December Yogi Of The Month

Congratulations to Carla Nichols, our December Yogi of the Month! 

Here is what Carla has to say about her practice. 

Before I started yoga with Milwaukee Power Yoga, I was only doing cardio exercises and weights for years. Still not feeling entirely whole, I kept looking for something that challenged me beyond my limit. I overheard some people talking about how wonderful “hot yoga” was (never heard of it until then).  I looked it up on line and signed up for a class immediately. Feeling very nervous about class because I’ve never taken any type of yoga before, It felt great being pushed to my limit! I was at a “wow!” after my initial class. I felt totally challenged! In an awesome way. A challenge that I was looking forward to again. I signed up for a month membership and was challenged with every practice. I then signed up for a contracted 6 month membership. I attend practice 5-6 nights a week, again meeting a new challenge every time J I feel stronger, more toned, more focused and leaner than EVER before J  For someone that never thought about doing “hot” yoga, I KNOW this is the best decision I have ever made for my body!! I prefer vinyasa yoga over the gym any day! J Thank you so much Milwaukee Power Yoga for making a very big, positive impact in my life! Love you much!! 

Thanks Carla for sharing your experience with us. We are so happy that you have found that missing piece in yoga. Your energy and dedication to your practice is truly inspiring and we are honored to have you as a student at Milwaukee Power Yoga.

Milwaukee Power Yoga

November Yogi Of The Month

Congratulations to Sophie Janto, our November Yogi of the Month! Here is what she has to say about her practice.

I started going to Milwaukee Power Yoga because I simply wanted to be stronger.  I had always done cardio workouts, but felt like something was missing.  I had very little experience with yoga, and zero experience with hot yoga.  After my first class, I remember leaving completely exhausted and intimidated by all the moves that I couldn’t do.  I was hooked, though, and kept coming back to challenge myself.  After a while, the old poses that challenged me so much became easier, and some of the ones that were easy before became more difficult.  That is what I love about power yoga; it is always changing depending on where you are emotionally and physically.  Not only have I gotten stronger (I can actually do a push up now!), I’ve grown mentally.  I realized that anyone truly can conquer any challenge with patience, dedication and practice.  I’m very thankful that these classes came into my life, and for the wonderful instructors I’ve met, Laura and Keith.

Thanks Sophie for sharing your experience with us, we are so happy that to have helped you discover the benefits of yoga both on and off the mat! Your practice truly inspires us and we are grateful to have you at Milwaukee Power Yoga!

Milwaukee Power Yoga

October Yogi Of The Month

Congratulations to Alex Smith, our October Yogi of The Month! 

  Here is what Alex has to say about her yoga journey.

As a lifelong skeptic of yoga, my ears began to perk up a few years ago as several of my friends praised yoga and its numerous benefits. They said yoga helped them in every aspect of their health; mind, body, and spirit. I have always exercised, and in the past have done aerobics and jogged. Last year I became overloaded between work and graduate school and decided that it was worth trying yoga to see if it would have the positive effects I had heard so much about. I still remember the elation I felt walking out of my first class at Milwaukee Power yoga. Everything I had heard was true; I experienced an intense workout while calming my mind, in just an hour. I felt invigorated and craved more. I now attend class at Milwaukee Power yoga 2-3 times a week and have learned so much! I feel stronger, healthier, and more balanced in life overall. Thank you Milwaukee Power Yoga for gentle guidance through my practice!

Thanks Alex for sharing your experience with us. We thrilled when we have the opportunity to turn yoga skeptics into dedicated yogis! The energy you bring to the mat is inspiring and we so happy to have you as part of our community!

Milwaukee Power Yoga

September Yogi of The Month

Congratulations to Victoria Preston, our September Yogi of The Month! Here is what she has to say about her practice.

