Inspiration is everywhere. It can be the lyrics of your favorite song, a drawing on a sidewalk, a smile from a friend… it’s not hard to find once you’re open to seeing it. I wrote something to this degree on my Instagram a few weeks ago and felt that it was necessary to reiterate, because inspiration is what this series is all about.
If you’re new to my Girlboss Squad posts, I’m so glad you’re here. Each month I’m highlighting a woman who is chasing her dreams while making it look easy. We all know someone like that. It’s the girl who is balancing a million things; whether it be a full time career, freelance gigs, grad school, yoga teaching, etc. all while maintaining a kick-ass attitude and a healthy lifestyle. I don’t know about you, but finding someone who is living their truth while hustling through their daily activities (especially in the big city) is super inspiring.
This month, I’m so excited to share a Q&A with a girl boss who is chasing her dreams and offering up a warm smile and plenty of daily inspiration to her yoga students and her Instagram tribe.
I’d love for you to meet Shanna Tyler (@ShannaTyler_)
She’s a yoga teacher, future therapist, lifestyle blogger and professional smiler living in New Jersey. She’s an Athleta Ambassador and can frequently be found teaching classes in their Flatiron Studio in NYC.
Shanna and I had the pleasure of meeting through a fun project with Adidas back in December. We were two of a dozen other women who were selected for the focus group but Shanna stood out in a really lovely way. She has such a bubbly personality and an infectious smile — a true kindred spirit.
After meeting her we quickly became friends on Instagram and that’s where I had a first look at the sincere and motivational attitude that Shanna exudes. It wasn’t long after that I had the opportunity to attend one of her yoga classes and that’s when it all came full circle. She took us through a gentle yet invigorating flow and was so incredibly humble throughout it. This is a girl who doesn’t have an ounce of pretentiousness and truly just loves to share her passion for yoga with others. Not to mention she gives a really mean neck massage when you’re in savasana. Like, you should go take her class asap just to experience it. lol
Shanna and I had a blast during our shoot together with JUJA Active despite the early call time and awkwardly close yoga positions. Seriously though, have you ever tried to hold eye contact while linking arms in tree pose? If you can keep a straight face major kudos because you’re probably a super human. Or a robot. Since Shanna and I are neither of those, we were laughing the entire time!
Keep scrolling to see more photos from our shoot and read all of Shanna’s Girlboss blurbs below. 🙂
Q. Tell us about yourself in 1 sentence.A. I am a yoga teacher, masters of social work student, lifestyle/fitness blogger on shannatyler.com and Q. What do you do for a living?A. I get the opportunity to do what I love for a living and all at the same time. I am a yoga teacher and a patient coordinator at a mental health clinic in the city. I also run my own blog, which can be hard, but so rewarding!! Q. Describe your typical dayA. My typical day is rising to a short meditation in my bed or at my desk. Usually breath work and setting an intention for day. My breakfast is tends to always start with oatmeal and blueberries. My phone always needs to be at 100% before I leave, too, because I have to Instastory everything!! Once I get out the house, I go to Equinox, get a workout in, and afterwards head to the mental health clinic for work. Afterwards, I usually have to teach a yoga class, go to Athleta for a visit/event, or a blog-related activity. My goal is always to be home by 6 so I can unwind with dinner along with my family and catch up on emails. Before bed, I fit in my own time on my mat with a yoga flow. For bed, I am usually in it by 9pm, 10 the latest. Q. How do you manage to balance your career and passion projects?A. Oh, balance. Great question on how I manage it all. To be honest, I have no clue. My planner is my lifeline, but it’s so funny how everything adds up. When I look at my schedule at the end of the week, I realize I nearly double what I planned. I manage it all because it is all love. My career is directly being shaped into my passion. Each part of what I do is because I love it. It makes it so much easier to balance when you can wake up knowing you are doing something you are fully committed to. Q. Where is your favorite yoga studio in NYC?A. Y7, for sure. The brand, the concept, the energy, the flow, the music, the atmosphere. I can go on and on about that studio. It is my favorite to go to when I want to sweat and cut out all the onside for a bit. Q. When and why did you start practicing yoga?A.I started practicing about ten years ago (ah, high school years). I did it because it was on-demand and seemed like a good idea at the time. I was looking for something to do that would be good for my mind. I dealt with a lot of anxiety and angst in those years and it really helped. I believe those moments in front of my TV, on a crappy yoga mat, and flowing on my own, really set a foundation for who I am as a yoga teacher today. I believe every one needs access to yoga and its benefits, no matter where you are and who you are. Q. What’s your spirit animal?A. The peacock is my spirit animal. About two years ago, I found out the peacock was my inner animal with a survey. It totally made sense, even though I was not living it at the time. Now, I fully embody the peacock. I am very much so a ham, I am the first one in a picture or to volunteer for a project. I am drawn to colors and vibrant environments. I also do show my own true colors very easily, it is not hard to tell how I am feeling and I easily describe how I am feeling. I have a peacock feather on my left forearm too, just to solidify my spirit animal feels. Q. What do you think it means to be a #girlboss?A. A #girlboss is a woman who takes charge in any area of her life. I believe we can assume it is only in business, but it certainly isn’t. There are girl bosses in the boardroom, the kitchen, the classroom, and the bedroom. There are women who call the shots and are not afraid to speak out for what is right. A #girlboss to me is anyone who is living their truth and rocking at this crazy thing called life. Q. Any tips for other women who are hustling and trying to find balance?A. Keep going. It will not be easy, it will not be hand-delivered. What we want is worth fighting for and worth sacrificing for. There will be times you cannot go out to that party or go out to that brunch, and that is okay. But with balance, there also is saying yes to that party or going out to brunch once in a while. Find the in-between in the hustle and balance. Know when it is time to work and time to play. But most importantly, get rid of anything that you don’t love. If it’s in your schedule, and you don’t love it, get rid of it. Say goodbye and say hello to your passion. |
I kinda wish I could end the blog on that last line that Shanna wrote, because that is some incredibly solid advice!
A huge thank you to Shanna for joining my GirlBoss Squad and to my friends at JUJA Active who so kindly outfitted us with this gorgeous summer yoga apparel! Please be sure to follow Shanna’s adventures on Instagram and her blog (and wish her a Happy Birthday and One Year Blogiversary because both of those events are just around the corner)!!
To all you other girl bosses out there, keep working hard and chasing after that dream. And remember that the journey is just as important as the destination.
With love,
*Note: This post (and the amazing outfits we’re sporting in it) was sponsored by JUJA Active. Check out their website to shop our outfits! You can use discount code HHEELS15 for 15% off your purchase.
Shanna never ceases to amaze me.
Keep up the awesome work!