbot Kinney. Drink lattes at Blue Bottle, Eat lunch or dinner at Gjelina. Eat chocolate croissants for breakfast at Gjusta. Walk through the Venice Canals.

Visit Griffith Park and the Observatory at Sunset.

Visit LAMA and MOMA

Go hiking up Temescal Canyon and Mandeville Canyon.

Take some yoga classes at the Center for Yoga on Larchmont Blvd and have breakfast at Go Get Em Tiger. Pick up food at the Wine and Cheese shop on Larchmont. Go on a picnic.

Hang out in Silver Lake. Visit the fantastic crystal store Spellbound Sky. Wander the shops and cafes.

Attend a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, The Greek Theater, and the Wiltern.

Go to a nighttime movie in the summer at the Hollywood Cemetery.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It’s always nice to look back and honor one’s most influential teachers/mentors. The teacher who has had the most impact on my life and whom I’ve studied with the longest (22 years) is Paul Cabanis. His voice is forever in my head. My other teachers who either got me started on the path and/or who I currently learn from include Chad Hamin, Annie Carpenter, Lisa Walford, Jeanne Heileman, Frederick Washburn, and Sara Ivanhoe. I will also send a shout-out to all of my students. They are the most friendly, dedicated, and fun group of people who consistently support my endeavors. Finally, a shout out to one of my best friends Jessica Smith, who encouraged me to start my own platform and has been a great encourager and advice-giver.

Website: annevanyoga.com

Instagram: annevanyoga

Facebook: anne van valkenburg

Other: Anne Van Yoga on the Union.fit platform

Image Credits
Canal Photo = Fluid Frame Photography