Today we’d like to introduce you to Shauna Hancock.
Shauna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a child, I was a dreamer for sure. I loved playing house and teacher and planning my future out. I always wanted to be an elementary school teacher. I would envision my life as an adult but little do we realize as children that life rarely goes as planned. My journey with yoga and wellness, which became my passion and career, originally began in 2008. My first introduction to yoga began as a teenager with an in-home yoga video. Then in 2007, shortly after the birth of my daughter and ending my relationship with her father, I relocated to San Diego to be closer to my family. After my move, I decided to try my first group yoga class. It was in that class, that I met an inspirational teacher and immediately felt a conscious shift within me that was like nothing I had ever experienced before.
For the first time, I was truly in my body and in sync with breath. It provided me with a clearer mental focus and a deep sense of well-being. I will never forget walking out of my 1st class and saying to myself “I want to teach yoga one day!”
Over the next few years, I struggled with the typical stresses associated with being a young, single mom and trying to hold down a job and provide for my daughter. Additionally, I continued to work on my relationship with my daughter’s father, whom had temporarily come back into the picture. With all on my plate, I continued to take yoga classes when I could to regain that connection to myself and deepen my practice.
After several years of trying to make a living working in the corporate world, I never forgot the heartfelt passion that always lied dormant in me. In 2013, I decided to take the plunge and I started my yoga teacher training. Through my teacher training, I only reaffirmed how intensely passionate I was about this ancient practice and how much I wished to share this life-changing practice with others one day. I received my 200-hour RYT certification in 2014, a day after my birthday. It was an incredible gift to give myself.
Through my ongoing personal practice, I discovered how much children can benefit from yoga, while watching my daughter mimic poses and practice breathing with me. I then decided to learn more about kids’ yoga, and I began my teacher training shortly after. I received my Children’s Yoga Teacher certification in 2014.
My most recent venture has led me toward yoga therapy. I began my Yoga Therapist training in 2016 when I realized I wanted to be able to work more closely with individuals with various physical and mental health conditions. I knew how much they could benefit from personalized practices designed to explicitly meet their specific needs. I also completed a trauma-informed training to further educate myself on creating a fully supportive and inclusive space for those I work with. But, shortly after beginning my 2nd year of the program, I was abruptly faced with my own truth, (you must heal yourself before you can hold space for others to heal). In 2017, due to a combination of life’s challenges and unresolved lifelong trauma, I began experiencing issues with my own mental and physical well-being. This would cause me to have to pause everything I’d been working so hard toward BUT through the darkness, I was soon to find a deep spiritual awakening.
Over the next year, I completely immersed myself in a long-overdue healing journey through a combination of therapy, allowing myself to fully feel and process my emotions, making necessary lifestyle changes, creating and holding healthy boundaries, finding support and community, diet and nutrition, mindfulness, yoga, meditation, journaling, vulnerability, facing my fears and sharing my story with others. This awakening has brought so much overdue personal growth and ongoing healing that I know will be a lifelong process. My pain has become my purpose. It has also brought me greater knowledge through additional holistic health modalities which have helped me be able to offer that much more to my students and clients. I was able to complete my 500-hour Yoga Therapy certification in August 2019 and I’m so grateful for how far I’ve come.
As of today, I’m actively pursuing my business – Lavender Yoga Therapy. I’m currently seeing regular weekly private clients, teaching group yoga classes, leading corporate and event yoga and meditation classes and workshops. As well as teaching after-school yoga for kids in San Diego through the same place I received my training, Yoga Rascals.
I look forward to growing and developing my business and future while continuing my passion for guiding others through the evolution of their own self-healing/yoga journey.
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?
Ha! That would be too easy. It has not been smooth by any means but every bump and set back has shaped me into the person I am today so I wouldn’t change a thing.
I’d say becoming a young mom at the age of 22 has been one of my biggest challenges but also one of my greatest motivations and life joys. My daughter has been my inspiration to keep going when I didn’t think I could, to keep striving toward bettering myself and accomplishing my dreams. Also, to actively keep doing the difficult work of consciously reparenting myself and breaking the cycle of generational trauma from our ancestors before us. My hope for my daughter is that she will be able to stand in her power with independence, self-awareness and self-expression, clear communication and boundaries, healthy relationships, self-care and emotional intelligence.
My advice to other women, especially younger women just starting out would be to please let go of the pressure to have it all figured out by a certain age. Be patient with yourself, take time for rest and reflection. Make self-care a priority and non-negotiable. If you’re feeling unmotivated or lost, explore new things and tap into your creative side. Don’t settle. Life is too short to not be doing what we are passionate about. Take time to be alone, learn about yourself, go places, laugh (even if it’s at yourself). Take risks, meet new people, find support and community, keep learning, growing, and most importantly feel and heal those parts of you that need to be seen and acknowledged the most. (We must feel it, in order to heal it). Re-write your story as many freaking times as you need to. Live your life to the fullest and do what makes you happy!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lavender Yoga Therapy – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I’m a Trauma-Informed Yoga Therapist, Yoga Teacher and Holistic Mind/Body Wellness Coach.
I specialize in yoga therapy and creating personalized practices for individuals with various chronic physical and mental health conditions. This includes a combination of asanas (yoga poses), pranayama (breathing exercises), journaling, and addressing lifestyle factors including but not limited to (sleep, diet, stress, and trauma) and then creating customized plans accordingly.
I also really enjoy teaching group and event yoga and mindfulness classes. As well as youth yoga classes in a fun, non-completive, self-expressive, and encouraging environment.
I feel as though having my skills, adaptability, knowledge, and experience to be able to work with a wide range of ages, abilities, and conditions, helps to set me apart from others.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
As I child, I always enjoyed interacting and spending time with all ages, especially elderly folks. I’m a good listener and I think my enjoyment of wanting to get to know and help others has led me closer toward wanting to work more one on one with people today. I’ve also always been very headstrong and a go-getter. When I set my mind to something – I see it through.
Contact Info:
- Website: lavenderyogatherapy.com
- Email: lavenderyogatherapy@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavenderyogatherapy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lavenderyogatherapy/
Image Credit:
Nazrin Massaro
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