Kate Laviolette shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Kate, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
I truly believe a lot of folks look at yoga and/or aerial arts and think of contortion and the traveling circus and feel it is too advanced for them, but it is a fun, freeing, and fabulous place to start moving with support no matter where you are starting and if you’ve never moved before! Know you don’t need to be at any ideal to start, you just get to start! If that feels scary, we offer one-on-one sessions to build confidence and personal strategies for your goals and needs.
I would love everyone to know that these are practices that can go through life with you as tools to support, challenge, grow, celebrate, explore, and bring curiosity and play into life with all the ups, downs, and in between and that often folks embark on our teacher trainings just to build their own skillset and knowledge.
I’ve explored all our offerings personally on some point along my life journey to navigate hypermobility, chronic illness, traumatic brain injury, car accidents and spinal injuries, and both the minor and large life changes and challenges that occur.
Because of this, we offer small group classes, private sessions, workshops, retreats, certifications, entertainment, produce shows, and host community events to help provide a catchnet of support and access to community along your way!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Kate Laviolette, an ocean-loving yoga therapist, aerialist, reiki practitioner, and founder of Live Beyond Limit up in Fort Collins, CO and online.
I help empower folks through my business and brand to tap into their limitless nature and capacity, uplift their community, and have the courage to live and find joy regardless of life’s circumstances. You’re encouraged to take off your masks and just get curious and have fun while respecting others in studio spaces and the world around you.
I aim to support students, staff, and community in overcoming their challenges and seeking opportunities in mind, body, and spirit through education, movement, creativity, and healing arts and entertainment with my own offerings and Live Beyond Limit’s weekly classes, monthly workshops and Variety Shows, quarterly productions, and yearly community trips, trainings, and retreats.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
My traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2020, just before the COVID shutdown. has hugely shaped and shifted the way I see the world and how I interact with it.
Not only did it physically impact my vision and my ability to bring images together, process information, and stay upright, but it facilitated my expanded understanding of the ancient wisdom of yoga and how the nervous system, embodiment, and survival interplay in our society. I think this injury and new brain has taught me about connecting with community to thrive and how essential safe experiences, allowance, and being witnessed is for healing.
I think most people who are struggling or act out just need the right help. No matter what, if we are handed more than can physically and energetically be processed, there will always be failures in the system. We demonize folks in full survival mode, toss them in jail, blame them for the problems they experience, and fail them constantly when we need to create space to step back, unlaod the stress bucket, get tools for the trauma, connect with safe community and build positive experience, and be supported as a human being and treated like someone that matters and can do great things.
I am grateful for the lowest of lows because I feel like I can truly see and understand folks better and help them crawl out of those spaces with support and compassion.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
I change my mind about important things often. I think it is vital to really listen and observe the current reality of things and be able to let go of our ideas about how things will be when the world is telling us something truly different. Since I have some chronic conditions, I have come to terms with being able to change my mind and commit to, pivot, or walk completely away from situations that I thought may go differently and give myself grace to know that all things will align and happen in the right time if they’re meant to be my opportunities.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
I feel the biggest way to differentiate between fads and true foundational shifts are the language used and exploring the sustainability of the practice.
Fads will seek to blanket a truth across a demographic regardless of the individual circumstances (Eat this and lose X in 10 days!) or demonize entire groups of foods, whereas foundational shifts seek small, measurable changes that create resilience, understanding, and sustainable practices for each individual and seek to support, empower, and uplift.
Foundational changes seek to take into account the personal factors, obstacles, preferences, and interests of an individual or group and build on them, whereas fads usually require you buy something branded or behave a certain way for a short period of time until the next trend comes along.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I truly hope to leave a legacy that speaks a love and respect for nature (the ocean in particular) and a beauty, love, and joy for this community and world.
I hope people remember the way I attempt to elevate those around me, how I love deeply, and how I tried to dance through the dark times to bring joy into this wild life of ours.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.livebeyondlimit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LiveBeyondLimit
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiveBeyondLimit
- Other: katew@livebeyondlimit.com
Image Credits
Stuart Polkinghorn – 1st
Mila Santa – last
