From working the rat race to survivor and sharing, meet Saori Soga—a Yoga Tune Up® Licensed Coach who took management of her life and ache.
Over the previous decade, Saori Soga has used Tune Up Health strategies to assist athletes and health fans in addition to to assist these with power ache and medical situations like her personal. She brings her personal expertise of discovering the Coregeous® Ball, and utilizing it as her lifeline, serving to her handle ache from a 15-pound tumor till she was capable of safe the care she wanted whereas nonetheless persevering with to encourage her college students.
From Artwork Director to Directing and Sharing Wholesome Way of life Habits
After spending over 16 years as a Graphic Designer and Artwork Director within the music and leisure trade, Saori’s sedentary life-style led to weight problems, power ache, and sleep struggles. In her late 30s, after years of poor well being and hitting all-time low, she acknowledged the pressing want for a balanced, wholesome life-style. Decided to reclaim her well-being, she misplaced over 30 kilos and transitioned right into a profession devoted to health and wellness.
At the moment Saori has spent over a decade empowering athletes, health fans, and people managing power ache and medical situations—together with her personal. Her journey is marked by private triumphs and a deep dedication to serving to others. Saori’s story is not only about overcoming adversity; it’s about inspiring others to reclaim their well being and reside a lifetime of function.
Now as health skilled who helps prepare and coach for marathons and triathlons, Saori enjoys serving to others obtain their greatest and teaches a variety of lessons: from Yoga Tune Up®, HIIT Bootcamp, Operating, Biking, Swimming, Pilates, Yoga, and Sound Meditation, at corporations reminiscent of Equinox, Middle For Yoga, YogaWorks, Artha, Valley Sizzling Yoga, Hollywood studios (Disney, Paramount Photos, NBC Common), and plenty of different company corporations, in addition to non-public shoppers throughout Los Angeles.
Moreover, Saori enjoys taking part in group applications such because the Excessive Faculty Weight problems Prevention/Vitamin Program, SOS Mentor Form Up, and Challenge Angel Meals Vitamin Division in addition to educating group health lessons for Most cancers Help Teams.
Interview led by Meg, Tune Up Health’s Model Engagement Supervisor, with over 25 years of dance expertise, beginning in Dallas, Texas, and has now traveled the nation performing and educating. After years of repetitive dance actions, Meg’s ache in her shoulders, fingers, and toes was relieved by the Roll Mannequin® Methodology. This new data impressed Meg to finish extra Tune Up Health programs; she continued to take Physique by Breath and Yoga Tune Up® Instructor Certification to share it along with her college students and reawaken her love for anatomy.
Be taught extra about Saori on this month’s Instructor Spotlight interview beneath.
Meg: What number of years have you ever been educating?
Saori Soga: Health 20 years, Yoga Tune Up® 10 years
Meg: What’s your #1 tip for lecturers?
Saori: All the time comply with your coronary heart, your calling, and your ardour. Regardless of your background, expertise, historical past, there are such a lot of “puppies” to be saved on the earth, and there are folks on the market who want you. Be out there, seen, and prepared so your tribe can discover you. And be 100% authentically YOU and never be like anybody/everybody else. There are at all times 1% haters on the market however don’t let that dim your gentle, ever! Each expertise we now have, good or dangerous, makes us distinctive and will help others who could be going by comparable struggles.
Meg: What’s your favourite rollout?
Saori: Ft! I’ve been a runner all my life, and that is my first go-to. Each single day!
Meg: What’s your favourite transfer?
Saori: Tubular Core/Diaphragmatic Respiratory. Jill’s “Physique By Breath” e book saved me so many occasions… from working marathons, swimming, surgical procedures, and navigating by LA site visitors to on a regular basis self-care.
Meg: How has the Yoga Tune Up® coaching impacted your choices?
Saori: I stumbled upon my very first Yoga Tune Up® class at Equinox Santa Monica, a day after my very first LA Marathon. I didn’t know what YTU precisely was, however it was within the yoga room, so I figured it’d assist alleviate my insane soreness and agonizing ache. I used to be limping, couldn’t stroll straight, and couldn’t even rise up from my chair, automotive, and bathroom seat! When a trainer requested the category for any requests, I raised my hand and defined my state of affairs, and she or he kindly catered to the category to assist me. I couldn’t consider my eyes when the category was over, I used to be strolling out of the studio like a traditional particular person! And all I used to be considering was how excited I used to be for the subsequent Marathon!
I knew throughout my top quality that this was precisely what I wanted to proceed pursuing health, educate a number of lessons day by day, and do all of it safely as I get older. I needed to study every part about Yoga Tune Up® trainer coaching. I’ve been following Jill Miller ever since!
