Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexa Ibarra.
Hi Alexa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you so much for having me! My story is one that really started from thinking I knew what I wanted to do to realizing that was not my path. This transition of jobs really guided me toward my passion, the one thing I could rely on always: yoga. After working in entertainment in LA for 3 years, I knew that it was time to let go and follow my soul path. That path to me was yoga, the one thing that was always there for me, that I knew could be there for others. I wanted to be that guiding support for others the way I had felt with each instructor who had taught me. Fast forward a few months, I moved to Maui, went through a deep dive intensive yoga teacher training, living the most simple life, something I had craved after being in LA so long and completed with opportunities everywhere… things felt insanely aligned.
Decided to go from one Island to another… New York City. New York was a beast, but one I was excited to take on. I immediately felt like I was in the right place, with the people I had always hoped to be around, with job opportunistic ranting of all sorts but the one common thing I noticed was that no matter how busy I was or tired- I was SO happy, a feeling I had not felt in a while.
I owe a lot of my beginning success to Adidas. At the start of my yoga career, I did not have enough money to take classes so I would put my headphones on, head to the park, and have a self-flow session. One day as I was finishing two people came up to me handed me their business cards and said they’d love to hear from me. First, I was so confused, then when I read the business cards for Adidas, let’s just say an email was sent within minutes. The next day I met with the creative team and signed a contract to be New York City’s Adidas Yoga girl. For two years I was hosting events, modeling, meeting so many people – really taking it all in. I will always be so thankful to the team for taking a chance on me.
Now eight years into teaching, I have taught all over. I have been lucky enough to teach retreats, store openings, art openings, meet incredible souls I have looked up to.
2020 changed a lot of people’s worlds. For me, personally, my world was rocked in many ways. After feeling so stuck, I decided to visit my mom in Miami. Let’s just say… I never moved back east to New York after that visit.
The weather is a major plus, but it was the community, the energy, the inner peace I felt that gave me the self-courage to let myself know this is exactly where I am meant to be. Now a year into living in Miami, I am a private yoga instructor and currently the last few months I have taken on a new love: Electromagnetic stimulation. EMS is the practice of delivering tiny pulses of electricity to the muscle while working out.
For me it’s not just about feeling good on the outside but truly feeling good about YOU and who YOU are and what kind of energy you are bringing into your everyday life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This has definitely not been a smooth road. But not a bumpy one either. First of all, being your own independent contractor has so many bumps along the way, being your own boss is amazing but then there’s the admin of it all, which for me has been challenging.
Another tough challenge has been that I do have moments of mental struggle where I’m not behind a desk to hide or sulk, I really have to give myself the time to decompress so that when those mental roadblocks come in, I don’t harp, I work through it. It’s tough to have a job so personal that when you’re off, you really don’t want others to notice or feel that energy so it’s a lot of checking in with myself and I’m really fortunate to have a therapist who does guide me through the struggles that naturally do come my way whether that be financial, emotional or truly anything that comes up for me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I do a few things, but they are all in relation to each other.
1. I teach Private yoga. What this entails is really reading my clients, their bodies, their music choice… creating a flow that’s tailored to their energy and then I get creative with the knowledge I have and create the most effective yoga sequence for that client. These classes can range from a high sculpt to a low yin.
2. I host a podcast called ‘The Vibe’ where I interview entrepreneurs on how they got started on their fields, how they got to where they are now and ultimately what they hope to see for themselves in the future. We also offer so much advice! My podcast is truly my baby, I love talking and feel honored to each guest who feels compelled to chat with me about what they love most!
3. I teach Electro Muscle Stimulation. EMS is the practice of delivering tiny pulses of electricity to the muscle while working out. This has been such a fun and amazing labor of love because it’s so fun working with bodies, it’s so fun getting into the science and technology of it all, and again it’s expanding bodies and minds.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
People can work with me by shooting me an email, a DM, reach out in anyway and I will always get back asap!
Contact Info:
- Website: AlexaIbarra.com
- Instagram: @aribarra
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vibe/id1495081376
