Meet Maureen Gildersleeve | Founder of Mangala Yoga, Yoga Intstructor & Teacher Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maureen Gildersleeve and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maureen, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Everything I need is already within me.”

We oftentimes forget our inner knowing and intuition and it is important to send this powerful message to the deeper mind. It is human nature to look outside of ourselves for the answers, for happiness, and for contentment… but the truth is that these qualities come from the way we see things, not from the things themselves.

When we start to run a business from this deep-seated state of intuition; in accordance with our own rhythm, things fall into place the way they are meant to.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been studying and practicing yoga for 25 years. I have owned Mangala Yoga for over a decade and was able to open locations in Maui, Hawaii and Telluride, Colorado.

I opened my first studio in Sacramento, California thirteen years ago. It wasn’t until I started teaching and training extensively that I unleashed the creative force of sequencing. I realized that teaching yoga was an art form–a way that I could express myself creatively. I learned about Vinyasa Krama; a sequential arrangement of asanas for specific results and the Breath formula; where you cue the breath before you cue the movement. This turned out to set my teacher trainings apart from other trainings.

I was able to build my business slowly and consistently over the years. I did not set out to have more than one location, it just happened to unfold like that. One of my challenges is not living full-time at the locations where I own my businesses. However, with the blessing of the internet and the support of so many inspiring teachers and staff members, I have been able to make it work. Being able to travel to both locations several times a year to lead the teacher trainings and workshops– I’ve seen that its not about me living there or not, but its about a community who continues to show up year after year and teachers who choose to share their wisdom at Mangala. All I need to do is to continue to maintain and grow the platform for teachers to teach on and run my business rooted in the ethics and morals that yoga philosophy teaches us.

Mangala Yoga is a warm and welcoming place where both international and local yoga communities meet and grow. This is where knowledgeable and passionate teachers create yoga classes, workshops and trainings that keep you inspired. We will meet you exactly where you are today and invite you to live an extraordinary tomorrow!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Day One: We would start the day with hot yoga at Mangala Yoga. After hydrating, we would head up to the Bridal Veil Falls and then head into town to grab lunch at Little House. We’d have some downtime and then catch some live music at the Opera house.

Day Two: We would begin with breakfast at the Sheridan and order us veggie egg benedicts. Then we would walk over to the Coffee Cowboy and order dirty chai’s and take a leisurely walk along the River Trail in town. We would circle back around to Main Street and stop by, In Between the Covers-a book store, to find something to read. We’d then head down to the Toggery to find something cute to wear for dinner that night. We’d finish the day back at the Sheridan steakhouse.

Day Three: We’d start the day with a hike on the Judd Wiebe trail and stop by the Butcher and Baker for breakfast. We’d relax and read our new books and then in the afternoon head to Orvis Hotsprings and grab some pizza at the Colorado Boy in Ridgway.

Day Four: Our day would start with a gondola ride up to Mountain Village, where we would eat at the Tomboy Tavern. Then head to the Peaks spa to workout and soak. We would stay at the Peaks to enjoy our dinner at Altezza. And then we would take the gondola back to town at sunset.

Day Five: We would begin our day at the Library and then head to Smugglers for lunch. We would finish up our day by meeting up with our friends at the Sheridan bar to play pool.

Day Six: You would find us at the Farmer’s Market in the morning. We would then hike up Telluride Trail & have appetizers and drinks at Allreds. Then we would take the gondola back down into town and have dinner at Cosmopolitan.

Day Seven: Breakfast would be at Baked, we would grab egg and cheese croissants. At lunch time you would find us at the town park having a picnic. Then we would meet up with Abie Livesay for an afternoon photo shoot. We would finish the day at There bar.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I had an amazing mentor in California, Cori Martinez. She took me under her wing and not only taught me how to teach yoga and lead teacher trainings, but also showed me how to balance– yoga business with a spiritual practice.

I trained extensively with Janet Stone in the Bay Area. She awakened a Bhakti practice within me. She taught me how to chant, creative sequencing, love and compassion. She brought on Christopher Wallace, a passionate philosopher and teacher. He taught me about tantric philosophy and how to apply it to life.

Since I don’t live where I own my yoga studios, it would be impossible for me to run my business without an amazing team of teachers and long-term manager of the last 10 years, Anita Johnson in Hawaii and our Telluride manager Annika Kristiansen.

Website: https://www.mangalayogatelluride.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mangalayogatelluride

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mangalayogatelluride

Image Credits
https://www.abielivesay.com https://nicolebrookerosen.pixieset.com