Today we’d like to introduce you to Hala Khouri.
Hi Hala, 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 began in Beirut, Lebanon which is where I was born. We were able to escape the war and instability and move to the US when I was three. I grew up in Miami Florida, and I knew I wanted to study psychology since the 7th grade. My educational journey took me to New York City to study at Columbia University. I was disappointed to see that I wasn’t learning much about the human condition in my psychology courses- I was learning more about people in my side job as a personal trainer and fitness instructor. I didn’t realize it then, but I was learning about the mind-body connection. When I found yoga, it felt like it brought psychology and physical exercise together.
I started practicing yoga in my early twenties and eventually started teaching. After completing my MA in Counseling Psychology, I trained in a technique called Somatic Experiencing which changed everything for me. This modality is about healing trauma in the body using embodied techniques. This framed the rest of my work. I have since founded a non-profit that offers embodied social justice leadership training, completed a second Master’s degree in Community Psychology, published a book on Anxiety (this past April) and now I’m working on a Phd.
I have two kids- ages 10 and 13 who are teaching more than I ever imagined.
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’s been pretty smooth actually. I feel very blessed about that. Partly this is due to things I had nothing to do with- access to education, economic stability, a stable home (well after we moved from Lebanon), a brain that is served by the educational system, a healthy body, being pretty according to normalized beauty standards, being ethnically ambiguous and extroverted. The world has been kind to me in ways it’s not for those who may not fit those descriptions or have those advantages. I’ve always felt it’s my duty to work towards a world where everyone can be cared for the way I was.
Of course, I’ve worked hard, studied a lot, and I’ve been working since I was 16. Parenting has actually been the most humbling experience. I’ve always felt super competent at most things I do with parenting. I feel like I got between feeling like I know what I’m doing to feeling like I’m an absolute failure.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m known for a few things. First, I bring together my clinical training in trauma and somatics with yoga. I train yoga teachers to be trauma-informed. These teachers are working in spaces where people are dealing with all kinds of trauma- recovery centers, juvenile hall and prison, domestic violence, sexual assault, etc. I also train social workers and direct service providers to work with trauma in an embodied way.
I just published a book called Peace from Anxiety: Get Grounded, build resilience and stay connected amidst the chaos. (Shambhala). My hope is to share the tools of building resilience with a broader audience.
I think two things set me apart: first, my style is a bit disarming and super compassionate. I know that everyone feels like they’re the most fucked up person in the room, and I try to dispel that myth. We all struggle, we all worry and once we can let go of performing who we are, we can find happiness. I also try and push back against the toxic messaging of hyper-individuality (we have to be OK alone) and capitalism (we can buy our way to happiness). We are sold a myth of what happiness, and often pursuing that myth is the cause of our pain. I also link wellbeing with social justice. We can’t be well until everyone is well. If we are contributing to the pain of others, that is going to disconnect us from our own humanity.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Collective Liberation. I want everyone to be free from suffering. I feel like the world is in pain, and our pursuit of material gain and superficial representations of happiness is killing us.
Contact Info:
- Email: hala@halakhouri.com
- Website: halakhouri.com
- Instagram: @halayoga
- Facebook: @Hala Khouri
- Twitter: @halayoga
- Youtube: @ Hala Khouri
