13-Year-Old Certified Yoga Teacher, Natalie Asatryan, Shows Yoga Is For Everyone

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When one thinks of yoga, a young, fit person holding a head stand pose may come to mind. Contrary to that vision, yoga can be for all ages and fitness levels. Natalie Asatryan, America’s youngest certified female yoga instructor, proves that to be true.

From her recent yoga classes with children ages 6-12 at Camp Helping Hands, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit dedicated to getting children involved in their community through service-learning projects and field trips, to her fall yoga class with seniors at The Village in Northridge, California, Asatryan illustrates yoga is for everyone.

Asatryan says, “Teaching the kids at Camp Helping Hands was especially dear to me because I got to share yoga with children who were about the same age as me when I started taking yoga classes. It’s a day I will never forget.”

In addition to excelling at teaching the youth, Asatryan is skilled at providing modifications to fit a variety of students’ abilities and incorporates meditation and breathing exercises into her classes. One of the seniors in Asatryan’s class at The Village said, “I attended several yoga classes before, but each time I was unable to participate because I could not hold the poses. Natalie provided modifications for every exercise, and she made yoga accessible to everyone in the class.”

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One of Asatryan’s biggest inspirations is the yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch who demonstrates that yoga is beneficial during all stages of life. At 100 years old, Porchon-Lynch continues to travel the world and share her wisdom and love of yoga with others. Asatryan shares, “Tao is the most inspiring person I’ve ever met, and she encourages me to spread the benefits of yoga with as many people as possible.”

Through her commitment and respect for yoga and the community, Asatryan is a blessing to many. In addition to her service in Los Angeles, Asatryan recently taught a yoga class to about 100 students with the Urban Yoga Foundation in the New York City area and is helping to build a school and support a village in Kenya with the Unstoppable Foundation (http://www.myunstoppablechallenge.org/stellaandnatalie). Through her local, national and international contributions, Natalie continues to share her gifts and talents to make a positive impact around the world.