Meet Shannon Kilmartin

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shannon Kilmartin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shannon, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

For the longest time, I kept second-guessing myself. Who am I to lead a class? To guide a meditation? To create something people actually buy or listen to?

I used to think I had to be perfectly calm, always enlightened, polished, and professional to be “worthy” of showing up.

But here’s the truth: Imposter syndrome feeds on perfectionism and silence. And I finally got a bit loud.

I got more real. I started teaching in my own damn voice. I stopped filtering out the fire inside me. I embraced my messy humanness. I launched potty-mouth yoga. I released Zen AF meditations that are full of soul and a little sass. And instead of pretending I had it all together, I just… showed up. Honestly. Boldly. As me.

And people didn’t run, they resonated.

They said, “Thank you for being real.”
They said, “I love your energy.”
They said, “This is what I’ve been needing.”

That’s when I knew! Being real is what makes you powerful.

So if you’re out there battling your own imposter bullshit, let me say this:
You don’t have to wait until you’re perfect.
You’re allowed to be a work-in-progress and a badass guide.
Your voice matters, especially when it shakes.

And you? You’re not an imposter.

You’re a f*cking force.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Hey, I’m Shannon! Yoga teacher, sound alchemist, ritual creator, and the unapologetically real voice behind Zen AF Fridays and Potty-Mouth Yoga.

Sure, I guide relaxing yoga classes and sound bath events, and I also hold space for humans to breathe, move, scream, cry, laugh, swear, and heal in whatever damn order they need. Through yoga, I have found a space here to learn, relearn and realize that this space doesn’t always have to be quiet. We can be loud in our healing journey. We can have a voice and allow the emotion to bubble up and out of the body. In turn, this allows for a deep release and finding some peace within.

My potty-mouth yoga classes, Zen AF meditations, and digital rituals blend real-talk empowerment with spiritual depth. You won’t find any toxic positivity or Instagram-perfect fluff here. Just grounded, soulful tools to help you feel seen, supported, and a little more free in your own skin.

What’s exciting?
Honestly? The freedom people feel when they realize they don’t have to be perfect to be powerful. Whether it’s through a rage-fueled yoga class, a sound bath journey, or a 5-minute meditation that drops at midnight on a Friday, I look to help people reconnect to themselves: raw, real, and unfiltered.

Right now, I’m especially lit up about:

Zen AF Fridays – My weekly podcast of edgy, soulful meditations that help you release the bullshit and reset for the weekend.

Potty-Mouth Yoga + Meditation events (typically 1x per month) – Where we scream, stretch, breathe, and let that sh*t go. Sometimes we even burn the BS through a burning ritual that is so fun and can be seriously healing.

Digital offerings on my Linktree site that include rituals for real people and even a coloring page or two.

What I want people to know is this:
You don’t have to wear white robes, chant in Sanskrit, or be perfectly peaceful to be spiritual unless you want to! You can be healing and still a hot mess. You can be sacred and still swear. You can be you! Loud, wild, soft, bold, chaotic, tender, and still worthy of every damn bit of peace and power you desire.

This isn’t just yoga. This is real-life ritual for real people.
Come as you are. Stay Zen AF.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, there are three things that changed everything for me:

Radical Self-Acceptance
This was and is probably the hardest part for me. Learning to love the parts of me I used to hide: the loud one, the messy one, the one who didn’t always have it all together and it was the most powerful shift. Once I stopped trying to “fit” into a version of what I thought a yoga teacher or healer should look like, I actually started helping people in a deeper way. And to be real, this is something I still have to remind myself of. Sometimes emotions shift and that inner critic starts chattering. I have to stop, breathe and remember that those moments will pass and that inner voice is mean and not real.
Advice: Stop trying to be perfect. Your magic lives in your realness. The sooner you own it, the sooner others will feel safe to do the same. And it’s OKAY to fall, because, babe, you will rise again.

Creative Courage
Launching things like Potty-Mouth Yoga or Zen AF Fridays wasn’t exactly traditional—but it was mine. Trusting my voice and letting my ideas be wild, weird, or a little spicy gave me a whole new sense of freedom (and community). I remember the first time I brought up Potty-Mouth Yoga to a group of ladies I was still getting to know. It created the biggest, loudest and most amazing joy, laughing until we had tears. I sat with it that night and just knew I had to do it!
Advice: Start before you’re ready. Perfection will only delay your growth. Create what you needed when you were struggling and then release it into the world without apology. I believe in you!

Holding Space with Compassion (for yourself and others)
Whether it’s through movement, meditation, or just listening. I’ve learned that holding space doesn’t mean fixing. It means allowing. And that starts with allowing yourself to be human, too. Others want to be listened to, accepted, validated and part of a community! Do the same for yourself. Do exactly what feels good in your soul.
Advice: Build your own toolkit of nervous system regulation, grounding practices, and boundaries. The deeper you support yourself, the deeper you’ll be able to support others.

To those just starting: You’re not behind. You’re not too late. And you sure as hell don’t need to be anyone else.
Be real. Be kind. Be bold.
And don’t forget to breathe (and swear a little, if you need to).

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

Right now, the biggest challenge I’m facing is scaling my business without losing the soul of it.

I’ve poured my heart into creating real, empowering experiences through classes, rituals, meditations, digital products, and the Zen AF brand, and now that things are growing (which is amazing!), I’m hitting that classic crossroad:
How do I reach more people and create consistent income… without burning out or diluting the magic?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of “do more, post more, sell more,” but that’s not sustainable or aligned with why I started this in the first place.

So here’s what I’m doing:
Getting clear on my boundaries. Energetically, emotionally, and in my schedule.

Automating and streamlining where I can, so I can spend more time creating and less time in the hustle.

Leaning into collaboration and support instead of trying to do it all alone. I love collaborating with my community of yoga instructor friends!

Reminding myself daily that growth doesn’t have to mean doing more, it can mean going deeper.

This is the messy middle. The space between soul work and sustainable business. And I’m learning to trust that my authenticity is the strategy. That staying true to my voice is what builds connection. And that I can grow without selling out.

Honestly, I’m still figuring it out, but doing it on my own spicy, sacred terms.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Chelsea Lee

Photos by Abby Jo

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