Nate the Yogi

10/26/2022

Over the past six weeks of my 300hr yoga teacher training, I’ve developed such a love for Peoples Yoga and I’m PUMPED to share that starting this Sunday, Oct. 30th, I’ll be joining the studio schedule for weekly Yin!

If you’re a fan of Peoples or looking to check it out, I’d absolutely love to have you join me! Register on Mindbody and DM me with any questions!

02/19/2022

Don’t lose sight 👀

I won’t lie to ya, folks, this is a pic from last night and it was one of the only times I’ve practiced yoga in two months. And before that last practice in December, the last class i took was in September. I really was in a yoga funk.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love teaching and guiding this practice. I feel such a strong connection and sense of energy through my teaching. Connecting with the yoga community through movement, breath, and soul is such a beautiful gift in my life. But, getting myself on the mat for more than five minutes has been nearly impossible.

Let’s chalk my lack of yoga motivation up to whatever: work, teaching, TikTok, COVID concerns, the sense of dread and guilt about leaving Feeny home alone for yet another hour, who really knows? 🤷🏻‍♂️

So, last night, when my class was canceled due to snow, I decided to go to the studio anyway. I put together a playlist, rolled out my mat, and moved how I wanted to (which you know meant dancing to We Don’t Talk About Bruno mid-Sun A). It felt unlike any practice I had found before. My breath was strong, my body was ready, and I could feel that special spark I used to get from my practice coming back. I had fully forgotten what that felt like, I lost sight.

But, just as I say in my classes, downward facing dog is our home base, and what I know about home bases is that they’re around for you whenever you wander your way back to them.

So while I can’t say when I’ll be back to my mat in the near future, I can say my sights are set on this sweet, sweet movement the next chance I get.

09/01/2021

It’s not easy giving things up.

As a yoga teacher, every class I teach weekly holds a special place in my heart. Maybe that’s because of how much work I put in to get my very first regular class or how much I love this practice, who knows? 🤷🏻‍♂️

It’s never easy stepping away from a class, but making room for another member of the studio fam to work their yogi magic and guide our clients is simply the best. It’s how we all grow, together.🌱

As summer starts to end and fall begins, I’m stepping away from a few classes I came to love very much. These classes challenged me, connected me, and kept me thinking as an instructor. They meant a lot and always will.

And, at the very same time, we’re always given the chance to begin again, try something new, and make space for everyone.

So don’t worry, folks, I’m still teaching and on the schedule, but I’m making more space in my heart and life for my personal practice, for work, and to spend more time with my 🐕.

Our hearts are meant to grow with us, we just have to let them.

07/19/2021

On Healing 🤕

I’ve never been one to slow down. When I was tired, or stressed, or even sick, I would just keep going. I always told myself that the best way to get better was to power through.

Boy, was I wrong.

Healing and rest are linked. Rest is important when you don’t feel well, when you do feel well, and even when you don’t know how you feel. Resting isn’t a sign of weakness, but the ultimate sign of strength. Because when you rest, you can heal.

My reminder to rest came this past week. As a bald guy, I shave my head roughly once a week. I rarely have any accidents, but they come every once in a while. This week brought the worst of the worst. I’ll spare you the details, but it was pretty bad. It’s been very frustrating and distracting, as well as very painful. I just wanted to be healed immediately.

But healing isn’t linear. There’s not just one simple thing to do that can cure you or fix you. It’s a trial and error kind of thing. What’s been working for me? Rest.

Is there still a wound on my head? Yes. Do I feel better about the whole situation? Also yes. Through movement (shoutout to yoga, always), sleep, and plenty of fun with Feeny the dog, I’m healing much faster than I thought. It’s almost like resting works?!?

So, friends, I’m on the mend. And to those who are in the healing process, I’m here with you. Let’s get better together.

In more fun news, here’s my teaching schedule for the week!
-Tuesday FREE Meditation at
-Tuesday Tranquility Flow at
-Wednesday Yin at Salt
-Thursday VinYin at Salt
-Friday Club Vinyasa at Salt
-Sunday Yin at YC Lansing

10/23/2020

Tonight, we talked unity ➡️⬅️
•
Using candles, I drew a line down the center of the studio, meeting at the salt wall. The right and left met together to create light.💡
•
Yoga means unity, creating a connection between the breath and body, the right and left. Some postures feel better on one side or another, some nostrils take in more air than the other, some lungs open more than the other. But when we unite both sides, we find that connection, a full body, a complete feeling.
•
Did I know there was a presidential debate tonight? Nope. Do I know the political leanings of everyone in my life? Nope. But I do know this: there will eventually be an end to the madness, and we can either stay divided, or figure out a way to come together. Yoga’s telling me we should find unity, and when has yoga ever steered me wrong?

