By Leslii Stevens ERYT500, YACEP The present moment? That’s the only stage you truly own. If you’ve ever sat down at the start or end of a yoga class, when the lights are low, the music’s just right, and you’re trying to “relax” you know exactly what I’m talking about. Your mind? Oh, it’s not relaxing. Nope. That little beast is doing backflips, swinging from branch to branch like it’s got a personal vendetta against your chill vibe. This is what we call the monkey mind. And let me tell you:...

By Leslii Stevens ERYT500, Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher I didn’t just read about it. I watched it. From the very beginning. Nineteen Buddhist monks. 108 days. More than 2,300 miles from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C. I saw every step online, YouTube streams, social media updates, people walking alongside them. And when I broke my leg, suddenly I could watch even more, every day, every mile. I wasn’t just a spectator. I became a witness. And the longer I watched, the more I realized:...

Thirteen Years In, Becoming, Not Arriving A practice shaped by presence, kindness, and becoming. By Leslii Stevens ERYT500, YACEP 
For the last thirteen years, I haven’t just been a yoga teacher, I’ve been becoming one. Becoming steadier. Becoming more honest. Becoming kinder. What began as movement and breath has deepened into a living philosophy that shapes how I teach, how I listen, and how I meet the world. 
Over time, my path has braided itself tightly with Buddhist tradition. Not as a...