Lauren DeVera is a positive psychology practitioner, yoga + mindfulness teacher, movement artist, podcaster, and life coach. Daughter to Filipino immigrants, Lauren grew up with six older half-siblings and never felt like she fit in. Now she realizes that feeling manifested in a positive way because she is passionate about creating space for other people to feel like they belong.
When her parents divorced when she was in fifth grade, she went from living in a suburban home to a low-income apartment with her mom.
Starting ballet at an early age, she has thrived in the dance world. But she never felt like she fit in with other Filipinos. She remembers her step-grandmother taking her to the bus stop and complimenting all the white girls. “For the longest time, I wanted to be white.”
When Lauren was a child, ballet was the only dance form available. Eventually she got introduced to hip hop, opening up the opportunity to have more freedom with her body.
Since earning her bachelor’s in dance from Old Dominion University in 2010, she has made incredible strides in her career as a performer, choreographer, and educator. At the same time, she also worked in a variety of jobs. In 2013, she got accepted for a dance program in LA and quit her job with benefits to teach dance full-time. In the small pocket of time she wasn’t insured, she tore her ACL, her mom moved to California, and her relationship ended. That’s when her resilience and grit showed up again.
Forced to find another job, she took a job at a credit union but got fired because of a toxic work environment. But Lauren believes everything happens for a reason. Then she worked at a church for nearly a year.
She realized she wanted to start a class where people who love choreography and street dancers could take classes. In 2016 she quit her job again to create the Lion’s Den and Bahai Base with her then-partner. Unfortunately, he did not take care of the business and they had to close and move out within 3 days. Not only did she lose her space, but she also lost the community and felt shame from the business ending.
That summer she decided to do something for herself. Spending 10 days in New York studying yoga and dance, Lauren committed to bringing back her dance class.
The first night of her new class, 25 people showed up. That lit the match. Lion’s Den got legitimized and became an LLC, and she launched Mind Move Matter to focus on yoga and mindfulness. Once COVID hit, Lauren’s classes went online within a few days. Now her students come from all over the world.
Lauren has rebooted herself over and over again, and she knew what she wanted to do at a much younger age than me. She left corporate America because she values freedom, flexibility, and creativity. Being an entrepreneur gives us the chance to create spaces that are welcoming and supportive...doing business in a respectful, compassionate way.
This fall Lauren launched a podcast, Thrive and Thread, in which she shares meditations, mindfulness, and inspiration.
I asked Lauren about a grit and resilience story that inspires her, and she brought up her parents. “Honoring and respecting what immigrant parents have done to get here and provide for their children, it inspires me to be the best person I can be.”
Lauren is committed to empowering, educating, and equipping humans to flourish through mindfulness, movement, and mentorship. She helps folks banish burnout and live a life on purpose.
Check out Lauren’s podcast, which includes guided meditations, in addition to her YouTube channel containing yoga and barre workouts.
Lauren DeVera is a positive psychology practitioner, yoga + mindfulness teacher, movement artist, podcaster, and life coach. Daughter to Filipino immigrants, Lauren grew up with six older half-siblings and never felt like she fit in. Now she realizes that feeling manifested in a positive way because she is passionate about creating space for other people to feel like they belong.
When her parents divorced when she was in fifth grade, she went from living in a suburban home to a low-income apartment with her mom.
Starting ballet at an early age, she has thrived in the dance world. But she never felt like she fit in with other Filipinos. She remembers her step-grandmother taking her to the bus stop and complimenting all the white girls. “For the longest time, I wanted to be white.”
When Lauren was a child, ballet was the only dance form available. Eventually she got introduced to hip hop, opening up the opportunity to have more freedom with her body.
Since earning her bachelor’s in dance from Old Dominion University in 2010, she has made incredible strides in her career as a performer, choreographer, and educator. At the same time, she also worked in a variety of jobs. In 2013, she got accepted for a dance program in LA and quit her job with benefits to teach dance full-time. In the small pocket of time she wasn’t insured, she tore her ACL, her mom moved to California, and her relationship ended. That’s when her resilience and grit showed up again.
Forced to find another job, she took a job at a credit union but got fired because of a toxic work environment. But Lauren believes everything happens for a reason. Then she worked at a church for nearly a year.
She realized she wanted to start a class where people who love choreography and street dancers could take classes. In 2016 she quit her job again to create the Lion’s Den and Bahai Base with her then-partner. Unfortunately, he did not take care of the business and they had to close and move out within 3 days. Not only did she lose her space, but she also lost the community and felt shame from the business ending.
That summer she decided to do something for herself. Spending 10 days in New York studying yoga and dance, Lauren committed to bringing back her dance class.
The first night of her new class, 25 people showed up. That lit the match. Lion’s Den got legitimized and became an LLC, and she launched Mind Move Matter to focus on yoga and mindfulness. Once COVID hit, Lauren’s classes went online within a few days. Now her students come from all over the world.
Lauren has rebooted herself over and over again, and she knew what she wanted to do at a much younger age than me. She left corporate America because she values freedom, flexibility, and creativity. Being an entrepreneur gives us the chance to create spaces that are welcoming and supportive...doing business in a respectful, compassionate way.
This fall Lauren launched a podcast, Thrive and Thread, in which she shares meditations, mindfulness, and inspiration.
I asked Lauren about a grit and resilience story that inspires her, and she brought up her parents. “Honoring and respecting what immigrant parents have done to get here and provide for their children, it inspires me to be the best person I can be.”
Lauren is committed to empowering, educating, and equipping humans to flourish through mindfulness, movement, and mentorship. She helps folks banish burnout and live a life on purpose.
Check out Lauren’s podcast, which includes guided meditations, in addition to her YouTube channel containing yoga and barre workouts.