My journey at Milwaukee Power Yoga started just a few months ago when a few of my friends asked me to join them at a class. Instantly I was hooked. I had tried Bikram Yoga and some other forms of practice but had never enjoyed a yoga class as much as I did here. I really love the flow of the classes, the musical compilations and the leadership Laura provides as she guides us through the practice. I began to attend class as much as my schedule allowed which is about 2 or 3 times per week. I combined this practice with 3 cardio workouts per week and have lost just under 25lbs since the end of July. I am convinced that without adding Milwaukee Power Yoga classes into my workout regimen that my results would be much less. I have noticed that as I attend more and more classes I am able to challenge myself more and my body is changing for the better. The modifications within the classes allow you to work at your own pace but also push yourself to the limits. I am so thankful to those that referred me to Milwaukee Power Yoga, but mostly Laura for  running a studio that is so conducive to yoga students of all levels and that has not only allowed me to find a new way to burn calories but enjoy myself while doing it. Thank you Milwaukee Power Yoga for introducing me to what I know will be a lifelong practice.

Thanks Victoria for sharing your experience with us. We are so excited to have played a part in helping you reach your fitness goals! Your enthusiasm for your practice is inspiring and we are grateful to have you as a student at Milwaukee Power Yoga!

Milwaukee Power Yoga

August Yogi of The Month

August Yogi of The Month 

Congratulations to Mike Talarczyk, our August Yogi of the Month!  Here is what he has to say about his yoga journey.

As a couple of past experiences with traditional yoga had been rather disappointing, I attended my first class at Milwaukee Power Yoga somewhat begrudgingly. However, a persistent hamstring issue kept sidelining my "high impact" workouts, so I thought I'd give hot vinyasa flow yoga a shot. That first experience was six months ago, and, needless to say, I'm hooked. I have found the vinyasa flow style yoga combined with the heated and humid room to be a very challenging workout and, more importantly, rewarding both physically and mentally.  Practicing on average three times a week, I have progressively improved my flexibility, balance, strength and endurance. To me though, the most enjoyable aspect of practicing this style of yoga is the sense of relaxation and calm that is achieved post-practice. It's just an awesome stress reliever. At Milwaukee Power Yoga, the welcoming venue, Laura's calming, positive and mix-it-up instruction and, of course, the hot vinyasa flow style, make a perfect combination for a great workout. I also think it's cool that yogis of varied experience levels comfortably practice side by side. Many thanks to my brother for getting me to that first class, and to Laura for operating a great yoga studio.

Thanks Mike for sharing your experience with us. We are inspired by your consistent commitment to make it to the mat 3 days a week and the growth in your practice really shows! We are so happy to have you as part of our community!

Milwaukee Power Yoga

July Yogi of The Month

Congratulations to Debra Lewis, our July Yogi of the Month!  Debra is a dedicated Yogi and also a Triathlete! Here is what she has to say about her yoga practice.

I initiated my yoga practice as a student at UWM taking classes for credit. At this time I was not athletic and really looking for an easy class rather than a workout. Surprisingly, I was quite engaged in the poses and enjoyed being able to work on the alignment of my body. After I graduated, I struggled with finding a studio that worked well with my schedule and had a group of students I felt had a similar skill level to mine. I stumbled upon Milwaukee Power Yoga, and was shocked that yoga could be such a workout! This seemed like the best of both worlds to me: burning a lot of calories while doing an exercise that I liked. I recently have completed my first Triathlon Sprint and I accredit my endurance to regularly practicing hot yoga. My yoga practice has strengthened my immune system, strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance while providing me with a way to relax from my day and stretch out from other workouts. I enjoy practicing yoga with such a talented cohort of yogis and I think the secret to my success has been coming whenever I can to keep my practice consistent and celebrating all progress I make in the poses. If I can’t achieve a pose the first time I attempt it, I see it as a challenge and practice like crazy at home until I can finally pull it off in class. The moments when I achieve new poses or new progress really make my day. I know yoga will remain a core element in my life whether it is for exercise, reducing anxiety, or just challenging myself mentally. -Namaste-

Thanks Debra for sharing your experience with us. It has been a pleasure to watch your practice grow over the months and we will really miss you when you move!

www.milwaukeepoweryoga.com

June Yogi of The Month

Congratulations to Hannah Osowski, our June Yogi of the Month!  Hannah first stepped foot in our studio a month ago and she hasn't missed single day of class since! Here is what Hannah has to say about her yoga practice.

