Meet Yoga Teacher: Catherine Haut

This week we’re grateful to catch up with yoga teacher and beautiful human, Catherine Haut. Yoga Trade and the Yoga Farm brought us together and we love to bear witness to her blossoming and becoming! Here we get a glimpse of Catherine’s story and learn about her passion for mini yoga and her current offerings.

How did you begin on the path of yoga?

I began to practice yoga ten years ago when I was running competitively. In the beginning, I was drawn to vinyasa yoga by the blend of athleticism and grace that complimented my background in ballet and track & field. When I stopped running competitively, I dove into yoga with a new excitement and curiosity. What I found was a way of moving that was softer and allowed for more creativity than ballet or running had. Most importantly, I found a philosophy that gave me the tools to find greater peace, balance, and vitality. Inspired by changes I was discovering in my own life, I decided to deepen my practice so that I could share yoga with others.

In 2018, I trained at the Nexus Institute for Yoga & Wellness in Nosara, Costa Rica and received my certification as a 200-Hour RYT. In 2021, I completed my 300-Hour Advanced Yoga Educator certification with Nexus.

What have been some of your biggest life turning points?

One big turning point for me was the moment I left my job in Boston to pursue yoga full time. For years, I had dreamt of dedicating myself to yoga. When I think back to that time, I can still feel the tingles of nervous excitement AND the deep knowing I was stepping into a life of greater alignment.

Another important turning point for me was in March 2020, when I decided to not take the last flight out of Costa Rica. It was a moment of great uncertainty, and initially, I imagined that maybe it would be best for me to fly home and get cozy on parent’s couch. Instead, I stayed in Costa Rica and spent the first months of the pandemic at the Yoga Farm, teaching yoga and learning about tropical permaculture. This experience empowered me to continue to develop as a teacher. This decision to stay also dramatically impacted my life path: I loved my three months at the Yoga Farm so much that I continued to live in Costa Rica for much of the next two years.

How has yoga and the Yoga Trade community changed your life?

It was through Yoga Trade that I was able to start my travel-teaching journey in Costa Rica. Yoga Trade connected me to the Yoga Farm, which was a warm, wonderful place to begin. I was able to teach and dedicate myself to study — diving deep into a new chapter of my life. I loved getting to connect with like-minded people and the raw, beautiful nature of Southern Costa Rica. The three months I spent at the Yoga Farm were truly transformative. Almost like transforming in a jungle cocoon, I emerged an evolved version of myself: more confident, more vibrant, more connected to my purpose and vision. I’ll be forever grateful to Yoga Trade for opening the door to a new life to me!

What is “mini yoga” and when and why did you start teaching it?

I use the term “mini yoga” to describe tiny yoga practices that take 5 minutes or less. I developed this method of practice through personal experience and my work with private clients.

We all know the feeling: You take an asana class early in the morning and practically float out the door. But a lot of times, the yoga glow doesn’t last all day. An hour after class, you find yourself irritated, anxious, or stressed. This is the moment we need yoga the most, yet many people think that they’ve already “done their yoga” for the day.

It’s in this moment of imbalance, when we’re feeling disconnected from our natural vital energy, that we need yoga the most.

I started creating and recording little practices for my clients to use whenever they needed a simple way to reset or refresh. Eventually, I started a collection of yoga minis for my community. The collection is called Pause, and I add a new video each week (If you want to check it out, here’s the link to join us!).

Can you share some simple mini yoga techniques that folks can integrate into daily life?

Yes! Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Lengthen your exhale — so your exhale is twice as long as your inhale. The extended exhale stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest) shifting you out of acute stress and closer to a calm, steady state. You can practice this one anytime! It works great to calm yourself down before or even during an important conversation or when you feel yourself slip into overwhelm.

2. While you wait — (for a ZOOM meeting to start, for a friend to arrive to the coffee shop, etc.) come to the edge of your seat, tilt your pelvis forward, ground down through your feet, soften your forehead, and imagine breathing through your ears. You’ll automatically relax your whole face, which signals to the body that everything is okay. Breathe softly, and enjoy a tiny rest.

3. Standing downward dog — you can use your chair or the wall to access downward dog anywhere you are. Here’s a guided video of the posture.

Do you have any other upcoming offerings or events?

Yes! My signature program, Well All Day empowers you to develop a daily yoga — so you feel good in your body and connected to your calm, all day long. The next program runs April 30 – June 4. You can get all the details here.

I’m also leading a retreat to Iceland this summer. This retreat is an exploration of contrasts: fire and ice, movement and meditation, adventure and rest. We’ll start every morning with an energetic vinyasa practice, embark on epic excursions during the day, and close every evening with a restorative + Yoga Nidra practice. Together, we’ll navigate the polarities of Iceland, and you’ll learn how to inhabit the middle space, the place of sustainable wellness. You’ll return home with tools to help you continue to feel whole, vibrant, and connected — a new set of yoga practices, fresh perspective, and a better understanding and appreciation of your inner landscape. Get all the Iceland details here.

What is one of your favorite yoga books?

I love T. K. V. Desikachar’s “The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice.” This book beautifully weaves together the study of asana, pranayama, and the Yoga Sutras into a digestible and inspiring book. Desikachar’s emphasis on identifying the specific needs of each individual has been very influential on my work with my private clients.

Catherine's mission is to empower others to people feel good in their bodies and connected to their calm, all day long. She leads a 6-week group program called "Well All Day," teaches Vinyasa, Restorative, and Yoga Nidra, works with private clients, and leads international wellness retreats. Catherine trained for her 200HR and 300HR certifications at the Nexus Institute for Yoga & Wellness in Costa Rica.

catherinehaut.com

Tags: Tags: living yoga, mini yoga, yoga story, yoga teacher, yoga trade

Posted By

Yoga Trade

You might also like...

Meet Yoga Teacher: Catherine Haut

April 20, 2023

This week we’re grateful to catch up with yoga teacher and beautiful human, Catherine Haut. Yoga Trade and the Yoga Farm brought us together and we love to bear witness to her blossoming and becoming! Here we get a glimpse of Catherine’s story and learn about her passion for mini…

Yoga Writing and Slow Travel: Ely Bakouche

May 5, 2021

We connected with Ely Bakouche several years ago through the platform she helped co found; Shut Up & Yoga. We continue to be super inspired by the approach and creativity of this digital magazine and love Ely’s perspective on yoga writing, travel, and life. Here, with catch up with Ely…

Creatrix Spotlight: SunseekCo Saanti

April 21, 2021

We met Saanti (founder of SunseekCo) this year in Costa Rica while she was working with Surf With Amigas. We love her enthusiasm for life, her handmade swimwear, and the serendipitous moment of learning that she has been a Yoga Trade member for years. Here we catch up with Saanti…

Yoga Philosophy as a Path of Self-Realization in the Real World

July 10, 2020

Yoga has been my exercise, hobby, and side-gig for nearly my entire adult life. Through cross-planet moves, falling in love and getting my heart broken, a global pandemic (say what?!), losing loved ones and jobs, career changes, and quarter life crises — yoga has been there every step of the…

Join Us

Yoga Trade Membership

Connect with worldwide wellness opportunities and transformative ways to travel, work, live, and learn.

Membership