Meet Josie Schweitzer | Yoga teacher

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

Hi Josie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I used to subscribe to the “leap and the net will catch you” but now I’m more “Step one foot in front of the other, and the ground is beneath you.” It’s more about setting up the conditions to succeed, while taking a risk. Having some money saved, instead of “trusting the universe.” There is certainly times that I’ve done things that seemingly made no sense, and they’ve worked out, but that’s the thing. I believe it will always work out for us, but we can learn to set up the conditions better each time to take more calculated risks.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I teach a style of yoga called Katonah Yoga, that is still a bit under the radar. I first experienced it when I was living in New York over a decade ago and came across the studio in Chelsea. I was immediately captivated by the experience. It wasn’t just physically stimulating, but rather, it made me think about the practice in a way I hadn’t before.

This one experience changed the course of my life. It didn’t happen overnight, but in time, things changed. What I was learning and studying bolstered me in a whole new way. Overtime, my teaching style changed, which reflected everything else I was doing and continue to do.

Something that Katonah Yoga and my teachers have taught me, is that the practice is meant to get us to the places we didn’t know we weren’t going. That anything can be a practice so long as it’s done well, and with good technique.

I’ve gone from doing hair full time, to owning yoga studios in Columbus, Ohio, to moving across the country with a whole new business model. But this is what excites me. We have the choice to reinvent ourselves at any moment. The practice is being honest with what we want, and having the patience to stick with it when it’s hard.

For me, it’s more about learning how to live a more rich and joyful life. I think by way of showing up to life authentically, we are teaching others to do the same whether we are trying to or not.

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?
I would let them first acclimate to the altitude. Take them to my favorite spots. Crema for coffee, Nurture for yoga and brunch. I love Mathews Winters for a more chill hike, and then by the end of the week they’d be ready for Sanitas in Boulder. We’d hit up Death and Co for cocktails and Uchi for a dinner. I’d take them to one of my favorite places to Sauna and cold plunge in Boulder, Portal. Maybe a Red Rocks show?? Then I’d ask them what they want to do and see? I love having visitors because it takes me out of my routine and I get to explore this city in a new way.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My teacher Nevine Michaan, who has taught me above all that we don’t practice yoga to be good at yoga, we practice yoga to have more joy in our lives. Ultimately, the way we spend our time is our own personal religion. Time and what we do with it becomes the practice.

Website: https://www.josieschweitzer.com

Instagram: @josieschweitzer

Image Credits
Rachel Petri