YTU really modified my life over a decade in the past. And I knew then that this was my life’s calling!
Jill and the opposite superb Tune Up Health lecturers have been a real present, profoundly impacting my educating on so many ranges.
Meg: What’s your favourite Roll Mannequin® Methodology Remedy Ball to make use of?
Saori: It’s between the ALPHA Ball and the Coregeous Ball®.
In 2020, one other flip of occasions occurred once I was already a “wholesome” coach. I needed to take away 15 lbs of tumor from my uterus. It was the largest surgical procedure of my life, and due to the pandemic and problems with insurance coverage, I needed to postpone my surgical procedure and carry that ache for 4+ years together with anemia. Throughout that point, I hid this situation from nearly everybody, to not be seen as a “weak/incapable” marathon coach or knowledgeable coach.
The Coregeous Ball® was my savior, and it helped me maintain myself till I lastly acquired the surgical procedure day set. This expertise propelled me to pursue Yoga Tune Up® even additional. Not just for runners, athletes, and other people solely with sore muscle groups but additionally for folks with completely different medical situations.
Meg: I see you’re employed with Sound Baths and Reiki. Have you ever included Sound Baths into Yoga Tune Up®?
Saori: I’m so grateful to deliver Yoga Tune Up® in addition to Sound Baths in all places! I’ve new studios throughout LA, reminiscent of Middle For Yoga, YogaWorks, Valley Sizzling Yoga, Artha, and Equinox Palisades who’re excited to deliver again the format after 15+ years together with Equinox Sports activities Membership LA, Santa Monica, Westwood, Beverly Hills, and Encino.
All the time comply with your coronary heart, your calling, and your ardour. And be 100% authentically YOU and never be like anybody/everybody else. Each expertise we now have, good or dangerous, makes us distinctive and will help others who could be going by comparable struggles. – Saori
Meg: What have you ever taken away out of your coaching with Tune Up Health?
Saori: Having gone by all of the trainings with Jill and different wonderful YTU lecturers has been a real present and has impacted my educating on so many ranges. Having gone by a number of items of coaching, together with the Nationwide Academy of Sports activities Medication and RYT500, and so on. I really like Jill’s distinctive method to physique mechanics and her modality that includes respiration and fascial elements.
YTU was the lacking piece of the puzzle in my wellness teaching. I can now mix all of them collectively and provide you with one thing lovely. Moreover, I assisted Jill at her final in-person coaching at Middle For Yoga. The expertise assured me that I used to be on the appropriate path.
The dream is beginning to occur, and I now educate a back-to-back YTU class adopted by Soundbath. That is such a yummy combo, and it’s been an enormous hit!
Meg: How are you tuning up your self-care in 2025?
Saori: That is my calling—I reside and breathe this work. I’m always participating with folks about ache and physique consciousness. I really like introducing them to Yoga Tune Up® strategies and Roll Mannequin® Remedy Balls. I at all times carry a set in my purse, and I continuously present them to associates, household, and shoppers. The optimistic suggestions and “thanks’s” I obtain remind me of how transformative it may be to alleviate ache. I actually carry the balls EVERYWHERE I GO and assist unfold the love for YTU. Folks even name me the “Ball Woman” as a result of I at all times have Roll Mannequin® Remedy Balls in my bag or as presents to others.
Meg: I noticed you probably did a yoga fundraiser for Minnie, your canine. How did that incorporate your two passions, yoga and your pup?
Saori: Sure, my expensive rescue canine Minnie has stage 4 most cancers and is present process chemotherapy. I don’t have children, so I’m doing every part and actively doing fundraiser lessons to assist pay her medical payments. Minnie has her personal Coregeous® Ball that provides consolation and assist as it really works for people.
Saori turns 52 in March and is within the healthiest form of her life! She’s perpetually grateful. She strives to assist her shoppers to breathe higher, stroll higher, get stronger, and ease any ache by prevention.
You possibly can take her lessons within the LA space beneath:
Saturdays: Equinox Sports activities Membership LA 12:30pm / 1:20pm / Equinox Studio Metropolis 5pm
Sundays: Equinox Westwood 11:30am / Equinox Beverly Hills 1:45pm / Equinox Encino
Mondays: Equinox Pacific Palisades 6:45pm (TBD)
Tuesdays: Valley Sizzling Yoga 11:15am / 8pm
Wednesdays: Artha 1:30pm
Fridays: Equinox Sports activities Membership LA 11am / Equinox Woodland Hills 5:45pm
Discover Saori On-line at:
IG: Saorifitness
FB: Saori Soga