64: Building Confidence as a Young Instructor: Amber Sislin's Inspiring Story

In this inspiring episode of Group X Appeal, Kimberly and Terry welcome certified yoga and barre instructor Amber Sislin, who shares her remarkable journey from young beginner to confident teacher serving diverse communities—including senior living facilities where she witnesses movement's profound impact daily. 

Discover how Amber creates empowering class experiences, builds authentic connections on and off the mat, and maintains her energy despite a demanding teaching schedule. Whether you're a new instructor finding your voice or a veteran seeking inspiration, Amber's story proves it's never too early or too late to pursue your passion.

Key Takeaways:

• Yoga as Self-Connection - How yoga provided Amber a space to connect with herself without the pressure of appearance or performance, transforming her relationship with movement
• Movement's Profound Impact - Witnessing firsthand how teaching in senior living facilities reveals the life-changing power of accessible movement at any age
• Community Creates Magic - Why building genuine connections and fostering community in fitness classes matters as much as the physical workout itself
• Empowerment Through Discomfort - Amber's approach to helping students embrace challenging moments and discover their strength through movement
• Burnout Prevention While Teaching 25-30 Classes - Practical strategies for maintaining passion, energy, and authenticity despite an intense teaching schedule

Essential viewing for yoga instructors, group fitness professionals, and anyone passionate about creating empowering fitness experiences that leave lasting impacts on students' lives.

Find and Follow Amber's journey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambermelaniee/

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - @groupxappeal.

Questions or topic ideas? Email us @ groupxappeal@gmail.com

Get your FREE Guide To Holistic Well-Being here: https://gxaguide.com/

Stay Connected with Kimberly:
- @kimberlyspreenglick on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
- email: kimberly@theinspiredlifeuniversity.com
- website: www.theinspiredlifeuniversity.com

Stay Connected with Terry:
- @terryshorter on Instagram & Facebook
- email: terry@rippedplanet.com
- website: www.rippedplanet.com

Transcript

Imagine a yoga class that flows like the ocean, the waves, the rhythm, the surf vibe. Meet Amber Sislin, Yogi, barre instructor, Southern California surfer, dog mama extraordinaire. She'll show us how to bring balance, bravado, and breath into every move, whether you're on the mat, on the board, or in the studio.

Kimberly/terry (00:53)
Welcome back to Group X Appeal, the show that dives deep into the culture and community of group exercise. I'm Terry Shorter. And I'm Kimberly Spreen Glick, here to help you leave each class stronger, happier, and more connected. Yes. Today, we are absolutely thrilled to bring you a very special guest. We've got Ms. Amber Sislin in the house. Say hi, Amber. What up? Hi, Amber. Absolutely.

Amber (01:14)
Hi everyone, thanks for having me.

Kimberly/terry (01:20)
Amber's a certified yoga and bar instructor, a passionate surfer who hits the waves whenever she's able and a devoted dog mama. Her pup may, she said may even make a cameo here. And that's completely fine. She's based. All right. Well, your baby might need some love. And again, that's all right. So Amber's based in Southern California. She brings the coast, the class and the calm to

Amber (01:29)
Yes.

There's no food by me right now, so we'll see.

Yeah.

Kimberly/terry (01:49)
Halle Rie, burn fusion all into one. It is hard. We like that alliteration. We love the alliteration. So she brings it all into one inspiring package. So what are we talking about? We're to talk surf, talk breath, talk flow bar, how she blends all of those elements for participants and for her own life. So get comfy, maybe grab a mat or a beach towel and let's like dive in. I love it. I get it. You're so smooth.

Amber (01:53)
Thank you.

Kimberly/terry (02:17)
We'll dive in and go with the flow. Yay. So Amber, please again, thank you so much for joining us. Our listeners are super, super excited to have you and lucky, fortunate to have you as we are. So thanks for taking time out of your schedule. And so we wanted to start real simple. So take us back and it doesn't have to be that far back in time, but how did you get started as a leader in fitness? What made you love it? And why do you still love it?

Amber (02:48)
That's good question. So I was athletic my entire life. I started dance and ballet when I was two. My passion for surfing grew from my dad. My dad's a huge surfer and I was on a board probably before I could walk to be honest. So just grew up always playing sports, volleyball, all the things, taekwondo. And then when I was 14 was when Lifetime first opened.

