Amy
Younkman
Yoga & Pilates
Born-Again Texan:
Although I am originally from Lake Forest, Illinois and graduated from Miami University in Ohio, I have lived in Texas for 40 years!
Background in Health & Wellness:
Being a “reformed Type A” I have always been active and I have practiced yoga and pilates most of my adult life. As a lifetime cyclist, swimmer, and competitive runner and triathlete, I find yoga and pilates to be the perfect compliment to repetitive-motion sports. I still love to hike, cycle and swim, though the “need for speed” has left me in favor of a much more balanced and mindful approach to fitness.
My Yoga & Pilates Journey:
I was first inspired to become a yoga teacher for teens and athletes because I felt I would have been a healthier teen if I had been exposed to yoga, and I could also relate to tight-bodied athletes who were seeking more balance in their fitness routine and life. In 2006 I earned my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification from the Living Yoga Program, and then went on to earn my Advanced Yoga Teacher Certification (300 hours) from Castle Hill Fitness in 2009. My continued quest for learning led me to seek a Pilates Mat Certification from Balanced Body in 2012.
Lord work
through me, with me and in me.
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Teaching Philosophy:
I feel that yoga and pilates compliment each other, and I enjoy creatively weaving the two disciplines together with a focus on core strength, stability and body awareness.
My Vinyasa Flow Yoga classes are the perfect compliment to an active lifestyle. By slowing down and paying attention to the breath and the body’s internal wisdom, we learn to move from “the inside out,” creating more space in the body.
My Power Pilates classes are based on the classical pilates series with some creativity, upbeat music and fun props thrown in. I believe a regular pilates practice trains you to move from a stable, solid core in all activities while keeping common injuries at bay.
When I’m Not Working, I’m:
Spending time with family and friends in Austin or Frankfort, Michigan and surrounding myself with positive influences.
Personal Mantra:
“Lord work through me, with me and in me.”
I’m Most Inspired By:
Being in nature, exploring new places on a bike, hiking with friends or hubby, good tunes, an inspiring read, positive, authentic people and any creative endeavor.
The Best Advice I’ve Been Given:
Several years ago my mom, two sisters and I were on a “girls getaway” weekend during which my sister asked, “What is one piece of advice you would like to pass on to us, Mom?” I continue to reflect on my Mom’s reply:
“Never look to someone else for your happiness. Find it for yourself.”
Something People May Not Know About Me:
I was hired by S.C. Johnson (Johnson Wax) to be the first female sales rep in the region, selling Raid insecticide to “good ‘ol boys” in Texas for 3 years. I then went on to open and run a women’s clothing store in the Arboretum for 6 years.
Life-Changing Experience:
Life changing experience: Becoming a mother. Nothing in life has made me love deeper, cry harder, laugh longer and grow more as a person than my three now adult children.
My Favorite Quote:
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and wrong. Because sometime in life you will have been all of these.”
- George Washington Carver