Pam Miles

I took my first yoga class in 2009 while living abroad in Cape Town, South Africa. I was doing a lot of running and cycling on my own and was seeking both a way to take better care of my physical body and also to find community in a new place. With some encouragement, I went with a friend to her studio to see what she was raving about. While making my way through the challenges that come with anything new, I soon realized that long before I felt comfortable in the poses, I was experiencing a whole new level of overall well-being that brought me back to class again and again.

While I wish I had discovered yoga when I was a young high school and college athlete, I am so grateful that at the age of almost 40, I made the choice to give it a try. It is never too late to try something new and now I have my practice to depend on any day, any time. There are days when I want to move my body in vigorous practice for an hour, and there are days that 20 minutes of slow mindful movement and breath is what I need. This is the beauty of yoga; whatever your body and spirit need, the practice is there for you. And all you need is a mat!

After practicing for many years, I completed the teacher training at Mighty Yoga in 2020. What a time to start teaching! With studios closed, I took the opportunity to gather friends and family in my backyard and see how I felt about teaching. In hindsight, I think it was a gift that I was able to begin my teaching journey as I did and when Mighty opened back up, I knew for sure that I wanted to teach. The feeling I now get to experience at the end of a class when my students are so content, relaxed and appreciative of their practice, makes it clear that teaching yoga is truly a way of serving and making the world a better place one yogi at a time.