Savanna Stevens on Health, Fitness, and Sports
Savanna Stevens was born and raised in Manhattan, in the heart of New York City. “So, hard work, hustle, and drive has never been an option for me, but merely a way of life.” She says that she has to give credit to growing up in NYC when it comes to the ambition, and anything-is-possible mindset that is instilled in her. “I was always the tallest in my class, I've been 5'11 since I was in 15, and I am one of 5 girls, meaning my dad, who is a big sports guy and played football, had no sons, so naturally, I was a tomboy and played sports with him. My height, coupled with the influence of my father, and NYC environment, made me a natural born athlete, competitor, and leader.”
At 16 years old, Savanna’s father, who she was very close with, passed away. “Shortly after, I had nearly life ending complications from a knee surgery. Those two hardships were life changing and dramatically changed my perspective of life.” She says that the values of hard work, integrity, and hustle that were instilled in her at a young age have stuck with her throughout her life, and especially now as a business owner.”
Sports have always played a huge role in Savanna’s life. “While I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do in sports, I always knew that I would be involved in some way. So, starting my freshman year in college and every year after that, I went after any and every job and internship - whether it was paying or not.” She ended up landing positions at her university and pretty much every major professional sports league (NBA, NFL, MLB). “As I said before, I'm a natural born hustler and I just went for it. And when you do good work, you begin to form invaluable relationships that will afford you opportunities in the future.”
Savanna is the founder of S3 Yoga. “It’s truly bringing things full-circle for me. I was first introduced to it while on vacation in Bali. Then, after my knee surgery, I was desperately in search for some sort of holistic healing. I immediately turned to yoga. The mental, physical, and spiritual benefits of yoga have truly empowered me to live and achieve at a high level. So, after 6 months of residential study at the International Sivananda Yoga Centers in the New York City and the Bahamas, I went on to get my Yoga Instructor Certification (RYT200) and Advanced Yoga For Athletes Certification.” She followed her intuition and decided to make yoga her full-time job. She teamed up with individuals that she has worked with in the past, (professional athletes, corporate executives, and yogis), and founded S3 Yoga.
“With S3 Yoga, it is my mission to empower individuals to focus on their mind, body, and spirit to unlock their full potential. I want to share with the modern western world the teachings of yoga that have been so impactful in my life. S3: The S: Our family name (Stevens), you know, our squad. The 3: The 3 things you must focus on in order to achieve anything in life 1-Mind, 2-Body, 3- Spirit; and at S3, we help you do just that.”
Health and fitness have always been around her in some way, whether through sports or yoga. She says that as an adult, she has found herself naturally using health and fitness as a lifestyle in order to foster longevity, productivity, and overall wellness in her personal and professional life.
I asked Savanna what advice she would give someone who struggles with living an active and healthy lifestyle. She says that this is something she struggles with everyday. “It's really a daily battle of choices you have to make. Something that has been helpful for me is keeping in mind the macro, you know, the big picture and having a very clear vision of my goals (personal and professional). Then, the key thing is not getting intimidated or overwhelmed by it. Focus meticulously on the micro, the short term goals that are easily attainable each day to ultimately get me to the big picture goals.” She says that someone who is struggling to live this type of lifestyle should start small. “Do something little. You will slowly but surely start to build momentum. Also, focus on the positive, no matter how small. Not the negative. For example, just last week I ate like shit. It was bad. But instead of dwelling on it, I went and made a list acknowledging all the accomplishments I made that week - incorporating running more, completely a blog post I had been putting off, stuff like that, which then gave me momentum to start off the next week. Truth of the matter is, you're never going to be perfect, so don't dwell on the small micro stuff.”
In 5 years, Savanna says that if she has positively impacted more lives through yoga, she is doing her job. She says that it's important to not chase money or numbers. “Those things will come with more lives you positively influence. So, in 5 years, my plan is to have reached an exponential amount of people through as many avenues as possible: blog, events, video, and audio channels.”
Savanna says that her journey has not been the easiest. She says that everyone has their hardships, but life is all about perspective. “No matter what life may throw at you (because it will test you, that's for sure). I have taken full responsibility to empower my own damn self and not look to external things, people, or experiences for fulfillment.To be the absolute best version of myself, mentally, physically, and spiritually.” She says that you have to find the strength within. “It’s within you, I promise.”
The empowering women Savanna looks up to is her mother, “Who has sacrificed everything for me and has led by example of how to be a self-sufficient, strong, elegant, and graceful woman.” She also looks up to Oprah. She listens to her podcasts daily. “But also, inspiring and empowering men who's content empower me to be the strong woman I am include: Kevin Hart, The Rock, Gary Vaynerchuck, Tony Robbins, Russell Brand, and Tim Ferris. Their messages and vibes transcend gender for me.”