FitQueenIrene

Train with Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene Online today and become a Yoga Teacher this year

Irene believes that yoga can be a powerful tool for transformation

“My journey started in the gym, where I spent several years working out obsessively and counting every calorie. I was convinced that if I could work out enough to have the perfect body, I would be happy. Instead I felt even more lost. In 2012 I found yoga,” - Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene

I still love intense yoga practice but more importantly I have learned to value being a good person over being good at yoga asanas

As a lover of movement, I am passionate about my practice. I have studied Ashtanga Yoga, Rocket Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and various styles of Vinyasa Yoga. Being curious about the physical body has also taken me off the mat to study with hand balancers, circus performers, movement artists and contortionists to expand my knowledge and explore the capabilities of my body. - Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene

Come practice with me LIVE. Join our other students in class right now.

“After experiencing a life changing wrist injury I completely redefined my yoga practice in many ways, placing more emphasis on a strong foundation and finding gratitude for my body with or without advanced asana. All levels are welcome to join any and all of my online yoga classes.” - Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene

I hope that you will come check us out!

Find out more about our studios offerings below:

Our 200 HR Online Yoga Teacher Training

Global Online Yoga Studio Monthly Class Pass

Irene Pappas Practicing Yoga

Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene teaches and lectures LIVE each week in our online global studio classes. With a curriculum that dives into cultural appropriation, religion, and body inclusivity, among other crucial topics, and encourages deep self-reflection, she's working to educate others holistically on the ancient practice and guide them through how to teach yoga in today's world.

Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene

answers a few questions about her practice below

What has been the most difficult obstacle in your yoga practice and how did you overcome it?

“If you had asked me this question a year ago, without a doubt I would have said overcoming my wrist injury. But now, I am facing a different challenge. I am finding my voice to speak on things that matter, but it may turn some people away. I am not as focused on being a popular yoga teacher, and I am allowing myself the freedom to become someone new. I have had to realize that I am constantly shifting and changing both as a person and based on my environment. And I truly do believe that change is good, especially if I am not quite sure what is happening next. So I guess you could say I am still overcoming it!” - Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene

Walk us through what one of these trainings looks like.

“What I believe sets our trainings apart is how we apply the study of yoga and yogic tradition to the modern world. This means our trainings are not just about becoming safe and educated yoga teachers, but also about becoming a better person by talking about uncomfortable topics that we can sometimes ignore. Our lectures and guest teachers cover subjects like what it means to culturally appropriate, how yoga can be exclusive, colonization within a historical context, and how to create a safe space that is welcoming to all people from different backgrounds and bodies. We discuss religion, politics, body inclusivity, gender, racism, and sexism, and how all of these things are relevant to becoming a yoga teacher.” - Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene

How did you get into yoga?

“I first found yoga at Gold's Gym when I was 21. My mom had been teaching yoga for around three years before that, but I was never interested in it—I always thought it was too slow and boring. Around this time I was obsessed with working out in the gym and had convinced myself that if I could work out enough to get the "perfect" body, I would be happy. After a few years of counting calories and working out incessantly, without really knowing it I was looking for something more fulfilling. When I was working out at the gym one day, I met Carson Calhoun, who was doing some really crazy yoga transitions that caught my eye. I took his class that night and haven't looked back since.”

- Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene

“Over the past 8 years I have often been asked if I do anything other than yoga asana..

to train my body. And the answer to that question can greatly vary depending on when you ask me. Of course, like all of us, it depends on what is going on in my life. When I very first started practicing yoga, I was going to the gym every day. Eventually I started going to yoga more and the gym less. Fast forward to 2018- we opened our studio, Bodhi Movement Boulder, and I almost solely practiced yoga for the first 4 months after we opened. Now that things have settled down and we have been open for a little longer, I have been more consistent with other activities in my routine. “

- Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene

“When I first started practicing yoga I was flexible in my joints but not particularly flexible in my muscles. I had always known I was at least somewhat double-jointed/hyper mobile (I used to bend my fingers all the way back to touch the back of my hand…) but I had no idea how that would affect my yoga practice. I also didn’t care much about sustainability of practice, I just wasn’t thinking about that yet.”

- Irene Pappas @fitqueenirene

Train with @fitqueenirene

Irene Pappas teaches in the 200HR Online Yoga Teacher Training & in our Online Monthly Studio