Badass Female
Athletes (CONTINUED)
What do you swear by for
staying
fit? Emily Carpenter Cofounder of Vimana Yoga Basalt and Carbondale, Colorado Emily Carpenter, CMT, is a Synergy Yoga teacher, Yoga Asana Champion, volunteer, studio owner, and mother. She started teaching yoga in 1996 and opened the first yoga studios in Aspen, Basalt, and Glenwood Springs, Colorado, with her husband. They created four styles of therapeutic hot yoga for all levels.
What motivated you when you wanted to quit? The greatest motivator and leveler in my life has been my yoga practice. It has taught me how to be a grown-up, follow through, give back, be compassionate, be a better mother, wife, daughter, sibling, friend, and just show up.
What challenge did you face and then kicked ass? Before I had my son, I learned that I had
20 ORIGINMAGAZINE.COM
previa and he was breach. When this happened, I felt so out of control. I decided to stay strong and kept doing the poses that help turn the baby. After several disappointing doctor’s visits with the same scenario, I realized that I was stuck on my birthing plan. I had judgments about how to have a baby that are not realistic for every woman. So I surrendered, let it go, and was willing to accept the outcome. All I really wanted was a healthy, happy baby.
What’s your advice for women? When I retired from the championships in 2012, I had finished in fourth place in the international division, second place in nationals, and first in our state three years in a row. This journey not only helped me
overcome my fears, it taught me discipline and perseverance. The biggest medals were the friendships that I still enjoy today.
What do you swear by for staying fit? I practice yoga nidra to support my mental health and clear my mind space. I obviously swear by yoga for staying mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually balanced. VIMANAYOGA.COM PHOTO: MELISSA MCMANUS
“The biggest medals were the friendships that I still enjoy today.”