Brett Larkin
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Brett teaches to a global audience where her classes are streamed for over 4 million minutes each month. She offers yoga and meditation as a tool to ignite your best life and open into your full potential.
Her students hail her precise cues, compassionate support and warm sense of humor.
She has twenty-five years of ballet and modern dance training, and is Ballet Barre certified.
Brett is also a Massage Therapist specializing in myofascial release and unwinding.
In her IT career, Brett created movement and dance videogames.
She co-founded and sold two successful health & wellness businesses before developing Uplifted™ Yoga. She’s taught yoga in studios and at Silicon Valley’s hottest companies. In 2016, she won Youtube’s NextUp award as one of the top emerging yoga channels on Youtube. She holds a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?
Journaling on a consistent basis. Creating space for myself every morning and night to write down my thoughts, affirmations, manifestations… you name it… has been a lifesaver in times of great stress.
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favourite failure” of yours?
I’ve had so many “failures” - but at the end of the day I’m more grateful for them than anything else, because that’s when I’ve learned the most! At one point, I tried creating a yoga wedding course that was meant to help brides deal with the stress of their big day. It was a massive flop! But I didn’t let that failure stop me - I had no shortage of ideas. I just kept trying them, sticking with the ones that worked and letting go of the ones that didn’t.
What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?
I would say the investment of time and energy I put into my YouTube channel back before my business really took off. Once I realized that I had a platform to share my yoga (and where people actually cared!) I put all of my extra effort, nights and weekends, to create content that is still serving me today. The secret was that I loved it so much, it didn't feel like work!
Do you think there is any trait that all exercise practitioners share?
I don’t know about all exercise practitioners, but I would say that I believe that all good exercise practitioners share the gift of patience. Patience with their own practice, as well as patience with those around them - especially as teachers.
What advice would you give to people wanting to start pilates or yoga?
Stop thinking about it, and get started! Don’t not do something or take action because you’re afraid that you’re too late, or that too many other people are already doing it. You’re not too late, and no one is doing it like you will.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I don’t know if this counts because I’ve already “attempted” it - but I am a huge tech nerd and absolutely love the tech industry. I used to work in video games, specifically back when there was a push for movement based games (think Dance, Dance, Revolution!) I’ve definitely found my calling with yoga, but I’m still in touch with that part of myself that loves tech.
What is a 'hack' you have for success that most people don't know about?
Don’t underestimate the power of email marketing, especially in terms of getting personal with your audience. They want to get to know you, and they want to hear from you. Will you get unsubscribes? Absolutely. With every email. But you will also build strength and trust in your community, and in your die hard fans. And those are the people you need to put your energy towards.
How would you describe pilates/yoga in 1 word?
Breath.
What's your favourite colour?
A beautiful, shimmering gold.
What's your favourite holiday destination?
Anywhere that I can be close to the water. I’m obsessed with the beach!
What's something exciting you're currently working on/learning that only a few people know about?
I’m actually deep in the process of creating a brand new course all about Kundalini yoga! It’s called Kundalini Demystified and will be available very soon.
What are you NOT Very Good at?
Taking time away from work. It’s hard, because when you love what you do, you never want to stop! Once in a while I have to remind myself to give more time and energy into the other areas of my life.
Most satisfying experience practicing yoga/pilates?
Every time I graduate another set of students from one of my teacher training programs, I am overwhelmed with pride and gratitude for what I do. It gets more and more satisfying every time, I swear!
Most embarrassing experience practicing yoga/pilates?
The first time I practiced Kundalini yoga, I HATED it! Today, it's my truest yoga love - but it took a while to get to that point. I was so mad after my first class, I ran out of the studio so I wouldn't have to talk to the teacher! I undestood so little about it at the time, and I look back on that jounrey and just have to laugh.
What are your biggest pet peeves about the culture/community of your chosen practice?
My biggest pet peeve about the yoga community is the overarching belief that you have to be poor in order to be a yogi or be spiritual. So many aspiring yoga teachers are held back by this deeply ingrained belief that they can’t make a good living helping others and sharing what they love (it just isn’t true!) I used to have those self-limiting beliefs, as well as a scarcity mentality around earning money as a healer. Working to undo this scarcity mindset, as well as confidence building, is something we work on specifically in my 300-hour training.
What is your favourite thing about the culture and community of your chosen practice?
My favorite thing about the yoga community is - well - the community! In my expeirence, yogis are so supportive of one another, and are always willing to share their knowledge and help one another succeed. It's a positive, vibrant culture that I am so honored to be a part of.
Do you tend to use a lot of different equipment when you practice?
Honestly, not really. Of course there are yoga poses that can be enhanced in some way with blocks, bolsters, and straps - but you really don’t NEED all of those things to cultivate a successful practice. I love using blocks, and sitting on a bolster. But in my videos, I often try to stay away from a lot of props to make sure the class is accessible to anyone.