Yoga Teacher Spotlight: Natalia Cavaliere

Yoga Teacher Spotlight

What inspired you to start practicing yoga, and how did it lead to teaching?

"My physical yoga practice began in 2017 with my greatest intent being to relieve low back pain - I had no idea the world of opportunity this practice would bring me. I began religiously practicing 'Yoga with Adriene' videos and started attuning to her messages of mindfulness, patience, self-love, etc., and a spark was lit within me.

I began to dive into the roots of yoga, Buddhist philosophy, spirituality, and self-help and quickly realized that everything we learn on our yoga mats can be translated into our lives off of the mat.

In 2018 I moved to Grand Junction and started a work-for-trade gig at Yoga V studio. It didn't take long for me to envision myself teaching there someday - that studio has felt like home to me since I took my first class. In 2020 I pursued my 200hr teacher training, started teaching at Yoga V in 2021, and launched my yoga business (Your Journey Yoga) in 2024. Learning, teaching, and living yoga in all of its forms has become the heart of my life in ways I never could have imagined."

What style(s) of yoga do you teach, and what draws you to these practices?

"I teach a blend of Vinyasa and Hatha yoga that I often refer to as "Slow Flow" yoga. This includes a strong connection to the breath with creative sequences at a slow-medium pace to allow for foundation-building and mind-body connection.

I also love teaching Yin and Deep Stretch classes; anything that will allow my students to engage in the practice of deep listening and honoring their bodies. I also guide meditation and integrate this, even if minimally, in every class I teach.

Guiding meditation and teaching a slower, more mindful asana practice calls to me because I see the harmful effects of living in a world that is incredibly fast-paced. We often don't have or give ourselves permission to slow down, listen, and be. These forms of practice are those permission slips."

How has yoga transformed your life personally and professionally?

"Yoga has helped me piece together all versions of myself. By bridging the gaps between my mind, body, and spirit, I have blossomed into a more creative, authentic, joyful version of myself. I am more present with life and everyone in it, more capable of being with difficulty, more attuned to my body's needs, and more grateful for every facet of my existence.

These tools have helped me immensely as I've journeyed through my first year of entrepreneurship as a yoga business owner. I am consistently humbled and always reminded that I am forever a student of yoga and of life."

What is your teaching philosophy, and how do you bring it into your classes?

"I believe that even when I'm in the role of teacher, my greatest responsibility is to remain a student. I am not greater than any student who takes my class - I am in the practice *with* them. I am constantly learning from and attuning to the energy of the room.

The way my students move and breathe can tell me everything I need to know about where to go next. I am not the authority; I am a companion and a guide."

What advice would you give to someone just starting their yoga journey?

"Let your practice be authentic to you - befriend your body and let it guide you to what feels good rather than what the mind or Instagram or magazines tell you yoga should be or feel or look like."

What’s one thing about you that might surprise your students?

"I might present as a sweet yoga angel, but this girly also loves old-school 90s hip-hop, metal, and garage punk music."

Connect with Natalia Cavaliere

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