February 18, 2026 • 38 mins
Building community after burnout takes survival, devotion, and a long commitment to inner work — some spaces are built from ambition, this one from something deeper.
In this episode, Leah Santa Cruz shares the deeply personal journey that shaped her role as a founder of The In Movement. From early experiences with chaos and instability to burnout, meditation, motherhood, and leadership, Leah reflects on how lived experience becomes the foundation for meaningful community.
Rather than offering polished answers, Leah speaks honestly about discipline, healing, and the responsibility that comes with creating a space meant to hold others. She explores why depth matters now more than ever, how belonging is cultivated rather than assumed, and what it means to lead without repeating old patterns of self sacrifice.
This conversation is not about quick fixes or feel good moments. It is about building something that lasts and what it asks of the people creating it.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 – The season of building and what feels real now
01:48 – Three life chapters that shaped Leah’s path
02:52 – Growing up in chaos and learning self responsibility
04:35 – Burnout, anxiety, and the body as messenger
05:55 – Meditation as a turning point
06:47 – Commitment, trust, and moving to Bali
08:02 – From inspiration to structured transformation
09:52 – Why depth and human connection matter now
13:45 – Community shifts and what feels missing
15:53 – Creating spaces for belonging beyond class
17:23 – Collaboration, friction, and leadership growth
22:30 – Partnership, parenting, and boundaries
25:14 – When this project almost did not happen
28:45 – Feeling seen, belonging, and activation
31:49 – What this space is asking of Leah now
33:27 – Sustainability, trust, and nervous system regulation
Mentions & Resources:
Michael Henri’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelyoga.pt/
Leah’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesant/
The IN Movement Instagram: https://www.instagram/com/the_in_movement/
The IN Movement Podcast was formerly the Going Pro Yoga Podcast — and before that, the Yoga Teacher Evolution Podcast and the Rat Race Rebellion Podcast. Same mission, evolved name.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey there, before we get startedon this week's episode, I would
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(00:23):
and then give us some love. Thank you so much, and let's get
started with this week's episode.
All right, everyone, welcome back to the In Movement podcast.
So we're back here on the mic and we have Leia in the house.
Yes. And Leia is one of the founding
members of the In movement. So yeah, she's here to kind of
(00:44):
talk about it from her perspective and kind of a little
bit of her story around it. And we're going to follow some
of the structure that we did with some of the other episodes.
But ultimately, yeah, Welcome, Leia.
It's exciting to have you here. Thank you so much.
Good to be here. It's.
Been a busy few months, right? Yes, has very much so it it's
very real now as we're only a couple months out from opening
(01:07):
the doors and just seeing everything come together, the
building come together, the community starting to cultivate,
being able to share our vision with everyone.
It's very exciting. Sometimes it's daunting, and
there's moments where like, Oh my God, what are we doing?
This is nuts. And then the other times it's
like, yeah, this is exactly where we're supposed to be.
(01:29):
Yeah, yeah, it's great. It's really fun in moments, not
so fun, but other moments it's fun.
And I'm sure the balance will find itself.
Yeah, cool. So yeah, let's just jump right
into it and get into some of thequestions and we'll see where it
goes from there. Perfect.
Sound good. First question is, is was there
a pivotal moment or life moment that influenced your approach to
(01:50):
creating this space? I think it's a series of pivotal
life moments. Not to like drag you through my
whole life story, but I kind of see my life in like 3 chapters
leading up to this. And the 1st chapter was just,
(02:10):
you know, being born into a world that was full of a lot of
chaos to young parents. There was a lot of mental health
issues and addiction and even homelessness and all sorts of
things going on in my family life growing up.
And so being kind of born into that world, it set me in a
(02:31):
direction of seeing like education and ambition and
rising up above that is like themeans out of that world.
So it kind of forced like self responsibility as a survival
(02:51):
mechanism. And I think, you know, that's
kind of like where the very early stages of my practice have
the foundation is, is in learning how to be in a world of
where there's a lot of chaos andfeeling like I'm not in control
and being able to be present in that discomfort to then rise
(03:13):
above it instead of letting it define me.
And so I think that's like an important pivotal moment, which
is sort of the basis behind likemy ethos and why I care about
the work that I'm doing. And then kind of a second
chapter when I Fast forward was as an early young adult, I, I
(03:35):
actually, as many people do, fell into the patterns of my
past. Like I was attracted to a
relationship. I got married very young to
someone who there was a lot of, you know, I struggled with
addiction and there was just a lot of chaos in that
relationship. It, you know, wasn't healthy for
(03:57):
me and it totally ended in flames.
And that was a huge learning lesson and it kind of propelled
me again into, OK, how do I riseabove this?
I, I, I entered a workforce. I, I plunged myself into I, I
thought I'd be a therapist. I had studied psychology, but a
(04:18):
really difficult divorce and depression and an economic
recession just kind of steered me in a different direction.
And so I ended up working for tech startups, a big companies,
Microsoft and burning out like working 80 hour weeks and just
running my body literally into the ground until I was so sick
(04:41):
and I had so many panic attacks and I had so much turmoil
internally that I had my body just kind of shut down.
It's like a message, like listento the internal voice inside of
you where you're not aligned on this path.
And so that was like a big aha moment that really steered me
into the studio, the yoga studiolocally where I was in LA at the
(05:05):
time, and meeting some teachers who really helped me take
responsibility for my inner world.
And in doing that, like, it started to really shift my life.
So I think some of the big lessons that I've learned from
that period of my life was that even when something feels
familiar and it feels kind of safe, it might actually be
(05:29):
something that's devastating. It might actually be something
that's not healthy. So familiarity isn't always the
the best way to go. And we have to listen to our
bodies. Our bodies know because
sometimes the body falls apart, like right before the the life
falls apart. It's the message, right?
So that's also something that isreally pivotal and important to
(05:50):
my ethos is like listening to the body's messages and stepping
outside of our comfort zone. And sometimes anxiety is like
the thing that says you're beingcalled to step into something
greater. And so that's what it was for
me. And then the sort of the third
final chapter was just recognizing how much meditation
was shifting my life. It was like forcing me to be
(06:11):
more honest. It was forcing me to sort of
peel apart the layers that I'd built in this life that wasn't
in alignment and rebuild something new.
I ended up stepping away from Microsoft in that world and I
ended up building a Community Center in Los Angeles that
shared, you know, meditation wasat the heart of everything we
did. We did lots of other stuff.
(06:32):
There was events and films and art and but meditation was so
important to me in that center. And it was even where I met my
soulmate, where I met Paul. It was was through that part of
my journey. But then I also ran out of money
and had to work multiple jobs and got laid off.
(06:53):
And and that just really forced me to have to commit like
through those hardships. It was not a linear path
shooting up. It was like, you know, one step
forward, 2 steps back at times. Like I had to fully commit to,
OK, I'm going to teach fully. I'm not just going to do this as
a part time thing. And, and, and that's when Paul
(07:16):
and I decided to move to Bali and to make our way here.
And, and it wasn't also like just an easy thing.
I didn't start working at Yoga Barn right away.
It took 18 months for them to hire me and a lot of trust on my
part, a lot of surrender. And then once that happened is
like this snowball effect of one, yes, led to another led to
(07:36):
another. And then finally, like I'm now,
you know, sharing meditation with millions of people on the
balance app and, and being able to see my work as a teacher has
grown over the years after becoming a mother.
And I've been able to really seemy my work mature and what I
(07:58):
have to share with people. And so it's this crystallization
now, this time that I'm going, Idon't want to just inspire
people with fun aha moments in adrop in class.
