“

Yoga has completely transformed my life. It’s now my lifestyle.

“

MacKenzie is a certified personal trainer, international yoga instructor and lover of travel. Her teaching combines the thorough understanding of alignment and anatomy with the joy of balance and movement. You can find her at @mackenzieyoga popping into yoga poses worldwide.
Website: www.mackenzieyoga.com

Below is a Q&A with Mackenzie Miller and Stark Photography.

SP: What got you into yoga?

MM: Post college, when I was pushing papers at my corporate gig, I used yoga as a midday break. The company I worked for encouraged a healthy lifestyle, so if you worked out at lunch, you got a longer lunch break. This meant you could find me at the gym in every class offered at noon. After a while my instructor urged me to try yoga outside of my gym. She brought me to a class at Yoga Works and I fell in love. I started practicing every day.

SP: How has it changed you personally and professionally?

MM: Yoga has completely transformed my life because it’s now my lifestyle. What started as a good physical workout and stretching activity has now turned into my full-time job and made me a better version of myself. Yoga has this way of creating positive shifts within your life without you being aware of them happening. It’s quite a magical practice.

[flo_image_text image_url=”http://starkportraits.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/mackenzie_miller_yoga_athlete_professional_branding008.jpg” img_position=”left” img_width=”50″ ]

“

Presenting aesthetically pleasing photos is an important part of my brand.

“

[/flo_image_text]

SP: How has the transition been moving from the Pacific NW to Socal? Pros and Cons for both.

MM: I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the move from Seattle to Los Angeles ended up being harder on me than I could have ever imagined.

Upon arriving in LA, a city I had previously lived in for 7 years and still had friends in, I felt very alone. It was a dark time in my life. I was at a complete loss of a personal and professional community. It took time to rebuild that, since I travel so frequently. My yoga practice kept me grounded throughout those hard months.

Now that it’s been almost a year of living in LA, I feel really great about the move. My #LAtribe is super supportive. Every Monday, we meet and walk down to the beach for a group meditation. I’ve been able to organize Saturday night flow classes, which serve as a way to have fun on the weekend and meet other likeminded people.

Moving to LA has allowed me the ability to really focus on building a community of people who want to elevate each other and positively effect the world. Everyone who knows me well knows my heart will always belong to Seattle though.

[flo_image_text image_url=”http://starkportraits.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/mackenzie_miller_yoga_athlete_professional_branding002.jpg” img_position=”right” img_width=”50″ ]

SP: How important are professional photos for branding yourself as a yogi?

To me, it matters. I come across a lot of “popular” Instagram accounts that have very professional photos, but on the flip side there are others where their photos are taken in their living rooms with their iPhone.

When my account started growing I realized that it was time to brand myself and presenting aesthetically pleasing photos was an important part of that brand.

Working with professional photographers also has allowed me a creative outlet. There’s something so special when a yogi and photographer click.

That being said, there are many successful teachers who do not use the power of social media and photographs to increase their presence and success.

I believe that we are all on our own journey and what is most important is that you find what works best for you and serves you as an individual.

[/flo_image_text]