Yogi in the Community: Shirley Kali Johnson

Can I just say that this whole Yogi in the Community segment gives me LIFE!!!! Today I want to introduce you all to a beautiful light by the name of Kali! Shirley Kali Johnson is a Bay Area yogi who offers beginners to yoga and regular practitioners who embrace their beginner’s minds some helpful and practical reminders! Enjoy!

Name: Shirley Kali Johnson

Location: Oakland, California

What led you to the practice of yoga? As an adult, I came to yoga because I was stressed out at work. I had practiced a few times with my mother, and as a kid had been exposed casually to the practice. However, what brought me to a consistent practice and started my journey was noticing how stress was effecting my mental and physical health. I was stressed and disconnected from myself. I really didn’t fully know why I felt drawn to yoga, but I was and since then, it’s been a beautiful journey.

What drives your yoga practice? What brings you back to the mat each time? Yoga is so humbling, and each time I come to the mat, I remember I know nothing, and I am reminded to open and allow myself to learn and unlearn. The beautiful thing is that this starts to show up off the mat. Yoga reminds me how vast the world and our lives are, and inspires me to allow myself to keep starting over and over again.

What would you recommend to someone who is just beginning their yoga practice? There are many days when I resist my practice. To practice yoga for me means to accept vulnerability. Somedays, vulnerability is very scary and difficult. Yet, on my path vulnerability holds the key to the doors to accessing my whole self. Everyday I am intentionally reconnecting with my yoga practice, and allowing it to shift, change, grow and move in whatever way it needs to. Remembering that our practice looks and feels different every moment helps to keep me motivated and reconnecting.

For folks just beginning their practice, remember that every moment is a beginning and there is no one to compare yourself to. Close your eyes, feel your body, notice your experience, and breathe – honor your wisdom.