I really want to be able to helppeople create a structure for
their life and to do that daily work that is important for us,
(08:19):
that integration work that is important for us so that we can
actually really experience transformation.
I think coming to a drop in class and having a good feel
good thing is is also nice. You know, it's relaxing, but
there's so much more that can beoffered.
And that's what I think has inspired me in this moment to
(08:42):
take the lessons that I've learned in my life and to apply
it in a sort of systems and classes and programs that can
really support people where they're at right now in the
world. Because I think there's a lot of
people struggling right now or just feeling like there's not
enough depth in what we're experiencing in our classes to
(09:05):
keep to really let it stick. Yeah, I agree with that.
More authenticity, more like realness, more connection as
opposed to this, you know, robotic AI stuff that's kind of
going on. Everything's starting to feel a
little bit more scripted and robotic in a lot of ways.
Yeah, it's definitely a huge help in a lot of ways.
(09:26):
I think we're, we're going to AIwith all of our things that we'd
normally bring to a therapist, all the things that we'd
normally ask a assistant to helpus with or we would have to be
thinking on our own. And, and that's so it's
beautiful in some ways. It can offer a lot of support,
but I think there's a really important human element that we
(09:48):
need to stay connected to. And that eventually, I think
we'll see in the next couple years the rubber band effect of
people like needing to come backto that like really human, OK
connection piece that AI can't give us.
And that's why I think the world's ready for these kind of
grounded spaces, yeah. You basically answered the next
(10:11):
question, which was the spark behind starting this whole
thing. And you know what made it clear
that this is needed to exist now, You know, maybe it maybe
it's needed a little bit more ina few years, but I, you know,
it's almost like it feels like it's needed now, I feel.
Yeah. And it's this real pool
internally, you know, as a teacher, like for expansion and
being able to deliver something with more creativity and more
(10:34):
vision and more leadership and step into a whole other level
than I have been in. And not, not just like I said,
giving inspiration in these little drop in classes, but
really sharing the legacy of like, what have I, what have I
been learning in this life? You know, I'm, I'm say I'm
midway through my life. I'm in my 40s, but I've lived a
(10:57):
lot of life so far and I've beenthrough a lot of trials and
turbulence, especially early on.So I feel like in some ways the
the old soul, you know, has a lot of lessons to share and I
just want to be able to show up and support others who are on
this journey with me. I mean, especially with your,
your back story and the things that you've experienced, I mean,
(11:19):
there's a lot of things that, you know, people can probably
relate with and it's like just having someone that they can
hear, listen to that understandssome of those elements is very
connective. Yeah.
And you know, I know we're talking a lot about trauma
online these days and trauma, trauma, trauma, everything's
trauma. But it is true.
(11:40):
There's I think a lot of people do have experiences of trauma
and we do have things that we want to heal from.
And healing doesn't come from escaping escapism from your life
in reality comes from being present and staying in it.
And that is like the real work that is like the hard thing to
(12:00):
do. And it's something that I will
have to continue to work on through my whole life.
It's not like I've 100% masteredit and I'm now this, you know,
enlightened being all the time. I think for the most of us, it's
not the case. Maybe it is for Eckhart Tolle.
(12:21):
I think that guy's like legit enlightened all the time.
But you know, for the rest of a 99% of us, we have a lot of
moments where we're like, we canrise above and, and step into a
higher self. And then moments where we
relapse and we have mistakes andwe go, oh, that was the old me
(12:42):
and the old patterns and the oldautopilot system, the family
patterns showing up. And like, that was another
moment for me to have to rise above that and to have a little
bit more self-awareness than theday before and a little bit more
willpower too. Be devoted and have the
discipline to. Show up.
Absolutely. Those state changes are just,
they fluctuate all the time. But then your, your level of
(13:04):
consciousness or awareness can, can also change.
So it's like you're not always going to be on that like high,
high horse unless you're maybe Eckhart Tolle, but and that's
kind of the thing. And I think he doesn't even want
it, to be honest. That's how I know he's legit.
He's like, I don't even, you know people.
I people that know him have saidthe man doesn't even like want
(13:25):
to be this enlightened being that everybody looks up to, but
it's just like the state of whatwhat he is, right?
Yeah. We can only aspire to be more
like that all the time. Right.
Or find those moments where we need to kind of rise above the
stressors that happen. Yeah, all the time, right.
So what drew you personally to creating this in movement?
(13:47):
Well, I think a big part of it is a community thing.
It's I've watched, I've been here in Bali for nine years and
I've watched the community spaces shift and evolve.
And, you know, during COVID, everybody was isolated and, and
craving community. And a lot of people left this
(14:09):
island, to be honest. And we saw a huge shift in like
the people that showed up here afterwards.
And I think what I've seen is I've seen somewhat of a drop in
the yoga and meditation scene just recently.
Like it's subtle enough, but it's something that I've been
(14:31):
noticing like people, there's a high gym culture, there's a
really strong culture of like paddle or pickleball or whatever
or. Pilates, yeah.
Pilates and I think the aesthetic has become very like,
let's look really fit and be more muscular.
And I think that especially for women, that aesthetic has like
kind of shifted in the, the beauty standards and industry.
(14:53):
And you see that show up in behaviors and lifestyle and
nothing to say that's wrong withit.
I go to the gym too. Hey, I love being strong, but I
think, you know, being like in paddle or something might be
hitting the social boxes of I get my my social aspect, I get
(15:13):
fitness and whatnot. But what I think is you're also
going to see is anytime the pendulum swings a certain way,
there's always a bounce back effect.
And I think what might be missing in those environments of
the gym and the paddle court is the depth and the philosophy,
like the real life changing reflection, the shifts that help
(15:33):
us be the best person we can be.And I think that you're, we're
starting, just starting to see like in the beginning, and this
is going to involve over the next year or two is like people
going, oh, wait, like something's missing now.
You know, I've gone a little bitfar this way and now I'm missing
this piece. And so it's, I think important
(15:56):
to create a space where we have opportunities for people to
gather in community in deeper ways, not just in class, because
people aren't interacting as much in a yoga class, but to be
able to come and be in the recovery space, in the hot and
cold, the sauna, the cold plunges, the hot pool, the the
(16:18):
restaurant. We want to have community
gatherings. I want, I'm so excited.
One of the most exciting things for me is that we're creating a
like a fam dance, like a community dance event that's for
all ages. It's like, bring the grandma,
bring your kids, bring it all. And let's show up with an air of
like real community celebration and and make it about like the
(16:44):
core of what I think it may be the dance community once was a
little bit more of your new boot.
And I've seen it shift over the years into a little bit more of
like the tantric temple vibes atthe on the dance floor.
And that's fine. It's like single mingle sexy,
get on the knee pads. You know, we're all around and
there's a place for that. I love it, that kind of
(17:04):
expression, but I also think that we're missing something
else that can bring community together.
So it's what I'm excited about is creating experiences like
that, spaces that people are going to start craving for
something a little bit more deepand that there is conversation
behind it that really moves us in a forward way.
And that's part of the legacy. You know, it's like a legacy of
(17:25):
like, what do we want to leave in this life?
And so I think those are the bigpieces for me, raising the bar a
little bit on the standards of the practices that we're
offering in classes, bringing community together in a deeper
way and having a legacy. Makes me think of just like
helping to create more sense of belonging for people. 100% Yeah,
(17:47):
yeah, yeah. So did you all agree, So you,
your husband, Paul, Byron all agree immediately on the
direction and the the alignment of this entire thing or how did
that go? Well, it's funny because if you
ask them that question, I wonderhow I'll answer it.
