Today we’d like to introduce you to Athena LeMay.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My journey with yoga started back in high school. I was a competitive dancer at the time, struggling with body image, insecurity, and this constant feeling of being unseen. I was a sensitive kid and didn’t really have the tools or spaces to feel fully heard. Dance and yoga became my safe places. Where I could express what I didn’t know how to say, and feel nourished through movement and connection.
At first, yoga was just a way to stay active in a way that felt familiar. But pretty quickly, something deeper began to unfold. The little bits of spiritual wisdom teachers would share in class sparked something in me. I started feeling connected to something greater than myself, more grounded in who I was. It was the beginning of real emotional healing and the start of my spiritual journey, even though I didn’t have the language for it back then.
By college, things got harder. I was dealing with anxiety, depression, and feeling really out of place with the people around me. My classes felt soul-sucking, and I was craving something that would actually light me up. Signing up for yoga teacher training gave me something to look forward to. It felt exciting. I didn’t fully know what I was walking into, but deep down I knew I needed it.
That training ended up changing everything. I found tools for self-reflection and healing, a community that felt real, and a version of myself that I hadn’t met before. More aligned, more awake. Teaching lit something up in me. I felt present, clear, and like I was finally letting my true self come through. That’s when I knew I had found my path.
Now, after 15 years of being a devoted student and a decade of teaching, yoga still brings me home to myself. It’s helped me grow through so many chapters of life, peeling back the layers of who I thought I had to be and guiding me back to who I really am. Today, my work is about helping others do the same. I support people in reconnecting with their bodies, their breath, and that quiet inner wisdom we all carry. Through private yoga sessions, group classes, women’s circles, and sound baths, I create spaces for people to slow down, tune in, and remember that healing isn’t about fixing, it’s about returning to who you truly are.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but honestly, that’s what’s made my work feel so real and meaningful. A lot of my struggles have been internal. Dealing with anxiety, depression, and feeling really disconnected from myself. In college especially, I was surrounded by people but felt incredibly alone. That emotional emptiness was a wake-up call, and it’s what led me to sign up for my first yoga teacher training. I didn’t know it at the time, but it ended up being a huge turning point in my life.
One of the harder chapters came after college when I was in an enmeshed friendship. It took me a long time to realize how much I was abandoning parts of myself just to stay close to someone. When I finally stepped away, it felt like waking up from a dream. I could breathe again and finally hear myself clearly. That experience taught me so much about boundaries, self-worth, and what it really means to come home to yourself.
Even now, as a teacher and space holder, my path continues to unfold. After leaving that friendship, I came home to myself in a deeper way. I found my voice, built real confidence, and learned to trust that what’s meant for me will find me. The students who resonate with my energy always show up, and when someone doesn’t, I honor that too. We all deserve to learn from people who truly feel aligned. That trust reminds me I don’t have to be for everyone. I just have to be honest in what I share and true to who I am.
And maybe the most important part is that because my path hasn’t been easy, I can meet others where they are: with empathy rather than judgment. That’s what makes my work so powerful. We’re all just trying to remember who we are underneath everything we’ve been told, and I love being able to hold space for that.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work is centered around guiding people back to themselves. I offer private yoga sessions, group classes, women’s circles, and sound baths—all created to help people slow down, tune in, and reconnect with their inner world. What I really offer is space: space to feel, to soften, to breathe, to return to the version of themselves that feels most honest and alive.
Private yoga sessions are at the core of what I do. One-on-one, I’m able to truly meet someone where they are physically, emotionally, and energetically. These sessions are rooted in alignment and anatomy, offering practical tools to help people feel safer, more aware, and more at ease in their bodies. I weave in breathwork, subtle energetics, and traditional yogic wisdom in a way that feels intuitive and accessible. I believe that when we feel steady and supported in our bodies, everything shifts. We speak more clearly, feel more grounded, and move through life with greater ease and presence.
People often tell me they feel seen, safe, and deeply supported in my presence which is something I don’t take lightly. I hold space with a calm, grounded energy that helps others tune into themselves and align more fully with how they want to feel and move through life.
What I’m most proud of is the depth of connection that happens in the spaces I hold. Whether it’s one-on-one or in a group, people leave feeling more like themselves: clearer, more grounded, and connected to what actually matters to them. And to me, that’s everything. What sets my work apart is that it’s not about striving or trying to become someone else. It’s about returning to who you’ve always been. I’m not here to fix anyone, I’m here to support people in trusting themselves, listening inward, and living with more presence, ease, and love.
How do you think about luck?
To me, it’s less about luck and more about divine timing and energetic alignment. It’s about being open to the lessons life is offering, even when they come wrapped in something really hard or unexpected.
There have definitely been moments that felt like “bad luck” at the time. Relationships that fell apart. Opportunities that slipped away. Countless times where I completely hit emotional rock bottom. But every one of those moments, without fail, brought me closer to myself. Even when I couldn’t see it right away, they were clearing space for something more aligned to come through.
And then there have been those moments of synchronicity. A teacher showing up at the exact right time. A chance conversation that opened a new path. A training that landed in my lap just when I needed it. To me, that’s not just coincidence, it’s divine intervention. When we’re living in alignment with who we really are, life responds. It brings us exactly what we’re ready to receive, as long as we’re willing to show up with honesty and trust.
Contact Info:
- Website: athenalemay.com (coming soon)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena.lemay/
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
personal photo by Niki Cram
