Let It Be Messy: Interview With Rachel Scott

This interview is from our new series: “The people that make DYWM.” Learn more about our instructors, their take on yoga, and what makes them tick.

Today, we spoke to one of DYWM’s first instructors, Rachel Scott. You may know her from power yoga classes that’ll have your muscles aching the right way; you may know her from her many yoga-inspired books; or you may know her as the Program Director for DoYogaWithMe's 250-hour YTT – indeed, Rachel wears many hats!

From starting yoga as a stressed-out New Yorker, through how we – humans – are much more like trees than like Toyotas, and finally to why we should allow our yoga practice to be messy, Rachel is here to impart some wisdom and bring us a little closer to her rich inner world.

First off, can you tell us a little about how and why you first started practicing yoga?

Rachel Scott: I started practicing in 1998! I was a stressed out New Yorker and practicing yoga became a way to slow down and manage my anxiety.

(Try our free and premium yoga classes for anxiety and stress.)

How did you first get involved with DYWM?

RS: David was my student - YES! My student LOL in Vancouver.

He told me about this wild and crazy idea he had for a website and invited me to be involved!

What is a common misconception that people have about yoga?

RS: The biggest one is that you have to be flexible. I actually think too much flexibility makes yoga harder because you have to work harder to create stability rather than fall into your mobility. But if you’re on the stiffer side, yoga is going to be great for you to balance your body. 

(Read more about yoga and flexibility.)

DYWM’s guiding philosophy seems to entwine yoga with a love for the natural world. Can you expand upon the connection between these two things?

RS: Because of our culture, we tend to default to a very mechanistic view of the body. We divide it into parts and things that need to be “fixed,” as if we were cars! I prefer an organic view of the body that honors its connection and integration. We are far more like a tree than a Toyota. We spiral, we flow, we have webs and trees within us. By connecting to nature, we can be reminded of who we really are and that can be a relief.

As a career, how do you think yoga education has changed over the years? And what changes do you expect to see in the future?

RS: The “golden age” of emergent teacher training was probably 15 years ago. That is when you could create a training and have 40 students! Then with COVID, we had the emergence of online teacher training. Now that yoga is more mainstream, I think that it’s truly about quality rather than about novelty. There are a lot of choices in teacher training out there, and students need to exercise their discrimination to find one that’s right for them.

(Read more about how to become a yoga instructor.)

Can you give us a little insight into DYWM’s teacher training program? What is the process like, and what role do you play in it?

RS: The DYWM YTT was built to be online from the start and we are really proud of it!  I am an online instructional designer and designed the program to offer an optimal experience where students can take advantage of working at their own pace while having access to great community connection and personalized faculty feedback. I am also one of the lead faculty in the program and teach a lot of the anatomy modules.

You’ve written multiple books on yoga, including most recently The Little Book of Yoga Practices and Yoga To Stay Young. If you had to impart just one piece of knowledge about yoga to a new practitioner, what would it be?

RS: Let it be messy! Come and try it out. And try lots of different teachers and styles until you find the right fit. There are so many different styles that there truly is something for everyone if you are willing to poke your nose around a bit. :)