On Mat Time, Nap Time, and New Beginnings: Q&A with Carling Harps and Patrick Beach
For Carling Harps and Patrick Beach, it’s been a whirlwind of a year. They made the move from Los Angeles to Seattle, opened up a new yoga studio, and had a baby (cuteness alert — adorable photos of Harvey June can be found on Patrick and Carling’s Instagrams!). We caught up with Carling and Patrick to find out what they’ve been up to lately.
This has truly been a year of transition for you both! What brought you back to Seattle?
We’ve always talked about the idea of opening a studio here in our home neighborhood, and when the right location presented itself, we just couldn’t say no. So between finally finding a home for Commune Yoga and welcoming our new baby girl into the world this summer, it just made the most sense to be surrounded by our family and friends at home in Seattle. It’s been such a sweet homecoming to be able to have the support and comfort of our hometown around us.
What does a typical day for you look like as new parents and studio owners?
Well, to be fair, we’ve only been parents for about two months, so we’re not sure we have any clue what “typical” is quite yet! Currently, we have a pretty good rhythm of early morning Daddy and daughter walks to give Mom a little extra sleep or alone time before the day starts. Nap time currently equals work time before heading to the studio to teach, practice, or both. We’re gearing up for our first round of travel workshops and trainings overseas this month, so we’ll just have to wait and see how “typical” evolves!
How has your yoga practice changed since the arrival of little Harvey June?
Most notably, it’s harder for us to be able to practice together since somebody has to hang with HJ, so home practices exist mostly in the vacuum of nap times or trade-offs. But we’re very lucky to have the studio and all its wonderful teachers at our fingertips, so we work together to make sure there’s space and priority for both of us to practice.
People like to tell you what to expect as new parents. What are some things you didn’t expect to feel or experience?
We have both done a good job at preparing ourselves for the unexpected — meaning that we knew that we knew nothing! So leaving space for us to figure things out and be okay with the ever-changing schedules and expectations has gone a long way to keeping this process more relaxed than everyone wants you to assume it will be.
Do you have any go-to mantras or advice for people who are in a state of shift and transition?
"It is what it is till it ain’t.” It’s a Mac Miller lyric that we both constantly reference, especially in the midst of the tough stuff. It’s really just a modern commentary on the same impermanence that we work with in the yoga practice. Nothing is forever, and you can do anything for a finite period of time, but it’s easy to forget that in the middle of transition and challenge.
quick-HIT QUESTIONS
CARLING
Current favorite yoga pose: Supine twists — I could hang out here for hours these days!
Song on repeat: Any corny, catchy country song — they’re easy to sing along to and I’m doing a lot of baby-karaoke time currently!
Coffee shop order: Chai latte with oat milk
What I’m reading: American Gods by Neil Gaiman
On the travel bucket list: Back to Japan for a long exploration of the whole country
PATRICK
Current favorite yoga pose: Urdhva Dhanurasana — wheel pose!
Song on repeat: Bon Iver’s newest album is on repeat currently
Coffee shop order: Reishi hot chocolate with coconut milk
What I’m reading: Twitter?
On the travel bucket list: Finding some way to live part-time in Barcelona or Tokyo!
Want to practice with Patrick and Carling? Stretch it out with their newest series on Alo Moves, Healthy Hips and Hamstrings.