EP#123: Live Love Yoga with Sabrina Johnson

Discover the incredible journey of Sabrina Johnson from Live Love Yoga in Rochester as she reveals the transformative power yoga had on her life. Struggling with fibromyalgia and the trials of early menopause, Sabrina found in yoga not just a practice, but a lifeline that enabled her to reclaim her vitality and well-being. Join us as Sabrina shares her story of resilience and empowerment, shedding light on how yoga's true essence lies in the mind and breath, rather than mere flexibility or religious association. Her insights dispel common myths and invite everyone, regardless of experience, to explore the holistic benefits of yoga.

We’re thrilled to have Sabrina on the Good Neighbor Podcast, where she opens up about her life and passions, including the joys of camping, hiking, and crafting with her family. Her gratitude for being part of our community is palpable as she invites listeners to engage and connect. Sabrina's enthusiasm is infectious as she encourages you to nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, embodying the communal spirit we cherish. Whether you're a yogi or new to the mat, Sabrina's journey promises to inspire and motivate, leaving you with a renewed appreciation for this incredible practice.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Lisa Swiftney.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hi everyone and welcome to Episode 123 of the
Good Neighbor Podcast.
Today we have with us SabrinaJohnson, and she is with Live
Love Yoga.
How are you doing today,sabrina?
I'm doing well.
How are you, lisa?
I'm doing well.
Thank you so much for being aguest today.
You're welcome.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Thank you for having me.
I'm really excited, great.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Well, let's start by telling our listeners about your
business.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Live Love Yoga is a one studio, one room studio,
excuse me, in Rochester.
It is very relaxing.
When you walk in, I just wantyou to leave your troubles at
the door, get on your mat andjust breathe.
And when you leave, you leavewith a smile on your face, you

(01:01):
leave relaxed and that's allthat's it.
That's Live Love and that's allthat's it.
That's live love yoga in anutshell.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
That is amazing.
Tell our listeners about yourjourney.
How or why did you get startedwith your business so?

Speaker 3 (01:18):
I have fibromyalgia and I've been in menopause since
2017, which was in my 30s, andI've been told to try yoga for
over a decade and I kept buyingyoga mats.
But I'm a young mother of four.
My husband was on the roadworking.
It was a lot, so I never had metime.

(01:40):
Well then, in 2020, rightbefore the world ended, I went
to the hospital for my fibro andI was sitting in that bed and I
just started crying.
I was like no, this is not myfuture.
I'm not doing this anymore.
I'm not going to be on thecouch crying, I'm not going to
be in pain.
I want to be a mom and enjoy mylife, and I want my kids to be

(02:02):
like God, not my mom, like Iwant them to be like that's my
mom, you know, not the one onthe couch crying.
So I started yoga and I fell inlove because I didn't have to do
anything the first day.
It was just like a meet andgreet.
I was like this is great, causeI couldn't.
I couldn't exercise, likeeverything hurt and nothing ever
worked for me.
So the second day, I did it andI was like oh my God, I didn't

(02:30):
even sweat.
This time, this is even better.
And every day, I just keptgetting up and I just kept doing
more and I just kept doing itand my body was feeling better
and I just was like, oh my God,my mental, everything changed.
And then the world fell aparttwo weeks later and yoga saved
me and I was teaching my kidsand I was doing all the things
yoga and staying healthy and itjust changed my life and it
helped me cope with all of thosethings that were going on out

(02:53):
of my country.
So I fell in love and then I waslike, right before I turned 40
in 2022, I looked at my husbandand I said I need to be a yoga
teacher, I have to take training, I need more.
This isn't enough for me.
I'm so in love with thispractice that gave me my
motherhood back.
It gave me my life back and,for the first time in my life, I

(03:16):
feel good all the time and I'mnot down in the dumps because my
body isn't ready to do all thethings, not down in the dumps
because my body isn't ready todo all the things.
So, um, at the end of 2020,life got really difficult
because my father had coveted,he was in the hospital and all
the things and I went to my mat.

(03:41):
That's when I started doingyoga two times a day and anytime
I have a hard day, I go to mymat and I just breathe and I
remember that it will work outNot how I want or when I want,
but I can get through it andit's okay.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
What an inspirational story.
Wow, that's great.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
It was a long road, but yoga definitely helped me
maintain my mental stability andremember to be happy.
You know I'm grateful, butthank you.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
That is amazing, and I'm sure that's what you share
with everyone who comes to yourstudio as well.
Yes, probably a shorter version, but yeah, so can you tell us
about any myths ormisconceptions that you hear
about in your industry?

Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yes, yoga is not about being flexible.
Yoga is not about a religiousbase.
It's not against Christianityto do, because there is holy
yoga where you people read likeverses from the Bible or sort of
things, like hymns and stufflike that, and they interlace it
with their yoga.
But being flexible is probablythe number one myth.
Everyone's like I can't do yoga, I'm not flexible.

