About a Girl: Meet Alden Steimle

Get to know August Magalog muse Alden Steimle.

If you pick up an August Magalog and flip to page 38, you’ll see her: Alden Steimle. She’s the mysterious beauty who shows us around Maderas Village, and yet, her persona is a mystery. Here we wanted to give you a peek into this inspiring woman’s world.

Alden is a beautiful spirit, yogi, model, and Free People friend who came along on our Sur la Sol adventure to Nicaragua. She joined our group, spreading her light and talking about dreams for a meaningful life. Since you don’t get to meet Alden formally in the magalog, here she is. Everyone meet, Alden Steimle:

Niko Margaros (4)

Tell us a bit about your background, what was your upbringing like?

I was raised in Northern California near Sonoma by my two wonderful parents who taught me nothing less than to love, respect, appreciate, learn and embrace. I’m an only child (super sad face), so I found my independence at a young age. I had quite the playground since my hometown had no lack of redwood trees, daisy fields, rope swings at the river, and sand dunes in Bodega Bay. I’m forever grateful to have grown up away from excessive amounts of technology and gadgets that are nowadays taking many kids away from experiencing natural elements that help us really recognize who we are and what this life has to offer. However, one gadget I am so grateful for is my dad’s camera. My family is full of photographers! I grew up taking photos on camping trips and learning all about the darkroom and developing photos. I think that has added an artistic element to my career in the fashion/creative industry that keeps me innovative and inspired.

Niko Margaros (3)

Where do you live now?

Home base is in Encinitas, CA, but I work so much in Los Angeles and have tons of friends there so I stay there on a regular basis and also call it home. I see an official LA crash pad in the near future.

What are your favorite neighborhood go-to’s for:

Coffee: Ironsmith Coffee in Encinitas is my jam.. the owner has become one of my good friends and is one of the best guys I’ve ever met.

Lunch: Haggos Organic Tacos, again in Encinitas. Their fresh catch of the day tacos with all organic ingredients, topped with mango, homemade salsa, and avo is insane and it doesn’t get much better. Oh! Unless you add beans and rice on the side… full plate status won’t leave you hungry.

Grocery Shopping: I’m guilty of shopping all over the place. I find myself at Whole Foods more than anywhere, but mostly for their salad bar and guaranteed stock of organic kombucha (Synergry- Tril flavor is the best). Other than that, I’m also guilty of eating out a lot since I’m always on the go.

Exercise: One of my absolute favorite things to do not just for exercise, but in general, is to go for a walk around Encinitas. There are two parallel streets that run next to the cliffs/beach with a hill in-between, and make for the perfect incline during a power walk when zigzagging through the neighborhood. I always find peace and comfort in the clean ocean air, streets that lack sidewalks (which I love), the beautiful ooze of flora and fauna such as palms and birds of paradise, and walking past all the other locals who give a warm “hello” and a smile, showing their appreciation for all of the same things. Not to mention, my favorite lookout spot is along my routine walk which I’ve started a hashtag for, #BeaconUpdates at Beacon’s Beach.

A Good Time: Local spot for a good time… I’m pretty sure would have to be wherever my friends are and wherever there’s something going on in Enci. There are always little events and hangs in the neighborhood with drinks and tunes…especially in summer.

Niko Margaros (2)

Nicole Hill (7)

You work to live a healthy lifestyle. What is a typical breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack for you?

Breakfast: Mmm, love breakfast. Talk about routine… just about every day I have the same exact thing: an omelet made of one whole egg + another egg but just the whites, and avocado on top. If I’m at home/lucky, I go to a local spot to get coconut iced tea for the best addition to my breaky.

Lunch: Usually a salad from whole foods or any salad bar where I can just mix everything together. I’m not the girl who keeps all the sides separate, I usually mix them all and love getting a bit of everything in every bite.

Dinner: Salad or veggies with salmon on top. Favorite salad would be mixed greens and arugula, heart of palm, mango, avocado, cherry tomato, crushed macadamia nut, topped with medium-rare salmon and mint vinaigrette – YUM!

Snack: Can’t go wrong with jicama and guacamole! Kind Bars kinda rock my world, too.

Niko Margaros (1)

People may not know that you’re a certified yoga instructor. How did your love affair with yoga start, and what role does it play in your life now?

Yoga became a special aspect of my life when I first discovered it in college. It was a crazy awakening when I finally took a proper 1.5 hr yoga class at a legit studio instead of the gym! Years later when I lived in Santa Monica, I stumbled upon Yogaworks and absolutely fell in love. The overqualified instructors and insanely positive energy in the studio had me practicing at least once if not twice a day! Modeling was feeling a bit empty for me at the time, and as I started looking to do something with more depth and meaning, it dawned on me that becoming a yoga instructor might be my next journey. Super long story short, being a full-time yoga instructor is not what I’m meant to do, but the experience of getting certified was priceless. I learned so much about myself physically, mentally and spiritually. I made some amazing friends along the way, and also became a better yogi. Now when I go into a class, I have a better understanding of what’s safe and healthy. I am also more advanced which doesn’t necessarily mean physically doing fancy poses and jumping into handstand back into chataranga, but knowing when to slow down, understanding how to quiet my mind, and what’s been insanely useful is learning how to have a healthy and steady breath. I find that yoga is so important for everyone and that we can all apply it to our lives in a beautiful way. I often hear how people get bored or anxious in a pose or that it’s too hard… but that is exactly the point — learning how to find peace in those uncomfortable poses and using breath to get through those moments of weakness and doubt are applicable to every day scenarios. In addition, we can practice yoga to learn how to help appreciate the beautiful moments we are given in this life.

