Meet Sarah Pyrda

We recently connected with Sarah Pyrda and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Even as a child, I was always very independent and very creative. Leadership roles came very naturally to me and this gave me a lot of confidence in my individuality at a young age. I participated in a lot of sports as a child, with horseback riding becoming the center of my focus around middle school age. Riding is a sport that requires a lot of discipline and can be very humbling at times. Your competition partner is a 1000+ pound animal that has its own feelings and preferences, so this can sometimes create unique challenges. The biggest lesson I learned from horse sport is to always be a student. Even after many thousands of hours in the stable and in the saddle, I am still a student to the sport. I carry this value into anything I do. In my current life, as I develop a niche wellness business within the equestrian community, my success has been greatly developed out of my commitment to learning. I am always researching, learning, and investing in myself so that I can be the best I can be and offer high quality service to my community.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

This year I launched Live Lightly LLC, an equestrian focused movement and wellness brand. My business is unique because I am working with both humans and horses, but in different ways. As a passionate horsewoman and professional show jumping groom for the last 9 years, I wanted to combine my passions for horse sport and wellness into a business. On the human side, my background is in vinyasa, hatha, and astanga yoga. I am a 500 hour teacher, along with various other certifications such as trauma informed, Reiki level 2, and resistance stretching to name a few. On the equine side, I use sports massage, myofascial release, reiki, and cranio sacral therapy in my bodywork sessions. Working with humans to develop better movement and holistic wellbeing feeds my nerdy side and is my place of service in the world. Working with horses in bodywork sessions nourishes my soul and brings me so much joy. Right now my main focus is developing the human side of my business and gaining traction in the equestrian community. There is a big focus on fitness within the community, but not many practitioners offering quality mind-body instruction. In a sport that is notoriously high stress and precision focused, I see an incredible need for movement practices that nourish the nervous system and address the body as more than just muscles and bones. My latest obsession is the Chinese meridian system and incorporating this ancient knowledge into sessions with clients and bodywork with the horses, I’m seeing fantastic results and deep healing all around.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

To me, the three most important qualities to embody early on in your journey are a strong work ethic, good listening skills, and a sense of humor. Being successful at anything asks a lot of us. I think what sets apart some of the most successful people is their willingness to show up even when it’s not fun or glamorous. It’s important to be a good listener because we can learn from everybody. Not enough people are good listeners and I think there’s no greater gift than to be truly heard. I also think the universe is communicating and supporting us all the time, we just have to get quiet enough to listen. We need a sense of humor because life isn’t meant to be taken so seriously,. We will make mistakes and we might as well have fun and be able to laugh at ourselves.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was allow me to be my unique self. I was allowed to dress in the most outrageous fashion from the beginning. I remember going to preschool in leopard print pants, a lime green shirt, a beanie my grandma knit for me, and star shaped sunglasses. Another time I went to school in a blue Power Ranger costume. I dressed almost exclusively in boys’ clothes until I was nearly 10 years old, and I never felt like that was discouraged. I was allowed to pursue whatever interests I wanted and allowed to play and explore the world. All of this freedom to be and express myself gave me confidence in my creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://live-lightly.com
• Instagram: @sarahpyrda

Image Credits

Nicole Shultz