Brittany Arbuckle

RYT 300hr, Yoga Sculpt 50hr

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED?
I was born and raised in rainy Salem, Oregon. I went to college in San Diego and have basically been in California since.

TELL US A BRIEF HISTORY OF YOUR PERSONAL PRACTICE
I was an athlete (tennis and soccer) my entire life and college life. I also was a competitive ballerina for many years. After college and a worn body from competitive sports, I started dabbling in different forms of yoga (Bikram, Vinyasa, and Yin)  in 2015. By 2017 I was Bikram  practicing daily and was experiencing so many gifts of the practice off the mat. It was during this time that the practice became more than the asana or the shapes my body could create, and the inner work from peace, mindfulness and freedom emotionally was transformational.

TELL US A BRIEF HISTORY OF YOUR TEACHING EXPERIENCE
When I was 14 years old I wrote a bucket list for my life consistently of 100 things I wanted to do in my life, teaching yoga was one of the bucket items. However, at the time I had neither taken nor taught a single class. Fast forward to graduating college and a masters program, I was a classroom teacher for a decade. My journey to teaching yoga was a little unconventional.  My first fitness certification training was for Inferno Hot Pilates with Gabby Walters. I immediately began teaching inferno hot teaching pilates in 2020. I then decided to complete a 200 hour  teacher training with the Foundry for vinyasa, yoga sculpt and hot power flow in 2022.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE YOGA POSE?
My favorite yoga pose, and you will find it in most all my classes, is camatkarasana (wild thing). It is a pose that requires strength and drawing energy in and through the body. I love the way it challenges the core and spine. This posture also opens the hip flexors as mine are always tight. Wild thing allows for vulnerability with exposing the heart, energizing the body and mind. It is a powerful expression in a flow sequence and I can never get enough of it.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE YOGA/SPIRITUALITY/SELF HELP BOOK?
This is such a challenging question as I have a plethora I am rotating between quiet often. I am currently re-reading the “The Untethered Soul” by Michael A. Singer and this time I am completing the accompanying journal. The book offers  powerful suggestions for freeing the mind to find peace.  It’s always an opportunity to practice the process of Gyana, the yoga of the Intellect to become closer to God (higher power, universe, Source, whatever your chosen name may be).

ANY ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS?
I would say this is a practice, not a performance. Recognize your growth in all areas- not just the physical, but also the mental, emotional and spiritual realms. And, drink lots of water!

WHAT DOES “COMMUNITY” MEAN TO YOU?
Community means to be apart of and share on the entire journey. To become vulnerable, share the struggles and celebrate the victories alongside one another. It means connection and compassion.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT VENTURA?
 I love the consistent weather and the agriculture. Having grown up in the rain, I appreciate the sunshine and 70’s majority of the year. I also love all the fresh fruits and vegetables we have access to living in Ventura County.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION?
My favorite non-profit organization would have to be Arts Ventura. Coming My favorite non-profit organization is The Abundant Table. It is an organization dedicated to bringing food justice to our area. They have a lot of amazing programs, including farm and food education and farmer in the classroom.