(04:51):
You're sitting in a chair.
That's doing yoga.
Lifting one leg, moving yourneck, stretching your back
that's yoga.
Everything you do pretty muchis yoga.
But you have to interlace thatbreath with the movement.
You know, and that's whatpeople don't understand Yoga is
really about the mind and thebreath, not the body.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Wow, yes, is that is good?
Because I think peopleattribute that is it's in a
workout session.
Yeah, it is for your mind andyour soul exactly the body's
benefit.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
You just benefit from it, but yeah, great so when
you're not working on yourbusiness?

Speaker 2 (05:32):
I heard you have four children.
What do you like to do withmore fun?

Speaker 3 (05:36):
We camp, we hike, we craft.
I try to do all the thingsbecause growing up wasn't?
I had an ideal, even as a child, of what a mother and father
should do and all these things,and my parents didn't have the
same ideal because they were oldschool.
So I'm trying to do all thethings I wanted to do as a kid.

(05:59):
So, like we do everything,we're always active.
Um, we just went to Yellowstoneand Rushmore over the summer
and that was an amazingexperience, wow, yeah, so we
love camping everywhere.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
That's great.
Can you describe one hardshipor life challenge that you rose
above and can now say because ofthat challenge that you're
better for it and are stronger?

Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yes, better for it and are stronger.
Yes, I had a.
There's so many things.
I think the hardest part iswhen you're when you start a
business, you figure out thatyou want assistance and help
from maybe your mentors or yourteachers, and when you actually
seek that, you don't always getwhat you expect.
So I think that's the hardestpart for me is a lot of people

(07:09):
don't walk the walk, they justtalk the talk.
So, being a business owner,I've always walked the same talk
I have, because you only haveyour word right.
So having to not take thatpersonally and try to figure it
out on my own and do all thethings have been the hardest
hardship since being a businessowner.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
Wow, I can sympathize with that, so I do know.

Speaker 3 (07:36):
Yeah Well, I apologize that you had to go
through that, because I don'tthink that's how it's supposed
to be.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
Right, so we're all here to help each other.
Yes, exactly yes.
What is one thing that you wishour listeners knew about your
business?

Speaker 3 (07:56):
When you come into my studio, I'm not going to make
you pay for your class rightaway.
That's optional If you want to.
Great, I'm not here to make allthe money in the world.
I want to help you feel better.
So when you come here, you'refamily and I usually personalize
every class towards everystudent because I feel like that
you deserve.
And also I am in school tobecome a yoga therapist with

(08:20):
Corwell Health through my firstyear.
I'm almost finished, so that'sexciting and I've incorporated a
lot of everything I havelearned.
Actually, I use it in myclasses to help everybody,
because yoga is supposed to beshared, and I think yoga therapy
and yoga classes together, likeif you intertwine them, it is

(08:44):
the most amazing experienceyou'll ever have.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
So sounds amazing, it does.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
Well, you know why don't you come join me one day?
We'll do a class and then youcan tell your listeners how it
went.
So you can say I'm not kiddingif this is how it is that would
be great.

Speaker 2 (09:05):
I'm thinking that my head is spinning.
I know a couple people I canbring along with me too.
That would be perfect.

Speaker 3 (09:12):
Monday at 5pm is for yoga.
I know a couple people I canbring along with me too.
That would be perfect.
Monday at 5 pm is for yoga.
I'm just saying, oh good.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
Good, so our listeners are now intrigued, so
how can they learn more andcontact you?
I?

Speaker 3 (09:24):
am on Facebook LiveLoveYoga.
I'm on TikTok, youtube, whimmy,which is a new platform
specifically geared towardsexercise, but yoga mainly.
They just opened one of thefirst instructors it's super
exciting.
And instagram, like I'm oneverything except twitter live

(09:44):
love yoga, rochester, michigan,and that's how you find me.
Every link should be on everysingle social media website you
can find me on.
I try to be very transparentbecause I suck at technology
personally.
So, but facebook is probablythe base for my website because

(10:04):
it's the most used today in myopinion.

Speaker 2 (10:09):
Well, perfect, well.
Thank you, and we'll also sharethose links below when we
publish the podcast.
I want to thank you, sabrina,for your time today, and thank
you for telling our listeners alittle more about your journey
and how they can get in touchwith you.
Thank you, well.

Speaker 3 (10:28):
I appreciate you so much for letting me be here and
having me.
This was an exciting experienceand I look forward to meeting
all of you, Namaste.

Speaker 1 (10:40):
Thanks for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast,
rochester.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPRochestercom.
Featured on the show go toGNPRochestercom.
That's GNPRochestercom.
Or call 248-988-9640.