But from my personal perspective, I felt like it was
a pretty, we're pretty aligned. I, I feel like the, the values
(18:13):
that we share of, you know, wanting depth of, of integrity,
of transformation are all there within us.
And we all have a bit of a rebelliousness to us too.
Paul and Byron are a bit closer.They've been friends for a long
time. They used to be roommates, fun
fact, long time ago. And so they've been
(18:34):
collaborating for many years. And like, you know, as you may
know if you've been in one of their trainings, like people
joke that one's the mom and one's the FA.
And my husband always says that Byron's I'm his wife, but
Byron's husband or something like that.
Work wife, work wife and and so they've had like obviously a
(18:55):
great chemistry working togetherand I'm kind of the new one in
the mix and I've collaborated somuch with Paul.
Obviously he's my spouse. We've been working together for
a long time in this space, but it's been a new thing to work
with Byron and to get to know him on a deeper level and to.
I think the biggest period, the biggest thing of growth is like
our different working styles, our personalities, you know,
(19:17):
they Byron's like a lot more right brained artist and I'm a
little bit more coming from thislike corporate background and
like organization and project management and spreadsheets and
like I love being super, you know, pragmatic.
And so sometimes our styles can clash.
And yet at the same time, I think it's forced us to grow.
(19:38):
And I think there's a gift in the diversity of what we all
bring to the table. And even like you and other
members of our team, Oxana, and being able to challenge one
another. And there's been moments that
have been prickly where we've gone like, I disagree with you
very strongly and I'm putting myheels in on this one.
(20:00):
Or maybe we've been irritated about how the other person
handles it or the time or whatever.
And yet so it's forcing us to like put our friendships first,
put the relationship pieces first, the human element 1st,
and to really practice what we preach and bring the yoga into
this. And I think one of the big
things that we've had to go is like, when there's breakdowns,
(20:23):
which there will always be, I think in any partnerships,
anytime you're doing something with anyone, they'll be
breakdowns. And yeah, it's asked us to go
instead of saying, like, why is this happening or what's, you
know, pointing fingers of blame or it's asked us to go, like,
what's being asked of me here? How can I show up differently?
(20:46):
Where's the possibility here where we might be seeing defeat
or failure or having, you know, resignation about something?
There's always possibility. And so it's forces forcing us to
like rise into a new level of leadership and collaboration and
communication. And it's ultimately like helping
(21:07):
us grow as individuals. And sometimes that's painful and
downright uncomfortable. So we're all going through it
right now. We're in the growing pains, but
it's great. It's making us the people that
were meant to be, I think. I also think it's bringing us
closer. Yeah.
I think those moments that there's that friction, you know,
and you bring in the practice ofwhat we preach, you hold that
(21:29):
compassion, recognize that there's something there that
maybe I just not understanding or there's something going on
that I just don't know about. And then then all of a sudden
it's like, oh, there's empty there for that.
And then it's like, oh, OK, now I understand.
Now I feel more connected to you.
Let's move forward in this new way.
It's like building muscle in a gym, you know, like the little
(21:49):
tears once they repair is what creates the strength.
And we have little tears all thetime in our in this project and
in our interpersonal dynamics. And it's how we show up and
repair those that actually can make or break us.
And so I think we're doing a good job.
(22:11):
You know, there's always room for improvement, but we're doing
pretty well. And I'm feeling good about it.
I'm feeling really good about usand the United team that we
have. So moving into the next
question, which is kind of somewhat along the lines, but
how has your partnership with Paul shaped the way that you
lead this studio or will be the?Yeah, So I always make a joke
(22:36):
because I, my husband and I, we've been basically working
together since we started our relationship.
We're both very ambitious people.
We both are in the same industry.
We both saw the potential in US doing very well successfully as
individuals, but like exponentially more when we can
be together and support one another.
(22:58):
So that's been both a gift and achallenge.
And so I was joke when people say, oh, it's so great.
You get to work with your partner.
And I'm always like, I don't recommend it.
But at the same time, it's built.
We haven't been able, we wouldn't be able to have the
life that we've had and the success that we both have had
(23:18):
without one another. Like I've been so instrumental
in his path and he's been so instrumental in mine.
It's hard to imagine another way.
But there's definitely times when business spills over into
regular personal life. I think it's been the hardest
piece that we still haven't fully mastered even after all
(23:40):
these years, which I know it's possible to master.
I've seen people do it, you know, that this is just
something that we have to keep working on.
And as we're going deeper and deeper into working together and
we're parents and not letting that spill over into our quality
time with our son, it's really forcing us to like make stronger
boundaries and family rules around work and screen time and
(24:05):
how we show up and how we communicate with one another.
Like it's forcing us to have really uncomfortable
conversations and when we have disagreements or, you know,
different points of view or don't like how something's being
handled, how do we communicate that with each other with the
most respect and love? And I like, again, I'm going to
(24:27):
say that we're humans and we're not perfect.
And we do have our trigger points because the people that
you love the most tend to trigger you the most, right?
Like they kind of know those little spots and we have maybe
more at stake. So there's insecurities can run
higher. So I think this is like also one
of the biggest pieces that of growth opportunities for me with
this studio, with this project is how I can show up as not just
(24:52):
his business partner, but his wife in the process.
And so yeah, we're working through those those growth pains
as well. But I also am proud of how we're
handling it so far. I'm glad to hear that.
Yeah. So was there a moment where this
(25:13):
almost didn't happen? This whole?
I think probably there's a few moments where this almost hasn't
happened. I mean, there's so many little
pieces that had to come together, you know, from
relationship perspectives to finance perspectives to, you
know, just every step of the way.
(25:37):
Yeah, I think there's been, there's been several moments.
But again, we have to just like come in and recognize.
I think the biggest piece for itis the mood that we show up
with. What is the mood that I'm
showing up with? Am I in a mood of resignation,
not seeing possibility? Am I in a victim mood?
Am I in a mood of my way or the highway?
(25:59):
Am I trying to control things too much?
Am I, you know, am I falling into states of overwhelm and
anxiety? Because when those moods take
over, we don't shift them. I think that's when there's the
(26:19):
potential for things to fall apart if any one of us shows up
with that mood consistently or for too long.
And so it's also like all of ourself responsibility to shift
that mood into one of possibility into being a new
beginner because we're all new beginners in this space.
Like we are all figuring this out, like, and that's one thing
(26:41):
that made me feel good is talking to other CE OS and other
founders of companies and, and studios and even in Bali, and
they all say the same thing. Nobody really knows what they're
doing until you're doing it. And then you realize, I still
don't know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it somehow, right?
So it's like we're figuring it out every step of the way and,
and just trying to have more of a mood of helpfulness and
(27:02):
possibility to the table as muchas possible.
And then anything is really possible.
You can find solutions and be resourceful when problems show
up and, and go listen, OK, this fell through, this funding fell
through. OK, let's keep moving forward.
Let's trust and let's show up with a good pot good, you know,
mood. And then it's like that's when
(27:25):
things manifest. The people, the situations show
up. Yeah, yeah.
Sometimes those, those moments of not going the way you thought
is actually part of the ununderstood plan, if you want
to call it the universe's plan, right, Whether you want to use
that language or not. But it's just, and that's
something that I've been dialinginto a lot lately.
It's just like when there is challenges and friction and
(27:45):
things that are just not working, maybe there's a reason
why that's happening that you just don't understand.
