Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Clarelli.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Erin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I moved out to San Diego 3 years ago to pursue my career as an occupational therapist. I worked for a few different companies for a few years and have recently decided to leave my full-time “secure” and comfortable job to pursue my dream of having my own business. As an occupational therapist who works with families and their children of all different ability levels and an avid yogi, I wanted to find a way to make mindfulness, yoga, connection, self-acceptance and self-worth accessible to them. I began a google search and found a local continuing education course called Asanas for Autism and Special Needs. This course, the instructor and the amazing people I met, lit a fire in me I never knew was there. The way that yoga and mindfulness so intricately intertwined with the morals and standards of occupational therapy blew my mind.
From there, I began integrating yoga into my therapy sessions with the children I served. I knew the concept of mindfulness and mediation was (& still is) an emerging area of interest in the healthcare industry. I had found that often times insurance companies and funding sources have challenges thinking outside the box of traditional medical care. For me, this was frustrating, concerning, and most of all motivating. After a lot of research on the legalistic and business side of things (a true learning obstacle for me as a right-brained individual), yOTga was born. 😉
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest obstacle for me has been making sure my ducks are in a row with the “business” side of things. The registering with the county, filing taxes quarterly, keeping track of expenses/profits, marketing. I find that I love being with people, hence my line of work. So sitting behind my computer doing this type of stuff has been a challenge for me. I’ve found that making a good cup of tea, playing some music and setting a Pomodoro timer has helped so much! The Pomodoro method is 25 minutes of straight work, followed by 5 minutes of a quick movement break. You do this for 4 rounds and at the end of the 5th round, you take a longer break of 15-20 minutes to move, rejuvenate, etc. It’s so in line with my philosophy as an occupational therapist to move your body when it’s needed. During those 25 minutes of work, my phone is on airplane mode, my husband knows I’m off limits for chatting, and my focus is strong! 🙂
So, as you know, we’re impressed with yOTga: OT Inspired Yoga – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am an occupational therapist who specializes in the pediatric population and I am a certified children’s yoga teacher with an emphasis on special needs. I LOVE sensory processing and how we (even as adults!) interpret our environment through our 8 sensory systems. As a brand, I am most proud of bringing awareness to this area of need in so many of the children living in today’s world where technology is over-used and unstructured, outdoor play is diminishing. I love holding my classes in a local park, focusing in on the nature sounds we hear and speaking about all that nature provides for us. Then, moving our bodies to mindfully activate our sensory systems to become a tree, a bird, a turtle, a bunny… the possibilities are truly endless. I also pride myself on allowing children to just BE. To be WHO they are without any external thoughts or beliefs being imposed on them. Within my classes, the children always have an option to lay down in savasana “cloud pose” when their bodies feel tired, overwhelmed, or just not too into it. I think to myself so often how I wish I had access to mindfulness, yoga, and learning to love myself for exactly what I am, not what others expect me to be, at a young age like these kiddos. How many of you can relate?!
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I think the first and biggest one is ourselves. The history of our society and how our country was developed has created these beliefs and limitations. But where do they come from? An idea and a person with some strong willpower to make that idea a reality. Women are people. Women have ideas. Women have willpower. So, let’s move our ideas forward through positive interactions, education, peaceful advocating, and most of all DOING. Change the clearly false belief that “women can’t be entrepreneurs” or “women can’t own businesses” because the only one limiting that is ourselves. The biggest barrier is our false belief that we can’t. Because trust me, we CAN.
Pricing:
- $25 for 60-minute small group session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://erinyotga.wixsite.com/yotga
- Phone: 631-879-7613
- Email: erin.yotga@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/y.ot.ga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yOTga14/
Image Credit:
yOTga
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