Today we’d like to introduce you to Lesline Pittman.
Hi Lesline, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started practicing yoga in 2009. My first yoga class was a Bikram yoga class on East Colonial across from Fashion square mall. Yoga has always been my safe space, a place where I can release. Fast forward to June 2020 and I was granted a yoga teacher scholarship. I officially became certified as a yoga teacher December 2020 and that’s when my entrepreneur journey began.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all. My story may sound linear (shout out to all of my coaches and therapist who has helped me put my story together) but it is not. Life is not a linear. Some of the struggles would have to be “convincing” people that they need yoga. People know they need a job, know they need to eat, know they need a house, but for some reason yoga is that one thing that goes in the self-care bucket and people like to put it last. Meaning they like to put themselves last, especially moms. I’m a mom so I know how challenging it can be to put yourself first, but since becoming an entrepreneur I’ve actually learned how to put me first and that is part of what I teach in my yoga classes.
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?
By trade, I am a Registered Nurse. I have been practicing as a Registered Nurse since 2014. The first 5 years of my career I absolutely hated it. I use hate because that is how I felt at the time. I would cry after and sometimes during shifts. It was horrible. As I reflect, I realize I hated my career because my soul was not happy. I was not feeling fulfilled. I was not connected to my purpose. I was not plugged into what I was supposed to be doing. 5 years later I found case management and am now in utilization management. This is more my speed. I am incredibly thankful that I became a nurse because I have learned so much about myself and especially people. I have had the honor of seeing people at some of their lowest moments when they are sick. I have learned how to console people; I have learned how to be a better human all thanks to becoming a nurse. This skill of compassion has helped me become an incredible yoga teacher who knows how to guide her clients in transformative, restorative movement.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
In nursing there have been a lot of shifts. Nurses are TIRED. Especially the nurses that work in the hospitals. I know the most recent nursing news is the New York nursing strike where thousands of nurses did not show up to work. It sounds wild and you may be thinking how could all those nurses do that to their patients, but when I tell you the patient-to-nurse ratio is not safe. It is NOT safe. That was part of the reason I left the hospital setting because I did not feel safe caring for patients. And now that we are 3 years in the pandemic, I have heard from colleagues in the hospital setting that patient safety has become worse.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leslinepittman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslinepittman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslinepittman/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesline-pittman-370722b4
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC3n5GueFZXb98jmOeLLA3wg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@leslinepittman?_t=8WaLABGCgPu&_r=1
Image Credits
Dawn Aiello
