Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carolyn Pedersen-Howard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Carolyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Is there a historical figure you look up to? Who are they and what lessons or values have you learned from them?

Maya Angelou is a person I deeply admire, and I look up to. Her passing was a deep loss for her followers, but her legacy and her impact continues on in our hearts and minds. One of my all-time favorite quotes by Maya Angelou is, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This quote has become my life mantra not just on the yoga mat but more importantly off the mat too. It is a mantra I try and live by and that I keep as my guiding post for all that I do and say. The quote is a reminder of the powerful impact we have on the people around us. It highlights the importance of consciously choosing to make a positive impact. Kindness is contagious and one positive act, like a tiny pebble being thrown into the lake, makes its impact and then ripples out far beyond what we can see. That is another beautiful aspect about having a yoga practice. The insights that we cultivate on the mat about our bodies and our minds can be taken off the mat to live a more conscientious and mindful life.

Carolyn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Carolyn Pedersen-Howard, and I am half Danish half Brazilian and grew up in the Philippines. I discovered yoga when I was 17 and I always wished I had found it sooner! It is my mission to help share the benefits of yoga to people of all ages removing as many barriers to entry as possible. CPH yoga was created with that mission in mind and is an affordable online yoga platform offering gentle yoga from the comfort of your own home with a truly connected supportive encouraging community. The CPH Yoga mantra is: yoga from the heart. The yoga offered is from my heart to yours crafted, cultivated and delivered with love and kindness. CPH Yoga currently offers one live stream class every Sunday at 9 am (PST) for its monthly and drop-in community members. For drop in members who cannot make the live class the recording is available for 6 days and monthly members have unlimited access to the full video library. To date, CPH Yoga digital library has over 80 recorded classes of various lengths (15, 30, 45, 60 minutes) and styles and with different areas of focus for members and non-members to choose from. Aspiring yogis who don’t feel comfortable going to an in-person class or who have transport issues or who struggle to find the time can easily access this affordable platform and find the support and success they need on their journey towards health and wellbeing. Many of my students, prior to CPH Yoga, had never done yoga before and now have a beautiful consistent practice regardless of their limitations. In fact, yoga is very much about honoring your body and adjusting your practice to meet it where it’s at. One of my students struggled to put on her socks when she first started. She is now able to put on her socks with ease has even started jogging! Another one of my students is an active avid tennis player and she says the practice has only enhanced her game and made her stronger and more agile! And one gentleman in our community couldn’t touch his toes when he first started and now forward folds with ease and grace. These are just some of the successes my students have been able to manifest and are the result of showing up consistently and investing in their health. It is said that yoga is the fountain of youth keeping your spine healthy and improving the quality of your life! So what are you waiting for? Get on your yoga mat today!! Free first online class for Canvas readers use discount code: Free4CanvasRebels!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I am a recovering perfectionist. A perfectionist is defined as: “a person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection.’ In truth perfection is impossible to attain so a perfectionist is stuck in this unattainable situation spearheaded by their worst and hardest harshest critic: themselves! My personal yoga practice has helped me soften my perfectionist tendencies and allowed me to cultivate far more patience and kindness towards myself and to others. It is a yoga practice not yoga perfect. As long as you are breathing (and preferably smiling) you are doing things right. Implementing this into our yoga practice means letting go of what you think the perfect pose ‘should’ look like and instead tuning into your body and focusing on how the pose is feeling in your body and being self-empowered enough to adjust and find a variation that works for you.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I have built my social media audience one beautiful person at a time. It has been a slow and steady process for several reasons. I honestly resisted social media for years. I didn’t want to be a part of a platform that showcased people’s lives in such a perfect way that it brought others down. So, when I finally decided to take the leap of faith and embark on my social media journey, I vowed to make it a positively impactful one. I post messages that are kind, nurturing and uplifting in an authentic way. My posts also serve to compliment to my online yoga offering highlighting our themes and intentions for class. My intention behind every post is to lift people up rather than bringing them down. If that resonates with you please do connect with me on social media! My advice to someone starting on their social media journey is to be very consciousness of what you are posting and ensure it is a true reflection of who you are and what you are offering. Be authentic and shine your bright beautiful light! Social media is a powerful marketing tool and with great power comes great responsibility so use it wisely and kindly!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cph-yoga.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cph_yoga/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CPH-Yoga-106066557905299
• Other: CPH Yoga Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/carolynpedersen

Image Credits
Lauren Stockton www.laurenstocktonphotography.com Instagram: @laurenstocktonphoto Facebook: Lauren Stockton Photography