Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Barron.
Hi Rebecca, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began taking yoga when I was a freshman at UGA and I was so lost in my life. I initially jumped into my first class because it seemed like a natural transition from my almost decade-long career as a competitive cheerleader. What started as a physical practice turned into so much more. Fast forward seven years and I found myself in my first yoga teacher training class in Miami because, again, I was lost and wasn’t sure what to do with my life.
At that time, my anxiety was really bad and the Rheumatoid Arthritis I was diagnosed with at the age of eight came out of remission. Again, yoga saved me. I knew that this was my calling so I jumped into yoga therapy training. One thousand training hours and three babies later, I’m back in Decatur with my family and continuing on my mission to help people feel better in their bodies. In addition to my yoga therapy practice, I am working on a blog that highlights some real issues that we all face, like grief and mental health, some silly musings and, of course, yoga therapy. It’s kind of my alter-ego and has been a really rewarding creative outlet.
Alright, 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?
I feel very fortunate that I can do what I love every day of my life but any story that is worth being told will be filled with highs and lows. My own mental health and autoimmune struggles have gotten in my way on many occasions. So did having three babies in four years, but I’m not complaining there. I experienced trauma as a teenager that lead to more traumatic events, but ultimately those experiences helped me find yoga. 2017 was a particularly challenging year for our family. A month after moving back to Atlanta from Miami, my then eight-month-old son landed in the PICU at CHOA with a feeding tube after swallowing an acorn top. While he was in the hospital, my mom found out she had breast cancer and immediately had a mastectomy. A month later, my older brother died at the age of 34. It was a lot, but people are resilient and we made it through as a family. I am able to use my experiences to ignite the fire inside to help others.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In short, I use yoga therapy to help people feel more like themselves physically, mentally, emotionally. I’m incredibly down to earth and like to remove the pretentiousness that is sometimes associated with yoga. Yoga can be intimidating to many, especially those that need it the most, but I want to make that a thing of the past! I work with clients of all ages, abilities, and experiences. I truly believe that if you’ve got a body, yoga is for you. I believe that yoga should be accessible so I like to give my client quick tools to incorporate into their daily lives. It can be hard to get a whole hour of yoga in throughout the week, so I take the stop-drop-yoga approach- movements and breathwork clients can use when their cooking, driving or sitting at their desk. I also like to educate my clients throughout our sessions. Why we are doing particular things, what areas of the body we are working on, etc. Knowledge is empowering and that’s my goal, to empower people to feel their best. Because of my own struggles with anxiety and my late brother’s battle with Bipolar Disorder, erasing the stigma against mental health and using yoga therapy on a broader scale is another passion project that I’m pouring my energy into.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Despite some hardships I’ve endured, overall, I’ve been dealt a pretty good hand in life. I am incredibly fortunate to have a family that supports me fiercely and tirelessly. I am grateful that the timing aligned when I met my husband and together, we have created a life that is filled with so much love. We were blessed with three amazing and healthy kiddos. And I’m truly lucky that I get to do what I love everyday. I take none of this for granted and gratitude is a part of my daily practice.
Contact Info:
- Email: rebeccabarronyoga@gmail.com
- Website: www.yogamosamama.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rebeccabarronyoga
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebeccabarronyoga
Image Credits
Sasha Gonzalez Di Lorenzo