And I got invited from a friend which I hadn't talked to her in years. We went to kindergarten together and you know, life happens. So she had reached out randomly and invited me to come take a yoga class. And I remember just falling in love with this yoga class because being a dancer and I grew up modeling professionally, acting professionally, just always being told like how to look.

in the dance room and in front of the camera. And I remember when I did yoga, the lights were down, we had no mirrors, and it was just about sensation and how you feel. And I remember feeling so connected to myself in a way that I had never experienced. And I remember leaving the class kind of like, I don't really know what that was, but I like it and I wanna do it again tomorrow. So I went home.

Kimberly/terry (03:47)
Hmm.

Right. That sounds familiar. I know, right?

Amber (04:17)
Yeah, it's pretty amazing. So I went home and I'm 14. So I like, do I even have a car yet at this point? And I asked my parents, I'm like, I need a membership at this gym because that yoga class with the music and the flowing was amazing. And so I remember the next day signing up at Lifetime. Um, and then from there, just practicing multiple times a day. Um, I remember I'd go before school in the morning and then after school.

And then also just trying to like weave that into a busy sports schedule. Cause I was competing in beach volleyball and indoor for my high school and dance practice and just making it work, like making yoga a priority and fitness. I was doing ball and Pilates. And then one day I was approached about yoga teacher training and I did it right when I graduated high school. And then the rest is history. I just fell in love with.

positively impacting people's lives and just, I guess what always like continues to inspire me is just our community. And I just, love every single member and it's just, yeah, it continues to inspire me and I love my job more than anything.

Kimberly/terry (05:31)
Yeah. And it shows. ⁓ my gosh. And your members love you back. ⁓ is for sure. That's the feedback that we get. Most definitely. What a great start. And how cool to find at such a young age, something that you can feel so connected to and so passionate about. And my guess is you probably felt a sense of freedom. I remember feeling that the first time I hit the mat and I'm like, I can kind of.

Amber (05:37)
Thank you.

Let's do this.

Kimberly/terry (05:57)
let this evolve and navigate it in whatever way feels best for me. my gosh, where else in my life am I given the opportunity to do that? So it's pretty special, so incredible. I had a different kind of feeling.

Amber (06:06)
Exactly. Yeah, and when I was...

Kimberly/terry (06:12)
I enjoyed the experience being on my mat, but at first I was like, I'm not supposed to be doing this. I'm a guy. I'm a former athlete. ⁓ Amber, he's one of those. I shouldn't be doing this, but it feels so good. We know this type.

Amber (06:19)
Yeah.

I know. It's like the same, like, I shouldn't do yoga

because I'm not flexible.

Kimberly/terry (06:30)
Right? That's

like kind of the point people. Get on the mat. Right? Too funny.

Amber (06:33)
Yeah, it's like why you should be doing it. Yeah. No, but when I was about,

I'd say eight years old, my mom actually was the person who first introduced me to yoga. ⁓ Back when VCR tapes were a thing, we would do barren videos in the living room when I came home from school. Yeah. And then my mom would always have my brother and I when we got home like sit in malasana. She's like, this is so good for your hips and your back.

Kimberly/terry (06:44)
Mm.

my goodness. ⁓ yeah, power yoga.

Amber (07:01)
⁓ so I feel like I was just kind of born a yogi, to be honest. Yeah.

Kimberly/terry (07:06)
That's amazing. All right, can I throw

in a fun fact? Yeah, let's hear a fun fact. When I first launched Life Power Yoga at Lifetime and we were creating kind of what our signature class was going to be, Baron Baptiste was one of the conversations that I had to determine if we wanted to bring his style of yoga in as our signature style of yoga. Because I really appreciated the way he taught and the kind of the brand he put together around the yoga he provided and the community around it and everything.

Of course, we all know we want a different way, but it's so cool that that was one of your first experiences with Baron. He's a great teacher. That's incredible. All right.

Amber (07:39)
I know. He's so great. ⁓ I love his cues and everything. I actually

still watch his videos for inspiration.

Kimberly/terry (07:48)
So you still have a VCR? That's what you're telling us. ⁓ yeah, that. yeah, there's that. There's that. In fact, we're like actually on it. Yeah. yeah. Did you know? No, I had no idea. I was going to push and play on my VCR over there. All right, Amber, I got another question for you. What is one like just

Amber (07:51)
My parents do actually, I YouTube now. I'm not that I'm not that old.

Thank you.

Okay.

Kimberly/terry (08:11)
unforgettable moment you could share from teaching. It could be a goosebumps story, maybe it's some hilarious mishap, or it could just be a time that a participant changed your perspective. Just share a story with us.

Amber (08:25)
Okay, this is hard because I feel like I have so many. ⁓ But I'd say I'll go off the hilarious mishap, which wasn't super funny at the time, but we can laugh at now. ⁓ Yeah, uh-oh, is right, sorry. So I used to work at Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach. And so how it worked was we'd show up and we'd have like a sheet of paper with the participants who had signed up. They could be locals, they could be guests.

