Meet Kathryn—Yoga Teacher, Author, Storyteller & Magician.

Sacred creativity is imagination in flow. It’s the meditative state of making that connects us to the energy of the universe, and leads us to our most profound creations. With the second part of Fractals Collection, we’re celebrating the stories of reimaginers who fuel their imaginative spirit through their creative practices and unique self-expression.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.

A: My name is Kathryn Budig and I take she/her pronouns. I live in Charleston, SC with my wife Kate Fagan and our two senior dogs. I founded and run The Haus of Phoenix — an online platform dedicated to community and daily transformation through yoga and movement classes, moon rituals and magick, myth and storytelling, recipes and cooking videos, an educational book club, and a wide array of guest teachers. I also founded and run The Inky Phoenix — a bookclub for lovers of story.

Kate and I used to co-host the podcast Free Cookies and I’m the author of The Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga and Aim True, with my first novel currently on submission.

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Q: So much of our company is rooted in the re—inc founders' own quest to reimagine norms and barriers society has placed on us. What do you want to reimagine in the world?

A: As a queer woman, I’d love to reimagine the world as a fluid place with relationships that honor love and connection over expectation and fear. I see so many people making choices based on what they’ve been taught; dimming their curiosity and dreams to fit in or move away from that feeling of ‘other’. I want to live in a world that is open and curious, with respect and connection at the helm

Q: What drew you to being a Yoga Teacher and Storyteller?

A: Falling into teaching yoga was a series of happy mistakes, but getting to where I stand now — after roughly 20 years — was a product of braiding all my loves together. I’ve always been an athlete, so the physical aspect of the practice came naturally. My background in theatre aided in keeping large groups entertained, but my love of magic and story has completely transformed the way I teach and build community.

It woke me up to the prison of the moving goalpost — recognizing that ambition and success only leaves you wanting more of it. Integrating what I love into my teaching vs. the expected (Hard classes! Weight loss! Capitalistic hooks!) has created a true home out of Haus of Phoenix.

"As a queer woman, I’d love to reimagine the world as a fluid place with relationships that honor love and connection over expectation and fear."

— Kathryn Budig (she/her), Yoga Teacher & Storyteller

Q: What barriers did you have to overcome to make this your profession?

A: Like any profession, there’s the regular temptation to bend your beliefs to appease the success monster. I remind myself of my ethos on the daily, so I’m fully aware of the choices I make, who I align myself with, and how these choices affect my students. I don’t want to be another wellness professional that makes people feel lesser-than, or that they need to dramatically change something about their body or approach to be good. But as capitalism proves — making people feel bad puts dollars in your pockets, especially in the world of wellness, fitness and spirituality. My daily goal is to swim against that current by running a successful business of bringing people together and making them feel accepted and whole.

"My daily goal is to swim against that current by running a successful business of bringing people together and making them feel accepted and whole."

Q: Take us through a day in your life.

A: We have two senior dogs (we are SO lucky), so we wake up when our little one starts pacing. Then my wife makes us oat milk lattes and we tackle the NYT crossword puzzle. We take the girls for a spin, then I head up to my ‘studio’ where I take Zoom meetings and film live classes for Haus of Phoenix. This is my personal think tank where I test sequences, research stories for my Moving Mythology classes and Inky Phoenix picks, plan out rituals for moon days, and find personal time for my own physical practice. A good chunk of the afternoon used to be dedicated to writing my novel, but it’s now out on submission and I’m talking myself into starting a new one as I wait!

Dinnertime is sacred in the Chez Budig-Fagan: I chef up something delicious, Kate makes me a martini or a big wine glass of local kombucha, and we watch shows on our sofa like two little Netflix bosses.

Q: This collection celebrates the sacred creativity within us all. What fuels your sacred creativity ?

A: There are two places where I feel most connected to my sacred creativity — when I’m writing a book without any attachment to publication, success, or other’s opinions. The simple act of creating a world and letting the page absorb my words is the closest I’ve felt to pure bliss. I become a medium for my characters and am happily lost in their stories.

I also spend a good amount of time researching magic, myth, and ritual for my Moon Rituals and Moving Mythology classes. I’m resistant at first, unable to move past it being ‘work’ but always walk away with a deeper sense of knowledge and power that is rarely taught these days. I want to keep this kind of sacred approach alive.

Q: What advice might you have for someone that might be trying to reimagine or reinvent their life?

A: First off: focus on what’s working. You can’t pick fruit from a tree on the same day you plant the seeds, so you need daily reminders to stay the course. This means finding support and belief anywhere you can find it. And like-minded people to help you see your shine when things get dark.

Follow Kathryn's journey on instagram @kathrynbudig. And check out her work at https://www.kathrynbudig.com/. How do you boldly reimagine?

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