Students of SPY.........

November 17, 2011

Over the past year, I have received so many inspiring emails about SPY. I am humbled by each and every person who walks through the doors.  Transformation takes commitment and faith every moment of your life. Below a few students have shared their experience of SPY over the past year and how yoga has impacted their lives. I have so much gratitude in my heart for each and every one of you for the support and trust you continue to share with me and the community. We are building something really amazing!

Julie  - “My yoga journey began almost 5 years ago when I was looking for something…really anything to help me with an internal struggle I was facing, namely, infertility.  I had been to so many different doctors, specialists, underwent countless surgeries and had pretty much given up on having another child.   A dear friend of mine suggested yoga, hot yoga, and although I was doubtful, I was ready to give anything a try.  I remember my very first class feeling so insecure after watching everyone bend and twist in all different directions and fly their legs up in the air without any hesitation.   However, what I gained from that very first class, is the very same thing that I still hold dear now when practicing.  A free and blank mind!   For an hour and 15 minutes a few times a week my mind is completely free of worries, stress, and pretty much life in general.  It is such an incredible escape, not to mention a kick-ass workout.  

When SPY opened up I remember that very first class, the incredible amount of energy in the room, and the overwhelming feeling that I had when leaving….I just knew it would be a very special part of my practice and an outlet where I could continue to explore in so many different ways.   Faces and instructors became more familiar to me and always welcoming.   I have formed special friendships with some of the instructors and many of the women (and men) that I now see on a regular basis.  Not only are the instructors amazing teachers who continuously challenge me and help me grow, but their words are very powerful and often needed at the beginning or end of my day.  Additionally, the entire SPY community and the help from those practicing around me are so encouraging that my practice is at a level I never thought possible.   The best thing about SPY is something that I hear from the owner all the time…No Egos allowed      Without that thought, I would still be in that same place I was at my very first class, doubting myself and worrying that I would never be able to do anything more than my body allowed me to do.   However, those words come with me into the studio and I now have the chance to simply try…and again I am remembering words from a SPY teacher, that  if I fall, I fall, and I have learned to  get right back up and just try again    The best part of that falling and trying and of course the incredible amount of sweat dripping off my body is that I am also having fun!    Sometimes I feel as though the studio is part a part of my adult playground and I love it!   Each class is different and often poses a new challenge, and for that I am grateful.    The SPY community is very much a huge part of my life and I feel so lucky to have found a place here. And now, each practice may start a different  way, but in the end although my mind is still free and clear for that hour and 15 minutes…there is still that one thought that almost always passes through me at one point in each class, my little miracle, Olivia.    Thanks to my friend who is also a huge part of my life and the SPY Community, and to The Entire Spy Community, Thanks for the journey…may it go on forever”   

Matt - “I have been going to Simply Power Yoga since it opened.  I got hooked initially after attending a hot yoga class that was a total surprise to me.  It was so physically demanding that I ended up a moaning, sorry puddle on the floor!  And this is from someone who swims a couple of times a week, and is not a stranger to kettle bells, the weight room, or cross training.  Of course you make it as demanding as you like, and finding my upper limit for any given day has been a learning experience, because there is no upper limit imposed by the class itself.  So the physical aspect is wonderful for building a strong and resilient body, however what keeps me going back, (as opposed to just doing cross training and stretching) is the mental challenge of it - of being confronted with silence, or your own perspective on who you are in the world, or the constraints of your own body that certainly can be changed, but can't be forced.  In these challenges, merely doubling down and pushing harder often takes you further away from your goal rather than closer to it.  Those are lessons that you can take to your life outside of the yoga room, and are not something I've ever found on a treadmill nor in the weight room.  Thank you Simply Power Yoga!”  

Mary Beth  - “I often tell people that SPY is my "happy place".  Those 2 words sum it up pretty well.  And simply is really a perfect way to sum up SPY.  It is ironic that something so simple, can be so many things at once. It is community.  It is strength.  It is empowerment.  It is growth.  It is friendship.  It is powerful.  It is exhausting.  It pushes me to my limits.  It is the little voice inside my head telling that "I am stronger than I know" and that if "I can, I must".  It is being in the best shape of my life at 45 years old.  It is determination to learn a new pose.  It is the amazing sense of accomplishment when you do.  It is awe and wonder when you find yourself in Scorpion pose.  It is believing that you CAN do it.  It is humbling.  It is OK to fall on your face.  It is laughter.  It is feeling like Heidi is inside your head and knows exactly what you need to hear on any given day.  It is inspiring.  It is taking a deep breath and leaving the world outside the door for 75 minutes while you regroup.  It is hot.  It is exactly what I need.  It is my happy place.  It is Simply Power Yoga.  And so much more.” 

