Meet Kimberley Grant of Kim Yoga

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberley Grant.

Hi Kimberley, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey into yoga began in 2014 in the wonderful city of Manchester (UK – which is where I am from), where I stumbled across Reggae Yoga and never looked back! I loved everything about it – the playfulness of it, the music and an encouraging teacher – it’s not what I thought yoga could be. On top of that, after each class I took, I experienced a sense of physical and mental stress-relief that I had not experienced from anything else. It was so profound and I knew it was my calling from then on.

I attended classes when I could around my full-time job and became increasingly frustrated that I couldn’t commit to it more – I worked long hours with children in private education. Over the years, my career took me to Forth Worth, Texas (US) where I found myself to be walking-distance from the most wonderful yoga studio – it was like stepping into a peaceful sanctuary. The classes they provided were everything I needed physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. On top of that, the teachers and students were the most loving and supportive community I could have wished for. I knew these were the teachers who could guide me deeper on my yoga journey.

In 2019 I decided to invest in myself and delved into seven months of training to become a registered Yoga teacher (200hr RYT) at Indra’s Grace Yoga & Meditation studio in Texas, US. As we all know, the year that followed was one of unpredictability and unprecedented times, in an attempt to support others to navigate this time, I began teaching online as a way to share the well-being tools that I had learnt – breathing exercises, meditation and mindful movement.

After moving to Los Angeles in September 2020, I began teaching in outdoor spaces, keeping mats 6ft apart as a way to provide a sense of community and connection safely at a time when we all needed it the most. To this day, this is my offering. I am so grateful to live in a place with endless beauty and weather where we can practice outdoors among nature. It has been such a wonderful experience to meet other like-minded people in this way and guide them in feeling their best through getting outdoors and sharing the ancient wisdom of yoga. The current locations that I teach at are Elysian Park, Griffith Park and Long Beach.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Completing my teacher training during the pandemic was definitely a challenge and an unexpected curveball. On top of this, it was hard to know whether to return to England to be with my family during that time, unsure of how long it may go on and how bad it may get. Then of course the borders closed, travel was not permitted, and the prospect of not knowing when I would be able to see family again created an added challenge.

Despite all of this, I am so grateful that I can look back on all of these as lessons that helped me grow and evolve into the teacher that I am today. I embedded my teachings on a deeper level as a way to navigate the times and as such, was better able to show up and provide resources for others to do the same. It was also incredible to witness the adaptability and creativity that we showed as humans!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Kim Yoga, I am passionate about helping others awaken their inner healer through conscious breathing, meditation and mindful movement. My hope is that you feel inspired to deepen your wellness journey and that the practices I offer make you feel wonderful.

My nature is calm and supportive – I create the space for you to deepen your own practice by encouraging you to listen to what your body needs in each moment and to find ways to tailor your practice.

Whether you are new to yoga or an advanced practitioner – yoga is for everyBODY. I really want to break the stigma that you have to be flexible to take a yoga class. This is like saying you are too dirty to take a shower! Sure, yoga will inevitably create greater flexibility in your body and mind but it is not a prerequisite to start. Every teacher should provide options, variations and props so that you feel supported.

I also aim to bring yoga to all communities – I’m very mindful that in the West especially yoga is prominent in white, female, middle-class communities. I am optimistic that a lot of teachers out there are doing the work to be more inclusive, diverse and accessible, however I also know that there is a lot of work still to be done.

Something else that is close to my heart is to cultivate a sense of community and connection in all that I do. This is one of the main reasons for offering live classes outdoor (local to LA) – now more than ever, we are all in need of each others’ uplifting energy (safely). At the end of some of my classes, we will come into guided journaling, a healing circle where we can share what’s on our hearts in a safe space.

Expect my classes to be playful and nourishing – it will be enjoyable and make you smile! You can also expect to experience traditional Hatha Yoga techniques and philosophy during my classes to ensure that I am always honoring the roots of the sacred practice.

What do others say about my classes? The biggest comment I get is how relaxed people feel after – my classes are very grounding, focusing on nervous system regulation (which, lets face it we all need!) and I offer a variety of styles such as yin and restorative yoga, as well as cacao ceremonies which I think is refreshing to a lot of people I teach who are used to a more gym style, cardio-based yoga.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
My classes aren’t intimidating! Because of this, I am so happy that I get to welcome a lot of first-timers to their mat who often tell me how daunted and nervous they were about trying yoga – feeling like they’d ‘fail’ at it or that yoga wasn’t right for them. After taking my classes, they realize that this Western modern day version of ‘yoga’ that you see on Instagram really is very far from what yoga actually is. When people attend my classes, they realize that yoga is so much more than the poses. In the original yogic texts (around 5000 years old) only 2% of the teachings were based on asana (poses), yet somehow in the West we have become so fixated on the poses – often neglecting the rich and diverse nature of this sacred wisdom.

People walk away from my classes feeling uplifted, included, calm and with a greater sense of well-being.

Another essential quality to what I offer is that I design classes in line with the seasons and lunar cycles. This adds an extra benefit to my classes of helping others become more in tune with the rhythms of nature which again, can help you feel more grounded and connected to yourself. I teach restorative classes on the New Moon and Full Moon which are really popular and involve more reflective practices such as journaling and intention setting.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.kimyoga.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kim._yoga
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kimberley.Kim.Yoga

Image Credits
Photographer: Samuel Grant Others taken by me!