Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosie Acosta.
Rosie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in East Los Angeles in the early 90’s during a very chaotic time. My entire life has been molded and shaped by my experience as a young child. I had to grow up really quickly, but I learned so much at such a young age. I got into a lot of trouble and was definitely a rebellious teen. I didn’t really see a future for myself. It wasn’t until I got in trouble with the law that gave me a rude awakening in taking responsibility for my actions. The fear of going to jail was REAL.
So I managed to shape up and get my act together to at least look like a stand-up citizen in the eyes of the law. It was during this transition that I found Yoga and Meditation and began to use it as a means to deal with my anxiety and depression, and it became the one thing I can actually say saved my life. After a few years of trying different careers on for size and going to college for business, I realized that the one thing that had really opened my eyes to my life was my ability to connect with who and what I really was.
At first, I resisted it, because I thought to become a yoga teacher was a bit ‘woo woo’ but I figured, what’s the point of living your life if you’re only going to live inside the margins? Plus who doesn’t love ‘woo’? I always loved the idea of working for myself, but that wasn’t really something that was modeled in my environment. It wasn’t until I got a job and I got to work for some pretty great entrepreneurs that I learned I actually really wanted to be my own boss. It was a romantic idea.
When I turned 26, I took the leap and did a yoga teacher training to deepen my practice and a few years later, I quit my job and started my business (during one of the worst years in U.S. economic history).
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Were there struggles? Of course! Did I want to quit? YES… Did I feel like everyone else was doing it way better than I was with even more resources? Abso-fucking-lutely. But I knew that if I just continued to climb that I would ultimately get over that hurdle. I’ve always had this belief, “you will never hit rock bottom if you started from the bottom.”
So giving myself that mantra was super helpful. I knew that any obstacle that I would encounter, I could always start again, but I would NEVER have to go all the way back down to the bottom because I had made it out of one of the worst possible places. It didn’t matter how ‘bad’ I thought it was; I could always revert to knowing that I had already won.
Please tell us about Radically Loved.
I am a Yoga and Meditation Teacher, a Life Coach, and a Podcast Host. My business is mostly centered on overall healthy living and using the modalities of yoga and mindfulness to work with people who want to create more ‘sustainable’ joy in their lives. I work with a large spectrum of people, different shapes, sizes, ages, ethnic backgrounds.
I work with professional basketball players’, war veterans and people who are terminally ill. I named my business Radically Loved because I believe that we are all supported by a force that is greater than us, the universe works for us and not against. I also believe in the notion that we have to actually show up AND participate in our lives in order to create something meaningful.
I am most proud of my yoga school, in which I was able to create a yoga and meditation teacher training to help students learn and deepen their practice and learn about all the unique ways they can bring they unique voice into the world.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My beloved Torry Pendergrass needs some major cred only because he’s been with me since the beginning, we’ve been together for 15 years, and he’s seen all of it.
He’s been my biggest cheerleader and has always managed to find ways to help propel me forward if that meant he needed to figure out how to build a website or edit a podcast, while at the same time running his OWN business and starting a new career for himself. His support has been so invaluable; he’s also been one of my biggest inspirations.
I’m so lucky to have someone I can truly count on no matter what, and someone I am still madly in love with. My momma for being a single parent and dealing with my crazy and always believing in me and teaching me the value of hard work and dedication.
My older sister for keeping me grounded and correcting my grammatical errors even in colloquial texts. My little sister for teaching me new ways of finding patience, and being my little heart of hearts.
Jonathan Antin for hiring a nineteen-year-old who said she knew more than she did, and then let her run his entire operation, teaching me that I was capable of far more than I could have ever imagined.
Elena Brower for teaching me that I had a lot more to offer than ‘just’_______.
My coach Lauren Zander for training me under her umbrella and digging into those little unknown crevices that can create major obstacles down the road.
My teacher Rod Stryker for teaching me how to live my life in a heart-centered way, so that I don’t ever get lost in the cacophony that can sometimes overwhelm our lives.
Lastly, all of my students, clients, and podcast listeners to whom I am grateful for daily, I am so honored, so proud, and completely humbled by their wisdom and courage and will be forever indebted to them, as I wouldn’t have a platform if it wasn’t for their continued support.
Pricing:
- Radically Loved Yoga Teacher Training – $3,150
- FINDING YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE – SCOTLAND April 13, 2019 – April 20, 2019, starting at $1925
Contact Info:
- Website: www.radicallyloved.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rosieacosta
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/radicallylovedrosie
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/rosieacosta
- Other: Radically Loved Radio Podcast – http://tinyurl.com/ycuslt6h
Image Credit:
Taylor O’Sullivan
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
