"My name is @brittneyshawnee I grew up seeing yoga on TV depicted as a fitness class, but didn't pursue it until 2013 when I moved to St Louis. It was one of the hardest times of my life as I was on a new journey of discovering myself for myself. I was looking for something - ANYTHING - to help get me out of my beginning-adult-life crisis
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My journey began with a YouTube video led by @kathrynbudig that I stuck with for about 6 months. I eventually branched out to other online resources, I began starting my mornings with yoga & noticed some pleasant mental & physical changes as a result
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Of course, life happened like it tends to. Between physical & mental health challenges, my practice fell off over time & became pretty sporadic. I believe it was 2015 when I finally participated in my first in-person yoga class. It was led by a wonderful teacher at a Club Fitness of all places. The class was a challenge but the gentleness & depth she showed kept me coming back
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Before I knew it, I had my very own mat & was attending yoga events. I still practiced primarily at home but by 2017 I was well on my way to moving into the yoga community both online & around the way
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By 2018, I had become a Licensed Massage Therapist & Energy Medicine Practitioner. This helped me dive further into the spiritual philosophy of yoga. I knew I wanted to integrate all this wisdom more deeply into my own life & my focus for helping others.
I earned my Yoga Teacher Certification in 2019 with @thecollectivestl & Stacy Berry @yogapipeline - the only Black yoga teacher program in St. Louis. It's my mission to help others achieve their own personal sense of awareness & well-being. I do this through my wellness company, @betterbodhi which offers bodywork, energy therapy & yoga as means to self-sustainability & personal liberation
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Yoga truly #yogasavedmylife by granting me insight into myself & the world around me. As my practice evolved, so has my compassion & understanding for others & myself. So has my belief in my ability to keep growing beyond difficult circumstances. Yoga grants me the fierce calm to get to know myself & fulfil my purpose as a yogi & facilitator of healing."