After graduating from University and doing everything I was “supposed” to do, I felt stuck. What I dreamed of was a life of travel and freedom, but anxiety was in my ear telling me that was a far fetched dream.I spent every afternoon I could, driving out into the Arizona desert, away from the sounds of the city. Being alone out in nature amongst the stars and saguaros calmed my nervous system.
In October of 2021 when the world began to re-open post-pandemic, I found an opportunity to be a yoga teacher on an island in Panama . My anxiety was giving me every reason NOT to go, but as luck would have it everything aligned and I made the jump.
I got the job in Panama, and moved out of my apartment, put my car into storage, put everything I needed into a backpack and hopped on a one way flight. In my mind at the time, I was leaving the USA for the foreseeable future.
After Panama I traveled to Mexico, and on this trip I realized that this fast paced style of international travel was exhausting for my own nervous system and anxiety. It was really hard to come to terms with the fact that this lifestyle that I had seen as “the dream” for so long was not something I could actually do sustainably full time.
When I returned to the USA, all I had to my name was my backpack full of personal belongings and my car. I started to wonder "What if I move into my Honda Accord and try to take this YouTube thing seriously?”
Again, my anxiety was giving me every possible reason NOT to do this as well, but at this point I really had nothing else to lose. I decided to put everything I needed to live into my car and hit the road.
After years of traveling I finally feel like I have found the perfect style of travel for MY nervous system. Now I get to drive out into nature, cook dinner, enjoy the sunset and go to sleep all without returning to the city and simultaneously calling it work.. Life is wild.
I hope to inspire YOU to face your fears and relax your nervous system with relaxing/relatable travel vlogs, virtual yoga classes on my app, and in person camping yoga retreats with Grounded Retreats!
On-the-road Adventurer
and Yoga Teacher: Alauna's Story
Alauna Yoga Foundations
(01)
Slow Mindful Flow
The intention behind Alauna's style of teaching is to help reduce stress and relax the body and mind by creating a mindful awareness of the body and the breath through somatic practices. Alauna teaches Trauma-Informed Flow, Slow Hatha, Yin, and Restorative Yoga in hopes of helping students become more mindful of what their nervous system needs on any given day. Alauna's intention as a teacher is to provide a calm, judgement-free space where students can return to themselves.
(02)
Nervous System
It is common in today's world to become stuck in an internal state of fight or flight. Overwhelm and stress can become trapped in the body and leave us feeling helpless. Yoga is an integral tool to help regulate the nervous system and release us from fight or flight mode. Through deepening your yoga practice you begin to find balance between both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
(03)
Psychology
Inspired by her studies of Psychology in University Alauna realized the impact Yoga, Nature, Movement and Connection all had on the human psyche. She felt called to help others find their own safe space where they too could heal themselves in the way that she had- on the yoga mat.
(04)
Empathy
Alauna was first introduced to yoga as a solution for her debilitating anxiety. She was going through a rough phase of life and experiencing a lot of anxiety and depression which made it difficult for her to leave the house. The yoga studio ended up becoming her safe space where she would go to release her anxious thoughts from the day and relax her mind and body.She didn't realize how beneficial yoga was until her debilitating anxiety had vanished. Alauna understands from her own experience the impact yoga can have for those struggling with their mental health.
