We recently connected with Joanna Rajendran and have shared our conversation below.

Joanna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)?

I had the distinct honor of having modern-day Guru and master teacher Tao Porchon-Lynch as my personal mentor. Studying with the world’s oldest yoga teacher for over two decades influenced every aspect of my career and life. With her, I saw the world, got certified to teach yoga and meditation and was inspired to use continue in her path of spreading peace, power and possibility.

While assisting her at a sold-out workshop in upstate NY, Tao was explaining the benefits of a certain arm balance posture. It was a pose we had just done in class the day before and one she knew that I had yet to achieve. When she calmly announced that I would be demonstrating it, I simply looked at her and said, “I will?” She smiled and nodded her head in response.

As she described, one element at a time, how to position your limbs, and how to use your breath, I was squarely in the beginning stages of the pose. With a glimmer in her eye and pleasure in her voice, she said how important the grounding of the back foot was. To illustrate this, Tao subtly stood on my foot. The support strengthened my posture physically while her belief and confidence in my ability emboldened me energetically. The combination of the two resulted in me doing the full expression of a posture that only one day prior seemed out of my grasp.

The moment was so much more than a physical accomplishment. It was a reminder that we are capable of so much more than we could even imagine and that that possibility is enhanced by the love, guidance and belief of others.

Joanna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Joanna Rajendran is a renowned Mindset Mastery Coach, Meditation Expert, Yoga Teacher and author of the must-read book My Guru Wears Heels. After spending 26 years studying with and learning from a modern-day sage, Joanna shares the inspiring story of her time with Master Teacher Tao Porchon-Lynch and the lessons learned in a raw and relatable way. With her engaging storytelling, infectious energy and commanding presence, Joanna offers actionable tools as she delivers impactful speeches. Her mission is to help individuals, corporations and communities to stop REACTING to life and to begin CREATING it resulting in their BEST.LIFE.EVER.
Out of all of her offerings, her favorite thing to do is to help facilitate meaningful transformations in people. After the landscape of the typical work/life flow shifted dramatically during Covid, Joanna saw an even bigger demand for mindfulness training, breathwork, coaching and community so she addressed this need in two distinct ways.

Full immersion is a fantastic way to create new habits of happiness and success. Joanna currently leads retreats for small individual and corporate groups both domestically and abroad.

Though, for some, integrating what you experience on a retreat into your “real life” can be daunting. For that reason, Joanna created her signature 12-week virtual course called BEST.LIFE.EVER.. Each week she and her clients meet online for their live session and then they use the subsequent seven days to play with the action steps in the context of their actual lives.

Joanna has collaborated with Tony Robbins leading breathwork, meditation and vision to his private coaching group; The Platinum Lions. Other notable speaking clients include: Boston Magazine, Brown & Brown Insurance, Kim Crawford, Athleta, Mercy College, IAPD, Boss Lady, The Bedford Playhouse, The Women’s Alliance Committee, GPS Gifter X Talks & LifeTime Fitness.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Integrity. Integrity. Integrity. The old adage is true that people may not remember what you say but they will always remember how you made them feel. In business as in life, I believe in giving people my full presence, attention and intention. In today’s over-stimulated and hyper-connected world, giving someone your complete focus is a rare gift. When your focus is integrity, clients know that your words and your actions are in alignment and your reputation will be a by-product of that effort.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Being able to pivot is skill that will come in handy in every aspect of life. Years ago, I was planning to open a new yoga studio with and for my mentor while simultaneously planning my wedding in my dad’s backyard. A few months deep into the planning of both, the economy crashed and rendered all of the plans to be no longer viable. Dusting ourselves off inspired us to get creative in both sectors. The business transformed from a physical yoga studio to a yoga-inspired clothing line and the wedding changed from a backyard gathering of friends and family to use being the first couple married at the new Yankee Stadium. When you remain open to the notion that change can bring unplanned yet incredible outcomes, it often does.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.joannarajendran.com
• Instagram: @joannaraj
• Facebook: Joanna Rajendran
• Linkedin: Joanna Rajendran
• Twitter: joannaraj
• Youtube: Joanna Rajendran