And just allowing that to be because something else will
probably reveal itself later as to why that happened.
And then you're going to be like, oh, I'm actually happy
that that happened because of this reason now.
At least that's the way that I've been trying to absorb it.
Yeah. I mean, I don't think you'd
appreciate things as much if everything always went so
(28:05):
smooth. The failures, like, yeah, it's
the failures and the, the effortand the, the learnings along the
way that make you like really stop and appreciate.
Like look at what we've done andwhat we've built.
Yeah. Let's kind of Fast forward.
Imagine, you know, the studios basically builds that's things
(28:27):
are rolling, there's movement happening there, no pun
intended. And you know, people are coming
to experience the space. So for you, what do you hope
someone actually feels after, whether it be a class or just
being a part of this community or maybe an event at the end
movement? I think right away, one of the
top things for me is I want people to feel seen.
(28:52):
I want people to show up there and go like, wow, I feel seen by
the instructors, by the, the, the staff, by the people here.
Like there's a personalization. There's like a, a personal touch
that I'm not just another. It's not like a big corporate
machine where I'm like not important to them.
I want them to feel like I'm important.
(29:13):
I'm seen and who I am and what my struggles are being seen here
too and reflected and mirrored in the, in the stories and that
the facilitators are bringing, the teachers are bringing and
also like seeing from themselves, like some part of
them inside being remembered andseen through the practices that
(29:38):
we offer. And the second thing I want
people to feel is a sense of belonging.
Like this is where my tribe is. This is where my fam is, this is
where my people are, my community.
This is a place, this is one of our touch points.
There might be other touch points in other spaces, but like
this is one of them And it's a, it's a core space where we can
come together in a deeper way and grow with one another and
(30:04):
also challenge one another and like keep each other
accountable, right? Because the people I think we're
going to meet in the space are also the ones that are ready for
something a little deeper and are ready to apply a little bit
more discipline and a little bitmore devotion into their lives.
And a little bit more like I'm ready to do the work and not
(30:24):
just kind of float around and drop into a feel good thing once
in a while. Ready to like really stick to
something, commit to something and come back and, and see how
this is shifting my life. And I think being around a space
with other people like that is really inspiring and keeps us
accountable. So the belonging piece is good
in the in the last part is like activated.
(30:46):
I want people to feel activated,to show up in a deeper way for
themselves and activated to takedeeper responsibility for their
lives, for their moods, for their, their, their thoughts,
for their behaviors. And, and doing that like ripple
(31:07):
that out to others in the community.
Like that's why we have this sort of ripple as a symbol for
our studio is this idea of like when I go within in myself and I
make those interchanges and shifts, I automatically radiate
(31:28):
and ripple out that goodness into the world and it impacts
others lives in the community. So that activation piece is
important. Feeling seen, feeling belonging
and feeling activated. I love the ripple.
Yeah, me too. Big fan.
Last question, just to kind of bring it all home for us, What
(31:49):
is this space or what will the space actually, no, what is this
space asking of you now as it can succumb into fruition into
this world? It's not asking for much.
It's asking for everything. It is asking everything of me to
show up when in a higher degree of leadership than I have ever
(32:13):
been in before, and to to createa sense of balance in my life
more than ever before. Because I can't risk burning out
like I have in the past. And I have been through many
rounds of burnout, let me tell you, in my life, because that's
my MO. Like I'm going to be the high
(32:34):
achiever and get everything and do everything at work any other
week and just burn myself to theground.
And I've done that so many timesthat I have to recognize the
signs in it now because I have that potential to do that now.
And I've seen moments where I'vegone into that tunnel and
luckily I have a partner who cannote, you know, give me those
(32:55):
signals and show me how I'm showing up.
And we're like, peel myself backand go, OK, you're right.
I need to create boundaries. I need to create.
I need to focus on my own practices.
I need to remember what's important first.
And, and that work isn't everything.
And so it's forcing me to practice what I preach and to
bring that balance in and slow down.
(33:17):
And how can I do this in a more sustainable way?
How can I show up and do something big that I care about
without killing myself in the process?
And that takes everything from me to keep that level of
self-awareness and also show up in a high capacity.
Yeah. How are you sleeping throughout
(33:38):
this whole process? Surprisingly well because I'm,
you know, having to be really onit with like, how am I eating?
How am I sleeping? You know, I've I've already
peeled back earlier this year. I don't I don't drink much
anymore. That really helps sleep and
(33:59):
taking my vitamins and making sure I'm moving my body and
it's. Like stepping up the game, you
know? Yeah, exactly.
In every area. It's like the health is our
number one wealth and I got to stay healthy for this to work.
So yeah, it's probably good. The moments when I'm not and I'm
waking up thinking about all themillion things that need to be
(34:19):
done, that's like a signal, that's like a messenger that I
actually need to slow down. I get that a few times.
I get that. Maybe once a week I might get
something like that. Yeah.
So when I pull out the pen and Ijust try to get it all out of my
brain and just write it all downand be like, I'll deal with you
later. Yeah, I still get it too.
I still get the 3:00 AM wake up with like, Oh my God, I forgot
what I got, all these things I got to do.
(34:40):
But yes, it's like finding the systems and and remembering, OK,
now it was more important than ever that I slow down and
meditate. Yeah, work out.
I try to remind myself I'm like,you can't do it all in one day,
so just chill, you know, just relax, it's all fine.
Yeah. And it's it's forcing a degree
of trust. And trust isn't something that I
(35:03):
think I can just make a choice to do.
It's something that comes through a lot of practice on
learning how to land my nervous system in a way so my body's not
in constantly in this state of like panic or fight or flight.
It's easier to trust the process.
So it's like in the moments where you know, we get the bad
news or something doesn't go as expected.
(35:23):
It's like trusting is is not something I just go, OK, I'm
going to trust. I have to go.
No, my body needs to calm and land before it can feel trust.
So like, that's what I mean by like living the yoga, living
the, the practices as a, you know, so this project is really
(35:45):
a mirror for, for us and what we're teaching.
So we're opening in hopefully April 2026 is how it's
scheduled. And yeah, I mean, basically just
kind of closing up the podcast. If there's anything else, we can
obviously jump into it, But I'm thinking if people want to, you
know, kind of follow along and they're just like, maybe they
already are following along because they're listening to
(36:07):
this podcast. Yeah, but maybe they somehow
jumped onto this podcast and they're like, hey, well, I'm
kind of curious about more like,where can I follow some of this
stuff? What would you tell them?
Yeah, check out our our Instagram and at the in movement
Bali, right? I think it's the in movement
with some underscores in there. The in movement.
(36:27):
But if you type it in it'll it'll show up.
We'll add it to the show notes Yeah and yeah check us out on
Instagram follow us like we're sharing everything there is kind
of like our initial hub of communication and we have a wait
list you can join the wait list sign on and be in the the fam,
(36:47):
so to speak to really hear aboutour updates.
We're going to be sharing some important updates soon and
getting people on board as founding members and, and really
helping us build this culture, this community culture from the
ground up. Like being a part of the very
early beginnings to shape what this movement is, is like.
(37:10):
We can't do it by ourselves. We need the community members.
We need you to be a part of it and to help us shape it.
And it's like anything's possible.
Like what do you think could be possible?
What is it that you've always wanted from, you know, yoga,
meditation studio, a community? This is the opportunity to like,
tell us, share with us your, your wants, your hopes, your
(37:32):
dreams, your desires. And like we're listening right
now and we have the real ambition to integrate those
things that we hear from people.Cool.
