Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Connell.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Shannon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Yoga found me in 1999 while living in San Francisco and going through a divorce. A friend dragged me to a class telling me this would help me clear my mind and wash me clean. That it did…literally. It was a Bikram Hot Yoga class and I left feeling thoroughly exhausted but floating. I continued to practice Bikram for a few months but then began to get more curious about yoga in general and started seeking out any/every kind of yoga class I could find… Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Kundalini, Vinyasa. I wanted to know them all. I still surf around all the different offerings of yoga. With each new style and each new teacher I always find something more to quench my thirst for deeper connection and learning. The teachers who have been a huge source of inspiration for me are many…. I have always loved to learned from a multitude of sources… other teachers, musicians, writers, friends, family and of course all of my students. I tend to lean towards those who are what I call “living yoga” … living out the real work of the yoga in their lives and work on and off the mat.
In 2008 I was living in NYC and I left my corporate job to open my own yoga studio, THE FIERCE CLUB. I partnered with a woman named Sadie Nardini who was my teacher at the time and we created a beautiful community in the middle of Soho, NYC that still remains close to my heart. This was a huge venture for me and while the studio did not make it more than 2 years, I have learned that the work I do to share “fierceness” of heart and deeper connection does not need walls and in fact is better without them!
I moved to Chicago rain 2011 ready to spread my wings in a whole new city. My first Chicago yoga home was Yoga Now Chicago where my friend and owner, Amy Beth Treciokas welcomed me with open arms giving me permission to rock my fierceness and my classes at her studio. Amy and I share a love for “Bhakti Yoga” One of the definitions of Bhakti is “devotion or participation”. Devotion in most cases stems from a place of deep love. There are many practices within Bhakti Yoga today…some more traditional such as the chanting of kirtan and mantra and some I see more as the everyday actions such of forgiveness and compassion, recognizing all of our experiences (good and bad) as our teachers and working to be more devoted to the service of LOVE itself as a path. This is the stuff that lights me up and challenges me daily. I am passionate about sharing from this place and bringing this kind of awareness into my classes. Each of my classes begins with an intention to move from a place of alignment that is truly centered around listening to and loving ourselves more so that we can hopefully then move and share out with the world from that place. Outside the classroom I’ll be teaching and participating this year at a new festival called Midwest Yoga & Kirtan Fest in Jefferson, WI the weekend of Sept 20th- 23rd. (www.mykf.com)
In addition to teaching yoga classes, I’m also in the midst of a 2-year Meditation Teacher Training with two fabulous teachers -Lorin Roche & Camille Maurine- who are an incredible source of inspiration and learning for me. Lorin’s book THE RADIANCE SUTRAS has opened my eyes to a vast array of meditation doorways/paths to help us find even more connection to our inner/outer worlds. I love sharing all that I’m learning through my exploration of meditation in my classes and am even more excited about a new opportunity to begin bringing more yoga and meditation into schools and corporations.
I have recently joined my friend Alison Rootberg in her mission to help bring movement, yoga and meditation classes to Chicago Public Schools who have lost their funding for arts and wellness programs. Alison’s company Wellness4Every1® builds strategic partnerships with CPS and Chicago corporations to implement programs that build self-awareness skills, foster leadership in the community and leave students and those involved in helping fund these programs more inspired and connected. I’m thrilled about getting involved as part of my mission is to empower all people to find more connection through movement, exploration and community! If you’d like to get involved, you can join our #SelfCareSeptember Back to School Campaign. We will be hosting a month of events and opportunities for sponsors, studios, schools, students, teachers, and the community to come together and kick off the 2018-19 school year. For more information go to: www.wellness4every1.com
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This journey as a teacher and entrepreneur is never an all-out easy path. I’m currently teaching at 3 studios, hosting workshops and classes at my home, traveling to a few private clients, working as a Wellness Advocate for doTerra, launching online classes through a new app called ZENEVATE and working with Wellness4Every1 in an effort to reach more people with yoga, movement and meditation.
Every day I work to find a balance of focus on each of these ventures and sometimes my own practices suffer and I start feeling off-center. It’s always a reminder to plan and actually schedule in time for myself and my wellness practices. For example Saturdays are the days I reserve to “do nothing” but rest, relax with my family and friends and have some fun.
My advice to other women who might be getting started… Find the things that light you up, go for it passionately, and make sure you carve out set times for yourself to relax, unwind, replenish… whatever that means for you. As women we balance so many things and we often feel “guilty” about taking time for ourselves but I think we should feel guilty for not making/taking this time because without it, it is hard to give out to others. This is the dance… to give out and to come back in time and time again.
What should we know about Shannon Connell Yoga & Wellness? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As a yoga & meditation teacher I try be someone who is there to share the things I’m learning on my own journey as well as to create and hold space for others to explore and share their own journeys.
The intention behind any class, workshop or session I offer is to help empower others through their own exploration of movement and alignment… to move from a place of “feeling” … what works for them to help bring more balance and fullness to their practice/lives. Laughter, music, mantra, poetry, chanting, dancing, singing, short guided meditations, and story-telling along with some the more traditional poses and practices are all typical elements you might find yourself exploring in one of my classes and I can honestly say I never teach the same class twice. Every day is a new opportunity to bring you of that day to the practice and to just start there. I take on the same philosophy as a teacher.
I love creating “experiences” that help us connect more deeply to our internal and external worlds and hopefully help others find a little more lightness, fun, connection and love along the way!
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
I don’t actually feel that there are big barriers in the field of yoga with regards to female leadership. I think each person is a leader when they are living and teaching from a place that is authentic to them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shannonconnellyoga.com
- Email: shannonlconnell28@gmail.com
- Instagram: shannonconnellyogaandwellness
- Facebook: Shannon Connell Fischer and Shannon Connell Yoga & Wellness
- Twitter: Shannon Connell Yoga & Wellness @Connell312
Image Credit:
Melissa Song Photography (all photos)
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