We were lucky to catch up with Stav Pinder recently and have shared our conversation below.

Stav, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

After leaving a sweaty NYC yoga class one day, I thought to myself, “How cool would it be to be one of those chic yoga teachers”. The only problem was that I was too intimidated to talk to other adults and felt like there was no way I could teach a bunch of them how to make impossible poses with their bodies. I already tutored and nannied kids, and thought that KIDS-yoga would probably be a better transition for me -to get closer to my goal- before I start my REAL position as an official “chic” yoga instructor. Little did I know that I would never actually want to stop teaching kids…

Things escalated rather quickly. The week I was about to move to LA with my boyfriend, I decided instead to stay in NYC and pass a Kids Yoga Teacher Training (Hosh Kids). We were too broke to move out of the city anyway, and the day after my certification I was somehow asked to teach a kids class in a yoga studio in Brooklyn. I was thrilled! I couldn’t believe how effortless everything seemed to be!

However, at my first class, only one person showed up and I was paid five dollars for the entire day. It felt appropriate for me to lay on my kitchen floor that night and cry over failure; thoughts of “How can I ever realistically pursue this” and “Why am I so dramatic” and “Why am I so sensitive” rushed through my mind. I should definitely quit.

I wanted to quit. After much discouragement and not seeing how I could leave all of my 3 jobs of babysitting/tutoring/nannying, there was something that deeply bothered me more than feeling like quitting my pursuit; and it was that I knew many children didn’t/don’t have healthy tools for dealing with their destructive emotions- just like I didn’t.

I stayed at the studio slowly growing participants and I started teaching for a company called Flow & Grow Kids Yoga. I was resistant to start my own company but my husband pushed me to do so when he said, “You’re already running a company with clients whether you admit it or not”. He wasn’t wrong, I had already accumulated several of my own clients at that point. Sometimes it takes someone you trust to tell you to get out of your own way. If you are considering making what you are already doing into an official business, this is your invitation to do so. If you think you should wait until it feels more “official”, that time will never come. This is because it is you who must take the leap, trust yourself, make mistakes, fail fast, and incorporate it (in no particular order), which is what makes it “official”.

For a long time, I would wait for someone (a mystery person?) to “save me” or “do it for me”. When you realize that that person will never come it’s devastating. And the truth is, even if that person does come, you will not be ready for them. Unless you take it into your own hands first, those who want to help won’t have time to wait for you to help yourself. When we learn that it’s up to us to persevere, then any help along the way is like a “speed boost” in the direction we were already headed.

Stav, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I was in the third grade, I went to a very strict private school that put me in detention for not doing my homework. For some reason, I had no idea I had homework. By fourth grade, I would try all subtle avenues to avoid going to school. I would fake sick every Monday morning. My anxiety at school eventually became so bad that I stuck my finger down my throat to make myself throw up in my chair so that I could “be sick” and go home.

I know now that the feelings I felt were anxious, but I didn’t know of any tools to help myself. When I teach now, I’m not only teaching my students, but also the little kid I was.

So many times, we may think that because of what our children are anxious about (usually something small, ridiculous, or obviously harmless) we degrade their emotions as well. I believe that the reasons behind the emotion are insignificant to the actual emotion. This is because the reasons change, but the emotions stay the same.

Lately, Social Emotional Learning has been given a bad rep because there is a blurred line between excusing inappropriate behavior and big emotions. When I teach self-help and mindfulness to kids and their parents, I teach that accepting feelings is OK, but inappropriate behavior is not OK. Creating a clear boundary and healthy discipline helps the child feel safe.

I explain that validating a feeling is critical in order to “get over the feeling”, but that inappropriate behavior must cease. I explain this all via kids yoga, mindfulness, and puppetry during my classes. I definitely believe in play therapy and art therapy which is why I incorporate these practices as well. When children are engaged through play, they are also open to listening.

The reason I called my company Mindful Start… is because I think of mindfulness as a lifestyle as opposed to a fad, even when we do make mistakes (and we will make mistakes), we can restart the very next moment with a mindful one- and we don’t need to wait until Monday to do so.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Maybe you have heard this already- but I think it’s about applying what you as an individual truly have to offer- with all of your specific gifts, findings -and even traumas-. For a long time, I tried “to do it” like others in my field, but it wasn’t until I owned my expertise/background and life experiences that made my company really kick off. I stopped trying to be “chic”, and just tried to be myself.

This took time. I had to tell myself that my audience wanted me to be vulnerable and (dare I say) messy. I had to convince myself that people want to see the imperfect, and only through imperfection will I take enough action to “know better”. Doing it terribly is better than not doing it at all.
Because there is a lot of conflict in Israel, and I am Israeli, I would not tell anyone where my parents were from in order to avoid judgment. However, now, when I tell people who I am, I also remind myself that my impression on them is a peaceful one.

I come from a performing arts background- I’ve performed Off-Broadway and on Netflix, and I use all of those qualities in my work. If I didn’t, I couldn’t healthfully project my voice over 100 people in one of my classes. Applying who you already are makes you special- and that uniqueness and difference are most helpful to succeeding because it’s not something you learn, it’s just about not being embarrassed by who you already are- or if you are embarrassed, tell us that! Be open about everything you may bring to the table… people are imperfect, and when they see that I am imperfect too, there is something about that authenticity that connects us. The secret is that you already have this- we all do.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Honestly, there were so many times I had to pivot in order to stay in business. Whenever I feel another pivot coming on, I try to encourage myself by thinking of all the alcohol companies during prohibition that needed to stop making alcoholic beverages and pivot to making soft drinks, syrups, and even frozen eggs! The easier thing to do is to shut down.

When I first taught at yoga studios, my biggest goal was to fill a class with students. When that struggle became putting up flyers around the city, I knew I needed to pivot. Instead of having kiddos and families come to us, I decided to go to where the kiddos and families already are- like schools and family support centers.

During Covid, when those facilities shut down, I quickly pivoted to teaching over Zoom and sending virtual How-To Videos on how to make Art Therapy Crafts for kids (with materials that already exist at home!).

I am hesitant to say this, but I do feel another pivot coming. Now that the world is opening back up, it will be inevitable to have yet another pivot. I used to see pivots as such a burden; but after accepting the forecast of owning a business, I try my best to find joy in the struggle. I know there is a fine line between feeling nervous and excited about something. So, when I feel nervous about it, I just accept that and ask myself if there’s also room for being excited about this unknown that is coming.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mindfulstartyoga.com
• Instagram: @mindful_start
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindfulstartkids
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mindfulstartofficial/featured
• Other: Mindful Start Art Therapy Videos – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjFXhyP3tuzDyOrULP35EOg?app=desktop Tiktok – @mindfulstart

Image Credits
Ashley Thomas, Summerside Marketing & Creative Studio