Meet Anna Dubrovsky | Yoga Teacher & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Dubrovsky and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
When I guide students into balance postures like Warrior 3 or Half Moon Pose, I often explain that balance is not an end goal but a lifelong practice. Some days the poses come easy. Some days it’s wobble city. What’s true on the mat is often true in life. I’ve had periods where work-life balance felt like a breeze – mostly before I had kids – and periods of draining lopsidedness. I think you’re already winning just by noticing and acknowledging where you are that day or that season of your life. If you know when to go to the wall (in your yoga practice) or ask for support (in your life), even better. When I was caring for my ailing mother before she died last year, I didn’t have the bandwidth for creative or entrepreneurial pursuits. Work-life balance was so out of reach that I didn’t even pursue it. I had to remind myself that the imbalance was temporary. The late T. K. V. Desikachar, who pioneered yoga therapy, used to tell us over and over again that “everything changes.” Such a simple mantra, but we tend to forget it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Delve is a mobile yoga studio. We offer public classes on the rooftop of The Brick Hotel in Oceanside and private classes in North County and online. I started the rooftop program in December 2022, but the idea had been brewing for a number of years. I’ve been fortunate to practice yoga in unique outdoor and semi-outdoor settings in places like Joshua Tree, coastal Mexico, and India. I wanted to have those escape-like experiences closer to home. After COVID hit, I toyed with the idea of opening an outdoor yoga studio and started eyeing vacant lots in the area. But turning a vacant lot into a haven takes a lot of money, time, and more money. I took a shortcut and pitched my idea to The Brick, which has a gorgeous rooftop bar called Cococabana. The space is everything I hoped for and more: central but secluded, ocean views, vacation vibes.

We hold classes when Cococabana is closed. Borrowing space from an existing business is cost-effective and sustainable, but an obvious downside is we can’t make our own hours. I’d love to offer more weekend and evening classes. That’s why we’re looking to add a second location in the months ahead.

We’re also planning to roll out online classes so people can practice with us wherever and whenever they like. That will force me out of my comfort zone. I’m rather camera-shy, and I’ve never courted an online audience. There’s a ton of yoga content out there, which is kind of daunting, but I look forward to the challenge of setting Delve apart.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend has in fact visited the area several times and always does the same thing: sits by our pool and enjoys the near-perfect weather. Southern California has so many natural amenities that we don’t have to go out of our way to entertain visitors. But I can usually coax her away for meals. Oceanside has so many great spots these days. I love Vigilante Coffee Company, Revolution Roasters, and Communal for espresso drinks and toasts, The Buccaneer Cafe for acai bowls on the beach, Shootz Fish & Beer for off-the-boat fish tacos, and Dija Mara for Balinese-inspired fare. Needless to say, I would take her to “Funday Flow,” my Sunday morning yoga class at Cococabana, and stay for their brunch and bottomless mimosas.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m deeply grateful to Renée Ghazi and Jennifer Lovas, my fellow yoga teachers and Delve collaborators. Our staff meetings are extremely inefficient because we’re constantly making each other laugh, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thomas Aldrich, owner of The Brick Hotel, definitely deserves a shoutout. He was immediately receptive to the idea of rooftop yoga and helps with everything from publicizing the program to moving furniture to make way for mats.

I’m also grateful to Oceanside Museum of Art for donating its space for a yoga fundraiser we’re organizing to mark International Women’s Day in March.

Website: https://www.delvetogether.com/

Instagram: delvetogether

Facebook: delvetogether

Image Credits
Becka Vance Photography Chelsea Owens The Brick Hotel