Meet Tiffany Velasquez | Mother, Yoga Instructor, Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tiffany Velasquez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tiffany, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am born and raised in Lawton, Oklahoma. I was born into a big, close knit, Mexican family, with particularly strong women and strong family values that I hold close to my heart to this day. It is very important to me to carry on our family traditions, to honor my ancestors and to continue the strong legacy of la Familia Gonzalez. My great-grandmother, or abuelita, Carmen Guadarrama Vega Gonzalez, has been one of the strongest influences for me throughout my entire life. I never got the chance to meet her in this physical world but, the woman that she was and the things she instilled into our family as a strong and powerful matriarch have shaped me to be the woman I am. She immigrated from Mexico City to the US in 1967 with my abuelito and their eight children. She only spoke Spanish when arriving and learned English after beginning life in the states. She began making an impact in the community as a nurse, a birth worker, a business owner, as well as enriching the lives of those around her with our beautiful Mexican culture. After my abuelita passed away my mema, Verda Rea Gonzalez Owens took over the roll of matriarch of our family. My mema was married to the eldest son of my abuelita and from the very beginning, the two of them were very close, My abuelita taught my mema everything she knew, from family recipes, religious beliefs, language, dance, to our family traditions and much more. Until the day she died, my mema carried out her roll as matriarch with strength and honor. Another influential woman in my life is my momma, Yolanda Gonzalez-Edwards. My mom always encouraged me to stand up for myself, to use my voice and to be who I wanted to be. My mom is unapologetically herself and watching her be that has given me the courage to be just the same. Now, to every beautiful story there is always another side. I didn’t grow up with my biological father as a consistent part of my life. When I was younger, I remember going to stay with his side of the family and they would say horrible things about my mom, my family and frankly, they were hateful and mean. At one point, I asked my mom if I could not go over there anymore and she never made me go over there again. I tried to reach out to them over the years in hopes of starting fresh, but it’s never went well. I used to wonder why I was never enough for my biological father, it hurt that he couldn’t just love me. I’m his only child and he doesn’t want anything to do with me. I’ve realized that, as cliché as it sounds, it’s his loss. He is the one missing out. Without him, I’ve learned that I can stand strong as an individual person. It’s wonderful to have a family that loves and supports you but ultimately, loving yourself without seeking validation is the most important thing and that is the greatest lesson I’ve learned from my biological father. In addition, I am Chickasaw and Oglala Sioux from my biological father and it is something I embrace and enjoy connecting with in my adult life. With that being said, my mom is married to a wonderful man, David Edwards, who has been my dad since I was about two and a half. It’s funny because people often tell us we look alike and we aren’t biologically related. He has loved me and taken care of me like his very own daughter from the very start. Along with my dad comes a wonderful family that has embraced me as well. The wonderful women from his side of the family, my Aunt Laurie, my grandma Dawn, my Aunt Mary have all guided me, shaped me and been blessings in my life. I have always taken great pride in my family history and the legacy left behind by those before me. There are parts of my story that aren’t so pretty but, it’s my life. Everything I have been through, experienced and been witness to has shaped me into a woman I am proud to me. I am strong, smart and have an unlimited amount of love to give. My foundation is unshakeable and I am blessed to stand on solid ground.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I run a business focusing on yoga, art and life. As a yoga teacher I can help you in building a personal yoga and meditation practice. Beyond that, I like to create a sacred space, a ceremony if you will, to honor yourself, your life or whatever it is that you choose. Each session is designed for the individual client and as unique as they are. Sessions can include, as I mentioned before, yoga and meditation, as well as, crystals, art expression, dance, sound, journaling and so much more. The wonderful thing about the experiences I create is that it is appropriate for any occasion and any day. Honoring life, whether it be a birthday or even a death, postpartum and prenatal, for couples looking to develop a stronger emotional bond, someone looking to heal from past trauma or love themselves on a