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

Hi Trina, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think one of the things that has helped me be successful is that I put most of my energy towards tasks that align with my natural strengths while outsourcing the parts of my business that I struggle with and don’t require my voice or skills as a yoga teacher. For instance, I devote most of my time towards developing new education content for movement teachers and creative and science based yoga classes, while outsourcing things such as updating my website to my web developer.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am a yoga teacher and educator for movement professionals, including yoga teachers, Pilates instructors, and physical therapists. Prior to the pandemic, I traveled to teach in person continuing education courses and workshops for the general public. I specialize in showing teachers how to take an interdisciplinary approach to foster an embodied understanding of yoga and Pilates in relation to modern movement science, so they can better serve their students who struggle with pain or a history of injury. Teaching yoga was not my first career. It was only because my husband supported my dream and encouraged me to pursue a yoga teacher training, that I became a teacher. Initially, I was afraid to stand up at the front of the room and present. Additionally, my initial introduction to yoga combined with my hypermobility resulted in me experiencing persistent pain. However, through a combination of physical therapy and exploring other modalities including Pilates, somatics, and strength training, I discovered that I was able to practice yoga and not have pain. This inspired me to want to learn more about exercise science and taking an interdisciplinary approach to teaching yoga. Now, I use my personal experience and technical education to help my students and other teachers apply these ideas to their own yoga practice or classes. What I have learned in my journey as a teacher is that the best approach comes from a place of curiosity and exploration that is free of dogma and that teaching is not about having all of the answers, but empowering your students to discover the approach that best meets their needs. If there was one thing that I would like the world to know about my brand it is that my goal is to empower students and teachers alike to be able to approach movement in a way that is accessible, joyful, and not intimidating.

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?
I would take my friend to Santa Monica and would show them the beach. I would also take them to my favorite restaurants, including Flower Child and Tender Greens.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to Kaira Studios, which is a physical and virtual Pilates studio that rents out their space to local teachers. They have provided a warm and inviting space for me to teach my private clients and whenever someone asks me for a recommendation of where to take a local Pilates teacher training, Kaira is at the top of my list.

Website: https://trinaaltman.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trinaaltman/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trinaaltmanyogaandpilates/?ref=bookmarks

Image Credits
Samantha Jacoby, Michel Andreo, Yoga Anytime

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