Danielle  - “Simply Power Yoga means to me…freedom, truth and compassion. While working at the YWCA House of Peace as the Transitional Living Coordinator, I first meet Heidi when she came to the House of Peace Domestic Violence Shelter because she was interested in donating on a regular basis to the women and children. I was first taken back by how Heidi and Alicia radiated such positive energy, they came in and said what they wanted to do and then did it. So many times people give always expecting recognition, the SPY Community gave and still gives without expecting anything in return, and that to me is true generosity. Upon meeting with Heidi again she stated that she wanted to give (2) of the YWCA Transitional Living Program Clients a scholarship to become a Certified Yoga Instructor. I pitched the idea to my ladies and mainly because of the time commitment all but one passed up the opportunity. I spoke with Heidi and asked her if there was a chance that this opportunity would be open to one of the staff members. Heidi said go ahead and fill out the paperwork and I will get back with you. A few weeks passed and she sent me a “Congratulations” letter. I was excited and scared, excited because I would finally be able really help the clients that we serve by showing them breathing techniques, meditation and Yoga practices, and then I was scared because I had only taken 2 classes of yoga at the local YMCA. Heidi has been so giving and nurturing towards me and I appreciate that.

After starting the Teacher Training in October I realized how over the course of my life I have built walls around myself, because of traumas, tragic events and the career that I have chosen for myself. I learned that life is full of heartache and disappointment. I was tired of mechanically going through my days and not being “present” for my family. I felt disconnected and anxious most of the time. After the first weekend of teacher training I felt like this is exactly where I need to be. It’s about breaking down the walls and finding true FREEDOM from the lies that you tell yourself. “I’m not good enough”, “I can’t do this”, and the constant comparing myself to others.  Last month I came to the training and found TRUTH. That it’s okay who you are, where you’ve been your life experiences but that is not your true self. Your true self wants to shine; you can drop the mask that you wear, its okay to be exactly who you were meant to be. I feel like each one of us is dealing or has dealt with disappointment, traumas, tragic events and bad luck if you float along in life you can just go though the motions or you can have COMPASSION and meet yourself where you are at. Simply Power Yoga has encouraged me to take myself to the edge and to allow my authentic self to surface and grow.”

Karen - “Following your recent one year anniversary of opening Simply Power Yoga, I wanted to share my thoughts about what SPY has meant to me over the past year.  I feel that practicing yoga at SPY has helped me in so many ways.  It has helped to repair my body after numerous running injuries. I was a competitive runner for over 26 years, but had been unable to run at all for almost 2 years due to a particularly severe running injury.  Yoga at SPY has strengthened and healed my body in ways that months and years of physical therapy and other traditional and non-traditional treatments were unable to do.  This past year, I was finally able to run again. Classes at SPY are always challenging and have pushed me to new levels. SPY classes have made me stronger, more flexible and less prone to injury and have given me the ability to do things I haven't been able to do since I was a teenager.

I enjoy every single class I attend at SPY. I always look forward to class so that I can continue to build my strength. Over time, I find that I am able to do things in class that I have never been able to do before. Unlike many other things that I do to improve my fitness and strength, I never feel that I reach a plateau in SPY classes.   Instead, I continue to get stronger over time as I am continually challenged and improve my practice.

The practice of yoga at SPY has also helped me in dealing with the inevitable stress and challenges of life. The thoughts and readings of the teachers at the beginning and end of class are always so thoughtful, heartfelt and sincere and always seem to resonate with me on a very personal level. Whenever I feel that I am struggling or particularly stressed, I always feel better able to deal with whatever life has to offer after practicing yoga at SPY.

I have always enjoyed yoga and have been practicing yoga for years, but I can't tell you how much I enjoy the atmosphere of camaraderie and friendliness that I feel whenever I am in the studio. The teachers at SPY are always so open and welcoming and create a feeling of community within the studio.  You have created an amazing place. When I enter the studio, I never feel that I am entering a business. I feel like I am being welcomed into a place that is like a home. I so appreciate all the things that are provided at the studio, such as shower facilities, towels, toiletries, fruit, yoga blocks, straps, mats and anything else I could possibly need. You and the other teachers have helped to create a sense of community in your studio that continually supports and encourages its members to challenge themselves and grow. That sense of community and the intense physical challenge of the practices that are offered is what separates SPY from other yoga studios and what makes practicing yoga at SPY so powerful.

It has been a wonderful first year. I congratulate you on establishing such an outstanding studio!

Thanks again for creating such an amazing yoga studio and for helping me to challenge myself and grow.”


 


Comments

Gina said on November 17, 2011 - 5:33pm:

I am honored and humbled to be a part of the SPY family. You all teach me more when I stand in front of the room than you could ever know. Thank you for sharing your practice, time and grace with me.

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