Grounding Together in Tumultuous Times with Francine Ang
In this episode of the podcast, I’m talking with Francine Ang about the joys and challenges of teaching yoga and mindful movement during tumultuous times. Francine shares what it’s been like leading classes in her community since they were impacted by the recent LA Fires, and we reflect on what it means to find ground through practice.
Episode Details:
You’ll hear about Francine’s background growing up in a Chinese Buddhist family in California, and how she ended up spending a year at a monastery in Tibet. We talk about her path to becoming a yoga teacher and how she’s now integrating Qigong alongside Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga. 
Since many yoga, movement, and meditation teachers these days are grappling with how to hold space in the midst of the current political intensity, divisiveness, exhaustion, and constant uncertainty, we thought it would be useful to discuss our experiences of teaching through other times of change and chaos.
Guidance and stories about teaching yoga during intense times:
- The importance of meeting people where they are and giving them space to step back from the noise
- Acknowledging loss and uncertainty, but also staying open to goodness and beauty
- How Francine found being in class together following the Eaton Fire was a way to bring back some normalcy
- Examples like Addie’s story of how the Spiral Path Yoga community handled the sudden passing of a teacher/co-owner right after we opened the studio.
We also talked about going on retreat, and why we both value the opportunity for more dedicated practice times. Francine makes a useful distinction between retreat as an escape vs. retreat as an experience of arriving, and she shares how being in silent presence with others can be incredibly grounding.
This is a conversation with lots of heart, and plenty of laughs! We hope you’ll find some steadiness, inspiration, and connection by hanging out with us in this episode.
Guest Bio:
Francine Ang is a healer based in Sierra Madre, California. She teaches Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Qigong at several yoga studios in the Greater San Gabriel Valley. She received her 200 YTT certification from Spiral Path Yoga Center in 2018, and in 2019, she received further training in Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga Therapy. In 2022, Francine was a graduate of Moved to Meditate’s Mindful Movement Teacher Training program. Along with being a Reiki Master practitioner, Francine has developed her unique blend of heart-centered and organic empowering healing yoga classes, helping individuals to rebalance, restore and reconnect.
Resources and Links from this episode:
To learn more about Francine’s teaching, visit her website and follow her on Instagram at @soulful_om_om.
And, join Francine and Addie for a magical in-person retreat in September 2025! This experience will include daily meditation, yoga, and Qigong, as well as a soundbath, Reiki healing, delicious food, good company, and ample time to rest or enjoy the natural surroundings. Get the retreat details on Francine’s website and reserve your spot!
If you enjoyed this conversation, you might also like:
- Episode 53: Tips for Mindfulness in Challenging Times
- Episode 99: Trauma-Informed Yoga vs. Quick Fixes and Questionable Trends, with Amanda Hanna
- Episode 42: Qigong and the Energy of the Natural World with Mimi Kuo-Deemer