Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Garza. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Amanda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
In 2020, I got married right as the Texas governor was declaring a statewide public health disaster. Months later, I graduated with my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and like most people, I was stressed and trying to adjust to the “new reality” that was life during and after Covid-19. Also like many people, I rediscovered my love of yoga during the pandemic and stayed accountable by doing yoga challenges with friends.
Growing up, I enjoyed practicing yoga and being active, but I experienced yoga as most Americans do – as a workout for developing abs and lean muscles. I definitely did not explore the other 7 limbs of yoga, nor did I know of their existence. I had been an avid follower of Jillian Michaels and was a proud owner of Yoga Meltdown, Killer Buns & Thighs, and 30 Day Shred, but in my late 20s, my body was not loving fast-paced yoga, and I found myself wanting something slower. Cue Yoga with Adriene, who does a fantastic job of incorporating breathwork and linking sequences to feelings in the body like anxiety, grief, and sadness. Yoga was not about the perfect posture, but to “find what feels good”, however that looked like. Being able to reconnect with my body was helpful in not just noticing my feelings, but being able to accept them without judgment, and notice the effects of those thoughts or feelings on my body.
At this point, I was hooked and in 2021, I signed up to take a yoga teacher certification course a colleague (and now a dear friend) recommended. I was not sure if I wanted to teach yoga, but I thought it would be useful in counseling as many of my clients reported feeling uncomfortable and disconnected from their body.
The experience was spiritual and I felt emotionally and physically fit and I was more confident in who I am and more thoughtful of what energy I was sending into the world. The best example I can give of the change yoga had in my life is through my anxiety dreams. You know the ones where you’re in a car, sometimes driving, sometimes the passenger, but you have no control of where you are going or how fast, and suddenly, you crash!
That’s usually where I wake up after trying to get my dream self to wake up and do something (anything!) to change the dream. I’m not sure how many months into my yoga training this happened, but I had my usual out of control car dream, except this time, I heard my voice loud and clear say “Just breathe” and I did! My dream self took control of the car and narrowly, but expertly avoided a drifting semi truck rolling onto its side and past the flames of another car who was caught watching. I woke up in pure awe and joy at my dream and obnoxiously told everyone about how calm and collected I was. That was a defining moment for me. It told me I was on the right path and affirmed my belief in yoga as a healing practice for physical, mental, and spiritual health and wellness.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and founder of Yogonas Yoga. I am Texas born and raised and I graduated from the University of Houston Clear Lake with my MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I provide counseling to young professionals and adults in the Houston Heights area (and virtually all over TX). I work with first generation issues, trauma, anxiety, codependency, and other general issues.
I am most proud of creating a safe and affordable space for women to heal with the Yogonas community. I loved attending weekly circles during my yoga teacher training. Circles were a space to connect with my cohort and check-in and support each other through that week’s stressors. It was a small community and one of my favorite parts of training. I was deeply inspired by Circles and after graduating from yoga teacher training, I wanted to find a circle of my own where I could connect with other women. I looked online for spaces, but I struggled to find something in my area that matched my needs and had women that looked like me. I realized I could bridge the gap and create the space I was looking for. Thus, Yoga for Chingonas or Yogonas, was born.
The asanas, or the yogic postures are not as important in the Yogonas. While there is still movement, the most important aspect is uplifting each other, practicing gratitude, and diving within ourselves to dissect our innermost thoughts and find our inner strength. That is why I chose the name Yoga for Chingonas. For those unfamiliar with the Spanish word, Chingona, pronounced cheen-go-nah has been reclaimed by Latinas to describe a woman who is “badass, strong, intelligent, and powerful” in her own way. It is an honor to be called chingona, but this was not always the case. The once-derogatory term originated as a cussword and was used to negatively describe and shame women who were viewed as too masculine, too aggressive, too wild. However, the masculine form, “chingon” is complimentary to men who are viewed as assertive, bold, and strong for having the same traits. It took a movement of many powerful women to reclaim the word and defy the standards of what a young girl or woman should be in a patriarchal society. Anyone can be chingona, regardless of their ethnicity.
Whether I am meeting someone through Yogonas or in my job as a therapist at Ajana Therapy, I am here to help you find your voice, break generational curses, and empower you to be your best self, whatever that looks like for you today.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
It’s important to put yourself out there and network with others. I have learned a lot from the people around me and that has lead to more connections and opportunities. I also make sure to take care of my own mental and physical health. It’s hard to hold space for others when your energy is drained and your body feels run down.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn being self-sufficient and perfectionistic. Growing up, my dad worked a lot and my mom was busy caring for my brothers with autism, so I learned to do as much as I could on my own. I felt like I was burdening my mom if I needed help with something and that flooded into other areas of my life. I used perfectionism as a tool to control my environment and it made it difficult to be present and vulnerable. I learned that if I am holding space for others, the most important part is showing up and being present and I cannot do that if I focus on the little things and spend too much time on the details.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ajanatherapy.com/team/amanda-garza/
- Instagram: TherapyforChingonas
- Other: https://lu.ma/user/yogonasyoga
Image Credits
Adriana Garcia