Women In Wellness: Maya Magennis On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Move your body every day in all directions. It doesn’t have to be a formal movement practice or exercise regime, even adjusting the way that you sit periodically can have a profound impact on how your body feels long term. To the extent that it’s possible, I try to move my body every 15 minutes or so, and have been known to take conference calls while stretching or walking!
As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of Maya Magennis.
Maya Magennis is a seasoned operations executive, wellness educator, and yoga teacher. She is currently the President of YogaWorks, the world’s leading provider of online yoga classes and teacher trainings, as well as a top teacher on the YogaWorks platform. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Duke University and has received over 1,000 hours of yoga training from some of the industry’s most notable teachers.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I’ll start from the very beginning. I was born and raised on Kauai. My parents were total hippies. My mom, a massage therapist and yoga teacher, and my dad, a classical guitarist and surfer, moved to Hawaii looking for adventure and a simpler way of life. My childhood was as idyllic as you can imagine — I spent lots of time at the beach, learned to swim before I could walk, and was encouraged to explore the beauty of my surroundings. For most people in Hawaii, tourists and locals alike, Kauai is an escape, a place to get away from it all. Yet, since elementary school, all I wanted to do was escape the island. For a long time, I felt out of place. I was a geek whose passions were academics and ballet (which I studied for over 15 years). I was never drawn to the conformity and complacency that seemed to hang over the island.
My parents never pressured me to succeed, and I always dreamed of being surrounded by individuals that challenged and stimulated me. In my mind, I had more to contribute to the world than Kauai gave me the space to offer. When it came time to apply for college, I only applied to schools on the East Coast. I ended up attending Duke University sight unseen, which was my version of rebellion against my free-spirited parents. It was at Duke that I initially became interested in yoga — both the physical practice and the philosophy. Although my mom had practiced yoga around me for many years, growing up, I was resistant to it. Yoga wasn’t nearly as mainstream as it is today, and I wouldn’t be caught dead doing something that my mom did. Little did I know, that yoga would become a driving force in my future.
Post Duke, I moved to New York City to pursue a career in investment banking. Though my job left me exhausted and unhappy, I was set on making it in the finance world. I felt set for life when I started my banking career, however, after a few years, I knew I was wrong. I was clinging to an idea of success that was destroying me. Even though my health and self-esteem deteriorated, I held on to the idea that I needed to be in finance to make it in the world. In 2011, I was let go from my job, which was the proverbial blessing in disguise. I needed a break to reconnect to myself and my passions, so I enrolled in a yoga teacher training course.
While I was pursuing my training, I ended up taking a job at YogaWorks, the studio I was training at. Initially, I viewed the job as a sabbatical from “real” life and figured that after some time away I would be ready to do something more serious. It gave me time to explore teaching yoga — something I loved, but also something that required me to be vulnerable in a way that was totally scary. The universe had a different plan, and I ended up moving up the ladder at YogaWorks, got promoted, and was transferred to LA. I’ve been with YogaWorks for over 11 years now, in many different capacities. I had been teaching and leading teacher trainings for the company leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit the fitness and movement industry especially hard. Fortunately, I was still connected to several people on the business side at YogaWorks, and when the time came to rethink the brick and mortar studio business I rejoined their team and helped stand up the digital platform that exists today. We ended up successfully navigating a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and I’m proud to be leading the charge at the company today.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
I feel very fortunate that serendipity has played a big part in my career so far. Some people may call it luck or karma, either way, I recognize that the right people and situations have shown up in my life at the right time. The COVID-19 pandemic was a great example of this. Prior to the lockdowns, I had been working full-time as a yoga teacher and teacher trainer. It was a career that I thought I loved, and I had worked really hard to get to that point, but I missed using my brain in the analytic and strategic way that had been required both in my finance days and when I worked on business side of the yoga industry. When yoga studios closed, I had the opportunity to rethink how I wanted to spend my time professionally. It came with some stress about the unknown and grief about the contraction of the industry at large, but I recognized that we were headed for a new normal, and for me that meant some changes in my professional life. Fortunately, I was still connected with the then-CEO of YogaWorks, and when the time came to pivot the business from a physical studio business to an online studio, I rejoined the company to head up all things — operations and programming strategy.
