Amanda Huggins rolls up to our coffee date on her millennial pink Vespa, which instantly makes me like her. Anyone who’s ballsy enough to rock a scooter in LA traffic has some serious confidence (and driving skills).
That badass confidence with a girly vibe is what Huggins is all about. Known as @TheFeistyYogi on Instagram, Huggins works a full-time job at a tech startup by day and teaches yoga by night, all the while sharing her empowering message with her growing tribe of followers on the ‘gram and IRL.
Take a swipe through her grid and you’ll get why she’s racked up quite a following—Huggins is honest, authentic, and really freakin’ funny. Some yoga “inspo” accounts can feel a little earnest, and honestly a little bogus. But on @TheFeistyYogi, Huggins keeps it real. We sat down with the LA-based yoga teacher for this week’s Fitness Citizen.
ICE BREAKERS
Born and raised: Metuchen, NJ
Currently living: Santa Monica, CA!
Known for: Or known as, The Feisty Yogi. I’m a yoga + meditation teacher, writer, and internet friend. 😉
Your personal motto: Live feisty. Love deeper. Be a badass.
Success is: The pure ability to tune into yourself. Those moments where you can identify not what you want, but what you need…and honor that calling, whatever it is. Listening to yourself—that’s success.
Advice I would give to my 20-year-old self: Oh, honey. You are capable of so much more than you realize—just be a little bit nicer to yourself.
People are surprised that I: Have just a teeeeensy bit of road rage 😉 I’m zen AF 99.99% of the time, but LA traffic has a way of really hitting one of my trigger points. Ha!
The biggest risk I’ve taken that actually paid off: Diving into yoga teacher training. I toyed with the idea for a while, but never too seriously—after moving to a new city and starting a new office job, the price tag & time were big deterrents at first. One day, I was sitting in class and the teacher—who, at the time was just a stranger—announced that his next training had a few spots left. It was kind of spontaneous, but I thought—what the hell—and signed up. Years later, that “stranger” of a teacher, Dan Ward, is a dear friend, mentor, and ultimately the one who set me off running on my current path.
I’m most proud of: Exactly where I am right now: happy, connected, and receptive.
My most used emoji is:💛, with a little ✨ sprinkled in there
IRL
Wake up time: 5:00AM most days. I’m not going to lie – it really sucked to get into the groove, but now that I’ve trained myself, it’s awesome to have a few extra hours of solitude in the AM.
Morning ritual: Every morning, I wake up and make breakfast (either Bulletproof coffee, or avocado toast—such a millennial ;). While I eat, I have a 20-30 minute block set aside for journaling. It always starts with gratitude writing, but then I’ll veer off into anything else on my mind. I always, always end with an affirmation or mantra that I’ll carry with me throughout the day—this week, the mantra is simple: So hum. I am worthy, I am vibrant, I am enough.
Healthy meal/snack that’s $$$ but worth it: This is the hardest question I’ve answered so far. I actually like to make my own snacks at home and am obsessed with finding mindful, quality products—which admittedly, can get costly—but the quality is so, so worth it for me. I am OBSESSED with Philosophie Love’s Green Dream coconut butter—it’s jam-packed with good-for-you superfoods, tastes delicious, and is so, so versatile (not gonna lie though, most of the time I just spoon it out of the jar.)
Last thing I do before bed: I wish I could say I meditated gently until I drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep…but the reality is, sometimes I’m running around like a madwoman, and that doesn’t happen.
Guilty pleasure: I don’t really believe in “guilty” pleasures, but Eating Evolved’s Coconut Butter Cups are so good, it makes me feel like I’m doing something very, very wrong.
3 things vital to my day: Sweat, mindfulness, connecting with other peeps!
Juice: Nekter’s Toxin Flush is my go-to. Coffee, Bulletproof. Gimme all the butter, baby.
Website I check religiously: AstrologyZone.com – Susan Miller is an astrological goddess, and I LIVE for her monthly analysis.
Favorite place to sweat: I like to studio hop…but lately I’ve been really into Y7. Something about the dark lights and loud music lets me totally drop in.
WARDROBE
Bra: NO BRA, literally whenever possible.
Leggings: I really, really love Girlfriend Collective; their leggings fit like a glove, and they have a great brand message.
Shoes: Also no shoes. Ever. I almost called my Instagram “DirtyFeetYoga” because I’m barefoot all time time.
Sunglasses: I pay a monthly visit to the Venice Boardwalk to snag some cheap shades…I can’t keep a pair for longer than a few weeks!
Store: House of Intuition on Melrose. Ob-sessed.
New season must-have: Do new crystals (for new moon phases) count? 😉
CULTURE AND TECH
App: Audible. E-Books for LIFE
Website: Honestly, I’m still such a Pinterest girl. It’s still the best place to get creative inspiration, whether it’s for design, tattoos, or even yoga.
Binge watch: Black Mirror. It’s super dark, but it’s a brilliant show. For those times when I’m not in the mood to think? NEW GIRL. All day, every day.
Instagram stalk: My best friend, @itscalledbalance. Usually I’m with her when she’s making her tasty little creations, but I stalk to see if she’s tried any new recipes without me (and then I promptly go over to her house and demand she feeds me).
Album love: London Grammar’s new album, Truth is a Beautiful Thing. I play them in class all the time—so perfect for juicy flows.
WHERE CAN WE E-STALK YOU?
Website: www.thefeistyyogi.com
Instagram: instagram.com/thefeistyyogi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandahugyoga/
