Meet Brittany Griffiths of Soulstoked Yoga

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Griffiths.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I attended my first yoga class in 2009 as a freshman at  California State University Monterey Bay. I was required to sign up for a creative elective and saw yoga listed as one of the offerings. All throughout high school I had been involved in sports, i.e softball, cross country and track and field, so initially I was drawn to yoga for the physical benefits. However, the more I started to going to group classes and developing a stronger personal practice, that began to change.

As a Global Studies major in college, one of my required classes was titled, “World Religions”. I remember being particularly interested in the section focusing on  Eastern religions because the topic of yoga and its deeply rooted history within the Indian culture had come up. It was in this class where I had started exploring  yoga beyond the physical side of the practice and began to learn more about the practice on a much deeper, more spiritual level.

The following semester I decided that I wanted to learn more about yoga and the fascinating culture that it comes from. After visiting my schools “International Exchange Programs” office on campus, I had made the exciting decision to travel to India to study abroad! In 2011 I attended a university in Bangalore, India and this experience absolutely changed my life in so many ways.

No longer was I was reading about yoga and Indian culture in my textbook, but I was living in the country and experiencing it all first hand. While yoga and meditation were two of my classes at the University in Bangalore, they had also become a part of my daily life while living and traveling in India.  Following my studies, I continued to travel across the country diving deeper into Indian culture and exploring my yoga practice more in depth along the way.

After spending several months backpacking throughout India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia I eventually returned to the states where I would graduate with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Global Studies from CSU Monterey Bay. Following graduation, I was feeling a strong pull to return to India not only to travel, but to take my yoga practice to the next level.

I spent almost two months living in a beautiful town called Rishikesh, located in the foothills of the Himalaya next to the holy Ganges River. After completing my 200-hour residential Hatha/Vinyasa yoga teaching training course, I continued to expand my awareness and discover myself through yoga and travel. I  backpacked around India for the rest of the year as a certified yoga teacher and this has quite a beautiful impact on my travels. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to trade teaching yoga classes at hostels and guest houses in exchange for food and accommodation. It was such an amazing experience being able to share my love for the practice with so many unique humans in such beautiful locations throughout my travels.

Not only did I find love and peace in being of service to others, but in doing so I found love and peace within myself. This is what I feel yoga is all about, divine communication with yourself, in your most authentic, vulnerable and pure form.  After spending the year traveling, I returned to Monterey Bay where I felt called to share my experience and what I had learned with friends, family and community. Shortly after returning to the states I landed my first yoga teaching job at the local climbing gym, “Sanctuary Rock Gym”, in Monterey CA. Being an avid rock climber myself,  I was really excited to share yoga with the climbing community because I knew from personal experience how much yoga benefited my climbing.

I taught at Sanctuary for over two years and in doing so I had cultivated quite a beautiful yoga community not only at the climbing gym but in the Monterey area as well. However, in 2015 following a break up I decided that I needed a change of scenery and to spread my winds yet again. After receiving an exciting offer to be an outdoor science school instructor in the mountains of Big Bear, I decided to pack up my car and head South. While it was only a seasonal job, it was such an amazing and enriching experience to live in the mountains and share my love for the outdoors with so many wonderful little humans.

I even had the pleasure of bringing yoga to the school as well, leading yoga classes for 4th and 5th graders outside on our breaks and sometimes during class itself. After the position ended, I returned to my hometown of San Diego, CA. Still unsure of what was next, I found work at a local yoga store in La Jolla and worked as an exchange student liaison at an international language school Downtown/Pacific Beach.

While I enjoyed what I was doing I knew this was not my calling, plus I also just really missed teaching yoga and I could feel change on the horizon Over the summer I was given the opportunity to teach yoga out on the water in Mission Bay as a Stand Up Paddle Yoga Instructor.  Fast forward two years later and I am now a full time yoga teacher, still stoked on teaching SUP Yoga as well as a variety of studio classes throughout the San Diego area.

I teach seven days a week at several wonderful studios across San Diego and lead multi-style/level classes including Yin, Hatha, Power Vinyasa, Vinyasa, Yoga for Climbers, Slow Flow and Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga. I absolutely love what I do and I am grateful for every wonderful human I connect with on and off the mat. Yoga has and continues to teach me so much about myself not only on a physical level but very much emotionally and spiritually as well. I have been teaching yoga for over four years now and I feel more than ready to take my practice and teaching to a deeper level. Therefore I am super excited to share that I will be heading back to India next month in April, this time to pursue my 500 hour advanced yoga teaching certification. I am beyond excited to return to the motherland and go even deeper into my practice, learning more about myself and place in this world, one breath at a time.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We all face challenges, it is how we approach them that  tells us the most about ourselves. I have only recently become a full-time teacher within the last two years. Before that, I was always working odd jobs that I knew were not authentically me, i.e., dental receptionist, retail sales associate, hostess/server, seasonal employee….

However I knew in my heart that it was temporary and I am eternally grateful for all of those unique experiences. Those experiences only made me stronger and only solidified what I am most passionate about, which is connecting to others and being of service to my community by sharing yoga, meditation and essentially just a more conscious way of living.

Yoga has really taught me to embrace challenges rather than resist them, because through adversity you find strength. Deep breaths remind me on a daily basis of the power that exists within the present moment, teaching me to transform fear into freedom and obstacles into assets.

So often many of us are living our lives somewhere in between the past and the future and it is through yoga in which I am reminded to stay present, breath by breath, trusting in the process and knowing that I am on my own unique path.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Soulstoked Yoga – what should we know?
I am an E-RYT 200 certified yoga instructor, soon to be E-RYT 500 who specializes in Hatha/Vinyasa Yoga. Last year, I completed a Yin Yoga teacher training and have been implementing the teachings of Yin Yoga into my classes ever since. I offer private one on one/group/corporate yoga sessions that cater to each individual/groups specific wants and needs.

As an avid rock climber and outdoor enthusiast, I am constantly inspired and influenced by nature. My classes are powerful and strong, but also relaxing and rejuvenating. I always offer modifications and encourage the use of props making it accessible to all levels of practitioner. Each class is an opportunity to explore oneself deeper and to connect to a vibrant community that welcomes everyone with a big smile and open arms.

I enjoy linking breath to movement and place an emphasis on correct alignment to ensure students safety, prevent injury and optimize results. I infuse strength and fluidity with creative sequencing, creating a movement meditation that will leave you feeling empowered on and off the mat.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Authenticity.

Yoga has taught me to show up fully on all levels and in doing so I have learned that is how I can be of true service to others.  I value honesty, creativity, vulnerability, authenticity and a spirit of playfulness on and off the mat and this shaped me into the person I am today.  Just as I remind myself, I encourage my students to connect to the feeling body and shift away from the thinking mind, meet themselves with love one breath at a time.

I am continuously evolving and yoga reminds me how beautifully interconnected everything truly is.

I will always be a student and continue to be open to learning, growing, sharing and expanding my knowledge and awareness on all levels. I am passionate about what I do and I enjoy connecting and sharing it with others.  Authenticity is a defining characteristic that not only reflects in my work, but also in how I communicate with others, the world around me and myself.

I truly believe that the energy you put into the world is the energy you will receive, not only in your work…but also in your mind, body and spirit as well. When you are authentic, you are being real and honest not only with you self, but the world around you. By doing so, you allow things to happen organically, without force. You become the beacon of light, guiding yourself in the direction that is meant for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: soulstokedyoga.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: soulstokedyogini

Image Credit:
Aubrey Oothout, Ali Kaukas, Mike Dion, Diana Sciacca

Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.