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Before we became yoga teachers, we were once and still students of yoga.
I am sharing some insight from some inspirational yoga teachers I've met over the years. I hope their stories will inspire and motivate you in your yoga practice. This month I am highlighting Youmie Jean Francois
SFCY: Tell us a little bit about yourself :)
Youmie: My name is Youmie Jean Francois. I’m the Founder and CEO of Flex-N-Fly. Flex-N-Fly is a wellness company that provides stretching/relaxation classes to travelers before they board their international and domestic flights.
SFCY: How did you get introduced to yoga and when did yoga get serious?
I was introduced to Yoga in college. I was a professional actor and back-up dancer. My wellness journey was always serious for me because I needed to be fit for my profession. But I started taking stretching and restorative yoga seriously about 3 years ago.
SFCY: Can you share your biggest challenges within practicing yoga?
Youmie: I would say for me it was finding what kind of yoga best fit me. For a long time, I had a vision of what yoga was supposed to look like on me based on the practice of others. I had to find what worked for me. That and making the time to be consistent.
SFCY: Where do you find your motivation to keep practicing?
Youmie: I have created daily habits to do every day in order to have a productive day. Stretching and restorative yoga is part of my lifestyle. When I feel unmotivated, I go to my mat and I lay down in child’s pose. The minute I’m on my mat, I can push through. As a business owner, I deal with a lot of different energy every day so it’s important for me to have my time or else I’m all over the place.
SFCY: What was your most embarrassing moment during your yoga journey?
Youmie: When I first started my journey, I went to a yoga class. The teacher would start saying the terms and I would just start laughing because I had no idea what she was talking about. Cobra pose and pigeon pose. I was like, Am I an animal? I felt so embarrassed because everyone knew what the terms meant and I kept laughing uncontrollably because I was so embarrassed.
SFCY: How did yoga influence your life beyond the mat?
Youmie: I’ve really learned to manage my anger through yoga. I’ve learned to be more intentional with my words and actions.
SFCY: What does your typical day look like?
Youmie: I wake up, I make ginger tea, I take out my mat, I put on gospel music and I do breathwork and start stretching then go into my restorative yoga practice. after that, I have breakfast while I start responding to emails and start the workday.
SFCY: What is your favorite style to practice?
Youmie: Restorative yoga. I like gentle yoga. Anything that helps me relax my body.
SFCY: Who is your inspiration?
Youmie: Everyone who pursue their healing through practice.
SFCY: What are your future plans/goals/dreams for your yoga practice?
Youmie: My goal is to deepen my practice. Open multiple locations of Flex-N-Fly to provide wellness to travelers. I’d also like to help travelers make healthy choices and help decrease anxiety.Â
SFCY: Anything else you want to add?
Youmie: Thank you for the opportunity.
You can Following Yomie and FlexnFly on...
About Youmie:
Youmie Francois is the founder of FlexnFly a wellness company that provides stretching/relaxation classes to travelers before they board their international and domestic flights. Our vision is to help flyers create healthy habits while providing an atmosphere of quietude at the airport. Click here to learn more about Flexnfly
Now you can listen to our interview on iTunes, Google Podcast, Spotify and more...
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About the Author:
Kenya Marsh is the founder of SimplyFitandCurvyYoga (SFCY), Course Creator for Elevated Yogi Academy, and Host of "From My Mat to Yours Podcast." As a wife, stay-at-home mom of two, and yoga teacher. Kenya knows how challenging and beneficial a steady yoga practice can be. She understands it can be hard to start a new yoga journey alone. She created this website, along with courses, books, and more materials to help provide support to help busy yogis elevate their yoga practice.