HER STORY ⟡ Kirtana Kalavapudi
Hi, I am Kirtana (Keer-tha-na) Kalavapudi (she/her/hers): owner of and yoga facilitator at Yoga with Kirtana, LLC, parent, partner, Earl Grey aficionado, and long distance runner. I live in Pasadena, Maryland with my amazing partner, Kevin, adorable son, Niyam, and a spunky and sassy Husky, Pepper.
How I Arrived On My Mat
When I first started practicing yoga in 2010, it was sporadic, at best, as I relied on it for times when I was nursing an injury from running. Fast forward to early 2016, I attended a Beginner's Power Yoga class at a studio in Baltimore and walked away wanting to know more about yoga and how I could incorporate its teachings in my everyday life. Soon after, I completed an 80-hour Yoga Sculpt Teacher Training and 200-hour Power Yoga Teacher Training. For nearly two years, I taught both Yoga Sculpt and Power Yoga classes at the same studio where I took the Beginner class. Talk about full circle!
After becoming pregnant in 2018, I shifted my yoga practice to focus more on gentle and restorative yoga and movement to establish a deeper connection with my baby and prepare myself for labor. My postpartum journey back to yoga and movement was humbling (to say the least) and required a significant shift in how I approached myself. I began to offer myself (lots of) grace and patience each time I arrived on my mat. With slow and steady progress (and many setbacks along the way), I am discovering that my strength, both physical and mental, comes from acknowledging where my body is in the present moment and harnessing the power of my breath to navigate through changes in life, both on and off of my mat.
As a yoga facilitator, I guide participants in Power Yoga, Yoga Sculpt, Prenatal Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and breath work. In November 2021, I completed 20 hours of foundational training in Trauma Centered - Trauma Sensitive Yoga with the Center for Trauma and Embodiment Yoga Program, providing me with the skills to integrate a trauma informed lens into a yoga class. Recently in May 2022, I completed an 85-hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training, providing me with the knowledge and skills to facilitate yoga sessions for pregnant people and support them in building confidence, strength, and well-being as they prepare for one of life's greatest adventures, parenthood!
Why I Started Yoga With Kirtana, LLC
In February 2021, I launched Yoga with Kirtana, LLC so I could create and sustain a yoga community in the Pasadena area that aligned with the eight limbs of yoga, an indigenous practice from South Asia and India. Yoga is more than just a series of physical shapes or poses that we practice on our mats. Yoga is a holistic, spiritual practice that gives us the opportunity to foster a stronger connection between our bodies and minds and cultivate a deeper understanding of ourselves and others so we can live in a spiritually aligned manner.
In facilitating yoga classes, my intention is to meet people where they are on their own journey and inspire them to cultivate a greater sense of autonomy, self-awareness, and curiosity on and off of their mats. In doing so, I hope to invite them to transform themselves from within and be vehicles for change within their communities. After all, yoga and social justice are two sides of the same coin.
What I Love About Being a Yoga Facilitator
Being a yoga facilitator is truly an honor. It allows me to hold space for others and support their emotional and physical needs on any given day through a customized practice each time we meet for a session. When practicing yoga, I provide guidance to participants using an invitational approach so they can decide what feels best in their bodies. I weave in yoga philosophy, asana (physical postures or shapes), pranayama (breath work), pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), dharana (focus), and dhyana (meditation). In doing so, participants can choose to explore further into each of these limbs based on the sensations, emotions, and thoughts they may be feeling on a particular day and learn a bit more about themselves and their state of mind. In doing so, I aim to inspire participants to observe themselves as they are in the present moment and choose their next step, on and off of their mats.
What I Enjoy About Being a Business Owner
My heart overflows with gratitude and joy when I am facilitating yoga sessions for others. Whether in one-on-one or group sessions, I truly enjoy connecting with others and offering a brave space for them to show up as they are. In practicing compassion, vulnerability, and honesty with participants when facilitating yoga sessions, I hope to show participants that these qualities can be our greatest strength if we simply allow ourselves to embody them.
Who Inspires You?
My late maternal grandmother has always inspired me to show up as I am, take bold chances, challenge the norms, and speak with compassion, courage, and resolve.
What Is Your Favorite Quote?
She believed she could, so she did. - R.S. Grey. I truly believe that your mindset propels you forward so you take the necessary steps that put you closer to your dreams.
What does Beauty Mean to You?
Beauty is an embodiment of compassion, empathy, and love within your mind and heart. When you practice beauty on a daily basis, it can truly change how you perceive yourself and others in all seasons of life.
What Would You Like Our Beauty Boost Members to know?
Yoga is a daily life practice on and off your mat. Yoga invites you to observe with judgment, reflect on your emotions, thoughts, and sensations with empathy, and practice acceptance of the present moment. In embracing the present moment, we develop the strength to navigate through all of the highs and lows of life with greater ease.
If you would like to learn more about my yoga offerings, reach out to me on Instagram for a special discount for Beauty Boost members!
Where can our community find you?
You can find me on Instagram (@yogawithkirtana) or on my website, www.yogawithkirtana.com.
