Meet Venus | I teach embodied movement | Personal Trainer: Yoga, Mobility, Strength

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

Hi Venus, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
The real impact that it creates. It is not just a trend or something to laugh about. Health and wellness can greatly influence your life for the better. It unlocks a greater capacity within your own self. It seems overwhelming at first and then it becomes second nature.

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.
What brought me to pursue what I do now is everything my life has led up to, almost like everything I had been through set me up to want this path.

My background… I grew up in a dysfunctional home in abuse and alcohol, struggled with mental health and substance abuse for some time. I had fallen in a cycle of dysfunction that at some point I was now creating within myself. All that had happened did happen, it didn’t invalidate anything, all the suffering was real. I had reached a point in my life where now there was nothing to blame except myself, I needed to seek help to stop the cycle, the drinking, the blaming.

I enlisted in a mental health facility and there began my real journey of surrender and of change. Therapy, meds, slowly stopping the lifestyle I was living, removing myself from environments that kept me stuck.

I had reached a point where I was willing to try absolutely anything, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, to be different, to stop. Little by little I stopped drinking, one day at a time, one week at time and 9-10 months later I stopped harming myself, abusing alcohol and other things in my life.

A lot happened in those 9 months. I started eating better, exercising, learning about the body, the mind and what true instruments it is that we have. I was finally vocalizing what I had gone through, being vulnerable, working through my traumas and triggers; changing my ways, my life one day at a time. Which is still a challenge at times. If I am being entirely honest, psychedelics also, helped me a lot more than I could’ve imagined. That is a whole different conversation… Bottom line, I experienced a complete a shift. I began intentionally moving through my life, having a vision of how I wanted to feel because I still had no clue where I wanted to go.

I experienced a complete 180 about a year after I had something happen to me that sparked the beginning of the need to change. Maybe two weeks after finally feeling confident in my new self, finally saying no to the life I was living, I met my boyfriend who had his own program of recovery and introduced me to a different life.

In discovering the health and wellness industry, I discovered the beauty of strength training and yoga. My background is in ballet, tap dance and gymnastics then the strength training became recent. I had practiced the latter 3 modalities at such a young age (3-9ish) that I had forgotten almost completely. My memory as a child is foggy.

When I started doing yoga I found a connection to my inner child, the creative, more playful side of myself. My body remembered. I reconnected with myself and that built a momentum in me. I found discipline. I had found a modality that re aligned me with what mattered, my breath, my mind, my being grounded, my being centered, the connection to the self.

I was now discovering myself through an embodied movement practice. Not a modality of perfectionism, power, force, or of needing to be a certain way. I found stillness within myself, a moving meditation.

I dropped out of college and 3 months later enrolled into a 500 hour yoga teacher training with Dan Ward at Shefayoga in Venice. Now that was the uphill of it all. Two months into the training, I started teaching. My boyfriend connected me with a rehabilitation facility for people in recovery of substance abuse, they had taken me on as their yoga teacher in the program they offered. Little by little through help of my amazing partner and some of my friends, opportunities kept flowing my way.

I was working three jobs at some point, in a restaurant, at a spa, and teaching yoga. I felt like falling apart at so many points but kept it pushing. I started developing more contracts, relationships with facilities and a private client whom I adore.

I now teach full time: trauma informed yoga, meditation and sound therapy at the facilities and strength training + mobility with my private client. I don’t teach publicly, but am working on things to offer to the public soon or at the very least people close to me and those who want to continue to take my classes after taking mines through the programs.

I will file a business in January to really have something cemented into my life. I am in the beginning of it all honestly. There is much much more I see for myself, so much I want to create. I am still growing, still in the healing process, still in it all, yet entirely different. I would have called you crazy if two years ago you told me I’d be here.

I have an immense amount of respect for yoga and what it has shown me, however I want to pull away from what I say I teach to that of yoga because of all I’ve learned of the true practice, it’s way of living and the history behind it.

