We were lucky to catch up with Amberly Kelley-Dotson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Amberly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Like many other folks, the year 2020 changed everything for me. Just before the pandemic really hit and shut everything down, I had been informed that the program I was employed through had lost its funding from the state, and if I were to stay employed with the same company, I would be looking at a dramatic pay cut. Then, of course, I started working from home a week later. That time at home was a breath of fresh air for me, and when I realized that being quarantined at home during a global pandemic felt like a nice break, I knew something had to change. I had a few months to decide what I was going to do, having employment through the end of July, so I mulled it over for some time. I had been teaching yoga as a side hustle for several years, and with folks being at home all over, I decided to start seeing students 1:1 virtually. I loved being able to do this work and started developing a keen eye for individualized practice. I knew I wanted to learn more about yoga therapy and how to offer deeper work, and with that, I quit my job and enrolled in American Viniyoga Institute’s Foundations for Teaching and Yoga Therapy. That’s right-no job and committed to two years and thousands of dollars in training. Somehow, I wasn’t scared or anxious at all. I knew this was the right move and I just trusted that things would work out. Not long after I made this decision, a friend reached out in need of someone to do some part-time work managing her new acupuncture clinic! Two years later, I had a growing bud of a business working with clients therapeutically, was working part-time at the clinic, and was getting ready to graduate from my training. That momentum continued, and in January of 2023, I went full-time with my business!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

In short, I arrived where I am today with my business because of my own healing journey. I found yoga first when I was in college and struggling with anxiety and being disconnected from my body. Later, after repeated ‘yoga’ injuries, I found yoga therapy, and it changed everything for me. I was able to see the full depth of what a practice can be, offering tools for body, mind, spirit, and whole being. I was able to heal long-term pain from a knee injury, to support my mood and manage anxiety, and to truly know myself more deeply. Now, I’m adding Ayurveda into the mix, because it saved me too. After years of chronic gut dysbiosis, hormone issues, and so much more, Ayurveda came to the rescue.

In my private practice, I work 1:1 with clients therapeutically. We might work on healing chronic pain, dysfunctional movement patterns, managing stress and anxiety, boosting energy, supporting digestion, and a long list of other issues. I love watching my clients have ‘aha!’ moments when they’re able to connect the dots between their body, breath, mind/thoughts, and every other part of their being. I love providing skills and tools for my clients to turn to and empowering them to know how to care for themselves more deeply. We all have the ability to heal deep within us. Sometimes we just need some help getting there!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

This one is a doozy and I’m going to get deep here. The biggest lesson I’ve had to unlearn (and to be honest am still unlearning), is the thought that I can do everything on my own, and not only that, but I can do it perfectly. At a young age, I was taught that I couldn’t depend on or trust anyone but myself. I was also taught that anything less than perfection was unacceptable. As you can imagine, I was a straight A student who was involved in every extracurricular activity you can think of and doing it all with seeming grace, ease, a smile on my face. Trust me, that wasn’t what was happening inside. There have been many, many iterations of unlearning this lesson throughout my life and in varying aspects, but it definitely reared its ugly head again when I started my business, Amble Wellbeing. Running my own business has been one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. Finding the balance between doing the actual thing I’m in business for AND running the business (bookkeeping, marketing, website, social media, etc.) is like having 3+ jobs. Turns out, I couldn’t do it by myself and I sure as hell couldn’t do it perfectly. When I finally admitted that to myself and asked for help, I felt like I could finally breathe again.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Believe it or not, word of mouth has been how most of my clients come to me. Having a solid google presence and incredible website (shoutout to my website designer, J-Bird Digital Designs) have helped significantly and in no way do I want to downplay that. In fact, I could talk for hours about why it’s been so helpful and important. That being said, most of the folks that come to me are people I have connected with in some way and discussed my offerings with, or they were sent directly to me by another one of my clients, or referred to me by another practitioner in town. I’m truly so honored when this happens!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.AmbleWellbeing.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/AmberlyYoga
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmberlyYoga
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberly-kelley-dotson-46216b12b/

Image Credits
Rachel Woods of Smoke Signal Photography Brianna Robinson Jen Beyt Coffin