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Meet Trailblazer Jolie Manza

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Jolie Manza.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have been a dancer/movement artist since the earliest moments of my youth.

Growing up in Boulder, Colorado I was introduced to a plethora of diverse and talented teachers from a young age that really shaped who I would become in my later years.

This all culminated in me receiving my BFA in dance and movement studies from the University of Boulder Colorado. During my college years, I sustained a major back injury that led me into the arms of the yoga practice where I was able to work through my injury in a rehabilitative and holistic way.

I refused to let this set me back and became more driven to find balance and sustainability within my body while still conquering my goals. I graduated with one objective in mind and that was to excel in dance and the movement world. There was no question that New York City was the place to be and so not even one week after graduation I packed my things and moved to Brooklyn (the hometown of both my parents), where I lived with my grandmother for my first 2 years, commuting to the city to chase my dreams.

I spent eight years total in NYC and during that time danced with professional companies, trained under amazing yoga masters, and also became a lead trainer for the Tracy Anderson Method, a celebrity fitness instructor. It was really under my time with TAM that I was exposed to a network of woman that shaped the direction of my future. I began traveling extensively, training celebrities and ended up in London training Gwyneth Paltrow where I was able to set roots in the European movement scene.

Throughout all the travel, training, and dance, I never lost sight of my love for the yoga practice and the balance, peace, and contentment it brought into my life. In the moments of high stress and fast-paced action, I was able to call on the philosophies of the practice which were initially introduced to me by my father, a very spiritual man, back when I was a young girl. I always held those teachings close not knowing that they would eventually take a front seat a few years into the future.

After years in the city, I began to crave a different quality of life and followed an inner calling that led me to South East Asia where I went to further my education in the Yoga practice. I ended up in Bali and immediately fell in love with everything that magical island had to offer. I fell deep into the yoga practice, learning, teaching and immersing myself in all that the East had on offer. I returned yearly soon to call the island home.

2019 will be my 8th year in Bali. Over that time, I have taught for a number of different studios and schools, pioneering one of the top Yoga Teacher Training Programs on the island as well as leading retreats, workshops, and residencies at some of the most beautiful locations on the Eastern Hemisphere.

In 2017, I started my own yoga school called YogaKoh, an accredited international school that offers yoga teacher training, retreats, workshops and hosting opportunities across the globe. This has allowed me to take my love for all things yoga and movement to a global audience, running events in places like Bali, Australia, The Maldives, Mexico, Costa Rica, and the USA.

It is my greatest joy to bring people together under the shared love for yoga, movement, travel, nature, and community.

YogaKoh has a full and exciting future and one that we would love to share with the world. It all comes full circle for me as we will introduce events in Boulder Colorado in 2020, and so I am finally able to bring this back home to the place that started me on my journey.

Our next event will be a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in Montana Aug. 12th – Sept 8th.

Please check us out at www.yogakoh.com, @yogakoh_

We hope you join our Koh-mmunity.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of my favorite quotes that I come back to time and time again is:

“If the path ahead of you is clear, chances are you are on someone else’s.”

Picking up and moving across international waters and creating a business that has roots in different countries has been a road that is full of obstacles and challenges. Rules are different, cultures are different and it take a lot of time and patience to figure out the best way to communicate and make the right decisions.  However, it has been those challenging moments that have illuminated how much discipline and passion I’ve had to keep pursuing my dreams. There have been many naysayers who have  happily shared all the reasons it won’t work, but all I’ve needed is to remember the one reason that it would and follow that.

I have made so many mistakes, but I have also made so many wonderful decisions that have brought such joy and purpose into my life. It’s the yin and yang concept, you can’t have one without the other.

If I had any advice it would be; Don’t let setbacks, judgments, or challenges hold you back from living your best life. Everything requires hard work, nothing is ever handed to us, so you might as well put that effort toward something you love and feel passionate about.

The pebbles in your way will prepare you for the boulders you will cross, which strengthen you for mountains you will move.

Please tell us about YogaKoh – what should we know?
My company YogaKoh hosts yoga teacher training, retreats, workshops and travel opportunities at premier locations around the globe.

However we specialize in Yoga Trainings and Retreats.

Our teacher trainings follows the highest standard in yoga education. They are designed to help you understand and reach your highest potential as a practitioner or teacher of the practice.

What sets us apart is our global teaching community and our ability to seamlessly blend the philosophy of the East with the most up to date research from the West. We deliver this in a way that easy to understand, and integrate into your practice and teaching.  We have graduated hundreds of students who have created an amazing global network, so you can find graduates of our programs on all the corners of the globe.

For our Retreats: Our mission is to offer a variety of retreats that speaks to the diversity of our community. Our team of yogis, surf, fitness, and wellness experts seek out destinations that offer incredible local cultures, delicious foods, and unlimited adventure.

Our greatest achievement is to see the lasting communities that are formed from these experiences, bringing people from all over the world together under the shared desire to better themselves and the world in which they live that without doubt filters out to those around them.

Which women have inspired you in your life?
I have looked up to so many women throughout my lifetime. Been endlessly inspired by their resilience, compassion, discipline, determination, and love.

From movement artists like: Twyla Tharp, Misty Copeland, and my own grandmother

Yogis like: Shiva Rae and Maty Ezraty

Politicians like: Michelle Obama and Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Humanitarians like: Melinda Gates, Angelina Jolie, and Turia Pitt

And my number one inspiration my mother, Luann Manza, the most selfless, brilliant woman I have had the pleasure of knowing.

The feminine is rising, at last, shifting the global paradigm and it is so exciting!

Pricing:

  • 28 day 200hr Yoga Teacher Training between Bali and Montana starting from $3600
  • 5 night retreats from the beaches of Bali to the mountains of Montana starting from $850
  • www.asanasforyou.com subscription starting from $8.99 a month

Pricing:

  • 28 day 200hr Yoga Teacher Training between Bali and Montana starting from $3600
  • 6 night retreats from the beaches of Bali to the mountains of Montana starting from $850
  • www.asanasforyou.com subscription starting from $8.99 a month

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Four Season Sayan Ubud Bali, Dancing Spirit Ranch, Montana

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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