We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carli Baldwin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Carli thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
The Covid-19 Pandemic was a turning point; for our world, society and for many individuals confronting the rapid unravelling of how life “used to be” and “should” become. For me, it was a moment of reckoning, one that led me take the leap and ditch my desk job and to build my own business as a yoga teacher. I chose risk and authenticity over safe and “should”.
For years, I followed the path I thought (and was told) I should—climbing the ladder in corporate and nonprofit spaces. The work was meaningful, the paychecks steady, but something was always missing or out of alignment. Corporate DEI aims to build better workplaces founded on equity and respect; nonprofit programs that support the unhoused aspire to solve the homelessness epidemic; yet these industries, for all their good intentions, are a veneer covering the root problems of social disconnection and a long list of ‘isms.’
I’d close my laptop at the end of the day feeling drained, disconnected from myself, my values, and quietly wondering, “Is this it?”
Yoga had always been my refuge—the one place I always felt grounded, present, and alive. It wasn’t just movement; it was a reminder of who I really was beneath the work deadlines, impact statements and red-tape. It was a space and a practice that helped me come home to myself and deeply reflect.
So, I took the leap. I traded office meetings for yoga mats and donation-based yoga studios, spreadsheets for sound bowls, and certainty for something far more valuable: alignment. It was and continues to be terrifying, yes—but even scarier was the thought of staying stuck in a life that didn’t feel like mine.
Now, I wake up each day doing work that reflects my values, nurtures my soul, and helps others reconnect with themselves. I teach yoga and meditation at a women’s recovery center, helped manage a donation-based yoga studio for a few years, and now run my own business offering private yoga, corporate classes, and sound bath meditations. I continue to serve populations who need support, and I’m applying to graduate school to eventually become a therapist and open my own practice.
It’s not always easy, but it’s real, and that’s what matters most. It’s my version of “hard”—I’d rather hustle for gigs and have ownership over my time and energy than feel stuck on someone else’s time, mission, and for only the ‘golden handcuffs’ of direct deposit, a 401K and healthcare.
If you’re standing at your own crossroads, consider this your sign: The risk of living authentically is always worth it.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi, I’m Carli—the heart behind Yoga with Carli. My journey into yoga didn’t start with the dream of becoming a teacher. For years, I worked in corporate and nonprofit spaces, following the path I thought I should. The work was fulfilling in some ways, but deep down, I felt disconnected—from myself, my purpose, and the sense of ease I knew life could hold.
Yoga was my constant through it all. It wasn’t just about movement; it was a space to breathe, reset, and reconnect. Eventually, I realized that the peace and empowerment I found on the mat was more than just a personal practice—it was something I wanted to share with others.
Taking the leap from desk job to yoga teacher wasn’t easy, but it was the most authentic choice I could make. Now, through Yoga with Carli, I offer private yoga sessions, group classes, and sound baths designed to help others find balance, clarity, and calm in their busy lives. My signature offering, Sunday Reset: Flow and Restore, blends mindful movement with vinyasa, restorative yoga and sound healing—perfect for those needing a fresh start for the week ahead.
What sets my work apart is the emphasis on meeting you where you are. Whether you’re stepping onto the mat for the first time or deepening an existing practice, my goal is to create a safe, welcoming space for self-discovery and exploration. I believe yoga should feel accessible, not intimidating—and that true transformation happens when we approach ourselves with compassion and curiosity, rather than judgment.
I’m most proud of the community that’s grown around my classes—the people who show up not just to move but to reconnect with themselves, find stillness, and leave feeling lighter and more grounded. When we show up fully to our lives—without the aches and pains of a stiff body or mental drag of anxiety and a racing mind—amazing things can happen. This is when “self-care” becomes community care, and I love having such a direct impact in this way.
If there’s one thing I’d love potential clients and followers to know, it’s this: Yoga isn’t just about the poses. It’s about coming home to yourself—finding presence, peace, and connection in a world that often pulls us away from the things that matter most.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Training and lineage are very important in the yoga teaching world. However, if education were the only road to success I think there could be hundreds more yoga teachers in California and beyond.
To succeed in this business, you need to juggle multiple hats and be the boss of each department, including: business operations, marketing, development, accounting, and beyond! I’ve had to quickly learn graphic design, video editing, social media content strategy, email marketing campaigns, just to name a few hard skills. But you also have to develop soft skills like time management, have a strong sense of self-worth when negotiating contracts and business arrangements, and the confidence to keep going and adapt to changing dynamics often.
Most importantly, you have to diversify your income or have support financially through roommates, partners, family or other means. Living in Southern California as a yoga teacher in a saturated market means that I have some seasons that are really fruitful and others where I’m picking up shifts at a local restaurant.
At the risk of sounding super corny, it’s quite like yoga—adjust and meet yourself in each moment.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Great question! In this process, I’ve had to reflect on and unlearn my relationships to productivity, perfectionism, and creativity. In a 9-5 job, you are quite literally are working the same or similar hours day in and day out, fueled by adrenaline and cortisol (aka stress hormones) as you chase project deadlines and accolades from your employer. Your performance is evaluated by your boss and you aim for perfection in an environment that can stifle creativity and personality. Over time, you play it safe and conform to ‘get it right.’
Since forging my own path, I’ve had to realize that without a 9-5 schedule, my energy levels and work output will ebb and flow. And that’s okay! Without the structure of a work schedule and boss supervising me, it’s hard to hold myself accountable and manage my time well. But in that freedom, I’ve experienced bursts of creative visions and dreams (where I’ll just add ideas to a list), breathe life into projects over a short span of time (make the ideas from the list come true), and then return to a period of less creation and more maintenance.
In those periods I feel bored, unproductive, and like I’m “not doing enough” or “getting it right.”
To anyone who is self-employed and also is working to unlearn these concepts, please just find a system that works for you. Release the need to “get it right” and instead just do it, edit, do it again, edit again, until you’ve built yourself an authentic and meaningful life and work that honors who you are–not how you produce value or get paid.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/CarliBaldwin
- Instagram: @yogawithcarli__
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carli-b-226221113/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yogawithcarli
