We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sonia Azad a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sonia , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
I think there’s risk in nearly everything we do: the jobs we say yes to, the relationships we choose, trips we take, having children, not having children… One of the most significant risks in recent time for me was choosing Dallas. I had to decide between two job offers: the one here and one in Seattle. And, I could see the upside to both scenarios. Ultimately, I had my ‘Sliding Doors’ moment (I was Gwyneth) and after playing out how things might unfold, I chose Dallas. It might seem like Dallas is the safer choice: I’m from Texas, I’ve worked in a lot of Texas markets, I have friends and family nearby — but it felt like a risk. Professionally, this was the better choice. But personally, the thought of exploring a different part of the country felt exciting. I’ve lived in San Diego, Chicago, D.C., and several Texas cities, but never the Pacific Northwest, which I find incredibly beautiful. I’m more of a hiking and yoga gal than a two-stepping and beer one. It’s impossible to say how life would be different had I gone the other way, but I do believe in high risk, high reward– and in the notion that we never choose wrongly… meaning, this is how things were supposed to be. I’ve had the great fortune of working in an industry that I’ve loved, having the opportunity to teach yoga and deep dive into the wellness and fitness community in a city that I hadn’t explored much before moving here.
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 work as a Health & Wellness TV reporter and a yoga/ meditation teacher. My career in TV news spans nearly two decades. I used to work as a crime reporter (which people always seem to find fascinating). After years of covering everything from crime to courts to politics, I transitioned to reporting on health, which has always been part of my personal life. I grew up as a dancer, long distance runner, and general fitness fanatic. As part of my movement exploration, in 1999, I began practicing yoga and then meditation. I’ve explored various styles of each and now am trained in sharing those traditional practices with others. I love the intersection of mind and movement. My teaching style is one that is suitable for everyone– and geared especially toward beginners: people with low back pain, chronic stiffness, or even mental agitation.
I think yoga in the western world can oftentimes be intimidating, cliquish, fast and frustrating. What yoga is and means is the opposite of all of that. It is deliberate, inclusive, accommodating and a balance of effort and ease.
There is a quote I remember reading — “I wish I could tell you it gets better. It doesn’t. YOU get better.” Interestingly, it’s attributed to Joan Rivers. I love these words down to my bones. Because it’s true. Life is far from a series of perfect, blissful, serene moments. We all experience some form of suffering, and not just once. We share common emotions: fear, grief, heartbreak, anger, loss, loneliness, sadness… and it’s learning how to sit with those emotions and how to process, metabolize and heal from them — that makes these practices of yoga and meditation so invaluable.
In many ways, yoga and meditation help me to balance life in the corporate world, which I think sets me apart from some other teachers who don’t walk the same tightrope.
I would love to say that I can wake up and glide through each day– knowing everything that will come, and having total control of it all.
Far from it.
My alarm goes off between 3 and 5am. I meditate. I work. Live shots, interviews, breaking news, writing scripts, juggling emails… like most people probably reading this right now, I am connected to my phone all day and feel the need to respond even when I know it’s too late in the evening, and that I should draw boundaries.
So, I get it.
I teach workshops to groups of doctors and lawyers, and lead group retreats, and whatever the age, gender, experience or profession– I find that many of us struggle with the same features of life.
What gives me the greatest joy is my group of regular students who say, “I used to hate yoga. You told me to commit to 10 classes.” And they’re still with me 3, 4, 5 years later. Their minds and bodies are more open than ever. And they will tell you: this practice has made their lives better.
Ways to practice with me: I teach weekly classes at Harmony Yoga & Health in Dallas’ Design District. I have a library of online yoga, stretch & meditation classes that range from 5 to 60 minutes. A monthly subscription for unlimited access is $20, by design because I believe in affordable and accessible yoga. I also lead annual retreats and corporate workshops by request.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Authenticity: I think so often yoga teachers (and people in general) are afraid to pull back the curtain or peel back the layers and show the world who they really are. I’m not talking about energetically vomiting all over people and sharing your deepest darkest secrets with strangers. Rather, just getting comfortable with being real. As a TV reporter, much like with social media, there is separation via screens which creates a two-dimensional perception of the person on the other end. But in a room full of open-minded people, I can speak from my heart and really come to life. I deeply care about each of the people I meet in my classes. I learn about their lives, their families, their pets, their children, their travels, their jobs… I admire them, I feel inspired by them and I stay connected to as many of them as possible. I feel like my purpose on this planet, in this lifetime, is to be a connector. And this has been one of the most impactful avenues for me to connect with myself and the greater world around me.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Curiosity: Whether we are talking about TV news or mindfulness practices, I can’t think of a more compelling attribute than to remain curious. To do so, in my opinion, means that you are willing to stay open, willing to keep learning. With active listening and exploration, come discovery and growth.
I love reading, movies, plays, podcasts, sports– anything that affords me the chance to learn something new.
My 200-hour yoga teacher training was just the tip of the iceberg, which my teachers all predicted is exactly what would happen. I’ve done plenty of continuing education courses, workshops, trainings and studies in: yin, restorative, AcroYoga, meditation, transformational breathwork, sound healing… and there is so much more I still want to learn as I look ahead to the future! I love learning from other teachers and learning from students. People in my classes often hear me say, ‘we are all each others’ teachers.’ And I absolutely believe this to be true: we have the opportunity to learn from everyone around us: from the most impatient people, we can learn how to be more patient; from those who are unkind, we can learn how to offer even more kindness to those around us; and from the most spiteful, hateful, jealous and negative people, we can learn through observation how to deeply and profoundly offer this world an outpouring of love and support.
It’s only when we tune out and turn away — that we close ourselves to life’s greatest gifts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sonia-azad.com
- Instagram: @SoniaAzadTV
- Facebook: Sonia Azad- Health & Wellness
- Twitter: @SoniaAzadTV
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SONIASINNERCIRCLE
- Other: Monthly Email List: https://sonia-azad.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e661f607af063a6aa50ed3fe0&id=158c563a06
Image Credits
Danny Bollinger – Image of me in seated black/white meditation posture Ben Sassani- Image of me sitting with hand under chin & Image of me in crow pose (first picture)