Meet Josh Blatter | Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness Educator | Art of Balance and Mindful Being

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

Hi Josh, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I believe that one habit that has been pivotal in my career for the past 15 years in the yoga and mindfulness space is curiosity. I have always had the desire to understand more, to question the beliefs that I hold and to explore alternative perspectives. Curiosity has allowed me to acquire a wealth of knowledge in many areas of my work and to create a style and approach to the practice that is uniquely a reflection of me. It has also provided me with more of a willingness to say yes to opportunities that have been presented to me and to spend more time out of my comfort zone.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I don’t really know where to start. To be transparent, I am not the most comfortable talking about myself. I have been teaching Yoga for the past 12 years and deeply interested in the intersection of western science and the eastern traditions of Yoga and meditation. It has been a deep passion for learning which has shaped my career and opened the many directions this work has taken me. I teach group classes, work 1:1 with clients, lecture and teach online studies. I also lead international retreats, facilitate a corporate wellness program focusing on managing stress and burnout, called, “Art of Balance and Mindful Being” and developed a wellness app by the same name.

But what has shaped my career most, as of late, has been my work with an organization called, “Peace on Purpose.” For about 4 years now, we have been creating interactive programming for United Nations staff to support them with the struggles of working in humanitarian and development aid sector. Working internationally and with an incredible team of brilliant minds has been both an incredible experience and challenge like none other.

Teaching globally, especially within hardship duty stations, makes you realize the comforts that we have here in our own country and the ease of access we have to resources. We are so fortunate. Working and creating programming for an international audience changes your perspective. We must recognize the context in which we are showing up, often with lack of proper resources, and the implications of what it means to teach to a broader audience. We must consider, not just the intention of our words but the impact on the ears who receive it. We need to teach in a way which is culturally relevant, honoring others’ traditions and be as much a student, if not more, as we are a teacher. We need to be comfortable making mistakes, comfortable in uncertainty and okay with not having answers. In addition, we must hone our skills of teaching through the lenses of trauma awareness and trauma sensitivity. All these things have not just shaped my work with Peace on Purpose but how I work with others here in our community. I think this is one of the things that I hope to share most.

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.
San Diego has so much to offer that it can be a bit overwhelming. I always recommend checking out a few of the neighborhoods to get a sense of the mix this city has to offer. I recommend walking around South Park, Banker’s Hill and Balboa Park, driving up north to Solana Beach, Encinitas, and South Oceanside. If you are into the outdoors, I love Mount Laguna or Palomar Mountain.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that I could give a shout out to but I think it would be doing the most honor to recognize the practice, teachings and the yoga tradition – most notably T. Krishnamacharya, TKV Desikacar and Radha Sundararajan.

Website: http://www.joshblatter.com

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