Today we’d like to introduce you to Joya Santarelli
Hi Joya , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I stumbled into yoga in one of the most unlikely of ways. What was at first a devastating diagnosis turned into one of the biggest blessings of my life. Upon being told I had multiple sclerosis, my neurologist (world renowned) suggested I turn to yoga. I registered for my first class the very next day and as they say….the rest is history.
I have been actively practicing yoga for over ten years. For the longest time, I enjoyed practicing and had no intention to lead classes. In 2019, I decided that I could picture myself leading fellow yogis and enrolled in my 200 hour yoga teacher training. I graduated in Feb 2020 just in time for the pandemic to hit the world. And just like that the perfect storm had formed which allowed me to bring my yoga teacher skills to a captive audience.
In the summer of 2020 the world was at a stand still. Businesses were closed and no one had much to do. Enter little old me with my brand new yoga teacher certification. I started slowly…leading eager new yogis in my backyard. Word spread and little by little people started coming in droves. I say it was the perfect storm because people had no other place to be and were yearning for some healing and something to help them make sense of what was happening in the world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing worthwhile is smooth. Ever. I honestly had no idea how to run a business. Once my business expanded out of my backyard and into an actual brick and mortar studio there were a lot of ups and downs. Yes, yoga is light and love but let’s face it… it’s still a business. I had so much to learn, but I was willing to do what I had to in order to make it work because I could see how much Santosha meant to so many.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We think our “work” is the job we go to or the place that signs our pay checks. That’s not entirely true. I believe our “work” is the very special thing that we add to this world. Our vision. Our passion. Our light. Our love. What we share. What we create. How we make people feel. How all of the above makes US feel. That, is truly our WORK.
I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. Even when I was a grown up… I still didn’t know. Even though I didn’t find my true “work” until I was in my early 40s, I still feel fortunate enough to have found it. Yes, there are some days when it’s really difficult to own and operate a busy yoga studio and to lead classes. However, I would not change it for the world. I love what I do and I am so proud to have helped create a community that means so much to so many.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Santosha would not be what it is without the people who call it their home… their third place. There would be no Santosha without the many dedicated students who treat the community with the respect it deserves. I still cannot believe that at one point, I was the only instructor at the studio. How did I have the energy to lead multiple classes a day for as long as I did? Looking back I must have been running on pure adrenaline. Four years later, we have nearly 20 instructors. These amazing humans are the backbone of Santosha. They genuinely care about our community and the integrity of what it stands for. They wake up early and stay late and everything in between to consistently bring top of instruction to our community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Mysantoshayoga.com
- Instagram: Mysantoshayoga
- Facebook: Santosha Yoga
