Founder Spotlight w/Carol
Carol Grimes is Adosa’s Founder
A favorite pose: I’ve been loving all the hand mudra practices right now — it’s been fun to incorporate them into my yoga classes.
A favorite book or poem: A poem I love is “Matins” by John O’Donohue. And I just finished reading “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert, which is about embracing the magic of creativity.
A favorite mindfulness moment in your day: Margo (my cat) loves to perch on the back of the easy chair while I’m reading or meditating in the mornings or evenings. She snuggles up to the back of my head and purrs. It’s very wonderful.
Tell us a little bit about yourself: I live a simple, quiet life in Portland, OR. I used to love and live for travel, but the past few years I have found beauty and peace in staying close to home, spending more time with friends and family, and putting my energy into nurturing Adosa.
When and why did you become a teacher: In 2014 I took a yoga teacher training to deepen my knowledge of yoga. At the end of the training I received a very clear calling to teach, and I’m so glad I had the courage to follow that calling! I seek to frequently expand my teaching skills through new trainings and courses, and I share everything I can with my students. I’m extremely grateful for the support of my family and the students that allow me to continue on this path.
What do you love about teaching at Adosa Wellness: I can’t help it — I think we have the best students in the entire world. They are so kind, appreciative, and dedicated to their practice — it makes it very easy to love teaching and to love the community. Of course, our teaching staff is also exceptional. To be able to work with teachers who are not only experts in their craft, but are also reliable, communicative, and supportive is a privilege. Overall, I feel extremely fortunate.
How do you make your Adosa classes accessible to students of varying ability: I give progressive modifications for many poses, meaning we begin with a simple version of the pose, and then you have the option of staying with that version, or moving into the next variation of the pose. I like to remind my students that true yoga is the ability to check in with your body and modify for yourself on any given day. It’s not always about doing what the teacher says, but rather respecting your limits and following your intuition.
What made you want to become the Founder of a new studio: When I envisioned the possibility of starting my own studio, I wanted to create a community-based model of accessibility and inclusivity. Additionally, I had a vision of prioritizing the health and well-being of my teachers as much as my students, which also just felt like the obvious way to create an empowered, authentic, and sustainable business model. After seeing the heartbreak of so many studios struggle and close their doors during the pandemic, I decided that an online studio was the best way to get started.
How do you see Adosa growing: Well, we just turned one year old in January 2023, so we are still very new and growing! This year we plan to hire 2 new livestream teachers and 3 new on-demand guest teachers to help grow our staff and membership community. We also plan to launch 2 new specialized courses and start scouting retreat locations for 2024. Some of our other priorities are to strengthen inclusivity, diversity and accessibility at Adosa, and we hope to see folks join our livestream and on-demand classes from all across the country and beyond.
What are the most important values you hope to pass on to your students: Be kind to your body, be kind to yourself. All of the poses, the breathing, the philosophy of yoga are designed to help you explore and go deeper within, and to help you truly come home to yourself with full acceptance and love. I want my students to realize, with certainty, that the wisest and truest of teachers is in their own heart.
Carol Grimes is the Founder and Director of Adosa Wellness
Sign up for the Free 4-Day Journey to the Light to listen to Carol read her favorite poem