Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Jasmine Lamb.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I grew up in New York, and I was a competitive synchronized ice skater for 10 years I skated around the US and competed. It was a significant part of my life and contributed to who I am today, encouraging me to be driven and motivated when it comes to my goals which are now channeled toward my career. I attended college at the Pennsylvania state university, where I studied human development and family studies, minoring in sociology. I did research on Latinx families as well as research on mindfulness and opioid dependence. During college, my interest in researching mindfulness grew, and I also began practicing yoga and completed my yoga teacher certification. I taught participants in my research study and created a mindfulness curriculum. I also began teaching at the Bhakti Yoga Studio at State College; my love for teaching grew, as well as my love for Krishna Consciousness.
Since I was about 15, I knew I wanted to be a leader. At that time, I was my skating team’s captain and taught yoga to my peers during my high school gym time. I would hold community classes, holding community classes for all my friends to attend. Last year I decided to pursue my Ph.D., and I recently started my doctorate program at the University of Texas at Austin. I’m currently a doctoral student working on research related to race-related stressors and continuing my mindfulness work. On top of this, I do a lot of creative work. I just started my youtube channel. Since I was younger, I’ve loved to write and be creative, and I enjoy social media. I’m a social media manager, and I’ve managed holistic wellness companies, including social media management and copywriting for acupuncturists and yoga studios. I’m always seeking more clients for those services and private yoga events.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
One of the main obstacles that I’ve encountered is a recent health issue. I’ve been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition all my life, and I was constantly prescribed steroids by doctors. This eventually led me to experience a chronic disease called topical steroid withdrawal. Three years ago, I began my healing journey, it was excruciating, and I was bedridden for a long time; my mental health was suffering, and I made a choice one day that I couldn’t let this condition define me, and there was only room for growth and healing in my path moving forward. I began connecting with others dealing with the same thing and researching ways to heal myself naturally from the inside out. I began using yoga to heal and meditate daily to keep my stress levels down. I started seeing an acupuncturist and going into a cold chamber called cryotherapy. I began making ‘standing in front of red lights’ a part of my skincare routine and stocking my fridge with every fruit and vegetable I could find that I thought would be helpful for my healing. The road to recovery was not smooth at all, and there were times when I felt like I was going backward instead of forwards, but I always reminded myself that the pain is temporary. This inspired me to appreciate every moment in my life and express gratitude in ways I’ve never done before.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I mentioned this previously in the ‘my story section,’ but I am a Doctoral student studying Human Development and Family Sciences. My work is focused on minoritized populations’ experiences, race-related stress, and mindfulness. On top of that, I’m also a Trauma-Informed certified yoga teacher. I currently teach privately, one-on-one, or in small groups upon request. I love teaching yoga practices that are centered around relieving psychological distress, such as anxious or depressive symptoms as well as helping my students cope with chronic pain. Still, I’m also finding a new passion for creating YouTube videos and sharing my story and experiences with others through other social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those just starting.
One piece of advice I have for someone starting is to try to avoid having a mindset of limitation. As soon as I started battling my inner critic and normalizing saying statements such as ‘I will’ instead of ‘I want to,’ I felt like that’s when things began to change. Another piece of advice is to give yourself grace and acknowledge any emotions coming up for you at any point in your career. It’s important for your feelings to be validated, and good things don’t necessarily happen right away.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/sosoyoga?fbclid=PAAaYsu3ead-LarxYMlOIQjljQmVtXZkHuyBnn0OsL4204z_NWmXb8Gox3EeY
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/_sosoyoga_?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-jasmine-lamb-a78659220
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@sophia.jasmine
