Have you taken a class from our amazing instructor, Sophie? She is one of the strongest, most adventurous, daring and tough women we know. If you have ever taken one of Sophie’s classes, you know that she is exacting, detailed, thoughtful and caring. She is very motivated to help you achieve your goals, gain strength, adventure deeper and have some fun early in the morning. Sophie teaches the Strength class on Fridays at 6am… we are so grateful she is an early morning person! If you haven’t taken one of Sophie’s morning workouts…what are you waiting for?! You will love her carefully-crafted classes, early morning energy, strong instructor voice and great stories of travel and adventure. She is a powerful person on and off the mat and we are so grateful to have her as a member of our yoga family.
We asked her to be our Instructor Spotlight this month. Read on to learn more about the one and only, Sophie Gaweda!
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
“And then I started hiking.”
How long have you been practicing yoga?
I’ve been practicing yoga regularly since 2014. At the time I was living in Seattle and going through a messy breakup. Power yoga was my escape from all that. I’d go daily, sometimes twice a day just to be in the room practicing the movements and letting go of all the negative thoughts. Yoga helped me be brave enough to make some serious changes and ultimately led me to the happy place I’m in now.
What made you want to become a yoga instructor?
I had an outstanding teacher named Joe Burley. He reached out to me about a potential mentorship opportunity/teacher training. Joe still teaches in Seattle, and I visit him every once in a while. The best yoga event he’s hosted was a David Bowie yoga night complete with blacklight, a projector, and Bowie tunes.
Soooo, we know you just got back from a big trip! Can you tell us where you went?
I just got back from a trip to Japan – Hakuba, Tokyo, and Kyoto in three weeks. Ian and I love to take long, adventurous vacations. This time, we went snowboarding for a week at a string of resorts ~an hour northwest of Tokyo. We also visited some 400+ year old castles in Kyoto and got up close and personal with some very social monkeys in Arishiyama. The food was outstanding, the people were so polite and kind. I’d highly recommend Japan to anyone for their next trip.
What yoga pose(s) makes you happy?
I love inversions. Headstands, forearm stands, handstands. Anything where I’m upside down really. I also feel super strong in bow pulling pose.
If you could go anywhere in the world for an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you go and what would you do?
I’d go trek Nepal. Been a dream of mine for a while and I don’t know if it’ll ever happen, but I’d love to see Everest basecamp or complete the Annapurna circuit.
What is the funniest place you have ever fallen asleep?
I fell asleep in a hot tub once. LOL. My husband had to kick me awake. Long day of traveling will do that to a person.
If your pet could talk, what would be his catch phrase?
My husky Aura’s catchphrase would be, “Did somebody say walk?”
My newfie lab Eevee’s catchphrase would be, “I was hiding under your desk because I love you!”
What’s one story about your childhood best explains the person that you are today?
I was three. My Mom’s friend Nancy walked in and asked what we were having for dinner. I told her we were having “Ratatouille.” She about died laughing because how does a three-year-old know or even use that word. That’s me in a nutshell. Always learning and using big words since 1993.
What's a pet peeve that you would make illegal if you could?
Not using your blinker.
What's something that you think everyone should try at least once in their life?
Traveling internationally. It’s so cool to visit a place that’s completely new to you and learn about a different culture/different way of living. Really opens up your world and helps you spot things in your life that you may want to change.