Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Chandra.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Emily. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Absolutely. I love the opportunity to talk about where I come from. Most people who know and follow me are more familiar with how I was raised in a musical and spiritual household, got into meditation from a young age, grew up dancing, and then found yoga. I’ll share today a little more of the story, the part that most people might not know.
I grew up in the North Shore of Massachusetts in a beautiful port town, Newburyport. This is still where I base my work out of, even though I now reside in Hampton, NH. My mother raised my step sister and I and she worked really hard to support us as she waited tables and played music on the side. My sister started living with us when she was about five years old, after living in the projects with her mother. My Dad left when I was one-year-old, he was an alcoholic, and later battled lots of demons, and seemed to always be between drug and alcohol abuse and extreme health issues. He was one of the most intelligent, talented, hilarious and loving men I have ever met, but he struggled. My stepdad who lived with us was sober but emotionally lost and unavailable. He often ignored my sister and me when we were young, and as I got older, I learned to see him as more of a distant uncle, and I recognized that he had demons too and I felt sad for him often. Despite the absent Dads, the broken backgrounds and the low income, I remember feeling like a family, being a really happy kid, and am still in awe of how my mom raised us with such love.
I started my first job when I was about 13 or 14 at a pizza place, worked up to various coffee shops, kids camps, dance teaching gigs, tutoring jobs, then started waitressing and bartending in my early twenties. I always had an odd relationship with money, thinking that there was never enough and that I could never afford anything – and also the opposite – once I had it, I’d blow it immediately with no concept of saving, planning and then feel horrible about spending and then repeat the cycle again. I was a hard worker though. Graduated high school with a high GPA, got honors in college and graduated with a BA in Dance. Even so, never would I have imagined that I would be working for myself and making a living off of dance and yoga!
After I graduated, I moved down to New York City to audition for dance companies. I danced with a couple of small companies, taught dance classes and waited tables at a small Greek cafe in Astoria. Also, as a side note, since I was 17 and first found yoga, this practice got me through countless difficult times and kept me going when I was ready to give up. I ended up moving back to town when I ran out of money, danced in Boston for a while, found yoga again and after a year or two decided to FINALLY get my yoga teacher training. My first thought: I can’t afford it.
Thank the Universe for payment plans, an understanding staff at the studio and the most supportive friends and boyfriend at the time ever, I made the best decision of my life. I knew that this was what I needed to do. The chance of making this a career, especially full time, was slim, but I was going to do everything in my power to make it happen. I’m kind of an “all-or-nothing” type personality.
So, once I had my certification, I sat at the computer every day between bartending shifts and found every yoga studio that I could find on the North Shore and sent out my information. I took class at these places to show my face. I put posters around, reached out to hospitals, schools, churches, gyms, any place that I could teach yoga in, I would try to teach yoga in. I think its funny when people assume that yoga teachers have this really relaxed and stress-free life, it was a hustle! But so, so worth it. Once I got a few permanent classes on my schedule, I quit my job with no real plan, no savings, and a huge side of guilt. Part of me knew that I would never go for it fully if my side job was always the priority. Now, I had no choice but to fill my schedule with classes and make it happen.
It’s important, when you’re dealing with a practice as sacred as yoga, that you approach each class as a safe place for another’s healing. If you are constantly burnt out from teaching too much, that place can get lost in the hustle. Teaching full time taught me so much about boundaries, When to say no, how to take time for myself, how to drop guilt, and value my own self-worth.
My open class schedule is half the size of what it once was, but it took a lot of work to get it there. Private lessons, monthly events, national and international retreats also help to balance out my schedule in the most beautiful way. I am truly proud of where I am at today and never imagined that this would be my career. I feel so deeply grateful to all the support I received along the way, and recognize that even though I worked hard to get here, I am immensely privileged to make a living off of a job that I love dearly.
What advice can you give to other women?
For the women, I would say never dim your light in fear that you will be “too much” of anything. Our culture, unfortunately, has pegged women to be “too emotional” or in business “too successful.” That goes for the men too. We need people to be authentic and vulnerable. I can’t give advice to young women without really sending love out to our guys as well. Culture puts ridiculous labels and pressures on all genders. We shouldn’t be favoring one and shaming another, we are all in this thing together right?
So on authenticity; the most important thing we can do is put work out there that is real. Don’t get into teaching yoga, or be a musician, or doctor or teacher, lawyer, whatever, because of how it looks on the outside. Tap into the stuff inside that lights you up, it’s there for a reason. If you are operating from a place that is real, and true to your soul, you will inevitably be helping the world around you.
We need more of that. So, remember what lights you up, what makes you pumped to be alive? Stay with that, remember it often, put it out into the world, infuse it into your everyday life.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with your work– tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as and what sets you apart from others.
I am an Experienced Registered Yoga Instructor based in Newburyport, MA. I lead yoga and dance classes, environmental and social change benefit classes, workshops, national and international retreats.
I offer private yoga instruction, am reiki and am ayurvedic bodywork certified.
My mission is to present a class that is accessible to all. To facilitate a healing experience through the practice of yoga that helps students remember the joy of being in the body, mind, and spirit.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
Barriers to female leadership today… as a yoga instructor? Off the top of my head, I would say it is common especially in the days of social media and comments behind a keyboard to objectify female yoga instructors. I can’t count how many times I’ve had comments from much older men who I don’t even know remark on my breasts, bum, how flexible I am, “if only I were younger”, etc. and then the almost immediate shame that follows “I shouldn’t have posted that because I was asking for it.” Which is bull***t by the way.
I know those male yogis have their barriers too. Yoga was originally created by men to be practiced by men. Now, in 2018 in the west, yoga has blown up into a fitness trend in many areas, popularized by well to do, thin, white women drinking green smoothies chanting “Namaste” in their head to toe Lululemon gear. The truth of what yoga really is has been lost in many ways and I know many men feel sometimes like they don’t fit in or belong in a yoga class!
I think the key here is to bring yoga back to a place where it is accessible to anyone and everyone. Once we educate ourselves and swallow our pride, differences, and possible prejudices, we can break these barriers. The word Yoga actually means union or to bring together. We need to look at that and realize how and when are we chasing separation over oneness in our daily lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.emilychandrayoga.com
- Phone: 347-626-9252
- Email: emilychandrayoga@gmail.com
- Instagram: emilychandrayoga
- Facebook: Emily Chandra
Image Credit:
Kelleidoscope Photography IG: kelleidoscope, IG: @Churchoftodd & @artattack2020, Lauren Moll
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