Meet Sam Kim | yoga instructor & retreat leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sam Kim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi sam, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
No one is surprised to hear a yoga instructor sing the praises of yoga, but so many people out in the world do not feel like yoga is an approachable practice for them. The benefits of a yoga practice speak for themselves : stress regulation, breath control, strength, mobility. My practice strives to make yoga, and the benefits it brings to your life, truly accessible – both in cost & in experience. Too many times I’ve had people talk to me about being too intimidated to practice yoga at a studio, and how difficult it is to get started at home by yourself. I fear that the westernization of yoga has created a very tunnel vision perception of yoga that focuses on the outfit, the fitness, and the inversions as opposed to breath, movement, and wellness. I hope to really embody the statement that yoga is for every single body, and my mission is to share the power and magic of yoga with everyone who wants to experience it. There is power in knowing how to have a relationship with your body, to link the physical to the ethereal, to fully love the body you’re in. Learning to love yourself and your body when and where you are each day is life changing in the deepest way, and I believe yoga is an excellent way to begin an authentic relationship with yourself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Yoga has been a lifelong journey for me. Growing up a dancer and a martial artist, yoga was a natural next step when years of competitive dance began to show itself in the form of damage to my joints. I took a big step and embarked on a yoga teacher training with Mandy Roberts anticipating deepening my own practice, but the joy I found in sharing yoga with others led me to go on to teach at Metropolitan Studios and Dancing Dogs Yoga.

My husband teases me often that I have one speed, and that’s go, and in this case, he was completely correct. I finished my training and immediately began teaching and building community. As a child, I thought I would be a an English teacher. As an adult, I realize I was meant to teach yoga.

This past June I had my first opportunity to teach a group of 200 hour yoga teacher trainees alongside Shelley Carroll in the Dominican Republic and it absolutely lit up my soul. I realized a calling to share yoga, travel, adventure, and cuisine with the world. It is a calling I can not ignore, and am so excited to say that in 2025 I will be a retreat leader in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic as well as in Koh Lanta, Thailand! Sharing yoga, cooking classes, whale watching, snorkeling, culture, and creating adventure for people drives me, and pushes me to be ever expanding my own practice so that I may stay inspired and inspiring.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Atlanta is so full of exciting options! I love love love food, so most of my tours would include favorite restaurants and show venues.

East Atlanta could be night out during this proposed visit. Starting pizza and drinks at Argosy, I always enjoy sitting at their bar. Then catching a burlesque show by the Candybox Review.

I live in Summerhill, and love going out in the neighborhood. How Crispy has the perfect breakfast chicken biscuit on the weekends, and Talat Market brings the spice with the perfect balance of delicious fruity cocktails and classic Thai food made with locally sourced ingredients.

A visit to the High Museum is always a blast, especially for First Fridays. Live music is always available, and always on the list of things to do as well. Atlanta’s live music venues really offer something for everyone, from the Masquerade, to the Eastern to The Fabulous Fox, there’s always a band to see.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out Metropolitan Studios in EAV & Dancing Dogs Yoga for creating such incredible spaces to build community! When I think about welcoming spaces, these are the first two that pop to mind. Metropolitan Studios has created an environment of safety and support for queer folx and allies of all sizes, shapes, genders, & sexualities. Teaching yoga there has been such an honor. We have created a lovely yoga community there with an all levels Saturday morning class at 10am. Many of my Soften & Shine students have experienced the feeling of being “othered” when they’ve tried yoga in the past. From experiencing teachers who don’t offer modifications for poses to actually being hurt in a class, my students gave me a chance to create a practice for them, I accepted the challenge, and we’ve built a beautiful, consistent yoga community built on our desire to find and create wellness in our bodies and peace in our hearts.

Dancing Dogs Yoga welcomed me in to their community as an instructor for their Queer Community Yoga as well as Shakti Flow, which is focused on honoring the feminine divine in everyone regardless of gender identification. This beautiful and colorful community continues to lift me up as well. I simply can not say enough good about these two spaces!

Instagram: @manicuredforpeace

Youtube: @manicuredforwar

Image Credits
the photographer’s names are each saved in the title of the photos. the selfie pics are credited to Stephanie Kim