It was an interesting time for anybody working in the fitness industry, and by no means to I discount the heartbreak and sadness that came with the isolation, financial hardship, and massive loss of work that many yoga teachers experienced. But I viewed the situation as an opportunity to rethink the way we did business and (potentially) set the company up for greater success. In order to do this, we had to file for bankruptcy, work with new ownership, and have continued to evolve the business model based on what is happening in the world around us. It hasn’t been easy, but as I’ve gotten more comfortable with uncertainty and developed a willingness to experiment, the more joy I’ve been able to find in my days. Ultimately, I believe that the universe works in mysterious ways, and this period of my career has proven that for me. I’ve been presented with people and opportunities that have taught me some of my greatest lessons, and this has reinforced my belief in the power of serendipity.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
This is a tricky one! I’ve made so many big mistakes over the course of my career and have learned so much in the process. One of my biggest was thinking that to be effective in my career I had to know how to do everything on my own. During my finance years, I was conditioned to ask for help as little as possible, so I became wary of asking for help at all. It didn’t serve me well, especially as my career evolved and I was repeatedly exposed to things that I had very little experience in. A certain level of professional self-sufficiency is always a good thing, but learning how to ask for help is equally as important! No matter how intelligent or experienced you are, you can’t know everything. Identifying blind spots and seeking out the expertise of others is an essential component of good leadership. I’ve learned to be gentler on myself when I don’t know things, and turn those moments into opportunities to expand my knowledge base!
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
I’m a huge believer in the value of physical wellness practices and have made it my personal mission to make yoga more accessible to people around the globe. And by yoga I don’t just mean the physical postures — I think the general population has been a bit misinformed as the practice has become more mainstream; yoga is so much more than physical exercise! Ultimately yoga is a practice of paying attention and becoming more mindful in your daily life, noticing your reactions to the things that you like and those that you don’t. In essence it’s very simple, but in practice it’s not easy! We’re all dealing with so much stimulation every day, whether in the world around us, the constant “connection” made possible by technology, or the incessant thought patterns running through our minds. Pausing and paying attention to what is happening in the here and now is such a powerful tool, it can totally change your perspective. The physical practice of yoga is a great entry point to learn to do this. By paying attention to your body, your breath, and the state of your mind you can anchor yourself in the present. The cool part is that you don’t need to do fancy poses (though those can be fun) … you don’t even need a yoga mat! At YogaWorks we have a lot of different options of yoga styles, teachers, and class durations, and maintaining that mix is an important part of our company’s mission. I want to help people understand that even a few mindful minutes a day can completely change your reality, and, in turn, have a positive ripple effect on the world around you.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
(1) Move your body every day in all directions. It doesn’t have to be a formal movement practice or exercise regime, even adjusting the way that you sit periodically can have a profound impact on how your body feels long term. To the extent that it’s possible, I try to move my body every 15 minutes or so, and have been known to take conference calls while stretching or walking!
(2) Become more mindful of your breathing patterns. Our breathing can have a really significant impact on our nervous systems, especially in moments of challenge or anxiety. Noticing your breath in certain situations is a great place to start — notice if your inhales are longer than your exhales, if you breathe through your mouth or your nose, if you subconsciously hold your breath. As you observe, slow down your breathing, with an emphasis on the exhales. To the extent that you can, breath through your nose, which will help elongate each breath and encourages proper use of your diaphragm. This can have a calming effect on your nervous system
(3) Connect to nature every day. There are recent research studies that point to the great benefits of getting outside daily. Most people live in pretty domesticated environments, especially with all of the sitting indoors that we do daily, so spending time in nature, even if only for 20–30 minutes, can have such a positive impact on our health. Public green spaces are great, or if you have access to a yard that can work, too. I try to get outside every morning (having dogs to walk helps), and have noticed that feeling the sun on my skin and air on my face is such a positive way to start the day.
