Meet Denise Perry | Yoga Student & Teacher, Energetic Healer, Spiritual Mentor. Studio Director & Owner of Yoga Nook

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

Hi Denise, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I say that I am in the 4th stage of my yoga journey. I have been a student of yoga for almost 30 years. I have a history of anxiety and depression since high school. I read that a regular breathing and meditation practice can help you calm your body and emotions when you are in stressful situations. I started a practice in the morning, without even know that I was practicing yoga.. I could see the difference that this practice made in my day to day and continued it. I found the physical practice of yoga in college. I was looking for different ways to maintain my health. I was taking step aerobics and kick boxing at our studio union, and saw a posting for a yoga class. I decided to try it, and loved the practice! I was feeling new sensations and started to understand my body in a different way.

These two practices never connected with me until about 8 years ago. I had stepped away from the physical part of my practice while building my career. One day, someone asked me what I was doing for myself. At the time, I was working 60-70 hours week, traveling across multiple states, and not taking at time for myself. I thought about it, and decided to go back to my mat. I found a local studio, and started taking 2-3 classes a week. Within a few months, I had friends and co-workers asking what I was doing. They could see a difference in my voice, body, and actions. All I was doing was my yoga. I wanted to understand how what I was doing on my mat was affecting other areas of my life. That began my deep dive in the study of yoga philosophy, looking at energetics in a new way, and movement. I found my passion. I saw what this practice was doing for me, and wanted to share it with others. That was the moment I decided to become a teacher.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Yoga is a practice of awareness – awareness of your body, mind, and spirit. I tell my students that there’s no perfect practice – only the perfect practice for today. We can do as little or as much as we feel like any given day. I see myself as a guide for my students – a guide to meet my students where they are and help them find a connection, whatever that looks like.

The last couple of years have been full of lessons. There are three that stick to me. These are lessons I’m still working on.

Discipline – Becoming a business owner and entrepreneur is something I dreamed about since college. A dream I didn’t know if I could have the courage to make happen. It’s also a lot of work. Unlike any other career, there’s no one to answer to – only myself. I had to find a rhythm and schedule to do what needs to be done that worked for me. That took some time, and I’m still working on it. Part of discipline for me is honoring the energy in body and mind. Finding balance between business and personal. Giving all I can whenever I am working on the business. Prioritizing. It can be challenging and also releasing.

Surrender – I have found that sometimes I need to let go of control and surrender to what’s happening based on the energies around me. If I try to force an action or decision, I don’t usually get the results I’m looking forward. When I sit back to observe without emotion, I find that I can find the path that works for me.

Ask – I have found that there’s support all around us if we are willing to ask. One of my mantras is “my words & action are a reflection of my thoughts, which are a reflection of my emotions, which are a reflection of my inner self, which is a reflection of source..” I don’t believe that the creator, source, universal consciousness, or whatever word you would like to use deliberately puts obstacles in our way. He/She is there to support us in all we do. When we ask for help, advice, etc, all we need to do is listen. The answer will come.

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.
Depending on the time of year, we would definitely spend time at the beach. We would walk along the shore, maybe do some yoga.

I’d also take her to a wine festival. In the Hampton Roads area, we have wine festivals all through the year. Most of them in from spring-fall. We would grab a table and taste all of the local vintages, relax, and chat about anything that comes to mind.

We would probably also go to a concert. We have an Amphitheater in Virginia Beach where you can get lawn seats. Bring a few blankets to sit and enjoy the music.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I want to recognize my parents. They have been a rock to me throughout my life. They may not have always understood different decisions I’ve made, but they have supported in any way that they could.

I also would like to recognize one of my teachers, Alex Botero. I met her when I was starting my journey as a teacher. She has challenged me, supported me, and been a friend. When she was ready to step back as the owner of Yoga Nook in 2019, she reached out to see if I would like to take it over. Even though she is no longer the owner, she has been a sounding board as I continue to build the studio.

Finally, 2021 has been amazing with my growth. I joined Clubhouse last summer, and met some wonderful people from across the country and world that do similar things as I do. There’s one club that I joined, Energy Collective, and several of the members have become what we have lovingly called our “Soul Family”. The men and women that I have met in the Energy Collective have been an inspiration and support. We lean on each other when needed, celebrate our successes, support each other when we need. I would have never thought that we could build such connections without even meeting. They have given me a mirror to look at my practices and knowledge in a new way.

Website: chesapeakeyoganook.com

Instagram: @yoganook

Twitter: @ChesaYogaNook

Facebook: facebook.com/chesapeakeyoganook

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMWdCSC-H9nF_3atRTJ90w

Other: ClubHouse @denise.perry Clubs: Living Yoga, The Energy Collective