34: Live YOUR Life with Kathryn Budig! Bravery, Balance, Body Positivity & Celebrating Pride Month

Many of us feel the weight of others’ expectations to look, speak, or feel a certain way. But perhaps if we were able to be more fully ourselves, as yoga teachers we could then create spaces that welcome our students to do the same.

Today’s episode is a warm and heartfelt conversation between Tiffany and long-time friend, Kathryn Budig. Kathryn is a shining example of following her own compass in work and in life. Building on almost two decades as an internationally recognized yoga teacher, author and podcaster, Kathryn has created a unique online community that celebrates shared passions for yoga and meditation, inclusion and representation, rituals, recipes, and diving deep into a great book.

Tiffany and Kathryn explore how things can change through the course of a long friendship—like our definition of success, the nature of our physical practice, and our ever-changing relationship with our bodies. The conversation dives into the nuance behind hashtags like “body positivity” and “self love”, celebrates the value of wisdom over short-term relevance, and weighs the pros and cons of social media given its power as a tool to reach marginalized communities.

Reflecting on Pride month, Kathryn shares her thoughts on queer representation in yoga and reminds us of the power of stepping outside our comfort zone into curiosity.

“For me Pride is being seen, showing exactly who I am and not apologizing, not hiding.” – Kathryn Budig.

YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN TO THE PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTS. AND BE SURE TO LEAVE US A RATING AND REVIEW!

“Yoga is this little portable island that we bring with us no matter where we are. When we unroll our mat and step onto this island we are home.” – Kathryn Budig

Show Notes:

• What it means to truly create community in the yoga world [03:11]
• Releasing external metrics to craft a personal definition of success [06:09]
• Reinvention in the face of others’ expectations [11:25]
• Celebrating wisdom versus the pressure to “stay relevant” [14:01]
• Pros and cons of the Covid era for yoga teachers [18:25]
• The evolution of Kathryn’s yoga practice [21:44]
• Complex conversations around body positivity in yoga [24:04]
• The illusion of constant “self love” [33:38]
• Loving and hating social media [37:14]
• Queer representation matters [41:20]
• What Pride Month means to Kathryn [46:20]
• Being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community [50:01]

Links Mentioned:

• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Connect with Kathryn Budig:

Instagram | Inky Phoenix | Haus of Phoenix | Kathryn Budig

“Don’t project your experience on someone else and assume that you understand anything about them” – Kathryn Budig.