"Thanks to my big sister, I've been working out for as long as I can remember…13 years old, to be exact. I was a spindly preteen who probably needed every calorie I had, but there I was, jumping and kicking in sync with Janet Jones as we did The Firm every morning. I did that…
"What a year! Good or bad, 2020 showed me what I'm made of... and plank pose is a physical manifestation of my constant negotiation with movement and stillness. Even when it looks like I'm holding still in plank, I'm still breathing and making the smallest shifts in muscle and joint engagement. I learn something new…
"Honestly, pain is what has brought me back to my mat. This pandemic has uprooted any since of normalcy in my life since before March. Thankfully, I still have a job when I know so many people do not. But my lack of daily scheduled movement that I used to religiously abide by has gone…
Yoga Pose: Downward Facing Dog "Four limbs on the mat. Fingers gripping, heels pushing down, arms and neck extended. Core pulled in to the spine, straightening and elongating with each breath. Hips high, chest low, pushing and pulling at the same time. And just four limbs on the mat.Downward facing dog is one of the…
"This is my favorite yoga pose. Three legged dog. I love this pose because I feel strong when I’m doing it. I’m focused and present. When I raise my leg, and use my entire body and all my breath to hold it there I feel invincible. I show up on my mat because I deserve…
I’m one of those, “I love working out!” kind of people (the ones who tend to annoy people who don't love working out as much...lol). This practice has been a part of my life since a teen. So when I talk to someone about their mental health and what I recommend as a coping skill,…
"Half Pigeon is my favorite pose. I chose it because besides opening my hip flexors, it is deeply emotional for me. It never stops challenging me to completely surrender and breathe. In fact, the first time I did, I cried. I realized that all the emotion I store on my hips can begin to heal…
Pinwheel Pose "My two highest intentions for practicing yoga are consciousness and bliss. I love modern yoga shapes that are physically demanding and mentally challenging because these poses push me to learn more about myself (consciousness) and they’re also super fun (bliss)." "I think of the yoga practice as a metaphor for life. Each pose…
"My preferred exercise is the Sumo Squat. I have a love/hate relationship with it because it hurts, but it does amazing things for your inner thighs and glutes. You can do them anywhere, with or without weights, and even improvise and hold pretty much any object to increase difficulty." Synovia Jones is a chef…