Thank you for coming in there. I.
Appreciate you. Thank you.
Any final thoughts or are you feeling pretty complete?
(37:53):
I feel good. Thanks for bringing me on.
Thanks for listening of. Course.
Yeah, hope to see you in the in class.
Yeah, thank you all for listening, tuning in this week.
If you have any questions, of course, you can reach out to us
and through that Instagram or maybe directly through Leia,
what's your Instagram? And Lee Sant.
Lasant. We'll put it in the show.
Notes Yes, LESANT, Or you can just type in my name, Leia Santa
(38:15):
Cruz. Yeah, if you want to speak
directly to her. Otherwise, Michael Yoga dot PT
And that's it for now and otherwise enjoy the rest of your
week and we'll see you next week.
Beautiful. Take care for now, meow.
Meow.
Hey there, before we get startedon this week's episode, I would
love to ask for your support by reviewing this podcast.
We want to share yoga with as many people as possible and this
free resource, this podcast is one of the ways that we can do
that. And the best way that you can
help support us is by giving us a review.
So if you go to Apple podcast orSpotify or whatever podcast
platform you use, Scroll down until you find that star review
(00:23):
and then give us some love. Thank you so much, and let's get
started with this week's episode.
All right, everyone, welcome back to the In Movement podcast.
So we're back here on the mic and we have Leia in the house.
Yes. And Leia is one of the founding
members of the In movement. So yeah, she's here to kind of
(00:44):
talk about it from her perspective and kind of a little
bit of her story around it. And we're going to follow some
of the structure that we did with some of the other episodes.
But ultimately, yeah, Welcome, Leia.
It's exciting to have you here. Thank you so much.
Good to be here. It's.
Been a busy few months, right? Yes, has very much so it it's
very real now as we're only a couple months out from opening
(01:07):
the doors and just seeing everything come together, the
building come together, the community starting to cultivate,
being able to share our vision with everyone.
It's very exciting. Sometimes it's daunting, and
there's moments where like, Oh my God, what are we doing?
This is nuts. And then the other times it's
like, yeah, this is exactly where we're supposed to be.
(01:29):
Yeah, yeah, it's great. It's really fun in moments, not
so fun, but other moments it's fun.
And I'm sure the balance will find itself.
Yeah, cool. So yeah, let's just jump right
into it and get into some of thequestions and we'll see where it
goes from there. Perfect.
Sound good. First question is, is was there
a pivotal moment or life moment that influenced your approach to
(01:50):
creating this space? I think it's a series of pivotal
life moments. Not to like drag you through my
whole life story, but I kind of see my life in like 3 chapters
leading up to this. And the 1st chapter was just,
(02:10):
you know, being born into a world that was full of a lot of
chaos to young parents. There was a lot of mental health
issues and addiction and even homelessness and all sorts of
things going on in my family life growing up.
And so being kind of born into that world, it set me in a
(02:31):
direction of seeing like education and ambition and
rising up above that is like themeans out of that world.
So it kind of forced like self responsibility as a survival
(02:51):
mechanism. And I think, you know, that's
kind of like where the very early stages of my practice have
the foundation is, is in learning how to be in a world of
where there's a lot of chaos andfeeling like I'm not in control
and being able to be present in that discomfort to then rise
(03:13):
above it instead of letting it define me.
And so I think that's like an important pivotal moment, which
is sort of the basis behind likemy ethos and why I care about
the work that I'm doing. And then kind of a second
chapter when I Fast forward was as an early young adult, I, I
(03:35):
actually, as many people do, fell into the patterns of my
past. Like I was attracted to a
relationship. I got married very young to
someone who there was a lot of, you know, I struggled with
addiction and there was just a lot of chaos in that
relationship. It, you know, wasn't healthy for
(03:57):
me and it totally ended in flames.
And that was a huge learning lesson and it kind of propelled
me again into, OK, how do I riseabove this?
I, I, I entered a workforce. I, I plunged myself into I, I
thought I'd be a therapist. I had studied psychology, but a
(04:18):
really difficult divorce and depression and an economic
recession just kind of steered me in a different direction.
And so I ended up working for tech startups, a big companies,
Microsoft and burning out like working 80 hour weeks and just
running my body literally into the ground until I was so sick
(04:41):
and I had so many panic attacks and I had so much turmoil
internally that I had my body just kind of shut down.
It's like a message, like listento the internal voice inside of
you where you're not aligned on this path.
And so that was like a big aha moment that really steered me
into the studio, the yoga studiolocally where I was in LA at the
(05:05):
time, and meeting some teachers who really helped me take
responsibility for my inner world.
And in doing that, like, it started to really shift my life.
So I think some of the big lessons that I've learned from
that period of my life was that even when something feels
familiar and it feels kind of safe, it might actually be
(05:29):
something that's devastating. It might actually be something
that's not healthy. So familiarity isn't always the
the best way to go. And we have to listen to our
bodies. Our bodies know because
sometimes the body falls apart, like right before the the life
falls apart. It's the message, right?
So that's also something that isreally pivotal and important to
(05:50):
my ethos is like listening to the body's messages and stepping
outside of our comfort zone. And sometimes anxiety is like
the thing that says you're beingcalled to step into something
greater. And so that's what it was for
me. And then the sort of the third
final chapter was just recognizing how much meditation
was shifting my life. It was like forcing me to be
(06:11):
more honest. It was forcing me to sort of
peel apart the layers that I'd built in this life that wasn't
in alignment and rebuild something new.
I ended up stepping away from Microsoft in that world and I
ended up building a Community Center in Los Angeles that
shared, you know, meditation wasat the heart of everything we
did. We did lots of other stuff.
(06:32):
There was events and films and art and but meditation was so
important to me in that center. And it was even where I met my
soulmate, where I met Paul. It was was through that part of
my journey. But then I also ran out of money
and had to work multiple jobs and got laid off.
(06:53):
And and that just really forced me to have to commit like
through those hardships. It was not a linear path
shooting up. It was like, you know, one step
forward, 2 steps back at times. Like I had to fully commit to,
OK, I'm going to teach fully. I'm not just going to do this as
a part time thing. And, and, and that's when Paul
(07:16):
and I decided to move to Bali and to make our way here.
And, and it wasn't also like just an easy thing.
I didn't start working at Yoga Barn right away.
It took 18 months for them to hire me and a lot of trust on my
part, a lot of surrender. And then once that happened is
like this snowball effect of one, yes, led to another led to
(07:36):
another. And then finally, like I'm now,
you know, sharing meditation with millions of people on the
balance app and, and being able to see my work as a teacher has
grown over the years after becoming a mother.
And I've been able to really seemy my work mature and what I
(07:58):
have to share with people. And so it's this crystallization
now, this time that I'm going, Idon't want to just inspire
people with fun aha moments in adrop in class.
I really want to be able to helppeople create a structure for
their life and to do that daily work that is important for us,
(08:19):
that integration work that is important for us so that we can
actually really experience transformation.
I think coming to a drop in class and having a good feel
good thing is is also nice. You know, it's relaxing, but
there's so much more that can beoffered.
And that's what I think has inspired me in this moment to
(08:42):
take the lessons that I've learned in my life and to apply
it in a sort of systems and classes and programs that can
really support people where they're at right now in the
world. Because I think there's a lot of
people struggling right now or just feeling like there's not
enough depth in what we're experiencing in our classes to
(09:05):
keep to really let it stick. Yeah, I agree with that.
