We had the good fortune of connecting with Shana Meyerson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shana, how do you think about risk?
There is a direct correlation between risk and reward. The more risk you are willing to take in life, the bigger the reward. I have to be honest that my entire yoga business was the byproduct of a tremendous risk. When I found yoga, I was almost a decade into my professional life (first in the film industry and then in tech/.com). I was well-situated with a great career that I loved and was simultaneously getting my MBA at UCLA. Let’s say that yoga completely blindsided me and within weeks of discovering it, I knew on a visceral level that it was what I was really meant to be doing in my life. A calling. So, I left my career and withdrew from my Master’s program in order to pursue a life of yoga. Honestly, I didn’t know if I would ever earn another dollar. And I didn’t even care. It was what I knew I needed to do. Within six months, I was earning as much teaching yoga as I was at my previous job and, in fact, I had so much work flowing in that I started hiring other teachers to take on the overflow. Yoga has been good to me. It has taken care of me spiritually, mentally and physically. It has taken me around the globe and provided for my every need. It’s funny, when I graduated college (undergrad), my original goal was to be a screenwriter. Everyone told me I was a very talented writer and I wrote on the side while doing script development for a living. But I was never willing to give up my paycheck to pursue (what I thought was) my dream. It was only when I was willing to risk everything that all the pieces of my life fell right into place.

What should our readers know about your business?
The biggest thing that sets me apart from others is my ability to teach on a granular level. I am known for being able to get just about anyone into just about any pose. Instead of regurgitating the words of my teachers, I have always sought my own voice and methodology to make even the most complex yoga poses and theories completely tangible and accessible. My yoga is very classical. No gimmicks. I tend to attract intelligent, serious students who seek true depth in their practice. As such, I have always taught to a smaller, elite clientele–almost exclusively privates. I work best one-on-one, as I like to truly get to know all of my students on a very personal level and tailor each practice to their individual needs. Working independently of the studio system hasn’t always been easy, but my YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Instagram feeds have gotten my teachings out onto the world stage. A big part of my success has been the result of relationship building. Yoga is my practice, but ultimately, people are my business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love being active, so I would take my friend to hike in the Santa Monica Mountains, bike by the beach, and walk around the streets of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Most likely, I would take them for a day to Laguna Beach to enjoy the eclecticism.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
More than anything, I owe my parents for their unconditional support of every decision I have ever made. Though I went to Cornell to study pre-law, they supported me when I decided to screenwrite instead. When I left Hollywood for the .com and tech world, they supported me. When I decided to get my MBA, they supported me. And despite coming from a family where Masters Degrees are the norm, when I decided to leave UCLA and teach yoga, they still supported me. Their only goal for me has always been to see me happy and fulfilled. And for that, I am blessed.

Website: https://YOGAthletica.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/yogathletica
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shana-meyerson-369a945
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanameyerson/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JSTDUEIT/featured
Other: Vimeo Video-on-Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/yogathletica