Meet Kimberly Millard | Yoga Therapist, Ayurveda Health Counselor, Yoga teacher and creator of Pine Reef Yoga

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

Hi Kimberly, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
It’s a radical concept, but I don’t define success by a number in the bank or how widely recognized my business is. I define my personal success by how closely I am living my divine purpose and how authentically I am sharing my unique gifts so they can be of benefit to others. I feel successful when I have the courage, strength and self compassion to stand alongside fear while continuing to learn and grow despite failures and setbacks.

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.
My story couldn’t be told and wouldn’t be complete without including my fiance, Paul Collins. Together, we decided to follow a dream and uproot every aspect of our lives by moving from L.A to the country. The calling to build our own dwellings by hand, to live completely off grid, to grow our own food, to live in connection with nature and reframe our limited beliefs about abundance was pulling us to stretch ourselves beyond our past and into a more expanded future. This seed of intention was planted 15 years ago when Paul bought 20 acres of land in a tiny town along the northern California coast.

At the time we moved to Point Arena full time, there weren’t any yoga studios in the area and I felt a huge whole without a space to give and receive the teachings that have become my life’s work. It was actually never my intention to open a yoga studio, but it seemed like someone needed to. I still laugh to myself in amazement when I realize it was us. Paul designed and built Pine Reef Yoga from the ground up with his own hands. It nests on our 20 acres of land where the redwoods, ocean and coastal prairie meet. And it’s our gift to the community we love. Publicly we call the space a yoga studio, but privately, we refer to it as our temple. We refer to it in this way because every aspect of this project was done with devotion. We like to think that the care and attention reverberates throughout and can be felt in the space itself. The project became a 2 year moving meditation and like our yoga practice teaches, we met the tremendous effort and work with patience and ease, so the process actually felt playful and joyous despite its challenges. We are beyond grateful for the opportunity to share in this way and want to thank everyone who shows up to make it feel even more alive and meaningful.

Kimberly Millard is an esteemed Yoga Therapist, Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Yoga Teacher Trainer. She received her 500hr Yoga Teacher Training certification through Shivakali Yoga, International Association of Yoga Therapists Certification through Loyola Marymount University, and 750 hour Ayurveda Health Counselor certification through Joyful Belly.

Paul Collins is an all around artist and commercial photographer. His work can be seen at http://paulncollins.com/

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To get the most out of Point Arena, you need to invest time and energy into the community as the best parts are usually behind the scenes. People are serious about their backyard get-togethers and go all out preparing incredible potluck delights of all kinds from only the freshest produce emerging from their gardens. Whether you’re taking in the pristine views at a house overlooking the ocean, building an underground oven to slow roast someone’s freshly hunted boar, riding handmade zip line through the forest, firing homemade pizzas in an outdoor earthen oven, playing music under the stars, dancing in a barn, sweating in a hand built sauna, laughing over game night or sharing stories around a monstrous fire, you know you’re going to be in for a good time. The people in this town know how to have fun and it is the medicine we all need.

Nature is at the top of the list for short term visitors and there is no shortage of options. You will find us kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming and cliff jumping in rivers. We can be seen surfing waves, walking the dramatic coastline, exploring geographical wonders and alien-like tide pools, fishing for our dinner, riding motorcycles through the redwoods and roller skating at the pier.

On the cold, cloudy and windy days that take us indoors, we enjoy Arena Theater, the vintage movie theater that has been a pride and joy of the town since the 20s.

Some local spots owned and operated by people in our community that shouldn’t be missed:
Izakaya Gama – Japanese pub with a world class sake selection
Point Arena Pizza – Pizza and beer overlooking the ocean
New Museum – Locally made beer and bites

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to thank my family, friends and life partner for endless support. I would also like to thank my teachers and their teachers who paved the path before me and served as links in an unbroken chain of wisdom that has been passed down and for thousands of years.

Website: PineReefYoga.com

Instagram: @kimberlymillardyoga

Other: studio@kimberlymillard.com

Image Credits
all photos by Paul Collins