Introducing: Kylie Davis
New Yoga House Instructor
Many of you may already recognize, Kylie as she’s been a regular of Yoga House since nearly the beginning. She’s been an integral part of the education system as a speech therapist, loves ice climbing and recently became a yoga instructor. We love her enthusiasm, thirst for knowledge, and open mindedness and already know she’ll be a great addition to the instructor team!
Kylie will begin subbing classes throughout the month of April and in May, she’ll have her own class on Tuesday’s 6am called, Recovery for Athletes. It’ll be a great way to begin the day, or to recover from an early morning run, climb, hike, or bike ride!
Where are you from?
I grew up in Michigan and first visited Colorado on a geology trip for college credit when I was 17. Visiting Montrose’ Black Canyon National Park was one of my favorite parts of the trip and I knew I would make my way back to Colorado someday. After finishing grad school, I started rock climbing and moved to Denver to begin my career as a speech therapist and explore the Rocky Mountains, where I met my husband climbing the Colorado 14ers. Michael and I were married in Ridgway and decided to move to the western slope a few months later to escape city-life and be closer to the Ouray Ice Park and the San Juan Mountains. Moving to Montrose has been great for us; we’ve met many kindred spirits here, we love our church, Grace Community, and the town’s proximity to a lifetime of alpine adventures. Michael and I have traveled the world climbing and wherever we go, we find ourselves missing the San Juans. We’re grateful for the opportunity to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and call Montrose our home.
What is your favorite activities / hobbies outside of yoga?
Reading, cooking, hiking, journaling, spending time with friends and family, traveling, running, backpacking, fundraising, going to the movies, eating popcorn & ice climbing!
What is your favorite thing about Montrose?
The movies! I’ve loved going to the movies since I was a kid and enjoy how unique, affordable and friendly the theaters are here. The Fox is my favorite. Catching a movie in town is our favorite spontaneous date night out!
How would you describe yourself in 5 words or less?
Thoughtful, encouraging, outgoing, caring & goal-oriented
What was your first introduction to yoga, and what was it, that resonated with you with a practice?
I took my first yoga class at a Lifetime Fitness gym while working as a rock climbing instructor and finishing my graduate degree in 2009. I loved the energy and fluidity of vinyasa classes! Climbing was definitely my gateway into the yoga world. I initially saw yoga as a means to improve my strength and flexibility for climbing but quickly realized yoga was also an incredible tool for finding stillness and a great way to deepen my personal faith through prayer and meditation. In the quiet moments of yoga classes, I would naturally start to pray, say thank you and feel more peaceful. Dedicating time to a yoga class created space for me to slow down, quiet my heart and reflect. After moving to Colorado, I was able to deepen my practice by getting connected with local studios where I found a community I loved and could go to classes more regularly. I learned how to make the practice my own by honoring my body in each individual class. Realizing that I didn’t have to do everything the instructor was doing significantly changed my practice and gave me the freedom to integrate variations and modifications so that I could go into any level of class and feel comfortable challenging myself or slowing down. I love that child’s pose is always available! I’m a very active person and yoga has helped me to find balance and embrace the importance of rest. I’ve always had trouble sleeping and restorative yoga has been a big part of self-care and getting good sleep for me. Admittedly, I’ve fallen asleep in savasana more than once!
What are the challenges you face in your personal practice and how do you overcome them?
Dedicating time, consistently, to my personal practice has always been a challenge. Life is busy and it is so important to be intentional about taking care of ourselves so that we can be our best selves and love those around us to the fullest! I’ve always benefited from exercising in a group setting, which is why I love being a part of a community like Yoga House! Sharing the goals, challenges and successes of my personal yoga practice within a supportive community has been so motivating and encouraging. Committing to a regular class and sharing the experience with others helps me stay accountable to my practice. I love the saying, “friends don’t let friends miss yoga!”
What is the story of inspiration that lead you to become a yoga instructor?
Since discovering yoga, I’ve always wanted to become an instructor to deepen my practice and share yoga with others. I am excited and humbled that this dream has finally become a reality and I’m excited for the next step of the journey.
Where did you do your teacher training and what style are you trained in?
I did my 200hr training with Yoga Faith, which focused on a variety of styles including vinyasa, restorative and adaptive yoga. Yoga Faith, is a Christian organization founded by Michelle Theilen, whose mission is to equip students to find purpose in teaching, create community and deepen their faith by loving Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Something that drew me to Yoga Faith is that they are passionate about social justice and have partnered with Destiny Rescue, Shared Hope International and the A21 Campaign to fight human trafficking and support healing and restoration for survivors through trauma-sensitive yoga. Yoga Faith sees yoga as a tool for personal, physical, emotional and spiritual healing and believes yoga has the ability to deepen anyone’s faith. In some ways, though not in the traditional sense, Yoga Faith could be considered a form of bhakti yoga, which is the yoga of loving devotion, adoration and surrender to a personal relationship with God. The Sanskrit word bhakti comes from the root bhaj, which means, “to adore or worship God.”
What was your biggest take away from teacher training?
My biggest takeaways were the importance of encouraging use of props and offering modifications to make yoga accessible to everyone and to always approach teaching with humility because I can learn something from every student.
Tell us more about the kinds of classes you teach at Yoga House:
In May, I’ll begin teaching a Tuesday, 6:00 a.m. Recovery for Athletes class which focuses on working through tension in primary muscle groups for athletes (quads, hamstrings, shoulders etc.) and will be great for anyone who loves to hike, climb, bike, run or just needs a deep muscle release. I also love to teach vinyasa and flow to inspirational, energizing music! Eventually, I hope to teach a purely restorative class, where every posture is supported and the only effort you give is your breath, and yoga for kids because I absolutely love children and they are natural yogis! I love to provide hands on assist in resting postures such as child’s pose or savasana, but I will always ask you before providing touch. I hope to create a welcoming and fun space for my students to explore their practice safely and gain confidence on and off the mat. My prayer for each student is that they leave their mat feeling refreshed, with a renewed sense of peace and overall well-being.
What is your advice to anyone new to yoga?
Try different classes, use props and explore variations and modifications in each posture to learn what work best for you. I truly believe yoga is for everyone but it also can be intimidating at first, just know that you are loved, accepted and appreciated when you come to Yoga House. And when you do yoga, be free. You don’t have to do what everyone else in the class is doing (I wish someone had told me that 10 years ago! Be safe of course!). Find freedom in each class to create space for what you need in that moment, just for that day. Jesus said, ‘don’t worry about tomorrow, because today has enough trouble of its own.’ Be present, let each class serve you for that moment and don’t worry about the next class or how many classes you’ve gone to that week or what’s on your to-do list that day, give yourself permission to be still and find peace.
Anything else you would like to add?
I want to say thank you to my husband, who has been incredibly supportive and helpful throughout the entire process becoming an instructor and I couldn’t have done it without his encouragement and love. Thank you Michael XOXO
Ready to Try A Class?
Colorado Yoga House is open 6 days of the week and during some months, open 7 days a week. Yoga House encompasses instructors with various backgrounds and teaching styles so you can always continue to discover the depths of this amazing discipline. Click below to see our current schedule, and we look forward to seeing you in class!
