Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Bartolomei.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up as a high-level competitive gymnast and runner. I went to college on a 400m and high jump scholarship and started yoga after graduation.
I was in between knowing what to do with my life, and my mom suggested we take a yoga class together. My first yoga teacher came to me after class and suggested I should look into teaching one day (her name is Cece Craft). At the time, I was very shy and couldn’t imagine speaking in a room full of people. Fast forward to 3-4 years later, I started yoga in Dallas and would attend classes before /after my corporate job.
I found a studio called Gaia Flow, which is where I began my journey to become a teacher in 2011. I graduated and began teaching shortly after. I taught every class I could – early mornings, late nights, and on weekends. I studied the practice of yoga over the next decade while also working in corporate. I taught at what feels like every studio in the city and traveled all of the WORLD learning more about yoga, philosophy, and how to be a better teacher.
In 2016, my husband gave me the courage to pursue yoga full-time and follow my true ‘life’s work.’ At that time, I was teaching around 25+ classes a week (if you’re in fitness, you know how grueling that can be on the body); so, I asked myself how can I sustain this path while not burning myself out? That’s when I started the retreat business.
In 2017 I hosted my first yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico. Not sure what I was getting myself into, I went in completely blind, and poured my heart into making it successful. It sold out in 2 months. From there, I went on to host 3 more successful retreats in Tulum, and am hosting my most recent one in Nosara, Costa Rica.
From 2012 – 2022, I took 3 additional teacher training courses with various instructors (One of which I am enrolled with now), I traveled to Mexico, Bali, Spain, Thailand, and many cities in the US to learn from teachers and to expand the modalities of my teaching. I became certified in breathwork, sound healing, paddle board yoga, and pilates. All of these areas helped me to have a better understanding of the mind + body connection and how to intertwine that into a lesson/class setting for students discovering the practice.
I currently teach 10 classes per week, host retreat(s), and work with private clients. One thing that I love so much about my work is that I get to meet so many different people and travel the world with them – whether it’s teaching them, or learning from them. Yoga as a profession means you’re FOREVER a student of the art. There is always something to learn, and the work is truly never done.
It’s taken over a decade to feel this confident in my work and as an instructor. I once sat at a desk, and looked at Instagram curious how to ‘become her/him.’ I realize now the only thing I was lacking was experience. Time is everything on this journey, and I know that my path has truly just begun.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I believe anything worth having will have a few obstacles. Some things that stick out to me:
1. Burning myself out as a teacher, and losing my love for my own practice.
2. Even in something as pure as yoga, you will still have working relationships that don’t work out as you want.
3. Being a pillar for so many people, and remembering it’s okay to also have bad days + personal struggles.
4. Yoga is an industry of fitness (the kind I teach), so weaving in and out of pregnancy was challenging and a bit of an identity crisis.
5. The more evolved you become in the practice, the more you self-study.
6. Yoga teachers are not gurus. They are normal people, just like everyone else.
7. No matter how great of an instructor you are, some people don’t value you – and that is not depictive of your worth.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am most proud that I get to make an impact on other people’s life – truly. I don’t know anyone that has ever taken a yoga class and not felt like a better version of themselves after.
I believe what sets me apart from others is that I remain humble no matter how much experience or knowledge I (think) I have. In my opinion, the best teachers are the best students: keeping an open mind, seeing the practice in a fresh light, and sharing that perspective with others.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Dallas has a very strong yoga community. I love how intertwined the group is, and they are also very strong teachers and practioners. Whenever I attend a class with a guest instructor that’s from another part of the world, I am reminded how talented and incredible our group of Dallas yogis are – and I am so grateful to always have that constant support.
I would love to be more connected with nature. I love White Rock Lake, but it’s not quite the same as the ocean or mountains. When I am in nature, I feel most at home and happy.
I truly believe if Dallas had 1 or both of those things, it would be the best / most desired city in the world.
Pricing:
- Private sessions with me $100-125 per hour
- Retreats range from: $2,200 – 3,800
- In-studio classes range from $20-40 per drop in
Contact Info:
- Website: www.courtneybartolomei.com
- Instagram: court_bartolomei // floatandflow.dallas // courtneybartolomeiyoga
Image Credits
Jonas Park Official
Moksha Tulum
