Cover Story
by Jourdan Brown & Alissa Dandrilli
Get Your \ On!
Yogic Enlightenment Awaits You. Really!
Ugh, the dreaded stretching. Who has
time to stretch? Well, for some reason
I decided to listen to Jenn's stretching
advice (which I have heard my entire
life and always ignored) and I went to
hot yoga the following day. Although I
have spent my entire life at Fitness
Incentive, it was only the second time
I had ever stepped into the yoga
studio to take a class. Of course I
immediately embarrassed myself by
setting my mat up in the front of the
room where the instructor typically
When the Student is Ready the Teacher Will Appear:
Alissa Dandrilli & Jourdan Brown
T
his article is for all of my exercise
fanatics (you know who you are).
When you think about yoga, if you
think about yoga at all, you probably
cannot comprehend why anyone would
spend an hour at the gym “relaxing.” I
was once, not too long ago, just like
you. When I am at the gym, I go hard
and God forbid I don't sweat - in that
case I didn't even work out. I'm sure
many of you can relate. I love intense,
crazy exercise, and I always will. That
being said, I am here to tell my fellow
fanatics that many of your yoga
conceptions are wrong and that it may
just be the piece of the puzzle that you
are missing. Don't flip the page now that
I am talking yoga, just hear me out.
Around eight months ago, after a
particularly tough week of exercising, I
went to get a massage at Incentives
with Jenn. My body was sore, which I
typically enjoy being the psycho that I
am, but it was also feeling achy and a
bit run down. After my massage, Jenn
told me in the kindest way possible that
if I did not start stretching this pain
would not be going away anytime soon.
“Relax, this class is going to
be a piece of cake. After it's
over you will go into Kelly's
class and get a real workout.”
Well, no exaggeration, Alissa's
hot yoga class ended up being
the hardest workout I had
been through in months.
goes, and a member asked me if I was
teaching the class. I instantly went
red in the face and scurried my mat
back, sat down in my best yoga
position, and tried to act natural. I
was beginning to fear this whole yoga
thing was a mistake, and I had started
mentally searching for the exit when
the instructor, Alissa, walked in. My
last thought before class started was,
“Relax, this class is going to be a
piece of cake. After it's over you will
go into Kelly's class and get a real
workout.”
Well, no exaggeration, Alissa's hot
yoga class ended up being the hardest
workout I had been through in
months. I was holding intricate poses,
while my legs quivered and sweat
poured off my body. Keep in mind I
also had to continuously glance
around the room to watch what
everyone else was doing to make sure
I didn't make too big of an ass out of
myself. I was dripping sweat from the
100 degree temperature in the room
Summer 2015 FIT to Print
but even more so from the demanding
physical challenge of the yoga itself.
Needless to say, I did not take Kelly's
class afterwards but practically floated
home and ran into the house declaring
to my parents that I had been
enlightened. I know this might sound
like an exaggeration but this is exactly
what happened. And I was enlightened.
The next day I woke up and every inch
of my body was sore, but also my neck
felt significantly less tense and I was
beyond elated. Since that class I have
attended Alissa's Monday and Friday hot
yoga classes every week and have
learned so much, not only about my
mind and body, but also about the
approach we take to exercise.
My yoga practice first and foremost
taught me that it is okay to just take a
yoga class and be content. Being
someone who is obsessed with the
notion of sweating I never really got this
until I took hot yoga,. Hot yoga offered
me the opportunity to sweat while also
improving my strength, balance and
flexibility. It has also taught me the
importance of quieting my mind and
being present in the current moment.
So often our minds wander when
exercising, but yoga challenges you to
let go of your worries, anxieties and
apprehensions and to just be present. It
also represents a space where there is
constant growth and no limit as to
where you can take your practice. If you
have never had an opportunity to
experience a yoga class or a savasana
(the name for the ending segment of a
yoga class where your goal is to relax
every inch of your body and mind) it is
hard to explain the feeling you have
when you are complete. It is what many
of us call a “yoga high.” You leave
renewed and refreshed and ready to
take on the day with a clear head. Not
to mention a more toned body and a
sweaty shirt.
My yoga practice has also opened up my
eyes to the greater picture of physical
fitness. We exercise for many different
reasons: to live longer, healthier lives,
to look a certain way, to relieve stress—
the list goes on and on. But many times
our rela ѥ