Meet Arrika Bales | Marketing Extraordinaire & Yoga Instructor

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

Hi Arrika, how do you think about risk?
When it comes to risk and taking big leaps in my own life and career, I always come back to asking myself “Are you going forward with fear or love?”. Fear tends to guide us in life and we anchor into ideas and beliefs that maybe aren’t ours, but once we see that fear shouldn’t be our biggest motivator, rather we should be more inspired by love, we can move more freely into what’s ours. Fear can keep you in your comfort zone, love takes you places you could have never imagined,

I stumbled upon yoga teaching in 2016, while I was living in Atlanta and working full time at a global ad agency. I was living my wildest dreams, in a big city, chasing the hopes and aspirations of a small-town, Indiana girl. However, the more I dove into yoga, the more I realized that I wasn’t living out my wildest dreams. Instead, I was living the life that others in my life had hoped for me. I had always been too terrified to break the mold, to dream any other way than the path that was laid out before me. Fear was my motivator, and I had let it walk me into a life I felt lost in. So, in 2018, after completing a Level 2 yoga teacher training in Costa Rica, I quit living in fear. I came back from my Costa Rican adventure and left my corporate job of almost five years to pursue a career in yoga teaching.

I had started to feel like a fraud in the life that wasn’t filling my cup. At my corporate job, I was seeing millions of dollars exchange hands and no one was benefitting from it. And at night, I would go teach yoga to people in my community and see the impact I was making. Once I finally stepped into my own power and made decisions for me, decisions that were out of passion and love rather than fear of “what ifs and unknowns”, I unlocked a whole new life.

I just recently uprooted my life in Atlanta to move out here to Colorado, and I knew the entire time I was planning the move that it was the right decision, because it was formed entirely out of love.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have recently taken a step back into the advertising seat and accepted a marketing and development position at a phenomenal non-profit. The non-profit is an equine-assisted therapy program and I am most excited about using my talents and skillsets for good. I mentioned in an earlier question how I was beginning to feel like a fraud at my ad agency job back in the day, because no one benefited from the large amounts of money exchanging hands, but stepping into this new role I’m able to finally live out my wildest dreams. To help shape a brand and draw more interest in a program that truly deserves it is a blessing.

Getting here wasn’t the smoothest ride, but it’s definitely all about perspective. I have always lived a life full of opportunities and have never been held back from the things I wanted, so it seems like there wasn’t a struggle, but let me tell you…I had struggles. Being able to live life and make decisions out of love rather than fear, I was finally able to look back at my life with a new set of lenses too. I was able to see the dark days in my past that I had never realized were so bleak. It turns out, living life out of fear, and out of making others happy, brings a lot of strife for you. I had been unhappy, probably even depressed for much of my college life, and had been completely blind to it. How do you allow space to heal from wounds that you didn’t even know were there? How do you find peace in the present for the past versions of you that needed it? I definitely didn’t know the answers right off the bat, and truthfully, everyone’s answer is going to be different. All I can ask of you is to live a life of love, a life of passion, a life of kindness (for yourself, just as much as others), a life that is worth living.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To kick start a perfect weekend, I would take my friend out for a festive night on the town starting with dinner and drinks at The Rabbit Hole in Downtown Colorado Springs, followed by an adventure hopping around to other nearby local favorites Oskar Blues and Phantom Canyon Brewing.

Saturday morning, we would have a delightful breakfast at the Omelette Parlor before heading to my yoga community in Atlanta for a midday class. If the weather is right, after class we would head to Red Rocks Open Space or Palmer Park for a little sunshine and fresh air on the trails! After working up quite an appetite, we would head to Odyssey Gastropub for the fabulous Brussels sprouts and handcrafted cocktails.

Sunday would be filled with an adventure to the Manitou Incline, followed by the Barr Trail on the way back down. Waltzing around the streets of Manitou to regain our composure and fill our bellies would be the perfect end to our weekend of enjoyment!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A big piece of my growth in the last several years, I owe in part to my yoga community in Atlanta community. I was a complete novice when I stepped onto my mat the first time all those years ago. I went from never taking a single yoga class, to taking teacher training within the first month. Teacher training ended up giving me the keys to a world that was boundless. In my five years of teaching with my yoga community in Atlanta, I grew a network of friends all over the United States, I created a home for myself amongst the students, the team of teachers, and leadership staff, I even watched myself become a leader. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the fabulous group of individuals that supported me, challenged me, loved me, and grew right along with me. I am forever grateful for my time being a part of such a magical community.

Instagram: @bales_o_hay

Linkedin: Arrika Bales

Facebook: Arrika Bales

Image Credits
handstand and me sitting in front of mountains shot-no credit all other yoga photos-Britney Kidd