2019-05-01_Yoga_Journal

10 YOGA JOURNAL

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER DOUGHERTY

Brandon Spratt

After college I was successful,

in a sense, working in pro-

duction in Hollywood. But

I wasn’t mature enough to

handle the money. I was going

through a breakup, had lost

friends, and I was out of work.

I ended up losing every-

thing. I was so devastated and

depressed that I couldn’t lift

myself out of the mud. I lived

in my car, then on the beach.

I started asking: What is my

purpose? How do I overcome

this? But despite my despair, I

still had faith that the universe

cornered me into this period

of self-reflection for a reason.

Then one day a woman I’d

met told me to find Seventh

Chakra Yoga in Huntington

Beach. I felt a powerful force

as soon as I stepped into that

space, and I started bawling.

The studio owner walked

toward me with open arms.

She wound up giving me a job,

paying for my Kundalini Yoga

teacher training, and putting

me on the schedule to teach.

Eventually I was back on

my feet. It’s because of my

devotion to yoga that I’ve

released the shame around

my story. I’ve made peace

with it. I’ve also reframed it:

I was never homeless; I was

home-free.

Lauren Cohen

I was a competitive figure

skater for 15 years, starting at

the age of four. I definitely had

big dreams, but if you haven’t

made it on a national scale

by the time you’re 15, you’re

not going to make it in this

sport. So when I was done, I

dealt with an identity crisis.

I struggled with big health

issues, including depression

and anxiety, and took time off

from college.

I needed to get back into

my body. My mom found a

yoga studio for me; it was

like coming home to myself.

I’d never learned that type of

breathing, or even how to be

present. I often think about

what would have happened at

the peak of my skating career

if I’d had these mindfulness

skills then. But it was yoga

that helped me know myself

beyond my accomplishments.

I went back to school, did a

teacher training, and worked.

I’ve since done quite a bit of

training with Jason Crandell

and Janet Stone. And now, I’m

teaching yoga full-time.

After years of being a major

perfectionist, I learned how to

use yoga to help me embrace

that which is not perfect. I’m

feeling great about my life,

and I'm excited to broaden my

own scope of awareness in the

service of yoga.

Home Free

Brandon Spratt and Lauren Cohen found yoga years ago, and have used the practice to

get over major roadblocks. Now they’re embarking on a cross-country journey together to

forge new conversations in yoga. Here, they share their inspirational stories.

Advice for

Facing the

Unknown

FROM BRANDON

FROM LAUREN

LEAN ON YOUR BREATH

Lately I’ve been practicing

segmented pranayama for

11 minutes, which quickly

brings on clarity. Inhale

through your nose, and

exhale in four sections

through your nose.

JOURNAL DAILY

1

What I’m grateful for

2

What would make

today amazing

3

Affirmations starting

with “I am...”

SLOW IT DOWN

Remove the to-dos and

discover moments of pause

where you can sense your

intuition and strength. Bring

everything back to your

breath and build a capacity

to discern what is in service

of you on an internal level—

and what is in service of ego.

FIND REFUGE

IN NURTURING

RELATIONSHIPS

Surround yourself with

people who make you feel

safe, loved, and grateful

to be alive. This has

helped anchor me, so

I can move into the

unknown with grace.

meet our new ambassadors

LIVE BE YOGA TOUR