Nicole Hill (4)

Nicole Hill (6)

What three items do you always have in your bag?

1. Chapstick- obviously.

2. Journal — for doodles, thoughts, and attempted organization.

3. Headphones — music makes everything better.

As a model you must get exposed to a ton of beauty products. What are five that you’ve fallen in love with and can’t live without?

1. Chapstick! Oh man do I use chapstick… favorite is Eco Lips Mongo Kiss, Vanilla Honey flavor! I get made fun of for how often I apply this gem.

2. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. Absolutely love that this stuff has the perfect amount of coverage without getting too heavy. Not only that, the SPF really saves my skin. Sunscreen and protection is so important!

3. Batiste Dry Shampoo. Really don’t know where I’d be without dry shampoo. Not only does it save me time on NOT washing my hair, but I find that my hair looks better when it’s a little dirty with some good product like dry shampoo.

4. Coconut Oil. I do EVERYTHING with this stuff… it’s so good for my hair and skin, AND I take my makeup off with it (shout out to Rocky Barnes for showing me that trick awhile back), and I cook with it! Feel good look good.

5. Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara does wonders.

Nicole Hill (9)

You’ve traveled all over the world. If you had to pick just one place to visit for the rest of your life, where would it be?

Tahiti, hands down. I was insanely lucky to have a ten day shoot there and instantly fell in love. Crystal clear water, overwater bungalows the size of my house, friendly tropical fish AND friendly sharks, sunsets that’ll steal your breath, lush mountains to climb, catamarans to lose track of time on, and moonlit strolls that make you feel like you’re part of the stars. Sound like I’m describing a dream? Yea pretty much.

Nicole Hill (3)

If you had to pick three songs that define you or have a significant meaning to your life, what would they be?

1. “Shine a Light – Flight Facilities Remix” by The C90s — This is that song that has always felt like it just goes with all of my travels and excursions. Whenever I play it, I’m usually running around with friends, on a photoshoot adventure, or taking off on a plane looking out the window just stoked on the opportunities I’ve been given and the waves that life has taking me through.

2. “3 Days” by Rhye — Wow… well this song is so many things. It’s cool, calm, collected, messy, sexy, intriguing, dreamy, daring… and brings up other emotions that are even a mystery to me. This song makes me feel a certain happiness that allows me to daydream and have a mini dance party. I can’t stop moving when I hear that sexy beat.

3. “Yellow Brick Road” by Angus & Julia Stone — This song has always had a special place in my heart ever since I first heard it. It brings me to a place that makes me feel safe and content. I can’t even describe what that place looks like… it’s as if time just stops, and all feelings of things like doubt, worry, angst, or judgement, just disappear. This is my go-to if I need a good reset or if I’m ever feeling homesick, it’s gotten me through some hard times for sure.

What’s next for Alden Steimle?

It’s funny because I usually don’t know my schedule too far ahead of time, but I do know that I will be in Germany for most of August, hopping around to Amsterdam and London. I also have miscellaneous road trips randomly scheduled to soak up the last month or so of summer! But what I am most excited about is Soul Shapers. It will start as a category on my blog and is essentially collaborations and bringing awareness to people or companies who are inspiring and/or giving back. I have so much passion for traveling, creating, collaborating, inspiring, and helping others, and Soul Shapers brings all of those things together. The ball is rolling and exciting things are happening… so stay tuned!

What does ‘free’ mean to you?

To me, free means being able to find that safe place within myself, no matter the situation; happy, hurtful, exciting, boring etc. I’ve found that the most valuable thing in my life, was learning how to find comfort in discomfort, and trust that everything will be okay- no matter what. That way, I am free from all of these fears and pains that I may try and avoid or not know how to cope with. For example, it can be better to embrace sadness, rather than try so hard to make it go away, which can actually then cause more suffering from suppression or inability to push away the sadness. Not to mention it makes all of the good moments super duper good and amazing :) We all have the capability to be free — it’s a beautiful thing.

Nicole Hill (5)

Images by Nicole L. Hill and Niko Margaros

Follow Alden on Instagram: @AldenSteimle

This trip was the first FP Escape, Powered by Yogascapes. See more FP Escapes here.

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8 years ago

I’ve probably said this a million times in the comments by now, but truly, it’s all so enchanting and magical. I love her vibrations and she really pushes me further into starting yoga.

http://thoughtdweller.blogspot.com/

8 years ago

love these type of posts, super inspiring :) xx

http://www.thewhimsicalwildling.com/

8 years ago

My Insta girl crush! Was excited to see her working with fp and now an interview, so great!

http://www.spruceandgunn.com

8 years ago

Love these posts! So incredible!

http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com

8 years ago

Such a lovely inspiring woman!

8 years ago

I love this girl! I met Alden when I lived in Encinitas. We only lived a few blocks from each other. I don’t live in CA anymore , but this post sure makes me miss all the great things about Encinitas! Alden is one very inspiring human being!

8 years ago

Loved this one. She is so pretty & has an amazing spirit! Very inspiring..
xx http://www.nuunablog.com

8 years ago

Two eggs for breakfast and then salad for every meal?! Lord, with my metabolism I’d be asleep or crying at even the thought of yoga. Pretty pictures, though.