Kimberly/terry (08:29)
I'm sure.

Mm-hmm.

Amber (08:55)
⁓ and a lot of times that we didn't have any names on the list, people wouldn't show up. There'd be a walk-in, maybe one out of every 10 times. So we were just told to wait 20 minutes and then after the 20 minutes goes, ⁓ up, can leave. So I waited 20 minutes and I'm a rule follower. You guys know this working with me. ⁓ and waited the 20 minutes and I left and I'm on PCH just like driving, like looking at the view, listening to music, and I get a call from my boss.

Kimberly/terry (09:14)
Yes.

Amber (09:25)
And she's like, you, where are you? I'm like, like I'm driving home and there was a lot of traffic going towards Laguna. So I'm on the other way just cruising. she, and she's like, you need to go back like right now. Like there's a celebrity there waiting with his wife. And my heart just starts racing and I'm freaking out cause I'm like, my gosh, like I waited the 20 minutes and it wasn't on me. It wasn't my fault. But so anyways, turned around.

Kimberly/terry (09:41)
No? No?

Yeah. Sure.

Amber (09:53)
I got stuck in horrible traffic. I'm just like, I'm like shaking. I'm so nervous. I'm like, who is, who's this celebrity? And I never taught a celebrity before. So I like pull up, I get out of my car. I'm like asking the valet guys, I'm like, can you please park my car? Like the traffic's crazy. They parked my car. I'm like running in and I get into the studio and do you guys watch Shark Tank?

Okay, Mark Cuban was there with his wife. Yeah, and I walked in and I was like, I'm so sorry, you guys, like I got stuck in traffic. And they were so chill. They're like, we were just watching the sunset. And we ended up having a really great yoga session. But that point forward, if someone tells me like, you can leave after 20 minutes, like, you better believe I'll be there 45 minutes. Like, I'm just like, not even gonna risk it anymore. But yeah, and

Kimberly/terry (10:19)
wow! No way!

Right? Yeah.

Amber (10:46)
It ended up being funny now, but I just remember in the moment it was very, very stressful for me.

Kimberly/terry (10:53)
doubt. Good for you still showing up and creating a great experience. Yeah, for a billionaire couple. Yeah, you know, who can't be on time. ⁓ That's awesome. That is great story. Well, good stuff.

Amber (10:55)
Yeah.

Yeah, definitely had to like, leave that switch.

Yeah. Yeah. And, ⁓

I guess a goose bump story. have a lot of those because I teach yoga at senior living facilities and just being around these people who are just so grateful to do a chair yoga class and move their hands and your feet. we just, you know, simple movement, but I connect it, you know, the same thing I talked about for myself earlier, like just paying attention to your body and breathing and, ⁓

Kimberly/terry (11:13)
Yeah.

Okay.

Amber (11:36)
I just had so many of them tell me how much it has changed their life and how it's never too late to start yoga or movement. And like every time I go, I feel like I just want to cry. get so emotional because it's just a beautiful thing. And I'm so grateful that I get to do that. It's just such a blessing.

Kimberly/terry (11:49)
Aww.

So an important message there, it is never too late to move your body. Good stuff. And so for you, Amber, how do you stay inspired to continue leading with passion and with intention as well? Good question.

Amber (12:00)
It is not.

That is a good question. ⁓ I'd say one aspect of my answer is being surrounded by amazing, incredible people like you guys. ⁓ Getting to take class. Yeah, just getting to take class and I think being someone who my whole life revolves around fitness and just a health lifestyle, I think it's pretty easy to stay inspired.

And then also, like I said earlier, community. Like hearing how fitness and my classes positively impact people and just make their life better. The tools that we practice in class doesn't just stop on the mat. They tell me like, I had one woman I remember, she was really nervous about like an MRI appointment because she said she was claustrophobic and...

Kimberly/terry (12:47)
Yeah.

Amber (13:09)
⁓ I just remember her telling me like, because of your yoga, I was able to breathe through it and it just really helped me. said, I had your voice just telling me to focus on my breath and that it's only temporary. And so I think just hearing those stories, like on a daily basis from students, it's, what keeps me inspired. Like every time I hear something like that, just gives me that, that push to want to do this for the rest of my life.

Kimberly/terry (13:14)
Wow.

Mm.

Incredible. Yeah, it's certainly nourishment for the soul, right? No doubt about it. mean, we're shoot. I'm over three decades in and I haven't lost a day to a lack of inspiration. That is for sure. you haven't lost a step. That's right. I've lost a few steps. I've lost a few. ⁓ but you know what is inspiring as it is what we get to do.