deeper level, a group of friends looking to create an unforgettable memory, literally any occasion. In addition, I offer a variety of artistic and creative services. Photography, custom canvas, painting, home décor, vinyl, custom shirts and more. I love an artistic challenge and love bringing the vision of my clients to life. Every piece of art I am a part of, whether it be a photograph or a painting, I make sure I am putting good energy into it and creating with a clear head and a clear heart. I am proud of everything I do because everything I do, I do it with passion and love. I am excited to continue working with all my wonderful clients and to work and connect with many more people in the future, bringing everyone a sense of joy and deeper love for themselves. I am where I am today in my business because of hard work, passion and a strong desire to continue my family legacy. As far as it being easy, the way I look at it is, everything that is meant to be mine will come to me and the things that aren’t, just aren’t. Its that simple. So, I don’t sweat the small stuff. I continually trust the universe and the creator that good things will come to me and that I am protected, in all ways. The biggest lesson I have learned is to trust my gut. My instinct, like all of our instincts, never leads us astray and if you take nothing else from this, take this, trust your gut. The biggest thing I want you to know about my story and my brand is that I come from a strong line and I carry that with me in everything I do. Clan Mother Yoga. Clan, a group of people with a strong common interest. Mother energy is that of unconditional and never ending love. Yoga is a Sanskirt word meaning to join or unite. All together, that is the purpose of my business, to join and unite people with unconditional and never ending love, love for themselves, for their lives and for all that is.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Okay, so my lifelong friend, Chantay is here, let’s see… I would take her to Pupuseria Lilian for desayuno salvadoreno and of course, pupusas! After that, I would take her to Downtown Garland and hit up the vintage clothing stores there, Boogie Nights and Frocksy, I would take her to check out The Metaphysical Way and hang out on the green space afterwards. For lunch we would stay in Downtown Garland and eat at Intrinsic. I would bring her to my Monday evening yoga class at 7:30 in Downtown Wylie at Ahhhmazing Life and Wellness. After class, we would probably hit up Mijas Taqueria just right up the Street. I would definitely want to take her to try a JuiJitSu class with me at Caya Martial Arts in Rockwall, we would have to get a good workout in after all the food from the day before. I would also want her to try my favorite food truck, Tortas Y Tacos Chilito Pikin, my favorite little stand Si Senor and the BEST wings ever from Wing City in Garland. We would definitely have a cookout because I love to cook myself. So a carne asada with music, dancing and lots of laughs. I would take her downtown to walk around, take some cool urban photos and also hit up the arboretum for some beautiful, soft photos. We would go to In-Sync Exotics, wildlife rescue. One day, we would stay in and I would set up a little picnic with yummy food and a painting for us to do.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I already mentioned the strong influence my family. Ultimately, everything I do is to bring honor to my family and to continue a legacy of greatness left by those before me. In addition, my yoga momma, Amber Villanueva, of 721Yoga, my yoga sisters, Sharon Minton, Lluvia Broadwell of LluviaYoga, Ebony Danek of MadHat Yoga, Vanita Kent of Stargaze Yoga and Cameca Hall of Dunamis 7 Yoga have all been shining lights of love and greatness. Amber and Sharon lead me through yoga training and the other ladies I mentioned went through training with me and we gave forged a sisterhood. Throughout my journey of becoming a yoga teacher and all my entrepreneurial endeavors, I am fortunate to have wonderful friends and family who support, encourage and inspire me in many ways. Chantay Potts, Sarai Eaves, Vanessa Walker, Autumn Klongland, Hilda Velasquez, Yvette Velasquez, Angela Gonzalez, Rosalia Jones, Devyn Logan, just to name a few. I am very fortunate and thankful to be surrounded by strong woman who each have their own unique energy and have blessed my life in so many ways. Lastly, my husband, Eduardo and my babies, Caralee and Calvin. They are my biggest supporters and my biggest reason.

Website: tiffanyvelasquez.com clanmotheryoga.com

Instagram: @tiffanyvelasquez_ @ClanMotherYoga

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clanmotheryoga

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/clan-mother-yoga-sachse?osq=clan+mother+yoga

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/clanmotheryoga/_created/ https://linktr.ee/tiffanyvelasquez

Image Credits
Clan Mother Yoga Niall Morga Photography AJJ.Varghese Photography