Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Gauiran.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
How I got started? Well, that’s a broad question to ask… so, I’ll just keep it to how I got started with yoga in the first place since I often think of everything before yoga as a completely different life in of itself.
It was March 2017 and I had just gotten back from Shawnee National Forest’s Garden of the Gods. I had decided to take a solo road trip for my birthday driving down through Southern Illinois to be in the wilderness. I spent almost a week exploring what was once a giant sea some 320 million years ago during the Mesozoic epoch of Earth’s history; the idea of separate countries did not exist since there was only one supercontinent known as Pangea and a shallow sea covering what is now the greater Midwest of America.
In a world so fragmented, I wondered how things might be different if no great oceans divided us. Geological conditions over the years had tended to this beautiful garden and I was simply in awe. I read the Tibetan Book of the Dead and thought a lot about ‘how I started [this life] and how I got to where I was on that day.’ I could have stayed in that forest forever pondering the meaning of life and death but something drew me back to Chicago.
I found myself back at University happening upon a poster advertising a yoga class, so I wandered in aimlessly not expecting much. But during the practice, I started to feel alive in a way I had never experienced before.
By the time, we were in Savasana (also known as the Corpse Pose), I could feel the world start to melt away and the instructor came over to gently press my shoulders down and massage my eyebrows to relax. I felt all the tension of the world’s weight come off as she seemed to tacitly tell me “It’s okay to let go.” I thought about how tightly I’ve clung to the things I have carried in my life, I did not realize how much I willingly burdened this weight. We rolled over into fetal pose as the instructor went on to explain to us that,
“Savasana marks the death of a practice while this fetal pose marks the birth so we are continually reborn.”
I felt exactly that, reborn anew, same but different in what can only be described as some type of vague awareness to see things as they really are. I was hooked, I couldn’t get enough yoga and after a couple months, I had already booked my ticket to Guatemala for Yoga Teacher Training to become an Instructor myself.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Sometimes. The road is not constant and like Chicago’s roads, is most certainly not smooth oftentimes riddled with potholes. The struggles on this road, however, were looked at in a completely different light not as obstacles to obstruct but challenges to overcome.
This new perspective had been cultivated in my new yogic practices and perspectives understanding that the journey is never truly over. The only thing we can absolutely plan on is that our plans will never go 100% according to plan. Life happens and we adjust.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I currently sub for Coconut Yoga leading the Blisstorative classes where we enjoy the benefits of movement and stillness which is basically a blended vinyasa flow + restorative class. It has been described by the owner of this friendly neighborhood studio in Lincoln Square as “a sundae with a cherry on top!”
Coconut Yoga’s mission is a simple one, “to create a fun, friendly and approachable space for you to learn yoga. Our primary goal is for you to feel welcome in all of our classes, regardless of your experience level. It is our hope as teachers at Coconut that we will help you experience first hand the physical and mental benefits a regular yoga practice brings.”
We are at the core, a community of like-minded yogis who are all looking to be better to one another and most importantly, to ourselves.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was definitely a shy kid and very anxious. I used to even get sweaty palms at the register when buying a pack of gum! I never raised my hand in class and liked to go unnoticed as “the grey man.”
I had always been interested in all forms of movement especially martial arts and parkour. Truthfully, I was also a bit of a rascal and got in trouble a lot at school spending most of my time at detention!
During my leisure time, I often entertained myself watching movies, reading books, or exploring the neighborhood around me. I was arrogantly independent and always thought I could do it “all on my own.” I definitely value my solitude and even though people might think of me as extroverted, I identify as an introvert finding more pleasure in going on a hike alone rather than being at the center of attention in a crowded party.
Pricing:
- Unlimited First Week $35*
- Single Class $20
- 5 Class Yoga Pack $90
- 10 Class Yoga Pack $160
- 1 Month Unlimited $170
- 1 Month Unlimited $145 with six-month commitment (charged month to month)
Contact Info:
- Address: 4330 N. Lincoln Chicago, IL 60618
- Website: https://www.coconutyogachicago.com/
- Email: info@coconutyogachicago.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loafingyogi/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
