From operating the rat race to survivor and sharing, meet Saori Soga—a Yoga Tune Up® Licensed Coach who took management of her life and ache.
Over the previous decade, Saori Soga has used Tune Up Health strategies to assist athletes and health lovers in addition to to assist these with continual ache and medical situations like her personal. She brings her personal expertise of discovering the Coregeous® Ball, and utilizing it as her lifeline, serving to her handle ache from a 15-pound tumor till she was capable of safe the care she wanted whereas nonetheless persevering with to encourage her college students.
From Artwork Director to Directing and Sharing Wholesome Life-style Habits
After spending over 16 years as a Graphic Designer and Artwork Director within the music and leisure business, Saori’s sedentary way of life led to weight problems, continual ache, and sleep struggles. In her late 30s, after years of poor well being and hitting all-time low, she acknowledged the pressing want for a balanced, wholesome way of life. Decided to reclaim her well-being, she misplaced over 30 kilos and transitioned right into a profession devoted to health and wellness.
At the moment Saori has spent over a decade empowering athletes, health lovers, and people managing continual ache and medical situations—together with her personal. Her journey is marked by private triumphs and a deep dedication to serving to others. Saori’s story isn’t just about overcoming adversity; it’s about inspiring others to reclaim their well being and dwell a lifetime of goal.
Now as health skilled who helps prepare and coach for marathons and triathlons, Saori enjoys serving to others obtain their finest and teaches a variety of courses: from Yoga Tune Up®, HIIT Bootcamp, Operating, Biking, Swimming, Pilates, Yoga, and Sound Meditation, at corporations reminiscent of Equinox, Heart For Yoga, YogaWorks, Artha, Valley Scorching Yoga, Hollywood studios (Disney, Paramount Photos, NBC Common), and lots of different company corporations, in addition to personal purchasers throughout Los Angeles.
Moreover, Saori enjoys taking part in neighborhood packages such because the Excessive Faculty Weight problems Prevention/Diet Program, SOS Mentor Form Up, and Undertaking Angel Meals Diet Division in addition to educating neighborhood health courses for Most cancers Help Teams.
Interview led by Meg, Tune Up Health’s Model Engagement Supervisor, with over 25 years of dance expertise, beginning in Dallas, Texas, and has now traveled the nation performing and educating. After years of repetitive dance actions, Meg’s ache in her shoulders, palms, and toes was relieved by the Roll Mannequin® Technique. This new information impressed Meg to finish extra Tune Up Health programs; she continued to take Physique by Breath and Yoga Tune Up® Trainer Certification to share it together with her college students and reawaken her love for anatomy.
Study extra about Saori on this month’s Trainer Spotlight interview under.
Meg: What number of years have you ever been educating?
Saori Soga: Health 20 years, Yoga Tune Up® 10 years
Meg: What’s your No 1 tip for academics?
Saori: All the time comply with your coronary heart, your calling, and your ardour. Regardless of your background, expertise, historical past, there are such a lot of “puppies” to be saved on the planet, and there are folks on the market who want you. Be accessible, seen, and prepared so your tribe can discover you. And be 100% authentically YOU and never be like anybody/everybody else. There are all the time 1% haters on the market however don’t let that dim your mild, ever! Each expertise we now have, good or unhealthy, makes us distinctive and will help others who is likely to be going via comparable struggles.
Meg: What’s your favourite rollout?
Saori: Toes! I’ve been a runner all my life, and that is my first go-to. Each single day!
Meg: What’s your favourite transfer?
Saori: Tubular Core/Diaphragmatic Respiratory. Jill’s “Physique By Breath” e book saved me so many occasions… from operating marathons, swimming, surgical procedures, and navigating via LA visitors to on a regular basis self-care.
Meg: How has the Yoga Tune Up® coaching impacted your choices?
Saori: I stumbled upon my very first Yoga Tune Up® class at Equinox Santa Monica, a day after my very first LA Marathon. I didn’t know what YTU precisely was, but it surely was within the yoga room, so I figured it’d assist alleviate my insane soreness and agonizing ache. I used to be limping, couldn’t stroll straight, and couldn’t even stand up from my chair, automotive, and bathroom seat! When a trainer requested the category for any requests, I raised my hand and defined my state of affairs, and she or he kindly catered to the category to assist me. I couldn’t imagine my eyes when the category was over, I used to be strolling out of the studio like a standard individual! And all I used to be pondering was how excited I used to be for the following Marathon!
I knew throughout my first-class that this was precisely what I wanted to proceed pursuing health, train a number of courses day by day, and do all of it safely as I get older. I needed to be taught every thing about Yoga Tune Up® trainer coaching. I’ve been following Jill Miller ever since!
