Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Weiss.
Julie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey of becoming a yoga teacher is one that is like a lotus flower. The lotus is grown in dark muddy waters and then emerges to the surface as a beautiful flower. I took my first yoga classes in college, where I was a dance major. I immediately enjoyed the yoga practice because, as a dancer, I was constantly in front of mirrors correcting myself and comparing myself to other dancers in the room. When practicing yoga, I loved that there were no mirrors. I loved that the teachers would emphasize that imperfections were perfect and to accept yourself as is in the moment.
Fast forward to my senior year in college when I developed an eating disorder (a combination of anorexia and exercise bulimia). I was dangerously thin and would run on a Luna Bar, and a scoop of cottage cheese from 8 am to 9 pm while dancing 5 hours or more a day, plus taking my academic classes. I was very withdrawn from the world around me and completely disconnected from my body. After college, I moved back home to NY, where I started taking more yoga classes and decided to enroll in yoga teacher training… While I was home, I began to slowly heal through family support and the gift of my yoga practice. In November of 2004, I completed my 200-hour RYT and began teaching in January 2005 at local studios and libraries. My dharma revealed itself through yoga… to invite others to explore their authentic self. To accept the flaws, imperfections, and their humanness.
My story continues, as yoga was not my only passion, but I had another passion which was Disney. My childhood dream was to dance for Disney, and my life would not be complete until this dream came true. While I was beginning my yoga career, I would frequently fly to Florida to audition, and most of the time, I received a polite “no,” or “we like you but don’t have a full-time opening for you.” Each time I came back from a negative audition, it fueled me in two ways. One was to develop my yoga teaching/career even further, and the other was to not give up on a dream. I went on to receive my 300-hour RYT from Shiva Rea at Kripalu in Massachusetts and then received a sch0larship to The New York Open Center to earn my Ayurvedic Practitioner Certification. The last time I would audition for Disney was in 2010, where I said to myself, “If it doesn’t happen this time, then I know that is not the divine path for me.” This fourth audition was when I was auspiciously selected to perform full-time, and I could finally say my dream came true. This meant that I, unfortunately, had to leave the Ayurvedic program, but I knew that I would one day find my way back to studying Ayurveda. It was time to live my Disney dharma.
I performed for Disney for eleven and a half years, and it was more than I could have ever imagined. I was living a magical fairytale while also developing myself professionally. My Disney career was a blessing and one that I will forever be grateful for. Words cannot describe the feeling of dancing down Main Street, U.S.A. with Cinderella’s Castle behind you! This was a huge chapter of my life and was a testament to the saying, “never give up on your dreams.” Jumping ahead in time to May of 2021, I knew my performing career was coming to a close, and I kept wondering what was next. What would be my next dream? Disney has lots of opportunities to explore, but at the time, none of the opportunities felt like the right fit for me. One day, I was looking on Indeed and saw a posting for The Chopra Mind-Body Zone Lead Instructor at The Lake Nona Performance Club. This was it. This was the next dream. I instinctively knew that this was a position I would need to pursue. I applied, auditioned, interviewed, and then got the call that I was selected to be the lead instructor. I am abundantly grateful for the LNPC leadership team and The Chopra Global team for entrusting me with this opportunity as I get to teach, lead, and inspire others on their mindfulness journey. My Disney dream came to a close, but the full-time yoga dream opened its doors.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I believe life’s greatest triumphs come from a journey with detours, bumps, and roadblocks. My yoga career is one that has come full circle, and it was the detours and re-routes that brought it back to its origin. In NY, I was teaching yoga all over Long Island. I loved teaching, but in the depth of my heart, I was longing for the Disney career to manifest. After working for Disney for about six years or so, the thoughts began to trickle in as to what is life after performing. I always knew I would be led back to the yoga path, but I had no idea how I would be able to have a full-time yoga career without owning a studio. Lots of searching, wondering, meditating, intention setting, that somehow an opportunity would present itself…and thanks to LNPC, it did.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
As the Lead Instructor at The Chopra Mind-Body Zone, I work hand in with both the LNPC team and the Chopra Global team to create a mindful community with an abundant amount of class offerings. I teach both for The Mind-Body Zone and Group Exercise, so I get to interact with members throughout the club and share what I love most, yoga. The classes I currently teach are Chopra Vinyasa, Stretch & Soothe, Flow & Restore Heated Yoga, and Yoga Pilates Fusion. I love the yoga classes at the Mind-Body Zone because they are rooted in Ayurveda, and each class is designed to balance a specific dosha or mind-body type. The students learn what class type will bring balance to their unique dosha, i.e., someone that is pitta dosha or more fiery in nature can find balance by taking a Stretch and Soothe Class.
My favorite class to teach is Chopra Vinyasa, which combines teachings of Deepak Chopra with a vinyasa practice. I have always enjoyed the vinyasa style because it is a dance between the movement and the breath. There is also a lot of creative expression within the sequencing and the postures themselves. As human beings, we are meant to flow, and the vinyasa practice brings us back to our source of authentic movement.
A fun fact about me is that I have always been known for my creative playlists I share in classes. Back when I was teaching in NY, my students coined my nickname as DJ Yoga Julie, which continues to be my Spotify name. I thoughtfully curate my playlists with a blend of yoga rhythms, acoustic melodies, inspirational songs, and binaural beats. Music and movement are a powerful blend and can truly shift a yoga practice. That being said, silence can be beautiful, and I honor traditional yoga with a few minutes in silence within the practice.
My yoga teaching is light-hearted and has brought light-heartedness to my own being. As a child, I was always told, “Stop being so serious.” Once I started teaching, there was a shift that happened where I would share words of humanness as we move. For example, tree pose. There are days where you will stand confidently, strong, and still in tree pose, and other days where you are wobbling all over the place. Such is life. We have a choice get too angry at ourselves for wobbling or to laugh it off. Our yoga mat is a perfect place to learn to accept our true nature.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
The Chopra Mind-Body Zone is a very special place, and I welcome anyone to come and try out a class. Whether you have practiced yoga for many years or brand new, I encourage you to come practice with the team of amazing teachers. Each of our teachers has extensive knowledge in yoga, meditation, pilates, sound healing, etc., and are some of the best teachers I have ever met. You can support us by bringing your light to our studios and being part of our community. The Chopra Mind-Body Zone is the first brick-and-mortar partnership between a medically integrated fitness facility and Chopra Global. We hold this fact on high regard and honored to be the first location of its kind to share Deepak Chopra’s wisdom and teachings.
I am always looking to collaborate with musicians to do live music and yoga flow. Let’s create some yoga/music magic together!
Pricing:
- 10 Class Package for Non-Members, $225
- LNPC/Chopra Mind-Body Zone Day Pass, $30
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lakenonaperformanceclub.com
- Instagram: @theweissjewel and @truestoryyoga
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/truestoryyoga
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/user/12122521198?si=df54f8ca8f6d4bd7
Image Credits
Jean Cordero
Logan Chek