Amber (13:41)
I did.

Yeah, you're amazing.

Kimberly/terry (14:01)
You know, being a fitness instructor, a yoga teacher, it's not always easy. We know that. So what would you say has been your biggest challenge? And then how did you overcome it?

Amber (14:06)
Thank

So I think my biggest challenge is avoiding burnout in this career because I am a full-time fitness instructor, yoga teacher. I teach a lot of classes, teaching like 25 to 30 classes a week right now, which is a lot. And so I think like one of the biggest things, like I said, that inspires me is being able to take class and practice what I preach.

Kimberly/terry (14:30)
Wow

Amber (14:41)
And when I'm so busy teaching, finding that work-life balance of, need to pour, like, I can't pour from an empty cup. And so just like being able to fill up my own cup and find that time for myself, or even if it's a dog walk, you know, ⁓ a dog walk outside or doing a yoga class, sometimes I'll put on like a 10 minute stretch video. It's just something, finding that time for myself every day.

I feel like I've gotten better at it now that I've been teaching for some time. But yeah, just finding that balance and not getting too fatigued. Because it's a lot of energy when we teach classes, emotional, physical.

Kimberly/terry (15:20)
Yes.

Yeah. People ask me because of course with our style of yoga, we're not actually practicing with the participants. Like it's their practice. We're there to be the guide for the experience. And so, you know, we're talking, we're moving around the room and everything. So people are like, but it's, you're not getting a workout. I'm like, no, but I think the energy and emotional investment is actually more than if we were doing the workout with them. It's, it's really, it's, it's a thing. It is a thing.

Amber (15:30)
Yes.

100%.

And I say that a lot. There's days that I'll teach six to eight classes. And when I get home, I'm drinking a cup of tea, snuggled up in bed with my dog, and saying good night at eight o'clock. Yeah, so I'd say that's my biggest challenge. I think at the beginning of my teaching career, not so much anymore. I'm still young. I just turned 27. But when I started, I was

Kimberly/terry (16:01)
Done. Yeah. doubt. Well, that's what happens when you give your heart. Yeah.

Wee.

Amber (16:19)
right out of high school. was going to school, I was in college while I was teaching full time. And I remember students would be like, wait, you're the teacher, aren't you like 14 years old? And just, that was a struggle, like having people, know, twice my age come take class and listen to my message and kind of take me seriously. Yeah, that was a big challenge for me at the beginning.

Kimberly/terry (16:42)
Mmm.

Yeah, and the only way to really overcome that is time right? Absolutely. just have to experience you because wisdom is not only for the older, you know, anyone who's lived any amount of life 15 years beyond I think has enough wisdom to share with others and even less than that and enough challenges that they've overcome to be able to impart inspiration to others. So I'm glad you overcame that because I know for a fact that the

Amber (16:51)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Kimberly/terry (17:17)
the following you have of all ages at this point is pretty substantial. It's awesome.

Amber (17:21)
Thank you. Yeah, I definitely built confidence

like the more that I that I taught and just kind of found my voice, you know, like when you first start teaching, there's so many things that you're thinking about. So once I kind of like got into my groove, it's just now it's like, of course, I put so much effort into planning, but it's just like I just show up and it just feels so natural for me. So I love it. Yes, in my closed.

Kimberly/terry (17:46)
Yeah, you're in flow. Yep. Right. There we go.

Absolutely. Well, gosh, how 26 years for me and people still come up and ask me, aren't you 15 years old? They still ask me that. still ask me. Yeah. So I know exactly what you're talking about, Amber. I can completely empathize. think he does. I think that was a poor attempt at empathy.

Amber (17:59)
Forever, Terry.

Thanks.

You can relate, huh?

Kimberly/terry (18:13)
Now what I do know is if people find out how old he really is, they don't buy that. They're like, there's no way you're as old as you say you are. Cause he looks like 35 for reals. too kind. So we're doing our best. Thank you. Thanks.

Amber (18:18)
Yeah

You guys both look great.

Kimberly/terry (18:32)
So for you, Amber, you're about 10 years in as an instructor right now. You're about a decade in, right? So that's a huge milestone. But let's talk kind of future pacing. Fast forward about 20 years from now. Let's talk legacy at this point. What impact do you hope your fitness career leaves behind? What do you hope your community will say about the experience that you've provided them with?

