Brianna
Hawk
Brianna Hawk is a New York-based professional dancer, student, and yoga instructor. She started practicing yoga in high school to complement her dance training and find a way to soften more into herself.
Brianna
Hawk
Brianna Hawk is a New York-based professional dancer, student, and yoga instructor. She started practicing yoga in high school to complement her dance training and find a way to soften more into herself.
In the Spring of 2019, Brianna graduated with a BFA in dance from The University of the Arts located in Philadelphia. She received her 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Certification in the Sacred Valley of Peru with The School of Yoga Institute. Brianna is also currently pursuing a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She was led into this career path through dance and yoga, as movement and breath work had a profound effect on her own depression, anxiety, and hyperactive nervous system. It is her hope to bring a more grounded and holistic approach to the clinical therapy field.
Brianna has a boundless passion for integrating movement, yoga, and somatic practices in order to help people come in tune with the visceral sensations of their physical bodies. Her class is focused on a deep connection between the breath, body, and spirit.
Questions. Answers.
What is your favorite Brooklyn hang out spot?
I love The Keep which is a local bar/cafe in the Bushwick area that allows live musicians the opportunity to perform every night. Everything in the bar is vintage based, with comfortable couches and seating, and it is one of the few places near me that I find to have 100% true character. Even if you don’t drink, it’s a fabulous place to go and get homework done, read a book, or listen to live music.
When have you felt the most proud?
One of my proudest accomplishments is receiving the award for “Mutuality” during my college graduation. Mutuality is an empathic and relational mindset that I practice in order to better understand the relationship I have to both myself and to other people that I share spaces with. It comes with the notion of seeing and welcoming people as they are, and for finding what is unique about every individual.
Best Advice you’ve ever been given?
“The key to balance is emptiness” – Gary Jeter. This was a dance teacher of mine in college who had one of the most successful dance careers that I have seen. He wasn’t just speaking about balancing physically, but also mentally. Sometimes when we have too much on our to-do list we do not leave ourselves with the necessary time we need to explore, relax, or and to be creative. Emptying out the mind and body allows this practice to unfold so we can see what life brings to us in the silence.
Go to grounding pose?
Fish Pose – Matsyasana. This is a heart opening pose that I usually do with the support of one or two blocks. The muscles around our heart space tend to be very rigid and tight especially if we have a lot of stress, change, and anxiety. By entering into this pose, we work to expand the muscles around the chest so our hearts can pump fully.