Children, Yoga and Mali List

I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart:  I am, I am, I am.  ~Sylvia Plath

I am so excited to introduce this month's YogaSole Student of the Month: Mali List! During every yoga class we set intentions for ourselves and it was beautiful to see that Mali's intention while pregnant and after pregnancy was to keep at her practice. I asked Mali a few questions. Why did you start your yoga practice? When? Where? What or who inspired you? Mali was happy to share her own story with everyone looking to deepen their practice and anyone looking for inspiration while moving forward. This is her story:

I started Yoga when I was pregnant (my daughter is now 8.5 years) because a close friend, Lisa, told me to, since it helped her during her pregnancy (she had health issues). I continued going after my daughter was born for mommy and me yoga until she was crawling and wouldn't sit still. I was going in Park Slope and the schedule did not work for me to go on my own, so I stopped. When Yoga Sole opened, I was excited. It was right around the corner from where were living and the schedule fit with mine. Even though we have moved the schedule still works for me to attend after school drop off. I love yoga because it helps keep me in shape with my orthopedic injuries (too many to count) and my chronic asthma.

When you have a child, life can be hectic and tempers can flare. Yoga helps me keep perspective in these times and hopefully remain calm by practicing the breathing exercises that Evalena has taught us. I have not been going much this summer as I launched a new business. I look forward to returning in the fall and getting back to my quiet self.

Introducing the One, the Only....Cathy Brown

YogaSole's Students Of the Month Cathy Brown speaks to us about Yoga, what inspires her and being kind. Read on Yogis :)

How and when and why did you first discover yoga?

I discovered yoga in high school and have practiced on and off throughout my life. But I never felt as comfortable with yoga as I do now, practicing at Yoga Sole. There is such a warm, family vibe here. Evalena has built an amazing community and her beautiful inner light infuses it. There are so many different types of practices offered and they’re all wonderful. I especially enjoy the Therapeutic Yoga and Gentle Flow. There’s actually another yoga studio on my corner but I happily walk the 3 blocks to Yoga Sole because it feels right.

What do you take off the mat and into the world from your yoga practice?

I try to take that wonderful sense of calm yoga brings, that sense of being present in the world and of breathing deeply and fully. Sometimes I ask myself, ‘Why can’t you breathe right without Evalena directing you?’ Although all of the instructors are wonderful, I must confess that Evalena is my favorite. Even her voice is soothing. Her positive, nurturing energy is contagious and I try to carry it around with me. I also love the sense of community that Yoga Sole instills. The clothing swaps, spoken word readings, it shows that yoga can be an integral part of our day-to-day lives and make a positive impact on the community. I was honored to be invited to take part in the first Yoga Sole Literary Salon back in April when I got to read excerpts from my ebook THE EL.

What's your favorite pose? What does it mean to you?

Besides shavasana, I love goddess pose. It feels so fierce and solid like you’re taking strength from the earth and from everything that comes from the earth.

Who is your hero and why?

My friend Danielle Watson. Two years ago, she had an accident that almost ended her life when she fell 300 feet while rock climbing. At age 27, Danielle became paralyzed from the chest down but she never lost her amazing smile or her zeal. She’s learned how to mono-ski (and even skied with the medical team that saved her life), kayak, drive and hopes to get back into physical therapy school. Even when faced with challenges, Danielle reminds me to never give up.

What's your favorite book?

It’s hard to choose because I’m a writer and I’ve loved books all my life. I guess it would have to be Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. It’s beautiful, simple and never gets old.

What's your favorite food?

Chicken molé. It’s dinner and dessert rolled into one.

What's a quote that inspires you?

They change all the time, depending on what I’m going through. Today, it’s Nietzsche’s ‘He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.’ But I also like Sir Edmund Hillary’s ‘It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.’

What's your favorite hobby besides yoga?

Hiking. I love discovering new, beautiful places with my husband and son and taking long walks through them. I feel like I can really experience the landscape, feel it underfoot—or under your hands if it’s a scramble. One of my friends used to say, ‘The best part of a hike is when it’s over.’ You can sit back and reflect and enjoy it again—and again.

What's a change you wish to see in the world (small or large scale)?

It sounds simplistic but I’d just like to see people be kinder to each other. The world would be a much better place if everyone just kept to the Golden Rule: treat people as you’d like to be treated.

Welcome To The Wonderful World of Hollis Glaser

      "Everything was going wrong" Hollis says to me one Sunday over brunch. "I mean, nothing was going right. I was stressed out, tired, my body felt bad, my mind just every aspect of my life felt like it was going in the wrong direction."
     These words sounded so familiar which is why I was so happy that Hollis had been nominated by some fellow yogis to be this months S.O.M. (Student of the month) at YogaSole. The fact that her story began with the strain she felt on her own life during a period of time made me open to hearing more.
     "I had done yoga a few times but I wasn't really serious about it." The food came to the table and Hollis seemed to go far back into her mind to the place she stood so many years ago. "So, I spoke to Evalena" she continued. "I said the same thing to her that I'm telling you now. I said 'Evalena I'm unhappy' and she asked me what I was unhappy about and I told her. I think I ran down a list of like fifteen things until I was tired of complaining. Then Evalena just looked at me and said 'oh yeah, well, I'm sure yoga will take care of that'. You know something? Once I committed myself to a practice...it did. It really changed everything."
      I thought about this for a while. Commitment is a big word for some people. The most interesting part of yoga is that it is unique because it is a commitment to ones inner and outer being. Yoga is about saying "everything is wrong and that's o.k. I'm beginning here, right where I am". I had forgotten that about yoga until Hollis reminded me.
     Because her story seems so relevant, I probed her for more information. "I had been sick. I had an operation and I felt my whole body change after that," she added. "I just didn't feel the same and after I had the conversation with Evalena I started going to the studio more. I used to complain when I started. I would be sweating and tired and I would moan and grunt. Just the other day in Merav's class she turned to me and said 'Hollis, I hardly notice you're here anymore...no more noises'. I laughed because I remember those times where I felt like I couldn't do it, but I stayed with it in the moment. When I kept up my practice everything in my life began to change for the better. I was more open and positive. I was so happy all the time people thought I was going crazy. I used to start whistling and saying how great everything was."
     I see Hollis frequently in the mornings at the yoga studio and like all of YogaSoles students her light is visible and it rubs off on others. You can't help but smile when you're surrounded by so much light. "You know," Hollis says when the check comes to the table, "Yoga really changed me, but it didn't just change me, it changed my whole life. It helps, it saves and it conquers."
     Hollis hopes her story will help get most of us in the room. Many of our challenges are about showing up. Hollis is so happy she decided to show up to the studio during such a crucial transformative time in her life.