
Claire Wagner: Yoga Teaches Us Empathy
After living the life of a popular yoga teacher and studio manager in NYC, a relocation to the countryside taught her crucial life lessons.
Born in Colorado, Claire Wagner got her first taste of yoga in high school and found herself more than a little intrigued. At college in East Carolina, she took her first official yoga class and knew right away that she wanted to become a teacher.
After graduation, she moved New York City and during her first few years there deepened her yoga practice. Eventually, she was certified at Yoga Vida NYC, partook in their mentorship program, and started teaching there. Later, the couple moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and the experience gave Claire valuable perspectives on life.
Claire’s journey has continued to unfold since. She graciously agreed to allow me to interview her so that we could learn more.
How did you first discover yoga?

I first found yoga when I was nineteen. My dog had just died and I was distraught. My parents kept telling me “You’ll love yoga.” And of course at that age I was just like, “Yeah, whatever. I don’t want to hang out with you guys.” But they made me go to yoga with them, and I remember during the middle of the practice I just started crying, and the instructor held my head during Shavasana (Corpse Pose).
But I didn’t really get into yoga until I was in college. During my senior year we had to take a physical fitness credit in order to graduate. I thought, “Oh, I’ll take yoga — that’ll be easy. I’m already doing ballet five times a week.”
I figured yoga would help me stretch for my dancing, and I ended up falling in love with it on day one. I went home after my first week of class and told my boyfriend at the time, “I’m doing this to be a yoga teacher.” He said, “No, you’re getting your acting degree, we’re moving to New York, and this is our plan.”
So, that’s what we did. We lived in New York and I had my yoga practice, but after trying to be an actor for four years, I was done. I didn’t want to act anymore. I still wanted to be a yoga teacher, so that’s what I did.
What inspired you to teach?

I was obsessed with the idea of empathy in my yoga practice. I got that a bit in acting. Acting is like the definition of empathy to some extent, being able to live as someone else and feel their emotions on a genuine level, and then express them.
With yoga I feel connected to people in that way. Any trauma I’ve had in my life, any student could feel that as well — and vice versa. From something as trivial as breaking a bone, to something as painful as losing a loved one, you know anywhere in between you can find empathy for people.
I wanted to help people. I always had, but didn’t know how to go about it. I didn’t feel like I was helping people by acting. Once I had this realization it was easy for me to quit acting.
I started cleaning mats at Yoga Vida NYC, worked my way up to front desk, and then became the studio manager. During this time I obtained my 200-hour certification.
What aspects of yoga did you like that you didn’t get in your acting?
Something I also loved about yoga was the sharing. I met so many wonderful and kind people who wanted to be my friend and share their practice with me, and not for any competitive reasons.
In acting the competition is quite cutthroat. I could be friends with girl, but ultimately we both want the same part. In yoga, no one is out to be better than anyone else. And anything I say in a lesson has come from people who’ve said it to me before. It’s all shared knowledge. I like to get people moving and give them an outlet where they can move and won’t feel judged.
Which teachers have most influenced your development?

There have been two that have influenced me in particular.
The first was Cat Acquaviva who taught my 200 hour yoga teacher training course. To audition for this studio you also have to complete its mentorship program. I did and was able to be taught by her one-on-one. She was so sweet, kind, and encouraging.
There was no pretense or judgment about her, and that’s what I wanted to emulate in my teaching. She didn’t care what someone is doing in other parts of their life, as long they were making time for yoga. That opened my eyes to yoga in a unique way.
I remember feeling so comfortable around her even though I’d only known her for three weeks. I want to be like that and have someone be able look at me as someone who won’t judge them.
The second was Heather Dunn, the teacher who held my head that day I lost my dog. I moved home for a month at one point because New York got really intense. I went to her class seven days a week regardless of what was going on in my life. We became close over that time. She was the one who told me I should start teaching and that I could be really good at it.
What about yoga kept you interested over the years?

I have to confess that what initially interested me was that the girls I knew who practiced yoga looked really good. I wanted to look like that and be flexible again, like I was when I was dancing ballet.
What kept me interested was the philosophy of yoga. It made sense to me. You are not defined by your mind, or your body, but by something much greater.
Your mental practice may be going in one way and your physical practice in another, but if you can get them to align, you experience euphoria. I constantly crave that feeling and that’s why I keep practicing. I also love figuring out the physical limitations of my body. Those limitations are different for everyone.
Was there a period of transformation you best remember when practicing yoga?
I used to have quite an ego. I had been living in New York and thought that since I had been a yoga instructor and managed a studio a studio there that I was something special.
My boyfriend, Andrew, then got a job here in Charleston, South Carolina. I thought, “Why would I need to go to a small southern town to practice?” I got over that somewhat when I finally moved here and started practicing.
Then, two years ago I went to Ojai, California to hear Eric Shiffmann talk. He teaches yoga, but this was more a philosophical seminar. And he said to us,
“I see you, and I love you. Now if you could do that all day every day, what would happen?”

I thought to myself, “Well, I have no idea what would happen.” In that moment, I looked to the left of me, saw a woman, judged her, and caught myself doing it. I realized that was it — that was the message I had been missing. I’d been faking it this whole time.
When I started doing this in practice everything changed about me; my practice, the way I did my hair, and the way I carried myself. I also found a healthy detachment from my teaching — it wasn’t about me anymore.
Are there parts of your practice that you emphasize?
Physically, spinal movements are central to my practice. Warming-up the spine properly is crucial so I focus on poses such as Cat and Cow.
Philosophically, the most important thing to me is the concept of empathy. Wear what you want, eat what you want, drink what you want, and be who you want to be, but just be happy and free. People make time for yoga so they can experience a judgement free zone and empathy. When people do yoga, they should feel safe.
Is there anything new you’d like to experiment with in your teaching?

My dream class would be an hour of the day where I just put on a playlist and, not saying a word, just watching everyone move. People need to be able to check out sometimes, depending on what’s going on in their life. But, I realize that some people need structure.
I’d also like to try offering some themed classes. One that I’d like to do is, “Hardcore Hardcore.” I’d play hard core music while instructing a class that was focused on strengthening your core. I can play calm music and lull you into a Zen state of mind, but some days people just want to yell, scream, and pound their chest.
There’s a balance to be found, and I’d like to let people explore both sides of the spectrum.
For more information about Claire Wagner and her classes, please visit GaeaYoga.com, ReverbCharleston.com, UrbanYogaCHS.com and SerenityTreeYoga.com.
