Robyn Wexler Sets the Yoga Yardstick in Beijing

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Our expat community thrives on connection, and here at jingkids, we’re all about our readers, and what they need and want in order to maximize their time here in Beijing. In our Monday Motivation series, we feature a prominent member of our expat community and get to know them a little bit better.

Originally from the US, Robyn Wexler has lived in Beijing since 1999. She is the co-founder of Yoga Yard, Beijing’s first dedicated boutique yoga center established in Beijing in 2002. Robyn is currently the Director of Space Academy, offering a platform of trainings and workshops in yoga and fitness through Space’s studios in Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei. Robyn has been a central figure in the development of yoga in China. She previously served on the Advisory Board of Yoga Journal magazine (China) and was the first foreign lululemon Ambassador in China. Robyn is also a trained birth doula and has offered childbirth support services to expecting families in Beijing since 2004, as well as developing curriculum and leading trainings in Pre-Natal Yoga and Fitness via public hospitals across China and at Yoga Yard in Beijing. Robyn is the mother of two boys, ages 12 and 15, and is fluent in Mandarin.

What’s On Your Mind?

Spring is here, and I love watching the hue of green and blossoms begin to emerge! After a long winter, I am so grateful and excited that we can come together in person again and enjoy the amazing gifts of our Beijing community! I’m thrilled that my kids are back on campus at school, in person with their friends, teachers, and thoroughly enjoying basketball in Daystar’s latest dome. And I am overjoyed that the doors of Beijing’s gyms and yoga studios are open again. Our classes at Space are full of smiles, great music, hard work and the joy of accomplishment. And Yoga Yard has just re-opened after a full expansion and remodeling, and it’s amazing to see the Yoga Yard community of teachers and students continuing to grow and flourish in its newly remodeled home. I’m feeling very energized by the possibilities and potential for the year ahead!

What’s Motivates You To Get Moving?

There’s a quote by Wayne Dyer that I’ve found helpful recently when I’m feeling stuck in a habitual emotional pattern, or when I’m trying to solve a problem, or address a specific challenge: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

How Do You Stay Sane in All the Madness?

Movement, conscious breathing, meditation and podcasts. Yoga and walking have been mainstays in my routine since I was in college. The past few years, I’ve integrated more explicit strength training and cardio work throughout my week which has had a really positive impact on not only how I feel physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Conscious breathing and meditation are like prescribed treats that I integrate in my day, ideally for a minimum of 8 minutes at a time. I say treats because I truly see and experience these extended moments in my day as a gift.

What Is Your Favorite Thing About Beijing?

The people; and the proximity to nature! This city has so many dynamic, engaged, creative, and proactive people who are incredibly generous of spirit, resilient, and fun. I treasure the friends, connections, and community I have made over the 20+ years that I’ve lived in Beijing. And to live in a major city that is so close to countryside that is wild and rugged, is such a gift! Some of my favorite memories of life in Beijing are from hikes with friends and family, both the quiet and calm that comes with being in nature, and the full belly laughs that inevitably seem to emerge as well.

Images: Courtesy of Robyn Wexler

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