Aarti Gautam

I can't do this without support. Even though I look like the face of Breathe Power, the hands and legs for Breathe Power, this is running because of the support I have. My husband is a big one on there. My son, both my kids, the older one especially, Sparsh, is a big support. My older one, my husband Chetan, my mom and my brother, and my in-laws are all big support. And the community itself, Courtney, when I have fallen sick, I have had food delivered to my door by my students to not only feed me, but feed my whole family. When I lost my dad, we were fed for almost 2 weeks. When I had COVID, we were fed for a month. The community is another big support. What I have given to the community, I see that when I fall short, like yes, I'm the business owner, I'm their teacher, when I fall short, I'm seen as a human, and I get the same support.

My favorite one is to always fill your cup before you pour into others. My husband says this to me: always fill your cup. I have had issues with health when I have gone on this road and spent way too much than I could. Another important piece of advice is that not everybody is yours to save. I have learned in my journey that I can only go so far as offering a hand, but I can't be the one to do the work. That detachment, that you can give as much as you can as an offering, and you can carve the path for people, but you can't walk it for them.

We are in a hoarding culture with knowledge. We are all constantly getting input and downloading so much. But process to experience is a whole different realm, and that's where learning and growth happens. It's not through the certifications, it's not through those big names that we attach ourselves with. It's in these tiny moments that we grow and we can actually help. Instead of looking to become influencers and big names in the society just because we have these big tags attached to us, I would say start small. As women, we have so many roles to play. Understand your own power and see how you can execute that power in your small spaces, with your people around you, and then from there, helping others, because you know how we're interconnected. One person connects with 10 more people, and then you serve the community like that. Not hoarding information, but downloading information and holding information and applying it right away. First practicing it, experiencing it, and then taking time. It takes time. There's nothing exciting about fast-forwarding. Every one of us has the power to change, to bring a change in this world.

One of my biggest challenges is that I've had to change my studio location twice already. I had to move spaces because of the dynamics with the location, and I had to rebuild. This is our sixth year, and there may be a possibility of changing spaces again. The energy goes into building, not only monetarily, but even mental and physical energy goes into rebuilding. Another challenge I'm facing currently is getting through to the practitioners in the area, because the first person to answer the phone call is the receptionist or the person at the front desk. I'm not able to pass through and connect with the professionals and showcase my work and ask for collaboration. As for opportunities, I open doors to teachers who finished their primary trainings. They come to our studio, offer their classes, and we give them feedback. We have an open space for new teachers to come, and if they find that we are vibing with their offerings, we give them the opportunity to attend a few classes and understand the trauma-informed lens, which is very helpful for the community to not be intimidated by the offering. I also offer huge discounts for people who find it hard to get yoga and movement in their lives because of the cost involved. Every class in Breathe Power starts with a 3-5 minutes educational topic, it could be science, it could be philosophy, it could be a research paper, and once we give the population the education, then we build a class upon it so they are able to carry it outside the studio space into their lives.

Authenticity is a big one. Being authentic and committing to what you can do. I love connection. Spending time with my family, my loved ones, that's not a hobby, it's a way of life. I love connection with my mom, my brother, talking to them on the phone, spending time with my in-laws on the phone. Connection is everything to me.