Today we’d like to introduce you to Alissa Kepas.
Hi Alissa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I saw my first yoga pose in person my senior year of high school while on a field trip to the Spanish Fork Krishna temple. This was in the early 2000’s before social media, the internet, and yoga scene boomed and to be quite honest I was amazed. After seeing this posture, tittibhasana, in person I knew I wanted to learn yoga postures. I found the one yoga studio in town It’s Yoga and signed up to take classes that month.
I practiced yoga casually and by casual I mean Rocket Yoga and traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, which looking back are more physically rigorous practices, but I didn’t know there were even different ways or lineages of yoga back then. I would go to class dressed in my pajamas with the intention to find some sort of calm, relaxation by the end of my class experience.
After the birth of my oldest daughter I got serious about my practice and took my first of many yoga teacher trainings. That course changed the trajectory of my life in the best way possible for me.
I soon after went through a divorce, began to lean into my practice more than ever. I began traveling across the country and world to take advanced yoga courses from some of the most well known gurus, accidentally became a yoga influencer for one of the biggest yoga brands (I say accidentally because influencers weren’t a “thing” in the beginning of social media), and eventually began my own yoga school, Inner Peace Yoga School, where I teach people how to teach Vinyasa , Hatha, Kundalini, and even Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga.
I don’t say this lightly when I share that yoga saved my life. I had a period of time during this whirlwind of a journey where I could barely leave my house because I was having debilitating panic attacks, I was doing all the “right” things: therapy, exercise, etc., but during that time period it was the practice of kundalini yoga specifically Kirtan Kriya that helped me break the destructive loops my brain was getting stuck in—this is not medical advice, it is simply my experience and what gave me my life back.
At this point, I’ve been married to the love of my life for a decade, practicing yoga for 23 years, teaching yoga for 17 years, and have two more young children. Outside my home life and personal yoga / meditation practices being able to share my passion for yoga and meditation is one of my greatest joys. I specifically love to teach future teachers and watch them shine as professionals in the wellness, gym, studio, and public spaces where they share their gifts with others everyday.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are always struggles most of mine were working through my own anxiety to be able to show up authentically.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Inner Peace Yoga School ?
We teach future yoga teachers how to design and teach vinyasa yoga classes as themselves not just copying a sequence or style of their teacher. We teach them how to intelligently create vinyasa yoga sequences that are empowering physically, mentally, and emotionally for their students.
We also have advanced certifications in Hatha Yoga and Kundalini Yoga.
We are different in that we empower our trainees to be great and flourish outside of training with a solid foundation, understanding, and respect for yoga tradition.
I personally am most proud of our successful instructors that have gone on to become leaders in the Utah (and beyond) yoga scene. Their success brings me joy!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I have always been outgoing , smiley, and had a passion for movement and spirituality. Have always been sensitive and have learned through my life experience how that is a personal strength not defect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.innerpeaceyogaschool.com/
- Instagram: @alissayoga @innerpeaceyogaschool
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@alissakepasyoga?si=G-u_jigN5ECgcyMC