Amber (18:38)
Mm-hmm.

think the biggest one is for people to feel empowered ⁓ and just build that confidence and resilience that comes with working out and allowing yourself to experience discomfort. I talk about that a lot in my class. Allow yourself to feel everything. Life isn't easy. It's going to throw twists and turns, ups and downs, literally our yoga practice.

Just letting yourself be uncomfortable is gonna teach you so much. And I've seen that in my own life. ⁓ so just like letting people feel empowered from my classes and feel their strength. And that was really hard for me at first because I'm such an empathetic person. Like I cannot watch people suffer. Like I've never killed a spider in my whole life. Like I put them in a cup and bring them outside.

⁓ so like watching people struggle in an exercise class or like holding a shape for several minutes at a time, is, hard for me, but just like letting people find that strength within, just really want people to look back and, and even now, like I've said, people will tell me all the time how my classes have impacted them and their life, but, ⁓

Just yeah, feeling empowered and strong and I want people to walk out of my class happy and in a positive mood and just remember me as the instructor who is just fun and inspiring. So yeah, all of those things.

Kimberly/terry (20:31)
Awesome. I

love it. Well, you know, I love the word empower. Yeah. I love that you said that. Well, you're already living that you're leaving that legacy right now as we speak. So you're already ahead of the game. Yeah, most definitely. So tell us where can people connect with you online on social media? How can they find out more about Amber?

Amber (20:36)
Yeah, it's a good one.

Thank you.

⁓ so right now I am on Instagram, which actually just got back because I took a little break. think, I think a media break was, was needed, but, ⁓ I'm on Instagram. it's at Amber Melanie, E L A N I two E's. ⁓ so you can connect on there.

Kimberly/terry (21:13)
We'll be sure to put that in the show notes so you can connect with Amber. And if you are in the Orange County area anywhere near Laguna Niguel, but you're also your tell me you're at San Clemente lifetime and.

Amber (21:26)
Yes, so right now,

⁓ besides the senior communities, I'm ⁓ exclusive to Lifetime. So Lifetime, Laguna, and St. Clement. Irvine sometime. Yes, Laguna, Niguel, and St. Clement.

Kimberly/terry (21:33)
But is it all three? so Luguna, if you're near Luguna Niguel, okay. ⁓

So if you're near either of those cities, you connect with Amber on Instagram and she can set you up with a path to come take her class and experience the beauty that we've been talking about here that so many others have shared feedback with regards to. So definitely take advantage of that opportunity. Amber, thank you so much for bringing your wisdom and your warmth to GroupX appeal. It just means the world to us. And you've shown us that.

Amber (22:00)
Thank you guys.

Kimberly/terry (22:06)
Movement isn't just about the body. It's about the ocean of possibility around us, the board beneath our feet, the breath anchoring us into every single class. Yeah, for sure. So again, if you are in the area, you might even jump in a class with Amber and Mark Cuban. Maybe. know. She ⁓ won't be late. For sure. So whether you meet her in the studio or on the

Amber (22:22)
And I won't be late. I'll be on time. I'll be 20 minutes early.

Kimberly/terry (22:33)
beach or teaching in front of the room. You can find Amber like she said on Instagram and we truly, truly appreciate you joining us today Amber sharing your voice, sharing your experience, sharing your inspiration ⁓ with even more people. Beyond the walls of the yoga studio and the bar studio. So if you're taking a listen, make sure that you follow us on YouTube. Make sure you.

Click the notification to click the bell there to subscribe. Yeah, subscribe first. That way you get notified notified every Monday. Yeah, you can do that too. If they're on a laptop, they might click. then if they might tap, click, you push, pull, just do it all. So absolutely. Every Monday group exercise a group.

X appeal. Yes. Yeah, that too. X appeal. now. He's trying to get back on his game. I'm working on it. It's not easy. It's not easy. So you can find us there every Monday. Group X appeal releases on all podcast platforms. And please share this episode, Amber's episode with a friend, family member, anybody who needs the inspiration, anybody who wants to feel calm and inspired. This is the place. She's our girl.

Amber (23:24)
I'm

Kimberly/terry (23:48)
And you know, historically we've said, as we've spoken to veteran teachers and instructors, like it's, it's never too old. Like you said, it's never too old to start moving your body. And we always say it's never too old to get into a career, but guess what? It's never too young to find out something that you're passionate about. And Amber has shown us that today. So. Yeah. Cool. Thank you, Amber. And so if you're listening, thank you so much for joining us today. Listening to Amber's story.

Amber (23:49)
Thank you guys.

Thank you guys.

Kimberly/terry (24:13)
And as always, we encourage you to make it a great day. And why, Kimberly? Because it is a great day to have. Well, certainly is. Until next time, we'll see you again. Peace out.