October 15, 2016

Meet ITP Yoga Teacher: Carly Brown

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Brown.

Carly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have been a student and lover of yoga since I was in high school. When I began college at Georgia State I had a dream of becoming some type of wellness practitioner, and I knew I wanted to incorporate yoga into my career somehow. But I had no idea what my path would look like or where to begin.

Finally, during my 3rd year at GSU, the pull toward yoga became stronger. I decided to take the plunge and begin my Yoga Teacher Training at Tough Love Yoga in January 2015 under the guidance and wisdom of Neda Honarvar. Teacher Training was when my practice became my life. It showed me that the path of the yoga teacher was the path for me. I was lucky enough to have the support of my teachers and peers, and I have been teaching since April 2015.

Since then, I have become a teacher at my home studio Tough Love, as well as Form Yoga, another incredible studio in Decatur. I also teach private classes at various companies throughout the city. My aim now is to expand my private yoga clientele. I have an affinity and love for working with clients who have experienced injury, trauma or chronic pain.

I am so grateful that I’m on this journey, and I cannot wait to become even more involved in the ever-growing yoga community in Atlanta!

Has it been a smooth road?
The journey towards teaching yoga full time is not an easy one. It takes a lot of sacrifices, investment in education, strategic scheduling, building a client base, and a whole lot of planning time. Most importantly, it requires me to practice lots of yoga myself, both on and off the mat. But like many career paths, it is one where you must have a deep love and determination for the craft if you want to fully pursue it.

Have you ever wanted to stop doing what you do and just start over?
There have been some tough moments for sure, one of which is the shoulder injury I got almost a year ago. It has been really difficult dealing with this injury, because not only is teaching more difficult, but my yoga practice is so much more challenging and even limited. However, I’ve never wanted to give up. If anything, this injury has been teaching me so much more about what it means to be a student of yoga and had made me an even more mindful and compassionate teacher.

What would you tell someone who is just starting out?
Find your community of fellow yogis and yoga teachers, and cultivate supportive relationships! I would definitely not be where I am today without the guidance of my teachers and the belief my friends have in me. It’s so helpful to see what steps others before you have taken so that you can start to forge your own path in this industry.

What are you most excited about these days?
I’m currently in training to be a certified yogaHour teacher. (yogaHour is offered at Tough Love Yoga and Yoga Collective here in Atlanta!) yogaHour is an incredible practice, and I’m so looking forward to getting my certification and being a part of the yogaHour community, which expands beyond Atlanta to many parts of the country and the world.

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