What do you do?
Pat Gulya
Where do you work and what is your title? Owner and yoga teacher at Dancing Hearts Studio LLC. My “title” is president (of course, I’m the janitor, too.) What do you do there and/or what are you responsible for? I teach yoga classes and coordinate the activities at the studio, and I am responsible for advertising, keeping books and anything else that comes up. How long have you been doing this kind of work (total)? How long on the Westside? I have been in the field of education for 20 years. I’ve taught yoga for two years and have been practicing it for over 30 years. My LLC/ president responsibilities are new. One of my favorite quotes is by Nashti: “If you love what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life.” Dancing Hearts Studio opened in August. I’ve lived on the Westside since the 1950s. What do you like best about it (other than quitting time)? The best thing about teaching yoga is watching the students relax, become more flexible and comfortable with the poses and accept themselves. Having a cozy permanent studio with a built-in sound system is a tremendous asset. If you could change one thing (other than pay), what would it be? Part of my job is to educate people about how yoga practice can improve their lives, but first they have to show up for class or visit the studio. So what I would change is the reluctance of people to attend yoga classes. Gentle hatha yoga is good for everyone. What part of your work did your training/education never prepare you for? Recruitment, I thought that when people heard that we offer free introductory classes that they would flock here, but they haven’t. After three months, the classes are still small. What makes working on the Westside special? Being able to check out the mountains any time of the day or night is centering. I love the intimate, small-town feeling of the Westside. I like the big trees and the mixture of old and new buildings. I frequently stumble across memories and often run into old friends. “What do you do?” is a regular feature in the Westside Pioneer. If you know someone who has an interesting job on the Westside (but doesn’t live here), he/she might be a candidate for this column! If you know someone who might qualify, give us a call at 471-6776. |
![]() |