Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronika Martin.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I imagine my story has unfolded in a similar way to a quilt being made: each little piece may not make sense on its own in where it’s leading me, yet whenever I step back to gain perspective, I see the whole is coming together quite nicely and forging a path onward. I’ve always had a passion to learn, create, and connect. When I decided on my birthday 14 years ago to try out a yoga class, I had no idea the path I was stumbling on. Since then, I’ve finished my BA at TCU in History, my MA at the University of Texas at Arlington in Sociology, and have earned my 200hr, then 300hr RYT certifications at Brooke Hamblet Teacher Training School. I have worked as a youth care worker in a local children’s group home, taught Social Studies to middle and high schoolers in a small private school for kids with learning differences, and taught yoga to various age groups in various settings, inside and outside Indigo Yoga’s studio. All of this, and more didn’t happen just because I found yoga — yet yoga has aided me in reaching out with less anxiety, more confidence, and sharper focus to build my life. I teach yoga weekly to students as young as 3 all the way through infinity. My teaching style differs according to the time, place, and students — which affords me the gift of being present. There’s no autotune available. One of my proudest accomplishments in my journey as a yoga teacher has been to be a part of Indigo’s Outreach Program; I teach in a couple of mental health clinics and community centers. I also now co-facilitate and co-author our Outreach Training and manual that offers other yoga teachers tools that accommodate teaching to anyone, anywhere, with any background. If we are truly present with one another and listen with our ears, eyes, and heart, connections are established. Yoga has definitely lit up my path to learning, creating, and connecting with others on a daily basis.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Has it been a smooth road? Haha, not really. I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way, but there have been some speed bumps and potholes on my journey. Minor ones being “Yikes, how am I going to buy food next week” to major ones such as my first marriage ending in divorce and single motherhood, while in grad school and about to embark on my 200hr RYT training. I just kept trucking and relied on other connections to keep figuring it out. It takes a village! I’ve been so lucky to find a supportive husband (my second marriage) who let me be a mother at home/focus on furthering my yoga teaching and training for the last 3.5 years after the birth of our daughter. Yet I now feel the pressure of reentering the “real world” as I send my digital application to faceless entities on the internet with nary a reply. I’m in my late 30s and am now experiencing all that I learned about in my academic classes on gender: it ain’t equal. There is still an overwhelming tendency in our society to think that I am behind now — that focusing my energy on being a mom to two kiddos and building a path in the yoga world doesn’t equate elsewhere. But it does. And I have the transferable skills littered all over my resume and cover letters to prove my point. My advice to younger women is to forge your own path, knowing that it may end up being bumpier than others’ —however, it’ll only make you stronger and more creative in announcing what you have to offer the world. Shout your worth from the rooftops!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Indigo Yoga – what should we know?
Indigo Yoga exists as a space for all to soar and create in. I’ve been a student of Brooke Hamblet’s (studio founder and BHTTS director) since 2008. She’s beautifully built an environment that simultaneously challenges and encourages. I am known for taking on challenges! When I first embarked on her teacher training, I didn’t necessarily plan on teaching. I just felt like it was the next step for me to challenge myself. And did it ever! It’s no joke to stand in front of a group of people and lead them in anything for 45 minutes to an hour. I still get nervous when I’m subbing a class I don’t normally teach or going to Clearfork’s Trailhead to teach to possibly 80+ people outdoors. . . with no mic! Brooke says, “If you’re nervous, it’s because you care.” So, I lean into it each and every time. And I grow each and every time. What I am most proud of, however, is how Indigo has always looked for ways to reach out to any possibilities in the community. I’ve previously been a part of a small team volunteering meditation classes at a local high school. A fellow teacher and I look for ways to give back to Fort Worth in myriad ways, i.e. litter pick-up or homeless shelter donations. As previously mentioned, our Outreach Program offers 15+ classes to local clinics, addiction rehab programs, and community centers — all with a trauma-informed way of teaching which really just ensures the classes are always an option to everybody and every body. The deep and joyful pride at Indigo comes directly from us continuously choosing as a team to embrace the challenge of never ceasing to grow, ask, learn, reach out, and improve connections.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I believe that we as women can rewrite the narratives in media coverage and our society-at-large. Automotive airbags and office a/c temps are usually set by male characteristics and needs — one can result in serious injury, the other daily discomfort. Similarly, if we (women) keep trying to define ourselves with the definitions given to us, we’re not going to feel fully defined and will probably suffer. My oldest daughter, 7yo, realized the other day that there has only been male presidents. She wants to be the first female president. She’s not defining herself based on the limited perceptions society is still clinging to. I think the beauty of this time right now is for us to write and rewrite our own narratives. And women are doing this in so many ways already: i.e., starting their own businesses, making co-parenting work on a bigger scale than ever, standing up for workplace safety and equality, etc. We tell our story all day, every day in our interactions. When I first stayed at home after having my second daughter and was teaching part-time yoga, I found myself at parties, next to my engineer husband, introducing myself as a former teacher or explaining how I was a SAHM for now and “just” teaching yoga. I was totally selling myself short while trying to build myself up. And for what? Usually the approval of male peers. I decided it’s my story to tell and I don’t owe anyone an apology or excuse for being a SAHM/yoga teacher. Our opportunities begin in how we talk about ourselves.
Contact Info:
- Address: Indigo Yoga
5111 Pershing Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76107 - Website: Vbeingandbecoming.wordpress.com
- Email: vnmartin26@gmail.com
- Instagram: Vyogi26
Image Credit:
Amber Shumake, Diane Larkin
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