Gratitude for Kathryn Budig

I remember the first article I ever read by Kathryn Budig in a Yoga Journal magazine. It was probably 7-8 years ago, but I can still remember how impacted I was by her message and I thought to myself, “I want to have that confidence. I want to be like her.” That was the day I became fan of Kathryn and she has continued to inspire me ever since. After attending my third workshop series with her, I am more of a fan than ever.

What I admired about Kathryn from the beginning was her ability to just be herself. No apologies, just authenticity. Her motto in business, life, yoga, and the name of her second book is “Aim True.” Aim True is a simple message; be true to yourself. Kathryn loves to write about body acceptance/confidence, cooking/healthy eating, and of course, yoga. There are many styles of yoga and it was Kathryn who made me fall in love with Vinyasa. Kathryn’s creative sequencing, fun classes, and challenging peak poses inspired me. Kathryn teaches in a way that is authentic to her; a light-hearted, be-kind-to-yourself-but-push-yourself way. She makes you feel like it is ok to not take everything so seriously. Which doesn’t mean she is not a serious yoga teacher. Kathryn follows her own rules when it comes to teaching yoga and she has inspired me to do the same.

I have had the privilege of training with Kathryn once a year for the last three years, each time learning a little more about Kathryn, yoga, and myself. The workshop I attended this August at the Detroit Yoga Lab was definitely my favorite so far. The weekend began off the mat, with a discussion/Q&A with Kathryn. Imagine getting to sit 20 feet from your favorite celebrity for almost 3 hours while they just chat, tell stories, and answer questions. For me there was no better way to spend a Friday night! I love taking Kathryn’s workshops every year and seeing what new stuff she has in store. Just like you might see your favorite band every year, there’s always the classics, plus a few new hits.

It’s easy to admire a celebrity, or “yogalebrity” as they’re known in the yoga world. Looking at Kathryn’s social media, it appears she is living the yoga teacher’s dream; traveling to new places to teach, being on the cover of Yoga Journal, posing with her adorable puggle Ashi. Behind the scenes, life isn’t always glamorous and Kathryn opened up about this in a recent Yoga Journal article. She discusses fame, getting divorced, and being judged. No matter what she has gone through, Kathryn keeps being herself and that is why fans love her. My absolute favorite quote from this article is “For a long time, I was looking for happiness from success. Now I am looking for success from happiness.”

In a world where authenticity is rare, Kathryn reminds me that it is perfectly okay to just be myself, especially in my yoga teaching. She reminds me that life isn’t perfect and that self-love is key. With so many yoga teachers trying to put on an act on social media, Kathryn is just as real to me on Instagram as when I see her in person. I am so grateful to have her to look up to as a role model and hopefully continue to study with her in person. She has been such an inspiration to me, I had to take a moment to express my gratitude.

If you’d like more information on Kathryn, check out:

www.kathrynbudig.com

https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/kathryn-budig-on-yogalebrity-living-authentically

 
~elicia~