Join the mindful movement and support the important work CTG Yoga does by donating to their Kickstarter campaign!
Yoga quietly found me a little over 10 years ago in my hometown of River Falls, Wisconsin. At the time, I had no idea how radically this practice would change my life, and more notably, how this practice would become a conduit for me to change the life of others. Without asking or expecting, yoga worked its magic from the inside out; it delicately and meticulously rewired imbalances, shed what didn’t serve me, and created space for light and love to bloom. Through yoga, I’ve returned home to myself—where all wisdom and potential resides. This is how CTG Yoga was born.
CTG Yoga is a yoga-inspired lifestyle company that creates sustainably sourced, handmade dry goods to inspire mindful living. Our mantra is, “create the grace.” We offer limited-batch collections made entirely from vintage, found, and salvaged materials. Our products are designed by me and manufactured using traditional techniques by the hands of local artisans. We currently offer yoga mat bags and mala beads, and Security Blankets: Sweater-wraps made from recycled afghan blankets to keep you the coziest kind of cozy, on and off of your mat.
Developing a product line and a brand that exemplified my vision and philosophy was only half of the puzzle, however. I felt it in my bones that it was my mission to manifest something bigger and more meaningful. Something that would not only allow me to express myself purely, but to help to ignite that same light in others by sharing all the good I have collected along my journey. So, with a soul filled with determination and a heart filled with fire, I set out to create some true grace and began an initiative called The Mindfulness Movement.
Fredrick Douglass once said, “It is easier to build strong children, than to repair broken adults.” The Mindfulness Movement is helping to instill that strength, balance and light preemptively, to build an understanding of mindfulness at a young age to kids who may never have access to this precious way of thinking. The Mindfulness Movement brings meditation practices, with an emphasis on yoga, to at-risk youth in local after school programs. Through these practices, we are working to inspire children to move, think and feel in a more mindful way. Our immediate goal is to offer kids a moment to breathe, connect to themselves and reset. Our overarching goal is to help build the more self-loving, awake and more mindful generation.
Currently, The Mindfulness Movement works locally in Saint Paul, Minnesota and is fueled by the sales of our Security Blankets. For every Security Blanket sold, you also are allowing one student access to join the movement.
Mindfulness isn’t just being more thoughtful or more considerate. Mindfulness runs deeper. It is about getting to know your True Self, and realizing that everything begins and ends with you. The message we impress on our students through our lessons is that they are strong, they are creative, they are significant, and that, most importantly, they are capable of creating the grace around them, and within them. The Mindfulness Movement isn’t trying to change the world. The Mindfulness Movement is striving to create grace by inspiring the tiny but mighty souls of our future to do the same.
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Caitlin Gottschalk, RYT-200, has been enthralled with the magic of yoga for over 10 years. She currently runs CTG Yoga which is a lifestyle company that focuses on mindfully-made drygoods to inspire or enhance graceful living. You can see her journey on Instagram (@ctgyogalife) where she does interactive micro-blogging, offering daily tips and tricks on healthy and conscious living. When not on her mat, she enjoys getting lost in the woods, reading tarot cards, stargazing, juicing leafy greens, and composing dreamy electronic music to dance unapologetically to.