Today we’d like to introduce you to Ebony Molock.
Hi Ebony, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Learning about Yoga was never a skill or lifestyle that was brought to me overnight. Since the age of nine years old, I was diagnosed with anxiety. I remember during a brief period in my life, I experienced high levels of stress, panic attacks, and bits of depression that lead me to experiencing low self-esteem. Growing up, I was told that I was loved and worthy, but when you go through the mental health that I suffered, words didn’t feel the same because I wasn’t feeling my best self. I can remember being very young I was sensitive to everything around me and my own emotions. I knew I didn’t want to be in the same dark space I was in, so I made effort to change it. Eventually, therapy and learning more about God and who God was for me lead Him to lead me in the direction of Yoga.
I was introduced to Yoga at the Perimeter College (which is now known as GA State) in 2015. I can remember the asanas & techniques were a challenge. Yoga was so brand new for me! Asking me to expand my breath and body in many different ways, I didn’t know how to really changed my perspective on what yoga was. I didn’t know it at the time, but pretty soon, I was going to change my community and women around me with the power of Yoga. The more classes I went to, the more I fell in love with Yoga. I loved how it made me feel and how it helped me evolve as a person. I saw how Yoga and my life experiences have changed me to be this evolved woman and I wanted to help other people experience the same thing. It wasn’t until 2017 that I had dropped out of college to pursue this dream of teaching Yoga classes. I didn’t know where it was going to take me or how I was going to make money while helping others, but it did. I attended the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and that’s when my spirituality and mindset changed greatly. For the first time in forever, I began to believe in myself and that Yoga was an aid for my mental and spiritual health. I felt a closer connection to energy, God, and this life we call the Universe.
After graduating, I wanted to learn more about Yoga and go deeper into the depth of spirituality. With that, I discovered Shakti, the powerful energy of femininity and the awakened stages of self and mindfulness within myself. It wasn’t until discovered what this energy was that I became this woman that you see today. That is when Sacred Shakti Yoga was founded on March 14th, 2018 and has been successful three years in a row. Eventually, the power of Reiki Healing (palm healing or hands-on healing through a “universal energy” that encourages emotional or physical healing in a patient) in 2019 and I knew I could really go deeper and help those who are in need of emotional, mental, and spiritual healing just like I did when I was young.
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?
The road was not easy starting this business. I was working several jobs on top of teaching yoga in studios, nursing homes, and high-rise apartments in Atlanta to stay afloat with my income. I could see my vision right in front of me and the goal I wanted for my Yoga students, but it was convincing others to see it as well. There were times I struggled getting one on one Yoga clients or encourage people to try Reiki healing with me. There were even some hard times finding the right audience that could open up to what I had to offer. To make matters shakier for me was when I would lose myself in the process. Because Atlanta is such a competitive city for Yoga, Reiki or other holistic health, I got lost in the crowd and sometimes had moments where I would become discouraged or do the same thing every Yoga Teacher was doing because they had “that it factor.”
Sometimes my anxiety would come up because I was putting so much pressure on myself to be a successful yogi or have a full class of 20 to 30 students. That was what I was seeing in Atlanta and thought that would make me more successful. Eventually, I had to shake off the thought of being a failure and realize that I was just getting started. It wasn’t until I stayed in my own lane and kept going, I didn’t worry about looking like the next big Yoga Teacher or focus on popularity, but more so focused on the health and well being of my clients. I have a natural spirit and warmth and people gravitated to that; people could relate to me & that’s what made me so successful. Just being myself and gravitating towards women who are CEOs, entrepreneurs, smalls business owners, teachers, Yogis helped me realize my target audience was for women who are overall bosses but want to expand further in their journey of self love healing, and growth.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sacred Shakti Yoga?
Sacred Shakti Yoga is a one on one Yoga, Reiki and Holistic Health business that encourages Yogis of all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds to be their most authentic, loving self. Shakti is the awakening of the divine feminine. She is the energy that heals us, loves us, helps us unleash our wild & creative spirit & aids us to be closer to God or our Higher Source. Sacred Shakti Yoga offers one on one services such as Yoga, Reiki, & Pure Bliss; a personal, one on one workshop designated to restore, relieve, and empower Yogis through the skills of Restorative Yoga, Reiki, Yoga Nidra, Sound Healing, and aromatherapy. I specialize in all of these things. What I am most proud of about my business is that I have encouraged so many women of different walks of life to take that first step to finding their soul purpose in life and experiencing newfound love for self.
Sacred Shakti is more than just a Yoga business, it has become a spiritual teacher for many women who are established in different ways in their life. Whether they are Yoga teachers, CEOS of a company, small business owners, teachers, entrepreneurs, or engineers, many have taken my Yoga classes, workshops or experienced the healing powers of Reiki in a way that enlightens them to be their most authentic self. What sets me apart from other Yoga Teachers is that I give women (and men alike) the extra boost to be brave, empowered and realize what a Goddess they truly are. Not only do they become who they were meant to be, they discover that Yoga is more than just the physical, it’s a spiritual connection. My motto anytime someone comes to a class, “Come as you are.” We have all been that little 9-year old who struggles with mental health. We’ve all been that 16-year old who has dealt with fear or low self-esteem. We’ve been that 20-year old that has been lost along the way of a new journey to be a better person for themselves & find self-realization as a tool to heal. It’s scary, but it can be done. Sacred Shakti invited people to come out a better them & be ready to take on life.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I would LOVE to give a huge shout-out to both of my parents Derrell & Tina Molock. They are the main ones that encouraged me to take this journey. Without that push, I don’t think I would be where I am today. A shout out to people I have connected with over the years who have seen my gifts and supported me through my growth as a Yoga Teacher & Reiki Practitioner. The list of supporters goes so far and so long, but I am forever grateful for those who believed in me to keep going.
Contact Info:
- Email: ebony.molock@gmail.com
- Website: www.yogawithebony.com
- Instagram: @Blackyogi_Magic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SacredShaktiYoga1
Image Credits
Images by Kenya Bolden & Robert Sturman
