
08/18/2025
✨Community Member Spotlight: Mataya✨
Mataya has been coming to New Dawn, on and off, since 2017! “Recently have been consistently, trying to get more into it.”
The beginning of Mataya’s yoga journey was before her move to Cedar Falls. “Before I went to hair school, I went to community college and I had to take a gym course. I was like, ‘I’m going to take the yoga class!’ I had a teacher who, she was just so awesome. I was already on a spiritual journey and she was like, ‘this is something that is good for your body too.’ I practiced at home and stuff, but when I was getting my roots down here in Cedar Falls I was like, I need to find a yoga spot! I saw the sign and came here and met Julia.”
Mataya loves Julia’s classes, and Julia herself. 🥰
“I love how no matter what class it is or what day, or what is going on in the world I feel like she is very good at feeling the room…Her classes always speak to what my body needs at that time. I am always trying to better myself and grow and I feel like she is always teaching too. Just guiding your body to feel the position and not just doing a workout.
I’m really grateful there is life in here. Every time I walk in, I see the plants, it just makes me really happy. This is definitely a really safe space for me. I feel big gym classes or working out with a workout buddy sometimes makes me turn away from it because it can be so serious and it doesn’t fit with my mindset. Coming here and having it be my practice but also getting to share that with others is really nice too. There is a lot of people here who are encouraging and kind. It’s not a competitive type of thing, we’re just all here to feel better at the end of the day.”
It’s so important to find movement that speaks to us, and I’m so glad you’ve found that here with us Mataya! Thank you for being a part of the New Dawn community.