If you’ve ever been to our yoga studio and training facility, Spirit of Yoga, you’ve surely noticed our shelled friends sunbathing in the pond. Due to their wide-eyed, slow-and-steady nature, many consider turtles to be the wisest souls in the animal kingdom. When Katie Hembraugh first saw them, she took it as a sign to “come out of her shell” and pursue Yoga Teacher Training!
“I had developed a habit of not showing up and letting opportunities go by while hiding behind being not ready...[so] I landed at SWIHA because of the turtles!” laughs Katie, “Synchronicities are one way I see my life guided by my Great Attractor. I met Laura Mckinzie and saw the overflow of turtles living in the pond at Spirit of Yoga and the decision was made.”
A Spiritual Evolution
Before SWIHA, Katie had been searching for her calling largely through academia and religious programs. She gained a Psychology and Communications degree, joined church leadership, and even traveled in an outdoor adventure leaders internship. Katie also began a Masters in Spiritual Formation at Portland Seminary, and worked with recovering codependent addicts.
In an act of self-care, Katie began hot yoga classes.
“At this time there was a coalescence of experience, passion, and purpose for me in the Healing Arts,” says Katie, “and almost immediately after starting my [personal yoga practice] I intended to train to teach yoga so that it could be a platform for my life’s purpose.”
“SWIHA was a pivotal point because I transitioned from living in doubt, control, and caution into living in action, courage, and authenticity. Spirit of Yoga’s transformational training approach is beyond just ‘knowing the basics’. The strength of the program for me was its ability to show students the illusion of their limitations and the truth of their innate capability. ”
“The most impactful teacher I had while at Spirit of Yoga was Laura McKinzie. I was looking for a role model who balanced the roles of fulling living in her power individually AND a wife and mother,” Katie emphasizes, “I felt this capacity in Laura and the energy she carried as a wise woman. I trusted her to take me through the enlightenment that I knew [this program] would provide.”
The biggest lesson Katie learned through Yoga Teacher Training was her own “bigness”. She graduated the program, gained her Registered Yoga Teacher status, and jumped right in to teaching!
Believe in the Magic
“I absolutely love considering myself a Healing Artist!” says Katie, “My work and my personal life merged into one influential purpose. I am relieved to say I no longer take jobs that don’t serve my happiness. I am blessed to teach yoga fulltime!”
You can find Katie across the Valley at at Hot Yoga Workout, Walk-In Wellness, luxury apartment complexes through Epic Fitness, The Nile Theater, Jabz Boxing, Maricopa Integrated Health Services and through HomeGrown Community Nights (Yoga+Food+Friends) and Goddess Moon Ritual nights.
She is also working diligently on her yoga business, FairyGoddust.
“FairyGoddust is a branding name that creates a character for me to live into,” she explains, “it’s a call for all who hear the wisdom from the Healing Arts and have a raw sense of humor and spiritual perspective.”
Katie offers yoga classes, life coaching and spirit direction to her clients. She uses dance yoga videos paired with wisdom teachings to develop her platform, and has a world-wide vision for transformation: “ My hope for FairyGoddust is that she grows as a global Healing Artist through therapy, expression, charity and activism.”
Katie’s ultimate goal is to create a movement of lightworkers to uplift and uplevel our society.
“Deciding to show up BIG meant that I needed to 100% believe in my own amazing qualities, trust in the reality of life and practice letting go. My teacher always said we needed to flip over on our backs and learn to float down the undercurrent…just like turtles!“
To learn more about FairyGoddust and to join in on her yoga dancing videos, see her social media details below!
Katie Hembrough
FB: FairyGoddust Yoga
IG: @fairygoddust
