Meet Juhee Kumar | Yoga & Meditation Guide, Podcast Host, & Budding Ayurvedic Practitioner

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

Hi Juhee, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
As someone who is deeply connected to routines and rituals, I would say this is a big part of my life and a huge reason for my success. At the same time, my relationship to these routines and rituals has changed as I have been flowing through my creative processes and journey. What was once rooted in the masculine, or more stringent and diligent with little room for wiggle room—what I call the contraction—has now shifted into the feminine, where there is expansion, more space for flow, and more of a cyclical timeline instead of everything looking the same each day.

In our society, a lot of our time is dictated by the masculine, whether that’s working 9-5, or even the way our Gregorian calendar is set up—on a 7-day weekday schedule, with 28-31 days per month. On the other hand, lunar calendars follow the cycles of the moon, so each holiday is on a different day depending on the year, but moving with the cycles of the moon. As I have continued on this journey, I have seen the importance of timing with nature, astrology, and the moon, which has jump-started and pivoted me forward in ways I could not have imagined. As a result of this shift from rigidity to expansion, here are some rituals, routines, and habits that contribute to my success:

1. Channeling – Have you ever seen someone so focused or in the zone that it’s almost as if they morphed into a different person, or are so aligned in what they are doing that they are immersed? This is what I like to allude to as channeling—when we are so present and in our flow state that it doesn’t matter what’s happening on the outside because we are connected internally. I feel this way when I step onto my yoga mat as a teacher/guide. In the past, when I was in my masculine era, I would come to class every time with a pre-set plan on what my flow would be, what music I would play, and what theme I would focus on. This was helpful in the beginning when I was starting out, as it allowed me to boost my confidence in teaching. However, as time continued, I began to realize that I felt called to do something else in the moment. It’s almost as if all the work I had done to prepare for the class was useless, because my body would guide me to other options—hence channeling—where I am in the present moment, meeting the demands, needs, wants, and desires of folks in the class at that particular moment. So, as I gained more confidence in my teaching, I also gained more desire to engage in “risks” or to go away from what I had planned, releasing those expectations to make space for what was actually meant to be. I started asking folks in class what they needed—whether that was a specific body part, theme, or type of class. After gauging the energy of the room, I would weave together or co-create a flow and container based on what was present in the moment. It became exhilarating! Once I made this shift, I would never know what class would look like prior, and it was freeing to have no preconceived notion of what class would be. Going from the known to the unknown, the constricted to the expanded, the pre-planned to what’s meant to be. Channeling has helped me become a better yoga teacher and has even shown up in my life, where I now can meet life’s ups and downs with the confidence that I can channel and make space for what’s meant to be, instead of how I think it’s meant to look.

2. Moving with the Lunar Cycles – When I began to teach on my own, one of the first classes I offered was a new moon class. This container was a hit! We almost instantly sold out, and it was the confirmation I needed to weave in my thirst for astrology with my love of yoga. In this class, we would work with the lunar cycles in the sense that if it was a new moon, we would begin the class with manifesting, and if it was a full moon, we would begin the class with releasing what no longer served. We also wove in the zodiac sign of that season, incorporating the strengths and themes of each sign for each class. I taught these new and full moon classes for over a year, and it was a great way to see how things shifted over time and space.

3. Setting Intentions, Manifestation, and Visualization – As I continue on this lifetime, one thing I know for certain is the power of our words and where our attention goes. There have been countless times where I have said something, either in my head or out loud, and soon enough the thing comes true. There have been times when I have also visualized something I wanted to happen, and then the thing happened! It’s almost eerie how powerful we are with our intention. So, whether it’s the beginning of the day, during a class, or right before going to sleep, setting our focus on where we want to head is a great place to start when building habits to help us succeed. Never in my wildest dreams did I know I would become a yoga teacher, and then as soon as I had the opportunity to immerse myself in a yoga teacher training, I quickly realized that this was the path I was meant to walk. Through intention setting, manifestation, and visualization, I am able to live a life in alignment with my values while also doing something I love! I am beyond grateful.

I talk about all of these rituals and more in my podcast, Unsteady Waters, on Spotify. Can’t wait to connect with you there!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What excites me most about being a creative is how there is always space for growth, transformation, shifts, and expansion. When I first started this journey, it was about 12 years ago, when I walked into my first yoga class. Never did I know that it would turn into a lifestyle and career for me that could also open doors to different and new paths that I never knew were even possible. For example, since my yoga career began, it has also inspired me to facilitate and teach, which has opened doors to adjunct teaching at universities. It also led me to farming, as both farming and yoga have an embodiment component. My latest creations or expansions have been focusing on astrology, Ayurveda, and podcasting. Although these focuses seem very different, they have overlaps. For example, astrology connects us to the elements and is a science, just like Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga, or an Indian medical system. Lastly, podcasting connects back to yoga because I am using my voice to convey a message to folks, just as I do when I am teaching or guiding. I am so excited to continue this momentum of growing and expanding into different ways I never thought possible.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
City Park for an outdoor yoga class for black and brown bodies with Yoga with Keis

Wash Park for skateboarding

Alchemy Ritual Goods for all the ritual needs and a yoga class with Satya Yoga Cooperative

Gypsy House for my favorite Chai in all of Denver

Bawarchi for the best Indian food in Denver

A pop up shop or farmer’s market for Sun Ghee

Sakala Community for a healing circle

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Deep gratitude to Lakshmi Nair of Satya Yoga Cooperative, for you paved the way for me and many others to connect deeper to oneself, which in turn had ripple effects in connecting to others and community.

Deep gratitude to Carmen Ramirez, for inspiring me to embrace being different, creative, and loving. For always reminding me once we are loved we can never be unloved. & for welcoming the elements in our collective healing journeys.

Deep gratitude to my parents for instilling values of hard work, dreaming big, & movement. To my ancestors who walk alongside me, guiding me every step of the way.

Website: http://flowinphool.surge.sh/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowin.phool

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juheekumar

Other: Spotify Podcast: Unsteady Waters
URL: spoti.fi/40aml1O

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Image Credits
Jessica Margaret Photography, Instagram: @jessicamargaret_photography
Kelly Shroads, Instagram: @essenceandartistry