Today’s topic is about how to decrease stress and how to consciously take that pause before you react to something emotionally or physically. This is such an important life skill to learn for all ages and a great way to do this is through yoga.
Yoga is not all about getting your body into contortions. At its core, it is about connecting breath to movement, focus, control, and meditation. These are powerful tools to help you direct your mind and your perspective.
Speaking on this topic is my guest today Deputy Chief Sasha Larkin of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Sasha is a remarkable woman; a wife, a mother, and when this interview was recorded, she was Capt. Sasha Larkin but has since been promoted to Deputy Chief where she oversees the Homeland Security Division that encompasses the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center, SWAT, Air Support, K-9, ARMOR (All Hazards Regional Multi-Agency Operations and Response), and Intelligence Section.
That is a full plate and there is no doubt that there is a lot of responsibility and stress that comes with it.
So how does she do it?
A major asset is her yoga practice. She has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 20 years and I think that it is safe to say that Sasha is proof of how yoga can enhance and balance your life.
Please make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the podcast!
Need some other quick lessons on basic life skills? Please SUBSCRIBE to the Mominars
ABOUT Sasha Larkin, Deputy Chief LVMPD
Sasha Larkin is a Deputy Chief with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, where she has served for over twenty-two years. Sasha currently oversees the Homeland Security Division that encompasses the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center, SWAT, Air Support, K-9, ARMOR (All Hazards Regional Multi-Agency Operations and Response), and Intelligence Section.
Sasha’s last assignment before getting promoted to deputy chief was as the captain of the Office of Internal Oversight and Constitutional Policing, which is comprised of the Force Investigation Team, the Critical Incident Review Team and the Internal Oversight unit. Her teams of detectives respond on all officer involved shootings, any use of deadly force, and on in custody deaths both on the street and in the correctional facility. She also led efforts related to police reform, policy updates, and ensuring continued transparency for the agency.
She was originally promoted to Captain leading the Support Operations Bureau, which encompasses Vice, Special Events, Human Trafficking, and the Office of Community Engagement (which conducts all religious and cultural outreach, refugee education, gang prevention, and overt counter-terrorism activities), Homeless Liaison Section, and the Patrol Watch Commanders and Laughlin Area Command.
For the preceding two and a half years, Sasha was the commander of Northwest Area Command which encompass over 380,000 residents, 100 square miles, and over 200 officers and civilian staff under her direction.
Recognized for her work in community engagement, Sasha was integral in building the Office of Community Engagement (OCE) and the Fusion Liaison Officer Program. These two offices have reached thousands of people from all cultural, religious, and minority communities that would have never otherwise had a voice with the police. She is also Chair of Women of Metro, an outreach organization that mentors women internally for promotion in law enforcement and hosts a variety of community events.
Sasha has served in a variety of assignments through her career giving her a well-rounded platform to lead from which includes: Patrol, Field Training, Vice, undercover in the Intelligence Unit, a bike officer on the iconic LV Strip, the Problem Solving Unit, as a Sergeant in the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center, and Internal Affairs, as a Lieutenant in Gangs/Narcotics, and in the Office of Community Engagement.
She teaches all over the world, including the Naval Postgraduate School, Police Executive Research Forum, and US State Department, for the LVMPD in the field of building programs that support the prevention of terrorism and crime, how to build bridges of trust with the community and prevent a sense of isolation, and ensure the police are integrated throughout the community they serve.
Sasha has been honored by numerous community organizations for her work in terrorism, law enforcement and community building efforts. In 2016 she was recognized by the Anti-defamation League as the recipient of the “Shield Award” for building one of the largest, most successful Terrorism Liaison Officer Programs in the country, along with one of the leading refugee integration programs nationwide. Sasha has also been honored with the Community Service Award by Girl Scouts of America and Top Cops in Washington D.C.
Sasha attended the University of New Mexico, majoring in Biological Anthropology and Criminal Justice, receiving her bachelor’s degree and currently a part of the Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Post Graduate School.
In addition to serving on with the LVMPD, Sasha has been teaching yoga for twenty years and travels around the world to teach and train various yoga disciplines. Her most significant outside accomplishment is being the proud mother of a little boy and adorable twin girls, and wife to a spectacular husband.