What Paige has to say...
Question: If your yoga journey were a book, what would the title of the first chapter be—and why?
- Answer: “In My Day, we had to Walk Miles in Deep Snow to Get to School” – ha! Seriously, I have been practicing yoga since the days when (especially if you lived in the Midwest, which I did) there weren’t pretty studios or branded props or fancy clothes. My yoga journey began in a big, drafty ballroom at my college. We all wore sweats and brought blankets to use as mats and did lots of breathing and gentle movement without a playlist – and I was hooked!
I love to celebrate my birthdays by going upside down. This year I made a resolution to do an inversion every day – I’ve been sticking to it since February.
Question: Your classes are full of sound. What’s one sound that always brings you back to yourself?
- Answer: The windchimes on my back deck – which I can hear year-round, even from inside. They remind me of what Thich Nhat Hanh teaches as a response to a meditation bell: “Listen, listen. This wonderful sound brings me back to my true home.”
Question: You’ve taught everywhere from quiet studios to prisons. What’s one moment in your teaching life that cracked your heart wide open?
- Answer: Once I was leading a weekend yoga retreat that focused on encouraging everyone to listen to their own bodies and their internal compass. While offering a slow, flowing practice the final morning, I looked around, and every single person was moving at a different pace and modifying the sequence differently to meet their body and intention, and I literally choked up. I realized how revolutionary it felt for everyone to be breathing and supporting each other as a group and at the same time being true to themselves.
“Connection Creates Resilience” is the motto of Light a Path (founded by our own Sierra Hollister!). It’s the organization through which I’ve been sharing yoga in prisons and jails for over a decade.
Question: What’s one Zen teaching or meditation moment that totally changed how you move through the world?
- Answer: At a sesshin (Zen meditation retreat) early in my practice, one of the priests leading the week offered a teaching that sounds so simple and yet changed how I see everything – and still does every time I remember to remember it! He said: “Every moment can be nirvana or not, it’s up to you.” I even wrote a poem recently, incorporating his phrase as a sort of mantra.
Question: What’s something unexpected your students have taught you lately?
- Answer: I’m constantly learning wise lessons from the people I practice with. Can I give two answers? The wonderful regulars in my weekly classes are so kind to each other and so welcoming to newcomers and drop-ins, introducing themselves, helping them get settled with props, and so on. Their genuine friendliness reminds me regularly that building community and connection is one of the most important things we do together. Also, I’m so inspired by the participants in the 200-hr Teaching from the Heart program, who teach me over and over how meaningful (and also vulnerable!) it can be to dive into something new as an adult (when you’re already supposed to be an expert at things). So much so that I’ve invested in my first two crystal bowls and am learning to play them (with the help of AYC’s own Grace Izzo) – look for sound bathing in my classes soon!
So fun to try out yoga studios in other places. Here I am with my daughter, Ivy, at River Flow Yoga, along the Cannon River in the sweet town of Northfield, MN, where Ivy goes to college.
Question: If you were to recommend a single episode of your podcast, which one would it be and why?
- Answer:
One of the most popular episodes is called Morning Movemement & Meditation. It’s a short, 13-minute practice that invites you to move and breath through a simple ritual that sets the tone for your day and helps you ease into it with intention. I’d love for folks to check it out either through my Embodied Meditation podcast archives or on the Insight Timer meditation app, where I have dozens of free practices
Question: Your Autumn Equinox retreat is coming up in September. What’s the magic of this seasonal pause—and why does this particular day matter to you?
- Answer:
The Autumn Equinox marks our tip toward the quieter, more introspective half of the year and has a sweet nostalgia about it, making it the perfect time to reflect on what we’re harvesting, what we’re storing for the season ahead, and what we’re ready to release. In a world that can feel loud, fragmented, and uncertain, taking time to gather with others—to pause, ground ourselves, and reconnect with natural rhythms—feels more important than ever.
