Welcome to Off The Mat, a student spotlight series where Yoga Tribe Brooklyn interviews experienced practitioners about how yoga has equipped them for (and had an impact on) their non-yoga lives.

This week we’re chatting with Kate Johnson Antoñana:

1. What type(s) of yoga do you practice? How often? Has that cadence changed over the years?

Hi all, my grandmother named me Kathleen. The people in my life that need to call me use: Kate, Katie, Johnson, and/or Johnson-Antoñana. I leave it to them to pick their poison.

I started yoga by mimicking my father and eldest sister’s stretches at a young age; six or seven. My father is an athlete and my sister had been a gymnast for a spell. My first official class happened sometime in high school in about 1997. A Hatha class, I suspect. From that point, I moved on to any style that was available to me: Hatha, Ashtanga, hot Vinyasa, acro yoga, etc.

This all revolved around my obligations and geography. In terms of Bikram, I got into long-distance running and found a hot Vinyasa/ Bikram studio in Princeton, NJ to counter all the miles I was hammering out. I tried to go as often as possible. Over time, I learned that I loved the heat during my Vinyasa classes but I had also really damaged my body by dropping into poses using flexibility and not core strength. Coming to that realization made me appreciate the level of listening that is necessary in any yoga practice. Concretely, I had torn my hip labrum and I needed to rehabilitate my hip and work on my pelvic floor to avoid hip surgery. I stopped doing anything but Bikram.

Again, I tried to go at least two to three times per week. Katia Riva really helped my fine tune my practice to focus primarily on my pelvic floor and strengthen the muscles that had become weak from poor form, poor alignment, and –ultimately- from not truly engaging with the instructions. When Katia moved on, I was happy to have Alex Cuervo to continue leading me down the right path and keep me challenged with her Monday intermediate classes. I am extremely relieved that they were present to keep my body moving using core strength, proper form, and alignment. My goal is always to go daily but if I just make it to the Monday class, I am grateful.

2. Can you tell us a bit about your life when you’re not doing yoga?

I love reading. I love language and the acquisition of it. I love my family and I love working with people that have similar immigrant stories as my own. I hate talking about my identity in the same breath that I discuss what I am paid to do but I suppose I will: I have worked in immigration law as a paralegal, translator, and grant writer. Sometimes all three at once.

In all three scenarios, I realized I wanted to work in education where I could give back to society without burning out completely. Thus, I became a middle school teacher in Brooklyn. I spend my free time being as patient as possible in my life so I can give some of that energy back to my extremely volatile and fragile students.

3. What skills have you learned on the mat that have been applicable to the rest of your non-yoga life?

Skills that I remember all of the time:

1) breath;

2) think about the shit you do for hours, (i.e. sit at a laptop or watching TV) you can hold this pose for a minute twice and still not fidget in between;

3) listen;

4) don’t respond to stimulus that is not important, like the sweat dripping off of your nose;

5) drink more water; and

6) be grateful you have two working legs that got you up that tall flight of stairs and to your mat.

4. Can you think of any memorable moments in life when you thought to yourself, “Wow, I’m sure glad I’ve done yoga to help me through this experience”?

When a student comes to school flipping out ready to throw desks, chairs, books, etc. Nothing tries your patience more than a child telling you to suck something.

5. How has your yoga practice evolved as your life has evolved?

I backed off. I listened to my teachers. I matured mentally and physically. There is nothing more humbling than backing off and growing stronger as a result. I try to let go of my ego every day.

6. If you could invent your own style of yoga, what would it be? (Assuming no budgetary constraints and a guaranteed target market of eager students!)

Water yoga. I really like the ocean and you come out clean-ish.

Thanks Kate!