(4) Stay hydrated. Many of us simply don’t drink enough water. Our bodies are seventy percent water, so not having enough water in our bodies is a big problem, even at the most basic cellular level. Dehydration can also cause fatigue, mood swings, and brain fog — no fun! A general rule of thumb is to take your weight in pounds, divide it in half, and drink that many ounces of water on a daily basis. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink at least 75 ounces of water a day. I like to keep a big bottle of water at my desk and grab for it often. There are also apps that remind you to drink water at a certain frequency, or, if you prefer to go old school, use post-it note reminders!
(5) Practice healthy boundaries, in all aspects of your life. Boundaries create trust and help build stronger relationships. If you’re a people pleaser, remember that every time you say “yes” to someone else, you may be saying “no” to yourself. This can lead to low self-esteem, excessive stress, and a host of other negative effects on your health and wellbeing. Boundaries vary from person to person, so only you know what your personal boundaries are. I often ask myself, “is this choice/relationship giving me energy or taking it away?” It’s a great way to gauge if I am putting my own sanity and success on the backburner.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I really believe that knowing how to breathe properly is a superpower, so if I could start any movement, it would be teaching people how to breathe well. The movement patterns that power our respiration can impact how we feel, think, and move, and intentionally changing the mechanics and cadence of your breathing can have a powerful influence on your entire being. If children were taught the power and importance of their breathing from a young age, they could leverage that information in all of life’s situations, contributing to a greater sense of calm, better decision making, improved sleep, and a host of other great benefits!
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
(1) Your health is the most important thing you have. Without your health, you can’t fully experience any of the positive things that happen in your life. In the early days of my career, I was willing to trade money for my time and health, which only led to feeling awful and being dissatisfied with my life. Now I make an effort to prioritize my health and well-being every day, even if that means I have to do less or disappoint others in the process. This has led me to feeling better physically and mentally, not to mention making me more productive in my professional life.
(2) There is no “right” way. Each of us has completely unique ideas and perspectives, and no one can accurately predict the future all the time. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so this was a hard thing for me to accept for a long time. I think there is comfort in thinking you know the answer or the correct path forward, but the more comfortable I’ve become with uncertainty and experimentation, the more fulfilled I’ve felt in both work and life.
(3) Trust your intuition… and use data, too. Data without intuition can be misleading, but conversely, intuition without any data can lead us astray. Both are important, and it’s essential to consider both in decision making. Data can provide facts, great insights, and validate business requirements, but it will never replace our experiences, ideas or whims. Our minds are amazing at harnessing creativity, and intuition can be the spark that leads to ideas beyond what we’ve experienced in reality. I’ve learned that there is a place for the subjective (intuition) and objective (data) in business — the combination of the two is a total superpower.
(4) As a leader, delegation is key. You can’t do it all alone, and learning how to delegate to your team is essential to maintaining your sanity, especially as a business evolves and grows. Letting go of control can feel scary, but it gives you the space and time to focus on the bigger picture.
(5) Be weird. Always be yourself, even if it means defying societal norms. We need people in the world who are individuals, who are unique, and are willing to create businesses that reflect their uniqueness. This means that your choices, hopes, and dreams only have to make sense to one person — YOU. The world wants to see and experience the real version of you, and being authentic to yourself will ultimately lead to awesome things in your life and the world.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Mental health is a cause that is so near and dear to my heart. It effects how we feel, think, act, and interact with others, and is a crucial component of better understanding our relationships with ourselves. It directly affects the choices that we make, and in that way can positively contribute to some of the other topics on this list as well. By making a concerted effort to spread mental health awareness, I believe we can de-stigmatize how we think about and approach mental health issues. This will contribute to a greater sense of acceptance of the ups and downs inherent to our humanness, which is important as we navigate stress, pressure, and the demands of life in modern day society. Yoga and present moment awareness are hugely helpful tools in supporting mental well-being and improving quality of life, and I will continue to facilitate these practices in service to all of those around me.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
Readers can follow me on Instagram @mayamagyoga and find my classes at YogaWorks.
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
Women In Wellness: Maya Magennis On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.