More authenticity, more like realness, more connection as
opposed to this, you know, robotic AI stuff that's kind of
going on. Everything's starting to feel a
little bit more scripted and robotic in a lot of ways.
Yeah, it's definitely a huge help in a lot of ways.
(09:26):
I think we're, we're going to AIwith all of our things that we'd
normally bring to a therapist, all the things that we'd
normally ask a assistant to helpus with or we would have to be
thinking on our own. And, and that's so it's
beautiful in some ways. It can offer a lot of support,
but I think there's a really important human element that we
(09:48):
need to stay connected to. And that eventually, I think
we'll see in the next couple years the rubber band effect of
people like needing to come backto that like really human, OK
connection piece that AI can't give us.
And that's why I think the world's ready for these kind of
grounded spaces, yeah. You basically answered the next
(10:11):
question, which was the spark behind starting this whole
thing. And you know what made it clear
that this is needed to exist now, You know, maybe it maybe
it's needed a little bit more ina few years, but I, you know,
it's almost like it feels like it's needed now, I feel.
Yeah. And it's this real pool
internally, you know, as a teacher, like for expansion and
being able to deliver something with more creativity and more
(10:34):
vision and more leadership and step into a whole other level
than I have been in. And not, not just like I said,
giving inspiration in these little drop in classes, but
really sharing the legacy of like, what have I, what have I
been learning in this life? You know, I'm, I'm say I'm
midway through my life. I'm in my 40s, but I've lived a
(10:57):
lot of life so far and I've beenthrough a lot of trials and
turbulence, especially early on.So I feel like in some ways the
the old soul, you know, has a lot of lessons to share and I
just want to be able to show up and support others who are on
this journey with me. I mean, especially with your,
your back story and the things that you've experienced, I mean,
(11:19):
there's a lot of things that, you know, people can probably
relate with and it's like just having someone that they can
hear, listen to that understandssome of those elements is very
connective. Yeah.
And you know, I know we're talking a lot about trauma
online these days and trauma, trauma, trauma, everything's
trauma. But it is true.
(11:40):
There's I think a lot of people do have experiences of trauma
and we do have things that we want to heal from.
And healing doesn't come from escaping escapism from your life
in reality comes from being present and staying in it.
And that is like the real work that is like the hard thing to
(12:00):
do. And it's something that I will
have to continue to work on through my whole life.
It's not like I've 100% masteredit and I'm now this, you know,
enlightened being all the time. I think for the most of us, it's
not the case. Maybe it is for Eckhart Tolle.
(12:21):
I think that guy's like legit enlightened all the time.
But you know, for the rest of a 99% of us, we have a lot of
moments where we're like, we canrise above and, and step into a
higher self. And then moments where we
relapse and we have mistakes andwe go, oh, that was the old me
(12:42):
and the old patterns and the oldautopilot system, the family
patterns showing up. And like, that was another
moment for me to have to rise above that and to have a little
bit more self-awareness than theday before and a little bit more
willpower too. Be devoted and have the
discipline to. Show up.
Absolutely. Those state changes are just,
they fluctuate all the time. But then your, your level of
(13:04):
consciousness or awareness can, can also change.
So it's like you're not always going to be on that like high,
high horse unless you're maybe Eckhart Tolle, but and that's
kind of the thing. And I think he doesn't even want
it, to be honest. That's how I know he's legit.
He's like, I don't even, you know people.
I people that know him have saidthe man doesn't even like want
(13:25):
to be this enlightened being that everybody looks up to, but
it's just like the state of whatwhat he is, right?
Yeah. We can only aspire to be more
like that all the time. Right.
Or find those moments where we need to kind of rise above the
stressors that happen. Yeah, all the time, right.
So what drew you personally to creating this in movement?
(13:47):
Well, I think a big part of it is a community thing.
It's I've watched, I've been here in Bali for nine years and
I've watched the community spaces shift and evolve.
And, you know, during COVID, everybody was isolated and, and
craving community. And a lot of people left this
(14:09):
island, to be honest. And we saw a huge shift in like
the people that showed up here afterwards.
And I think what I've seen is I've seen somewhat of a drop in
the yoga and meditation scene just recently.
Like it's subtle enough, but it's something that I've been
(14:31):
noticing like people, there's a high gym culture, there's a
really strong culture of like paddle or pickleball or whatever
or. Pilates, yeah.
Pilates and I think the aesthetic has become very like,
let's look really fit and be more muscular.
And I think that especially for women, that aesthetic has like
kind of shifted in the, the beauty standards and industry.
(14:53):
And you see that show up in behaviors and lifestyle and
nothing to say that's wrong withit.
I go to the gym too. Hey, I love being strong, but I
think, you know, being like in paddle or something might be
hitting the social boxes of I get my my social aspect, I get
(15:13):
fitness and whatnot. But what I think is you're also
going to see is anytime the pendulum swings a certain way,
there's always a bounce back effect.
And I think what might be missing in those environments of
the gym and the paddle court is the depth and the philosophy,
like the real life changing reflection, the shifts that help
(15:33):
us be the best person we can be.And I think that you're, we're
starting, just starting to see like in the beginning, and this
is going to involve over the next year or two is like people
going, oh, wait, like something's missing now.
You know, I've gone a little bitfar this way and now I'm missing
this piece. And so it's, I think important
(15:56):
to create a space where we have opportunities for people to
gather in community in deeper ways, not just in class, because
people aren't interacting as much in a yoga class, but to be
able to come and be in the recovery space, in the hot and
cold, the sauna, the cold plunges, the hot pool, the the
(16:18):
restaurant. We want to have community
gatherings. I want, I'm so excited.
One of the most exciting things for me is that we're creating a
like a fam dance, like a community dance event that's for
all ages. It's like, bring the grandma,
bring your kids, bring it all. And let's show up with an air of
like real community celebration and and make it about like the
(16:44):
core of what I think it may be the dance community once was a
little bit more of your new boot.
And I've seen it shift over the years into a little bit more of
like the tantric temple vibes atthe on the dance floor.
And that's fine. It's like single mingle sexy,
get on the knee pads. You know, we're all around and
there's a place for that. I love it, that kind of
(17:04):
expression, but I also think that we're missing something
else that can bring community together.
So it's what I'm excited about is creating experiences like
that, spaces that people are going to start craving for
something a little bit more deepand that there is conversation
behind it that really moves us in a forward way.
And that's part of the legacy. You know, it's like a legacy of
(17:25):
like, what do we want to leave in this life?
And so I think those are the bigpieces for me, raising the bar a
little bit on the standards of the practices that we're
offering in classes, bringing community together in a deeper
way and having a legacy. Makes me think of just like
helping to create more sense of belonging for people. 100% Yeah,
(17:47):
yeah, yeah. So did you all agree, So you,
your husband, Paul, Byron all agree immediately on the
direction and the the alignment of this entire thing or how did
that go? Well, it's funny because if you
ask them that question, I wonderhow I'll answer it.
But from my personal perspective, I felt like it was
a pretty, we're pretty aligned. I, I feel like the, the values
(18:13):
that we share of, you know, wanting depth of, of integrity,
of transformation are all there within us.
And we all have a bit of a rebelliousness to us too.
Paul and Byron are a bit closer.They've been friends for a long
time. They used to be roommates, fun
fact, long time ago. And so they've been
(18:34):
collaborating for many years. And like, you know, as you may
know if you've been in one of their trainings, like people
joke that one's the mom and one's the FA.
And my husband always says that Byron's I'm his wife, but
Byron's husband or something like that.
