Natalie Asatryan is the youngest female in the country to be certified as a yoga instructor. If you’re not terribly familiar with the process of becoming a yoga instructor, trust me…it’s not easy for college-educated adults, much less a thirteen year old girl. But as we talk about in our interview, Natalie simply refuses to take NO for an answer. Which is why I wanted to share her inspirational story, because no matter what creative or athletic endeavor you might be pursuing, I guarantee you will hear the word NO a lot more than you will ever hear the word YES. And the difference between those who succeed vs those who fail is simply their ability to overcome adversity and failure.
Listen and be inspired…
Here’s What You’ll Learn:
- How Natalie became the world’s youngest certified female yoga instructor
- Being told NO so many times but persevering anyways
- Most of the time people say no because it’s about them, not about you
- Using yoga to do other good in the world through charity work
- Respecting and embracing the incredible learning abilities of young people
- “There is no age limit for changing the world”
- Empowering other young kids to become certified and not have their goals restricted by their age
- The difficulties and joys of being a young person in a field presumed to be only for adults
Useful Resources Mentioned:
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Guest Bio:
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Natalie proves there is no age limit for pursuing your dreams and using your gifts to make the world a better place. She developed a passion for yoga at the young age of 5, and within a few years of studying yoga, she knew she had to share it with others. At only 9, Natalie and her mom set out to find a program that would help make her dream of teaching yoga come true; however, finding a program that would accept her at such a young age was challenging. After searching for 3 years, Natalie found a yoga school and completed a rigorous 200-hour curriculum with several adults. At only 12 years old, Natalie became the youngest female yoga instructor in America and is also a member of Yoga Alliance. She now teaches donation-based yoga classes throughout the Los Angeles area, and all of the proceeds go to charity.
Within less than a year of teaching yoga, Natalie raised thousands of dollars to support the Red Cross and the Unstoppable Foundation, a nonprofit that she holds dear to her heart. Through her partnership with the Unstoppable Foundation, Natalie is helping a village in Kenya build a school and get access to education, nutritious food, clean water, sanitation and healthcare.
Natalie has a deep appreciation for the ancient wisdom of yoga and is a yoga student for life. Her favorite yoga pose is lotus because that’s how she often meditates and escapes from the entire world. Natalie enjoys being part of the yoga community and had the honor of learning from world-renowned yogis such as Tao Porchon-Lynch and Sri Dharma Mitra. She also takes yoga classes in the Los Angeles area and hopes to collaborate with other instructors in the future.
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Elyse Rintelman. The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Zack Arnold
Zack Arnold (ACE) is an award-winning Hollywood film editor & producer (Cobra Kai, Empire, Burn Notice, Unsolved, Glee), a documentary director, father of 2, an American Ninja Warrior, and the creator of Optimize Yourself. He believes we all deserve to love what we do for a living...but not at the expense of our health, our relationships, or our sanity. He provides the education, motivation, and inspiration to help ambitious creative professionals DO better and BE better. “Doing” better means learning how to more effectively manage your time and creative energy so you can produce higher quality work in less time. “Being” better means doing all of the above while still prioritizing the most important people and passions in your life…all without burning out in the process. Click to download Zack’s “Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Creativity (And Avoiding Burnout).”