Off the Mat with Kate Connell Potts
Where do you teach?
I work with in-home private clients in the Iowa City area and conduct online and in-person training for yoga teachers on private yoga instruction and business.
One thing many people don’t know about you:
I’m a Massachusetts native and moved to Iowa City 11 years ago to be with my now husband.
What makes your style of teaching unique?
As a private yoga teacher, deep listening is essential. Through my teaching practice, I’m regularly inquiring about my clients’ experiences and pivoting based on the physical and verbal feedback they provide.
What inspires and motivates you?
People sharing their passions and the reminder they put into motion for us to do the same.
How does the yoga philosophy resonate with you?
Yoga philosophy is with me during the living “practice” — the majority of moments I have throughout the day when I’m off the mat. Yoga philosophy aligns with our household values, and is the foundation from which my husband and I parent and lead.
How do you think yoga practice enhances your creativity?
Curiosity fuels my creativity. I find that encountering my yoga practice as a form of play, conscious movement and problem solving leaves the door wide open for creativity to enter.
As a new mother, a wife, an author, a teacher and a business owner, how does yoga help you balance all these roles?
For years I’ve placed a lot of value on being productive and busy. Now I’m entering a new season of being. Yoga is assisting me in embracing more of the feminine, intuitive energy that I wish to bring into my roles of mom and wife. Turning up the volume on my softer, less striving side is inviting a new — often scary — approach to my teaching and business.
Upcoming Highlights:
The fall session of my online certified teacher training, The Art Of Teaching Private Yoga™. I’m also developing my second book. My first, The Art of Teaching Private Yoga, laid the foundation of how to develop this career. My second deals with making money at it!
Kate Connell Potts is a yoga instructor and author. She teaches online and in-person courses on private yoga instruction and business. This article was originally published in YogaIowa’s Summer 2017 issue.
