Meet Naja Crawford | model, yoga + mindfulness facilitator for kids and adults, meditation guide, nutrition coach

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

Hi Naja, how do you think about risk?
taking risks is the single most reason I live the magical life I do. if I can say one thing about me, ive always listened to my Self. No one else has to live with being afraid to take risks or fulfill my purposes. So the risk of taking risks isalways less than the risk of playing smal and missing out on the life im meant to live. Albert Einstein said, “You either see everything as though it was a miracle, or nothing.” Thats how I approach life, win or learn. Risks are vital to growth and discovery. Being a model, actress, yoga instructor, nutrition guide, meditation/sound healing guide amongst other things, is obviously not the conventional list of careers, but the success of them all is rooted in my desire to take risks and push myself, even through fear and doubt.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I see my entire life as an art project. My superpower is perspective. runner up, resilience. So even if I never made a beautiful piece of art again, I know that my attitude toward life itself stands alone as artistry. Being diligent about the foundation I build my life on starts with my thoughts. I am proud of the work I do daily to undo patterns which no longer serve me. I do that thru my modeling/fashion art but I am also incredibly proud of Yogalittle, a yoga + mindfulness community for little humans. It was born out of the calling to support our little ones through life’s ups and downs, one breath at a time. It is a little bit of a lot of health and wellness practices in mind and body, which are never too early to adopt. There could not be a greater need to pour into future generations in the form of time, attention and respect as humans who have overcome a lot, especially in the past year and a half. To support folks further, I also guide meditations/sound healing for families and anyone seeking more balance in mind and body. I wouldn’t say that any aspect of reaching these heights in my career has been ‘easy’. Its incredibly rewarding for me to walk through this life as a vessel for change on the micro, and thus macro level. My most recent project is Growchella- an immersive wellness experience for little humans. It is meant to aids your child’s 1st life skills class. Our first event happened in May and went amazing. We held a completely free wellness event with free fresh produce from Harbor City Food Pantry, food and clothing from Community Loving Org, books and school supplies from Equity Through Literacy and Munzter House Orgs. Through the day, I taught my yoga class, the kids learned how to plant veggies, and we made music together in an indigenous drum circle to close the day. im grateful to the amazing sponsors and partners and volunteers that made this possible, and I can’t wait to keep this a reliable activity to the community moving fwd.

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?
Im experiencing anxiety at the mere thought of having to plan a trip! im more go with the flow but as an LA native, I cast a wide net of fun activities and places to eat through the County! which include: natureba juice bar in redondo beach (yum), after yoga and farmers market in the park @ 10am with WalkGood LA org, a trip to Leimert Park for food, music, opportunities to support black owned businesses, and a whole lotta love. melrose trading post on a Sunday is cute shopping vibe, and im always down for a nap on the beach!

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?
since childhood, ive had a really key bond with God. I always believed Spirit guided everything and everyone in my life, for my good. There were many mentors like teachers, summer camp counselors, family and coaches who both taught me how to/not to approach life. Its just as important to recognize the mistakes as we do the highlights so for that, I have a collective ‘thank you’ for anyone who shaped the child I was, the woman Ive become, and counting. Its because of every moment up until this point that I am meeting the beauty of this life through my gifts and passions.

Instagram: @najablu + @yogalittle

Image Credits
Arnold Turner, Brandon Bibbins, Mike Rosenthal, Kavi Peshawaria, Kenny Huynh