What Would Happen If We Taught Yoga To World Leaders?

“Yoga held me accountable to show up and showed me anything is possible from a place of presence” – Shawna Krueger

 

Today, we will introduce you to a yoga teacher who writes yoga poetry and hosts podcasts that revolve around yoga, the world, and leaders. She trusts yoga can change the world, and teaching yoga to world leaders could transform how they govern -fostering empathy and a deeper sense of responsibility toward the people they serve. Meet Shawna Krueger from Seattle. 

https://www.instagram.com/shawnakru?igsh=cTRsZXA4Z3ZqOWM2

 

Before she fully dedicated herself to yoga, Shawna would struggle with her mental health frequently. Immersing in yoga and then teaching changed everything.

“What a privilege to stand in front of people and share practices that mirrored my strength to me”. Teaching started giving her the strength to show up every day to be of service, impart powerful practices that helped her see life in a new light, and almost entirely eradicated her mental struggles. Shawna speaks from experience. Her poetry is a true reflection of that. 

 

On Milestones, Meditation, and Presence

When she began her yoga journey, she was not very flexible, couldn’t touch her toes, and had no experience with inversions. But she had enough courage to commit to the poses that felt almost impossible to achieve. After 2-3 years of hard work and dedication, she learned to do a handstand. It was her breakthrough. Why wouldn’t it be? Can you imagine how mind-blowing the transformation must’ve felt? Inspiring, isn’t it?

But her deeper milestone? Meditation.

She is now on a streak of around 250 days of daily meditation practice. Through this consistency, she experienced what it truly means to be in the present moment. Gradually, she broke the pattern of acting from stress and fear. Instead, she began to act from a place of presence- in her teaching, in her podcast work, in her life. She believes anything is possible from a place of presence. 

“I feel like everything is okay when we’re present,” Shawna says. “There’s nothing really wrong.”

This shift in perception through active experience allowed her to work from a place of worthiness rather than from a need to prove herself. Of course, that’s a milestone!

 

What Do Shawna’s Students Think of Her?

 

“Students often tell me that I have a soothing and grounding yet deeply motivational voice”, Shawna reflects.

I have to pause here and tell you something. While listening to her voice note answers, my body started to relax. I felt that subtle shift. And then she answered this exact question, I smiled and thought to myself: Oh wow! Yes, that makes so much sense. 

Her students describe feeling as if they can tap into a trance-like state in her classes. Shawna doesn’t focus heavily on technicalities. Her main goal is to get everybody into a state of flow. Honestly? I would love that as a student. Feeling safe, sound, and comfortable in your body often matters more than alignment. Most of her students also feel deeply seen, thanks to her generous hands-on adjustments.

 

“What Would Happen If We Taught Yoga To World Leaders?” 

 

A question that led to the birth of Shawna’s podcast.    
 

She used to wonder what would shift if world leaders started practising yoga. Eventually, she realised it’s not just about the leaders, it’s about all of us. Every individual has a role to play.

I didn’t realise how much Shawna and I think alike until I started writing this piece. When you shift things for the better within yourself, the world around you shifts too. The ripple effect is real.  

So what does Shawna hope to bring to the world with this? 

 “As yoga teachers, we have this immense opportunity and responsibility to spend uninterrupted time with people. People come to yoga because they're looking for something. They want to feel something. They want to have a greater sense of connection to their spirituality. They want to feel better in their bodies. And I know that's a lot of pressure for us yoga teachers if we think too much about it. But I do think we should think about it. And try to teach the best that we can, and try to show up in a way that is empowering to people. I think my greatest gift to the world is inspiration. To feel, to inspire, and to energise people.”

Shawna wants her students to know that they are capable of expansion. They can do things they never imagined they could. She wants them to come back to the feeling of reconnecting with the magic of life, and to return to that feeling again.

She wants them to know: Your dreams are made for people like you. They are not reserved for someone you assume is wiser than you, younger than you, or older than you, richer than you, or less busy than you. There is a reason that you have the dreams that you do. If you have them, they are for you to follow.

 

2025 Highlights and What’s Next

Shawna ended 2025 with a profound realisation: her creativity and yoga are deeply connected. She also interviewed Kino McGregor, David Swanson, and Shri Dharma Mitra in New York- teachers who have shaped the global yoga conversation.

Shawna holds a dream of changing the world and empowering individuals through yoga. Because it touches individuals who truly live the practice. Yoga teachers are able to impact the world far more than we ever imagined.

I’ll end this article with a poem written by Shawna, in the hope that it brings you closer to something bigger 😊

Yoga isn't always nice to me,
And sometimes I pick fights with her.
I give her my million mental excuses 
I refuse to stand on my mat.
When I feel weak and plead for relief, 
she gives me sweat and grit
before I get to be still
Sometimes I cry, and for weeks I quit.
But when I finally listen to her,
Yoga tells me what I don't want to hear
So I can become who I've always wanted to be.
Yoga sees things in me that are sometimes hard to see in myself.
She sees two me's: higher me and human me.
She sees that I am constantly one practice away from changing my life,
and one practice away from falling off.
One practice away from who I am becoming,
and one practice away from forgetting it all.
Yoga doesn't always give me what I want,
but she always gives me what I need. 

 Link to poetry: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU34Q4wkh2i/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

✒️Srijanee, Maitreya

Note: This is not a sponsored article.