Be who you are meant to be.
The Live Your Dream Community Leadership Award program is designed to help focused, passionate individuals make strides in our community and impact the lives of others. Each year, we choose one yogi from our Inspire Yoga training programs who has shown exemplary performance in the training and has a vision for sharing personal passions with the world.
We are thrilled to honor Leanne Schulz for our 2015 training season. Throughout both the IYS-200 and 500 hour programs, Leanne showed leadership, courage, and authenticity. Her passion for people, travel and adventure granted her the opportunity to join the Live Your Dream movement and make a real difference in her community. You can learn more about Leanne below.
NN: You are a multi-talented woman! What are some of your most favorite activities that you are currently involved in?
LS: Aside from currently working on my IYS-300 Hour certification, I also work in dance and choreography. I have recently been appointed as the new director for the Six Flags Over Texas Theme Park shows! It’s been a bucket list job I’ve been working to achieve. I get to direct actors, dancers and singers for multiple shows with original choreography and scripts. I’ve never had such a major platform to feature my choreographic work and I’m super pumped!
LS: 1) My husband – he’s Mr. Awesome 2) the smiles and hugs of my yoga students before and after classes 3. and when I hear kids say “Mrs. Leanne” and then start into a full-length story about something they did outside of the classroom. When they want to share their personal funny kid stories it makes me feel very important to them.
NN: Name a song that describes your personality on a typical Monday. What about Friday?
LS: Monday: “This Must Be The Place” -Talking Heads; Friday: “Life’s Been Good” -Joe Walsh
NN: Where is the most exciting place you’ve ever traveled to? What made the experience for you?
LS: La Paz, Big Sur, Mexico. I’ve never traveled to a place where people did not speak any English at all, and it was so slow and peaceful. The excitement was the beauty of truly feeling at peace. After all “La Paz” means “The City of Peace.”
NN: If you could go anywhere right now, all-expenses paid for a day – who would you take, where would you go and what would you do?
LS: One day – New York City. I miss and love that booming, artistic and fast-paced town. I would take my mom. She is a very hard worker with a stressful yet rewarding job as an ER nurse and has many obligations. She really could use a girls day out.
NN: What has been the greatest take-away you have gained from the IYS-300 hour program?
LS: Finding out that what I consider to be “my weaknesses” are actually in fact, my gifts. I’ve never been more compassionate toward myself than I am now. Also, the importance of commitment to myself and my group through all of our wild schedules and life events.
NN: What have you learned about yourself through the Inspire Yoga training programs?
LS: That I was born to be a yoga teacher. And that i have actually been a yogi most of my life and didn’t even know it.
LS: I had to learn real quick that mimicking someone else doesn’t work. Sure we all have teachers that we pick up lasting cues from, but when I began creating cues that worked for my brain, I was teaching more comfortably. And had time to practice my stand up 🙂
NN: What do you do every day to practice self-care?
LS: An evening bath. Doesn’t matter how my day went – crazy or lazy! It’s the only time my brain completely shuts off.
LS: By saying yes. Not to everything or everyone, but if it sounds fun or outside of the box – I’m IN! I also enjoy wrangling 15 kids at a time in dance class. They keep me on my toes – literally!
LS: Being able to see him again and laugh. We are yogimates. We laugh constantly, are total goofballs and thrive off of each other’s energy.
NN: What is the most exotic thing you have ever eaten?
LS: Emu. Yuck.
NN: With a busy lifestyle like yours, in what ways do you make your own yoga practice a priority?
LS: My practice is simply not optional. I have one time slot every day of the week that works for a class. I built up my schedule around my practice. I’ve even turned down dance gigs, photography gigs, and other opportunities based on my practice schedule. I make it to at least 3 classes per week (usually more) and also tie it into my dance warm-ups as well for students at the dance studio. Because i travel in the DFW for all my jobs, I practice at 3 different studios, but Inspire is my home.
Are you ready to start living your dream? We are now seeking 2016 recipients! Apply for our April 200 hour training TODAY!
