Interview: Haley Wall

An Interview with Haley Wall

Tell me about your yoga background.

At age 16 I could say without a doubt in my mind that I hated yoga. It was just not for me. Standing here 7 years later it seems comical looking back at my previous stance on something that now makes up such a significant part of my life. It started when I moved to Toronto in 2013 to go to OCAD U. I found yoga because I was looking for something to round out my life. Two years later I was taking my first teacher training, and this upcoming fall I’ll be heading to Indonesia for my second.

What are you working on right now in your practice and/or in your life?

I am constantly trying to learn and improve the quality of work that I do no matter what it is. Currently I’m working with a fascial therapist to increase my level of anatomical knowledge and improve my approach to movement training. Additionally I have my 300-hour training coming up this fall in which I expect to learn a lot about myself as well as a load of new teaching techniques.

Are there any specific experiences that changed your direction in life?

If I were to reflect what brought me to where I am in life, I am sure there are innumerable decisions and influences that encouraged me down this path; however, there are notably a few people who gave me more than a nudge. Many of these people remain my good friends and colleagues at Iam Yoga.

What is the most important thing that you want students to learn in your classes?

What I hope for my students to learn in class is simple: be aware, be mindful, and be kind to yourself. We are creatures of habit and we spend so much of our day walking through life being oblivious to our surroundings and to our thoughts. So take this hour or these 45 minutes to open your eyes, learn about your body and your thoughts, and no matter what you realize, be kind.

Who would you cast as yourself in a movie about your life?

Easy. Scarlett Johansson. She is such a badass in Marvel movies!

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

This one is harder. I think I’d have to say myself as a 2-year-old child. Have you ever wanted to know what you were like before life happened? I think it would be interesting. Not because it would change who you are today but because maybe you would better be able to know yourself today.