06/28/2020

Never underestimate the power of a Bluetooth speaker, a yoga instructor looking to teach more, and a post in a neighborhood Facebook group. 🧘🏻‍♂️ 🧘🏼‍♀️
•
Free yoga in the park behind my parent’s house has been such a fun way to engage with neighbors, get moving, and enjoy the outdoors. And after 6 classes over the past month-or-so, I’m feeling much better about teaching physically-distanced classes.

02/09/2020

Tonight! Friends, come join me at Salt Yoga East Lansing for my new Candlelight Yin class, every Sunday from 10-11pm. I can't think of a better way to prep for a new week! To register, show up 15-20 minutes before class or sign up through the MindBody app. See you tonight!

✨NEW CLASS✨
🌙 Late Night
🌙Sweet Surrender
🌙Feel Good Flow

01/18/2020

366 days ago, a snowstorm hit the Lansing area as a very nervous Nate the Yogi made his way to East Lansing Hot Yoga to teach his very first solo class. Although he confused a few postures and the room was so full he was stuck in the back corner of the room, the one hour class reignited his light and his nerves were no longer. 🧘🏻‍♂️
•
Fast forward to today when a snowstorm hit Lansing, that same teacher made his way over to ELHY to teach the same exact class he had taught one year prior. The difference? Now, Nate the Yogi wasn’t nervous, because teaching yoga is no longer a source of nervousness, but a source of light. And it’s helped me shine brighter than I ever thought I could.
•
Today marks one year of teaching at MI Hot Yoga! This journey just keeps getting more and more meaningful and the level of gratitude I have for these studios, clients, owners, and community is off the charts. To more classes, more cold forehead towels, and more yoga magic. Let that light shine bright! 💡 💡

01/13/2020

Tonight and every Monday evening, join me at East Lansing Hot Yoga from 10-11pm for some late night yoga! In this Candlelight Gentle Flow, we take things sloooooow as we find long-hold stretches and some light movement. Come join me for an awesome way to finish out your Monday nights.

11/11/2019

My breath and I have been through a lot together.
•
For me, meditation has been a major game changer over the past year. By focusing on my breath, I’ve been able to process huge emotional blocks, ease physical anxiety, and develop a more positive outlook on life.
•
And when I took time off from a daily meditation practice, boy did I feel it. I could feel my positivity start to drain. I could sense my grasp on my feelings start to loosen. Honestly, I started to fall apart.
•
How do I know this? Well, it’s just a theory, a hypothesis, but it feels true to me. My experience with meditation means a lot to me, so without it, I felt incomplete. And that was my own doing, pausing my practice, but (and let’s say this together), you can’t change the past. There is NOTHING you can do to change behavior of the past, but you can use this to move forward in a more informed way.
•
I’m not beating myself up over pausing meditation. I’m instead reminding myself that with my practice, I can be better, I will be better, I’m better.
•
Take a deep breath in, hold it for three seconds, then release it with control. I can do this. You can do this. We can do this.

08/12/2019

Thinkin’ a lot about gratitude & contentment lately. ☀️ ☺️ ☀️
•
Feeling grateful is something I try to practice as often as possible. And that’s pretty easy when there are such amazing things to be grateful for. For the sun, the water, my friends, my family, work, yoga, community, the food on my plate, the roof over my head, access, safety, and myself. It’s almost a feeling of bliss to be able to look around and feel that I’m a part of all of this.
•
And while I’m looking around and feeling this bliss, I feel happy in this moment. Secure, excited, confused, understood. Contentment doesn’t have to be standing still, it’s almost like a pit stop to feel that gratitude and continue on our paths. We’re so lucky to be where we are.
•
So live by the sun, splash in the water, find the excitement in everything, and live your life how you want to. Take a deep breath, hold at the top, exhale, and move forward. ☀️