Sonya Matejko - Writer, Yoga Teacher, A Force of Nurture
Sonya Matejko
Sonya Matejko is a writer and yoga teacher embracing vulnerability. Through authentic connection and movement, she hopes to redefine what it means to be vulnerable and what it means to be spiritual to help people reach their highest potential.
Sonya is on a mission to help people express and empower themselves mentally, physically, and spiritually. By embracing vulnerability and nurturing authenticity, she hopes to move people toward their highest potential. In 2018, she founded @aforceofnurture on Instagram as a home for inspiration and to nurture self-expression.
Sonya’s writing has been featured on The Huffington Post, Elite Daily, Thought Catalog, I AM & CO, Mogul, and more. One of her most popular articles on deserving love has been shared over half a million times. Sonya currently lives in New York City and can often be found leading a class or workshop, writing in coffee shops, or off traveling the world.
Today, she’s nurturing a community through spiritual wellness, empowerment, and self-love. Sonya is truly inspirational and such a light, and I’ve loved connecting with her. I’m so excited for you guys to connect with Sonya too, check out her work and her writing, and follow along!
I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.
Hello! So grateful to be a part of The Joy Corner. Thank you for welcoming me into this space!
My name is Sonya Matejko, and I’m a writer and yoga teacher living in New York City. I’m on a mission to help people express and empower themselves mentally, physically, and spiritually. By embracing vulnerability and nurturing authenticity, I hope to move people toward their highest potential. My writing has been featured on The Huffington Post, Elite Daily, Thought Catalog, I AM & CO, Mogul, and more. In 2018, I founded @aforceofnurture on Instagram as a home for inspiration and to nurture self-expression. When I’m not leading a class or workshop, you’ll find me writing in coffee shops or off exploring the world.
Right now I’m focusing on kicking off a women’s empowerment series, continuing my yoga practice, and building a community on Instagram. Oh, and I also work at a digital agency full-time as a communications lead!
How did you get started?
I’ve been a writer ever since I learned how to write. That said, I spent a lot of years hiding my writing in binders and boxes because I wasn’t sure how to own my truth. After college (and after a heartbreak) I finally let my heart break wide open, and I started expressing myself the way I was always meant to. I still remember the day my first article went live on ThoughtCatalog. I was sitting at a Starbucks in Miami on a Friday debating whether to go home because it was about to start raining (you can always feel it in Florida). That’s when I got the email that my very first article was officially released to the world. Once I got a taste of what it was like to be vulnerable, I needed to keep going. Over time, I realized how important it was to be heard so that others can feel seen. By putting my heart out on the table and risking all the inevitable feedback, I started expressing my heart in hopes that others would connect and feel less alone. Everything else that followed was only in the last year once I really pushed myself to battle against my ego and chase my dreams. I started my workshop series last November purely because I hated public speaking and decided I needed to get over my fear. I launched my Instagram last December as a way to build community. I finished yoga teacher training just this month. I decided to start my sequel and change my story.
What inspired the work that you're doing?
I guess you could say people are my muse. I’m so inspired by all the intricate feelings we can feel and emotions we can express. I love how we hold the power to change our stories and change our lives. It’s because of that I think it’s so important to inspire embracing vulnerability and expressing our fullest potential. Becoming who were meant to be is never easy, but forming a collective to lift each other up along the way is what it’s all about for me. I want to see others shining. I want to see my loved ones walk in their truth. I want to inspire others to proudly wear their hearts on their sleeves. I want to make space for people to communicate as well as to move in a way that feels good to their souls. I’m inspired by the potential each and every one of us holds.
What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?
My biggest passion is spreading love and empowering others to embrace and express who they are. I certainly think I’ve started walking in my truth more, but I also think that truth can ebb and flow. I’ve focused so much of my healing and my growth toward searching for my purpose, but I’m slowly getting comfortable with just letting the universe lead the way. I honestly think I have not fully discovered my purpose just yet, but I believe that’s okay. I’m loving exploring and changing my mind as I go. I’m looking forward to what will come and the amazing people I may meet along the way.
What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?