Work wife, work wife and and so they've had like obviously a
(18:55):
great chemistry working togetherand I'm kind of the new one in
the mix and I've collaborated somuch with Paul.
Obviously he's my spouse. We've been working together for
a long time in this space, but it's been a new thing to work
with Byron and to get to know him on a deeper level and to.
I think the biggest period, the biggest thing of growth is like
our different working styles, our personalities, you know,
(19:17):
they Byron's like a lot more right brained artist and I'm a
little bit more coming from thislike corporate background and
like organization and project management and spreadsheets and
like I love being super, you know, pragmatic.
And so sometimes our styles can clash.
And yet at the same time, I think it's forced us to grow.
(19:38):
And I think there's a gift in the diversity of what we all
bring to the table. And even like you and other
members of our team, Oxana, and being able to challenge one
another. And there's been moments that
have been prickly where we've gone like, I disagree with you
very strongly and I'm putting myheels in on this one.
(20:00):
Or maybe we've been irritated about how the other person
handles it or the time or whatever.
And yet so it's forcing us to like put our friendships first,
put the relationship pieces first, the human element 1st,
and to really practice what we preach and bring the yoga into
this. And I think one of the big
things that we've had to go is like, when there's breakdowns,
(20:23):
which there will always be, I think in any partnerships,
anytime you're doing something with anyone, they'll be
breakdowns. And yeah, it's asked us to go
instead of saying, like, why is this happening or what's, you
know, pointing fingers of blame or it's asked us to go, like,
what's being asked of me here? How can I show up differently?
(20:46):
Where's the possibility here where we might be seeing defeat
or failure or having, you know, resignation about something?
There's always possibility. And so it's forces forcing us to
like rise into a new level of leadership and collaboration and
communication. And it's ultimately like helping
(21:07):
us grow as individuals. And sometimes that's painful and
downright uncomfortable. So we're all going through it
right now. We're in the growing pains, but
it's great. It's making us the people that
were meant to be, I think. I also think it's bringing us
closer. Yeah.
I think those moments that there's that friction, you know,
and you bring in the practice ofwhat we preach, you hold that
(21:29):
compassion, recognize that there's something there that
maybe I just not understanding or there's something going on
that I just don't know about. And then then all of a sudden
it's like, oh, there's empty there for that.
And then it's like, oh, OK, now I understand.
Now I feel more connected to you.
Let's move forward in this new way.
It's like building muscle in a gym, you know, like the little
(21:49):
tears once they repair is what creates the strength.
And we have little tears all thetime in our in this project and
in our interpersonal dynamics. And it's how we show up and
repair those that actually can make or break us.
And so I think we're doing a good job.
(22:11):
You know, there's always room for improvement, but we're doing
pretty well. And I'm feeling good about it.
I'm feeling really good about usand the United team that we
have. So moving into the next
question, which is kind of somewhat along the lines, but
how has your partnership with Paul shaped the way that you
lead this studio or will be the?Yeah, So I always make a joke
(22:36):
because I, my husband and I, we've been basically working
together since we started our relationship.
We're both very ambitious people.
We both are in the same industry.
We both saw the potential in US doing very well successfully as
individuals, but like exponentially more when we can
be together and support one another.
(22:58):
So that's been both a gift and achallenge.
And so I was joke when people say, oh, it's so great.
You get to work with your partner.
And I'm always like, I don't recommend it.
But at the same time, it's built.
We haven't been able, we wouldn't be able to have the
life that we've had and the success that we both have had
(23:18):
without one another. Like I've been so instrumental
in his path and he's been so instrumental in mine.
It's hard to imagine another way.
But there's definitely times when business spills over into
regular personal life. I think it's been the hardest
piece that we still haven't fully mastered even after all
(23:40):
these years, which I know it's possible to master.
I've seen people do it, you know, that this is just
something that we have to keep working on.
And as we're going deeper and deeper into working together and
we're parents and not letting that spill over into our quality
time with our son, it's really forcing us to like make stronger
boundaries and family rules around work and screen time and
(24:05):
how we show up and how we communicate with one another.
Like it's forcing us to have really uncomfortable
conversations and when we have disagreements or, you know,
different points of view or don't like how something's being
handled, how do we communicate that with each other with the
most respect and love? And I like, again, I'm going to
(24:27):
say that we're humans and we're not perfect.
And we do have our trigger points because the people that
you love the most tend to trigger you the most, right?
Like they kind of know those little spots and we have maybe
more at stake. So there's insecurities can run
higher. So I think this is like also one
of the biggest pieces that of growth opportunities for me with
this studio, with this project is how I can show up as not just
(24:52):
his business partner, but his wife in the process.
And so yeah, we're working through those those growth pains
as well. But I also am proud of how we're
handling it so far. I'm glad to hear that.
Yeah. So was there a moment where this
(25:13):
almost didn't happen? This whole?
I think probably there's a few moments where this almost hasn't
happened. I mean, there's so many little
pieces that had to come together, you know, from
relationship perspectives to finance perspectives to, you
know, just every step of the way.
(25:37):
Yeah, I think there's been, there's been several moments.
But again, we have to just like come in and recognize.
I think the biggest piece for itis the mood that we show up
with. What is the mood that I'm
showing up with? Am I in a mood of resignation,
not seeing possibility? Am I in a victim mood?
Am I in a mood of my way or the highway?
(25:59):
Am I trying to control things too much?
Am I, you know, am I falling into states of overwhelm and
anxiety? Because when those moods take
over, we don't shift them. I think that's when there's the
(26:19):
potential for things to fall apart if any one of us shows up
with that mood consistently or for too long.
And so it's also like all of ourself responsibility to shift
that mood into one of possibility into being a new
beginner because we're all new beginners in this space.
Like we are all figuring this out, like, and that's one thing
(26:41):
that made me feel good is talking to other CE OS and other
founders of companies and, and studios and even in Bali, and
they all say the same thing. Nobody really knows what they're
doing until you're doing it. And then you realize, I still
don't know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it somehow, right?
So it's like we're figuring it out every step of the way and,
and just trying to have more of a mood of helpfulness and
(27:02):
possibility to the table as muchas possible.
And then anything is really possible.
You can find solutions and be resourceful when problems show
up and, and go listen, OK, this fell through, this funding fell
through. OK, let's keep moving forward.
Let's trust and let's show up with a good pot good, you know,
mood. And then it's like that's when
(27:25):
things manifest. The people, the situations show
up. Yeah, yeah.
Sometimes those, those moments of not going the way you thought
is actually part of the ununderstood plan, if you want
to call it the universe's plan, right, Whether you want to use
that language or not. But it's just, and that's
something that I've been dialinginto a lot lately.
It's just like when there is challenges and friction and
(27:45):
things that are just not working, maybe there's a reason
why that's happening that you just don't understand.
And just allowing that to be because something else will
probably reveal itself later as to why that happened.
And then you're going to be like, oh, I'm actually happy
that that happened because of this reason now.
At least that's the way that I've been trying to absorb it.
Yeah. I mean, I don't think you'd
appreciate things as much if everything always went so
(28:05):
smooth. The failures, like, yeah, it's
the failures and the, the effortand the, the learnings along the
way that make you like really stop and appreciate.
Like look at what we've done andwhat we've built.
Yeah. Let's kind of Fast forward.
Imagine, you know, the studios basically builds that's things
(28:27):
are rolling, there's movement happening there, no pun
intended. And you know, people are coming
to experience the space. So for you, what do you hope
someone actually feels after, whether it be a class or just
being a part of this community or maybe an event at the end
movement? I think right away, one of the
top things for me is I want people to feel seen.