YTU actually modified my life over a decade in the past. And I knew then that this was my life’s calling!
Jill and the opposite wonderful Tune Up Health academics have been a real present, profoundly impacting my educating on so many ranges.
Meg: What’s your favourite Roll Mannequin® Technique Remedy Ball to make use of?
Saori: It’s between the ALPHA Ball and the Coregeous Ball®.
In 2020, one other flip of occasions occurred once I was already a “wholesome” coach. I needed to take away 15 lbs of tumor from my uterus. It was the most important surgical procedure of my life, and due to the pandemic and problems with insurance coverage, I needed to postpone my surgical procedure and carry that ache for 4+ years together with anemia. Throughout that point, I hid this situation from nearly everybody, to not be seen as a “weak/incapable” marathon coach or knowledgeable coach.
The Coregeous Ball® was my savior, and it helped me maintain myself till I lastly received the surgical procedure day set. This expertise propelled me to pursue Yoga Tune Up® even additional. Not just for runners, athletes, and folks solely with sore muscle tissue but additionally for folks with totally different medical situations.
Meg: I see you’re employed with Sound Baths and Reiki. Have you ever integrated Sound Baths into Yoga Tune Up®?
Saori: I’m so grateful to convey Yoga Tune Up® in addition to Sound Baths in all places! I’ve new studios throughout LA, reminiscent of Heart For Yoga, YogaWorks, Valley Scorching Yoga, Artha, and Equinox Palisades who’re excited to convey again the format after 15+ years together with Equinox Sports activities Membership LA, Santa Monica, Westwood, Beverly Hills, and Encino.
All the time comply with your coronary heart, your calling, and your ardour. And be 100% authentically YOU and never be like anybody/everybody else. Each expertise we now have, good or unhealthy, makes us distinctive and will help others who is likely to be going via comparable struggles. – Saori
Meg: What have you ever taken away out of your coaching with Tune Up Health?
Saori: Having gone via all of the trainings with Jill and different wonderful YTU academics has been a real present and has impacted my educating on so many ranges. Having gone via a number of items of coaching, together with the Nationwide Academy of Sports activities Medication and RYT500, and many others. I really like Jill’s distinctive method to physique mechanics and her modality that includes respiratory and fascial points.
YTU was the lacking piece of the puzzle in my wellness teaching. I can now mix all of them collectively and provide you with one thing stunning. Moreover, I assisted Jill at her final in-person coaching at Heart For Yoga. The expertise assured me that I used to be on the appropriate path.
The dream is beginning to occur, and I now train a back-to-back YTU class adopted by Soundbath. That is such a yummy combo, and it’s been an enormous hit!
Meg: How are you tuning up your self-care in 2025?
Saori: That is my calling—I dwell and breathe this work. I’m consistently participating with folks about ache and physique consciousness. I really like introducing them to Yoga Tune Up® strategies and Roll Mannequin® Remedy Balls. I all the time carry a set in my purse, and I often present them to pals, household, and purchasers. The constructive suggestions and “thanks’s” I obtain remind me of how transformative it may be to alleviate ache. I actually carry the balls EVERYWHERE I GO and assist unfold the love for YTU. Individuals even name me the “Ball Girl” as a result of I all the time have Roll Mannequin® Remedy Balls in my bag or as items to others.
Meg: I noticed you probably did a yoga fundraiser for Minnie, your canine. How did that incorporate your two passions, yoga and your pup?
Saori: Sure, my pricey rescue canine Minnie has stage 4 most cancers and is present process chemotherapy. I don’t have children, so I’m doing every thing and actively doing fundraiser courses to assist pay her medical payments. Minnie has her personal Coregeous® Ball that offers consolation and assist as it really works for people.
Saori turns 52 in March and is within the healthiest form of her life! She’s eternally grateful. She strives to assist her purchasers to breathe higher, stroll higher, get stronger, and ease any ache by prevention.
You may take her courses within the LA space under:
Saturdays: Equinox Sports activities Membership LA 12:30pm / 1:20pm / Equinox Studio Metropolis 5pm
Sundays: Equinox Westwood 11:30am / Equinox Beverly Hills 1:45pm / Equinox Encino
Mondays: Equinox Pacific Palisades 6:45pm (TBD)
Tuesdays: Valley Scorching Yoga 11:15am / 8pm
Wednesdays: Artha 1:30pm
Fridays: Equinox Sports activities Membership LA 11am / Equinox Woodland Hills 5:45pm
Discover Saori On-line at:
IG: Saorifitness
FB: Saori Soga