There’s so much to be joyful about! Lately the things that really bring me joy are really juicy yoga practices, enlightening meditation sessions, inspiring women’s conferences, interesting workshops or events, and really nurturing moments of self-care where I can truly tap into what I need and want. On the flip side, being around those I love and heartfelt belly laughter is always such a joyful occasion. I especially love being around friends and family who express unconditional love as well as meeting like-minded souls I instantly connect with. I’m also obsessed with traveling and seeing the world (as well as tasting my way around it). I think I feel the most joy when I show up authentically and remain present. To me, the key to happiness is finding common joy in uncommon places.
How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?
It’s really easy to get lost in the chaos of each day and in the maze of our own responsibilities. So I start each day off intentionally to hopefully set the stage and manifest a purposeful day. I’ll light lavender incense to invite a calming energy, write in my gratitude journal (specifically the Five Minute Journal), meditate (using Insight Timer) for 5-10 minutes at least, use doTERRA’s Motivate essential oil for a confidence boost, and incorporate affirmations when needed. Depending on the day or week I’ll also light Palo Santo or Sage to clear away any negative energy. Throughout the day the best ways for me to recenter always involve going outside for walks, talking on the phone with a loved one, or journaling during a lunch break. After work, yoga or a bike ride around the city help me find my inner peace. While it’s not always possible, I’ll do my best to live more mindfully and always ask myself, “does this serve me?”
What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?
Oh gosh. She would not recognize me! I was incredibly shy when I was growing up and all of my self-worth was dependent on other people’s opinions of me. To be totally vulnerable and honest, I’d count how many yearbook signatures and notes I got at the end of the year in middle school as a symbol of whether I was liked or not. In high school I once dropped an AP class because I was embarrassed by being in too many upper level classes and wanted to be with “the cool kids.” I seriously wish this mindfulness movement would’ve been around for me when I was growing up because I definitely could’ve used some self-awareness and self-care then. It honestly wasn’t until a few years after college that I started to unravel the confidence I had buried within me. I wish I could hug that younger version of myself and tell her she was always enough. I hope she’d be proud of me... and then push me harder to go after my childhood dreams now that I found the strength in me.
Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?
Yes!! I keep it simple and powerful with “I am love.” This affirmation grounds me in my deepest truth - that I am worth loving and being loved. I‘m all about self-love, especially because I know what it feels like to feel like we lack it. So I keep my “I am love” affirmation card on my dresser mirror so I see it every day for a boost of inner worth. I sometimes expand on it in my gratitude journal on days I really want to tap into that loving energy to share it with my universe. I think the world could definitely use a little more love, and we all have the power to embody it.
What is your biggest dream?
It’s funny to read this question today! As I was writing these answers I was flying to San Francisco. The WiFi on the plane was $35 for one hour, so I was doing all my work in the notes on my phone because my intuition told me that money was better served toward wine tasting in Napa. At one point I decided to look back at old notes in my phone. One of my notes was from a New Moon Circle held by the lovely Ezzie Spencer earlier this year. During that circle, Ezzie had us write our intentions for the new moon, but she also had us write our biggest dreams of who we think we could be without fear. It’s a little extra, but reading it months later made me feel powerful. I also know how hard it is to have a positive conversation with yourself rather than negative self-talk with your ego. So I’m literally copying and pasting what I wrote that night to continue manifesting this dream!
I am a famous writer, speaker, yoga teacher, coach and entrepreneur. I am changing lives and healing hearts. I am the type of speaker that gives you goosebumps and the type of writer that makes you see yourself in a different light. I am full of financial abundance and abundant in love as well. I am successful as much as I am sensitive. I am happy and in a dream job. I am the combination of all the things I had to learn to become who I am today. I am a bestselling author. I am a speaker who sells our auditoriums. I am one of the top 10 most famous TED speakers. I am a mother, a wife, a best friend, a great daughter, and a mentor. I am true to myself and true to my word. I am who I am today, and I am enough.
To learn more about Sonya and her work you can connect with her on her website www.sonyamatejko.com and on Instagram @aforceofnurture and Facebook @bysonyamatejko
Joy Corner is a new interview-style blog series brought to you by Seek The Joy Podcast. Our mission continues to be a desire to share your stories, truths, joys and inspiration in your words. We invite you to join our corner, and share your joys, passions, and moments of inspiration as we continue to seek the joy, together. Join this series here