Today we’d like to introduce you to Alanna Zabel.
Hi Alanna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey has been one beautiful accident after another. I moved to Los Angeles from NYC as an actress after booking an ABC movie of the week, which was a huge job for a young girl in her early twenties. After noticing a profound connection with the roles I played and the events that resulted in my real life, I decided to quit acting. I realized that I was manifesting whatever I rehearsed! So, I affirmed that no one else would direct me or tell me who I was. I just now had to figure that out on my own and begin playing my life’s greatest role: Me. As a result of this affirmation and surrendering to unfold my truest self, I fell into yoga, working at the original YogaWorks, as an assistant to the owner.
When the internet was born circa 2002, I purchased the domain aziam.com to symbolize “Alanna Zabel I AM”, reminding myself of my journey. This became a one-page website listing my yoga classes and retreats. My career as a yoga teacher took off incredibly fast. I was teaching many of the world’s most famous faces before I had even finished my Teacher Training course. I was different than most yoga teachers at that time. I infused a lot of dance and fitness techniques into my classes and I oozed passionate spirituality and divine synchronicity.
Shortly after, I created Goddess Detox Retreats and began leading groups of women through weekend juice fasting retreats. I still lead this format today (having evolved to now include men) and I feel a deep understanding of the mind-body detox process beyond just looking fit and healthy. Having a passion for teaching children since I was very young, I began writing children’s yoga books. My first book was titled A Chair in the Air. To date, I have published 14 children’s books, as I love inspiring young children to think in positive, healthy ways – all while having fun! In 2008, I was asked by clients of mine who were consultants to my yoga teacher, Pattabhi Jois, to create an activewear line for their first studio in the US. I worked tirelessly to create a sample collection of clothing as my gift to my teacher. His team was pleased with the result and I believed my job was complete.
However, three months later, at the age of 93, my teacher passed away and all plans for his studio and line were put on hold. I gave pieces of the activewear collections I had made to clients of mine, and soon after, the clothes were spotted on celebrities in People magazine. Editors began contacting me, asking the brand name. This is how the AZ I AM brand was born. A gift that I gave turned around to be the greatest gift in return. I went on to create The World’s First Yoga Doll, the first fully articulated fashion doll on the toy market worldwide. AZ I AM now has nine yoga dolls, nine plush pets, girl’s clothing, accessories and more. I have starred in five fitness DVDs: Yoga Total Body Makeover and Pilates Yoga Fusion, as well as Beginner Level Yoga for Toning, Flexibility + Stress Relief, Cardio + Conditioning Yoga, and Beginner Level Yoga which became a nationally bestselling fitness DVD in 2016.
In 2016, I opened my first yoga studio in Brentwood, which completely challenged and matured me in ways that I wasn’t expecting, both personally and as a business owner. I do miss my free-spirited and wanderlust days, but I am committed to guiding others on a path to natural self-realization and being able to create and offer inspiring formats of classes and retreats is incredibly rewarding. AZ I AM’s philosophy has always been in support of personal, authentic expression. My passion is to write and teach. I am the author of As I Am: Where Spirituality Meets Reality and Meaningful Coincidence: Synchronistic Stories of the Soul, and my dream is to be able to work remotely from a tropical and peaceful beach somewhere in Central America while continuing to write.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have been blessed to be self-employed for most of my life. For the majority of my career, I chose when to work, how to work, what to create, teach or produce. This all changed when I opened my first yoga studio in 2016. I took over a pre-existing yoga studio that had a very strong reputation. It was very male dominant and I wasn’t prepared to be negatively judged as a female business owner. People are drawn to female yoga teachers, so that served me throughout my career, but a female boss is seen in an entirely different light and our society has not yet embraced the power of a female in charge. I wasn’t prepared to see my peers grow jealous and unhappy at my successes. I wasn’t prepared to swap my spiritual practices with business accounting and management, nor was I prepared for the inevitable gossip that follows any person who has stepped into a public role of authority or perceived success. People can be hurtful and mean, and 90% of what you hear about someone is usually untrue. I may never fully understand the reasons that I stayed in Los Angeles, as a staunch advocate for reality and truth who was surrounded by so much illusion and facade. Regardless, I wasn’t afraid to burn bridges to anything that required me to be anything but who I truly am. Thankfully, these lessons put my character to the test and they taught me 1) not to worry about what people say, and 2) never to judge someone else based on what other people say. I judge my experiences based only from my own perceptions and interactions with others. The world needs more kindness and less toxic gossip.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
AZ I AM® is committed to guiding your personal journey of Dharma and Self Revelation with absolute realism, trustworthy instruction and modern style. Enjoy a class with our amazing instructors in our beautiful studios, enrich your practice and encourage self-growth with our enlightening workshops and events, satisfy your wanderlust with our expansive Yoga Retreats or browse AZIAM®’s eco-fashion Modern Goddess™ activewear & lifestyle collections – online or in our shops. We offer a full schedule of unique classes and events including Music Infused Vinyasa, Deep House Flow, Yoga Barre® Sculpt, Hypno Yin, Core Vinyasa fitness fusion classes and even Kids Yoga + Meditation. Our schedule is layered with Free Meditations, Sound Baths and Live Music to enhance mental wellbeing and health.
AZ I AM’s special events include The One Day Detox™ Retreat, Live DJ Yoga, Astrology Retreats, Workshops, Teacher Trainings, and so much more. AZ I AM is the creator of AZ I AM Girlz, offering young girls toys, books and a lifestyle that nurtures kids to love who they are, as they are. Using the basics of Yoga to teach positive self-awareness, we have designed clothing, accessories, bags, yoga products, jewelry, headwear, games, programs, books and dolls to make the Yoga experience more colorful for each Goddess in Progress®. I am most proud that AZ I AM has maintained an innovative and authentic expression in all that we do. We’re focused on the quality of our connections, the unique power in our content, and the integrity of our manufacturing processes. We deeply honor Nature, using eco-friendly sources and materials in all that we do. We’re excited to welcome you to our community!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
LA is so blessed with great weather! Within 2 hours in multiple directions, we can go skiing, surfing, hiking or search for a healing mineral hot spring. There are so many incredible opportunities in our city, with distinctly unique areas that offer different cultural experiences. I appreciate that there are so many healthy options in LA, from dining to health food stores and community events. The challenges of Los Angeles are cliche – the Hollywood superficiality that comes from living in a town where becoming a superstar is typically based on who you know. However, I do feel that there are deep veins of authentic communities in Los Angeles that resulted from this very superficial reputation. We’re evolving and it’s beautiful.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.aziam.com
- Instagram: @aziamyoga
- Facebook: @aziamyoga
- Twitter: @aziam
- Youtube: @aziam
- Yelp: @aziam
- Other: www.aziamgirlz.com
