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

Meghan, 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.

I’ve always had a strong work ethic, and have always understood that to move forward in anything–whether it’s classwork, career, yoga practice–you have to work for it. If I wanted to get noticed and in line for a promotion, I had to push myself and take ownership of projects that made me nervous. If I wanted to feel confident teaching inversions, I had to learn to do them myself.

This philosophy served me well until my husband and I decided we were ready to expand our family, and we came up against fertility problems. It was the first time that hard work wasn’t enough to make something happen for me. It really forced me to prioritize and recognize the things that I had taken for granted. Being able to call my mom and tell her I loved her. Spending time with friends and lingering over extra chips and guac instead of watching my fat intake to make headstands easier. It sounds corny, and it probably is, but I realized that my goals were already in front of me.

Meghan, 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?

Movement, in different modalities, has always been a part of my life, but I was always drawn to goal-oriented exercise. Running faster, lifting more, and seeking out new challenges. It was only after experiencing a wrenching tear in the fabric of my family that I gave yoga a try. And, truth be told, that tear is what really allowed the light of my developing practice in and changed the trajectory of my life.

After years of practice, I completed yoga teacher training (YTT) with Maria Toso of Saint Paul Yoga Center. Initially, I wanted to complete the 200 hours of instruction to enhance my own mind-body connection and education. There’s something magical in studying texts that have been read by millions for centuries, and imbuing the words with my own experiences and interpretations. As we neared the end of class, I realized that I enjoyed the instructional aspect of YTT and how much I would miss it, and tentatively sought out a teaching gig. That single weekly class grew into several weekly classes, which continued until the pandemic and I took a break from class instruction.

Today, I work with people who are seeking out something new, whether that’s a physical, mental or emotional “something.” I meet people where they’re at and create custom content for them in the form of yoga sequences, guided meditations, and workshops.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

2020 brought a host of challenges that shook my desire to teach yoga. As studios shut down or moved classes online, I felt a need to cocoon myself and my family for a bit as we sorted out our own way through the pandemic. We needed to define our own comfort level with things that never crossed my mind before – do I feel comfortable picking out my own produce at the store? How often can we see family, how close do we get to our neighbors when chatting outside? – and teaching in person felt out of the question with a newborn at home. I wasn’t set up for teaching online, either, so while it began as a forced hiatus from teaching, it wound up helping me understand what comfort truly felt and looked like without any additional pressure to perform.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think my holistic approach is honed a lot by my writing. It allows me to explore a variety of avenues that would otherwise not really fit in the spectrum of a yoga class. But it informs my perspective and makes me a better teacher because I can pull from different perspectives, modalities and the richness of life as a whole. I would also add that I’m a fierce Inbox Zero practitioner – someone who keeps their unread messages at zero, and takes action on messages as soon as they arrive – helps, too. Being responsive and a good communicator will get you far in any career!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://minnesconsinyoga.com/
• Instagram: instagram.com/minnesconsinyoga
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/minnesconsinyoga
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/minnesconsinyoga/

Image Credits
Meghan Hatalla