I’m all for the “trendy” types of yoga nowadays but, because of the amount of respect I have for the practice that is seen as purely physical, I would love to call what I teach something different, a moving meditation, an intuitive movement practice? I’m working on that. I’ve started to blend modalities coaching, stillness, pilates, gymnastics, strength/calisthenics, dance, breath-work, sound therapy, etc. Im in the brink of it all: should I say that it’s this, should I call it that.

I am in the beginning of my journey, the tip of the iceberg; I have ways to go and tons more to learn. Maybe then I’ll discover the true uniqueness of what I offer or maybe it’s here already. I’ll have that brand, that name developed that explains it all.

With my story or brand I am creating, I want people to know that they have an authentic way of living that is true to them and in finding that is where the flow of life comes in. That does not mean it will be easy. It means all is possible regardless of circumstance. There is no right time, there is no right decision. Getting to know yourself and finding that potential that exists within yourself will allow you to take that next step. There is no need to overwhelm with “what if’s”, the next step is all that matters, one day at a time. It exists within all of us, no “ifs ands or buts” about it. It exists within all of us.

Until then, all of this is what I am proud of, who I am today, the people around me, the service I provide to the beautiful humans I encounter and have taking my classes. Giving back to my community what I learned and what helped me in one of the lowest, most defeating points in my life is the most fulfilling. That is all I can do, tell of my experience, offer what I learned and just maybe it can help others too.

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 am not going to lie, this is hard for me, I don’t really go out myself anymore. I’m thinking of where I would take my friend Alma if she were to ever visit LA and I’d have this week off. Definitely spending a day at home to recharge, making meals for her at home, doing some gentle movement in my backyard, laying out in the sun, listening to music, playing sounds bowls, journaling, drawing– enjoying the LA weather. This is the best hang out.

Hatchet Hall, Bestia, Bavel or The Little Door would have to be must-try’s for dinner. For simple lunches pho or ramen places, we’d head to Sawtelle like Tsujita, Nong LA or CAMP pho in Venice. Sashimi at Niko Niko on National. Dessert has to be included, Sawtelle has got many options, we’d walk down the strip, B Sweet Dessert Bar, Somi Somi, Millet Crepe. I like the cafes and pastries in Beverly Hills. It just feels calm over there. K-town is a must visit, walk around the stores there are a million different dessert and food places to try. We’d have to stop at Manna KBBQ and California Rock’n Sushi in this area for sure.

We’d have to find time for the gym and for yoga in the mornings. I’d take them to Shefayoga in Venice for yoga. Maybe a day pass at a nice gym like IconFit/Equinox to feel like we are splurging, sauna, steam, swim, workout or taking some sort of class. We’d have to try the community classes at Fighting Chance on Fairfax. Facials at JK Aesthetics and massages at Thai Sabai Thai Traditional Thai Massage, Sawadee Thai Spa or Milk + Honey.

I would take her hiking to Los Leones or passages in Topanga, to the beach, to overlooks. Drives up PCH, breakfast at Malibu Pier Cafe, through and into Topanga for lunch at Endless Color. Try an event at Curate a lifestyle boutique store to whom I love the owners of in Woodland Hills. Drives down to Manhattan Beach and Palos Verdes, have picnics and spend the days there enjoying the sun and water.

I went to my first concert this year… I might have to take her to something like that, that was fun. I don’t know much about this yet, but it’s in the itinerary for sure.

I think most of all I’d want it to be wellness, food and nature-centered. That would be more-so my goal here and seems the most exciting to me. I still feel like I have yet to discover more in LA.

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?
My family, my boyfriend and friends. I feel like everyone in my life helps me in one way or another, through showing love and encouragement. To my teachers, I have learned so much from. The web of connections I am making, people close. PACE a non-profit who has taught me entrepreneurial skills to apply in my business. Dr. Joe Dispenza. The lovely humans I teach to. I think there are many people and things to recognize in my life that have helped me, endless.

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