Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandie Regalado.
Hi Brandie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Yoga found me when I was a struggling high school student—it began as physical exercise but quickly became my emotional anchor. Life pulled me away from practice for years until a series of car accidents and personal losses brought me back to the mat, this time as a form of survival. That painful return became my rebirth.
I completed my first teacher training thinking I’d just deepen my personal practice, but San Antonio had other plans. One class led to another, and suddenly I’d taught thousands. Crystal singing bowls had been a staple in our house for years but it took me a while to build up the courage to follow the vibrations calling me to bring them out to classes revealing new dimensions of healing I hadn’t imagined possible.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When I first started teaching yoga, I was so eager to share this practice that had saved me that I said “yes” to everything—overbooking myself across studios, gyms, and private sessions just to make ends meet. I’d race across San Antonio, teaching back-to-back classes, constantly exhausted but convinced I had to prove my worth through sheer hustle.
Financially, it was a rollercoaster. Transitioning from a steady paycheck to relying solely on teaching was terrifying. Some weeks were worse than others. Picking up too many subs, unexpected private client cancellations (or same day schedules) that left me scrambling. I took on side gigs, and some weeks traded classes for veggies and homemade goods. Some days it felt good but sometimes I wondered if I’d made a mistake.
Then there were the conflicts—studio politics, teachers competing for prime time slots, and the crushing weight of imposter syndrome. Who was I to guide others when I still struggled so much myself? I compared myself to seasoned teachers, convinced I wasn’t “spiritual” enough, experienced enough, or even flexible enough.
But here’s what those hard years taught me:
1. **Boundaries are sacred**—saying “no” to overbooking meant saying “yes” to being fully present for my students.
2. **Community over competition**—the teachers I once saw as rivals became my greatest allies when I stopped comparing and started collaborating.
3. **My struggles weren’t weaknesses—they became my teaching superpower**. Students didn’t need a perfect guru; they needed someone who understood the messy, nonlinear path of healing.
Today, when I see new teachers burning out, I recognize that version of myself—and I gently remind them: **Your worth isn’t measured in classes taught or dollars earned. It’s in the quiet moments when someone whispers, “This is the first time I’ve felt safe in my body in years.”**
Those early struggles didn’t break me. They made me the kind of teacher who knows the cost—and the priceless reward—of this path.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a yoga therapist and sound healer specializing in trauma-informed care and nervous system restoration. Over the past 8 years, I’ve taught more than 8,000 classes across San Antonio, working everywhere from boutique studios to parks to domestic violence shelters. I weave traditional yoga philosophy with modern somatic techniques, enhanced by the vibrational medicine of crystal singing bowls—a combination that’s become my signature offering.
I am most proud of my work at the Women’s Shelter. Creating a space where survivors can reconnect with their bodies—often for the first time after trauma—has taught me more about true healing than any training ever could. I’m also deeply proud of rebuilding my own relationship with yoga after years of burnout as a teacher. That journey allows me to guide others through their own cycles of exhaustion and renewal with real empathy.
I teach the yoga I needed when I was broken—no performative spirituality, no toxic positivity. Just evidence-based tools wrapped in radical acceptance. Having survived my own crashes—literal car accidents and emotional ones—I understand healing isn’t linear. My students don’t get Instagram-perfect cues; they get honest, lived-in wisdom about how to breathe through life’s real messes.
I do my best to bridge worlds: ancient philosophy and modern neuroscience, studio yoga and social justice work, rigorous anatomy study and the ethereal magic of sound healing. That duality yoga therapy provides means I can speak both to doctors and mystics—because true wellness needs both.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Early on, I made the mistake of thinking mentorship had to be formal—some grand gesture where a “guru” adopted me. What actually worked? **Showing up consistently** in spaces aligned with my values, then letting relationships grow organically.
A few hard-won lessons:
1. **Trade idolizing for curiosity**
Instead of putting potential mentors on pedestals, I started asking specific questions after workshops: *”How did you navigate burnout when transitioning to full-time teaching?”* or *”What’s one thing you wish you’d done differently with your private clients?”* This led to coffee dates that often blossomed into ongoing guidance.
2. **Volunteer strategically**
I offered to assist senior teachers at trauma-informed trainings (even just setting up chairs) to absorb their methodology.
3. **Embrace peer mentorship**
Some of my most transformative growth came from fellow teachers who were just 2-3 years ahead of me. We created a mastermind group to share client struggles, studio politics advice, and even split continuing ed costs.
4. **Networking ≠ collecting business cards**
I stopped forcing connections and started seeking *”Oh, you too?”* moments—like bonding with a Reiki practitioner over our shared frustration with wellness industry exploitation. Those genuine intersections naturally created collaborations, like our trauma-informed sound bath series.
**My mantra now**: *”Seek teachers, not trophies.”* The right mentors won’t just admire your light—they’ll help you navigate your shadows.
Pricing:
- Private Yoga (Starting at $100/hour)
- Crystals and Gemstone Jewelry (Starting at $5)
- Intentionally Curated Yoga Group Events (Starting at $10/participant)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.sayomsanantonio.com
- Instagram: Sayomsanantonio & Yogaontheregs