(28:52):
I want people to show up there and go like, wow, I feel seen by
the instructors, by the, the, the staff, by the people here.
Like there's a personalization. There's like a, a personal touch
that I'm not just another. It's not like a big corporate
machine where I'm like not important to them.
I want them to feel like I'm important.
(29:13):
I'm seen and who I am and what my struggles are being seen here
too and reflected and mirrored in the, in the stories and that
the facilitators are bringing, the teachers are bringing and
also like seeing from themselves, like some part of
them inside being remembered andseen through the practices that
(29:38):
we offer. And the second thing I want
people to feel is a sense of belonging.
Like this is where my tribe is. This is where my fam is, this is
where my people are, my community.
This is a place, this is one of our touch points.
There might be other touch points in other spaces, but like
this is one of them And it's a, it's a core space where we can
come together in a deeper way and grow with one another and
(30:04):
also challenge one another and like keep each other
accountable, right? Because the people I think we're
going to meet in the space are also the ones that are ready for
something a little deeper and are ready to apply a little bit
more discipline and a little bitmore devotion into their lives.
And a little bit more like I'm ready to do the work and not
(30:24):
just kind of float around and drop into a feel good thing once
in a while. Ready to like really stick to
something, commit to something and come back and, and see how
this is shifting my life. And I think being around a space
with other people like that is really inspiring and keeps us
accountable. So the belonging piece is good
in the in the last part is like activated.
(30:46):
I want people to feel activated,to show up in a deeper way for
themselves and activated to takedeeper responsibility for their
lives, for their moods, for their, their, their thoughts,
for their behaviors. And, and doing that like ripple
(31:07):
that out to others in the community.
Like that's why we have this sort of ripple as a symbol for
our studio is this idea of like when I go within in myself and I
make those interchanges and shifts, I automatically radiate
(31:28):
and ripple out that goodness into the world and it impacts
others lives in the community. So that activation piece is
important. Feeling seen, feeling belonging
and feeling activated. I love the ripple.
Yeah, me too. Big fan.
Last question, just to kind of bring it all home for us, What
(31:49):
is this space or what will the space actually, no, what is this
space asking of you now as it can succumb into fruition into
this world? It's not asking for much.
It's asking for everything. It is asking everything of me to
show up when in a higher degree of leadership than I have ever
(32:13):
been in before, and to to createa sense of balance in my life
more than ever before. Because I can't risk burning out
like I have in the past. And I have been through many
rounds of burnout, let me tell you, in my life, because that's
my MO. Like I'm going to be the high
(32:34):
achiever and get everything and do everything at work any other
week and just burn myself to theground.
And I've done that so many timesthat I have to recognize the
signs in it now because I have that potential to do that now.
And I've seen moments where I'vegone into that tunnel and
luckily I have a partner who cannote, you know, give me those
(32:55):
signals and show me how I'm showing up.
And we're like, peel myself backand go, OK, you're right.
I need to create boundaries. I need to create.
I need to focus on my own practices.
I need to remember what's important first.
And, and that work isn't everything.
And so it's forcing me to practice what I preach and to
bring that balance in and slow down.
(33:17):
And how can I do this in a more sustainable way?
How can I show up and do something big that I care about
without killing myself in the process?
And that takes everything from me to keep that level of
self-awareness and also show up in a high capacity.
Yeah. How are you sleeping throughout
(33:38):
this whole process? Surprisingly well because I'm,
you know, having to be really onit with like, how am I eating?
How am I sleeping? You know, I've I've already
peeled back earlier this year. I don't I don't drink much
anymore. That really helps sleep and
(33:59):
taking my vitamins and making sure I'm moving my body and
it's. Like stepping up the game, you
know? Yeah, exactly.
In every area. It's like the health is our
number one wealth and I got to stay healthy for this to work.
So yeah, it's probably good. The moments when I'm not and I'm
waking up thinking about all themillion things that need to be
(34:19):
done, that's like a signal, that's like a messenger that I
actually need to slow down. I get that a few times.
I get that. Maybe once a week I might get
something like that. Yeah.
So when I pull out the pen and Ijust try to get it all out of my
brain and just write it all downand be like, I'll deal with you
later. Yeah, I still get it too.
I still get the 3:00 AM wake up with like, Oh my God, I forgot
what I got, all these things I got to do.
(34:40):
But yes, it's like finding the systems and and remembering, OK,
now it was more important than ever that I slow down and
meditate. Yeah, work out.
I try to remind myself I'm like,you can't do it all in one day,
so just chill, you know, just relax, it's all fine.
Yeah. And it's it's forcing a degree
of trust. And trust isn't something that I
(35:03):
think I can just make a choice to do.
It's something that comes through a lot of practice on
learning how to land my nervous system in a way so my body's not
in constantly in this state of like panic or fight or flight.
It's easier to trust the process.
So it's like in the moments where you know, we get the bad
news or something doesn't go as expected.
(35:23):
It's like trusting is is not something I just go, OK, I'm
going to trust. I have to go.
No, my body needs to calm and land before it can feel trust.
So like, that's what I mean by like living the yoga, living
the, the practices as a, you know, so this project is really
(35:45):
a mirror for, for us and what we're teaching.
So we're opening in hopefully April 2026 is how it's
scheduled. And yeah, I mean, basically just
kind of closing up the podcast. If there's anything else, we can
obviously jump into it, But I'm thinking if people want to, you
know, kind of follow along and they're just like, maybe they
already are following along because they're listening to
(36:07):
this podcast. Yeah, but maybe they somehow
jumped onto this podcast and they're like, hey, well, I'm
kind of curious about more like,where can I follow some of this
stuff? What would you tell them?
Yeah, check out our our Instagram and at the in movement
Bali, right? I think it's the in movement
with some underscores in there. The in movement.
(36:27):
But if you type it in it'll it'll show up.
We'll add it to the show notes Yeah and yeah check us out on
Instagram follow us like we're sharing everything there is kind
of like our initial hub of communication and we have a wait
list you can join the wait list sign on and be in the the fam,
(36:47):
so to speak to really hear aboutour updates.
We're going to be sharing some important updates soon and
getting people on board as founding members and, and really
helping us build this culture, this community culture from the
ground up. Like being a part of the very
early beginnings to shape what this movement is, is like.
(37:10):
We can't do it by ourselves. We need the community members.
We need you to be a part of it and to help us shape it.
And it's like anything's possible.
Like what do you think could be possible?
What is it that you've always wanted from, you know, yoga,
meditation studio, a community? This is the opportunity to like,
tell us, share with us your, your wants, your hopes, your
(37:32):
dreams, your desires. And like we're listening right
now and we have the real ambition to integrate those
things that we hear from people.Cool.
Thank you for coming in there. I.
Appreciate you. Thank you.
Any final thoughts or are you feeling pretty complete?
(37:53):
I feel good. Thanks for bringing me on.
Thanks for listening of. Course.
Yeah, hope to see you in the in class.
Yeah, thank you all for listening, tuning in this week.
If you have any questions, of course, you can reach out to us
and through that Instagram or maybe directly through Leia,
what's your Instagram? And Lee Sant.
Lasant. We'll put it in the show.
Notes Yes, LESANT, Or you can just type in my name, Leia Santa
(38:15):
Cruz. Yeah, if you want to speak
directly to her. Otherwise, Michael Yoga dot PT
And that's it for now and otherwise enjoy the rest of your
week and we'll see you next week.
Beautiful. Take care for now, meow.
Meow.
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