              

 “Yoga is the roots growing from my bare feet into the ground. Yoga is my breath in rhythm with my almighty sound. Yoga is my thoughts focused and aware. Yoga is my energy flowing from fingertips to hair. Yoga is my center when my hands come into prayer. Yoga will always be the place I go if I’m ever in despair.” –Anonymous-

 That quote describes why I practice yoga. Whenever I am having a tough day or not quite feeling my best, I know that I can always turn just roll out my mat and practice a little bit yoga to ease my mind. Yoga has helped me through stressful times and has helped me become a more centered and more accepting person. Yoga has helped me identify things about myself that I can improve upon and has made me into the person that I am today. I have been practicing yoga for a few years by myself, but never attended studio classes. I didn’t know what to expect coming to my first class at Milwaukee Power Yoga, but Laura was so welcoming and friendly. After my first class, I knew that I would be back for another class. After a month at Milwaukee Power Yoga, I have improved drastically in my yoga practice. I am now able to do poses that I never thought that I would be able to. Laura is very helpful and has answered all of my questions. Laura’s classes also offer modifications that allow me to push myself to improve in my yoga practice. I am grateful to be able to practice yoga daily and have loved every minute of it.

Thanks Hannah for sharing your experience with us. Your commitment to your daily practice is an inspiration to us all and we are so happy to have you as part of our community!


Milwaukee Power Yoga

10 Things to Remember About Your Yoga Practice

1. Make your practice your own. Yoga is about connecting with your own intuition and the teacher inside of you. Only you know how it feels to be inside your body, so listen to what it is saying to you.

2. Build your foundation first. This means having the patience to work within the poses that are right for your practice today and not pushing yourself into advanced variations before your body is ready. Trust that everything will come when you are ready.  Remember that your yoga practice is a journey and not a destination; it isn't possible to master every asana on the first day! Even the most advanced yogis are still learning.

3. Strive for progress and not perfection. We all come to the mat with natural strengths and weaknesses. There are some poses that will come easily to you right away and some that you will struggle for months to achieve, there are some poses that maybe your body will never achieve and that is okay.

4. Honor and respect your body. Don't push past your physical limits of strength or flexibility. Learn to understand the difference between feeling challenged in a pose and feeling pain in a pose and know when to back off.

5. Don’t compare your practice to your neighbor. Everybody is different and everybody with experience the poses in a different way. Your practice is uniquely yours. Yoga is not about competing with yourself or others. Allow yourself to be inspired by someone else's practice, but not intimidated by it.

6. Be diligent. Stick with it. Do not give up. New yogis may find their first few classes to be especially challenging. Don't give up, there is so much space for growth within you, but the work begins on your mat.  It takes time, but if you stick with your practice you will see transformation in your mind, body and overall well-being.

7. Breathe! The breath is what separates yoga from other forms of exercise. When a pose feels particularly challenging or when your mind starts to wander, turn your attention back to your breath. Using your ujjayi breath helps to calm the mind and work safely in the poses.

8. Be present. Let the time on your mat be a little break from your ever growing to do list.  As you move through your practice focus on how your body feels each moment. Staying in the present moment and out of the past and the future provides a time to clear the mind and reenergize.

9. Relax, let go, just have fun! If you fall on your face, get back up and try again. Don't take yourself or your yoga class too seriously.

10. Take it with you! Live your yoga!  Remember that all of this patience, dedication, compassion that you learn in your practice can be applied to your daily life.




www.milwaukeepoweryoga.com

May Yogi of The Month

Congratulations to Louise Vraney, our May Yogi of the Month! Louise is a truly  

devoted student and we often see her in class twice daily! Here is what Louise

has to say about her yogi experience.

As repetitive knee injuries have limited my participation in running and soccer over the past few years, I was looking for something that I enjoyed doing but was easier on my joints.  I took a few Vinyasa classes around Milwaukee and really enjoyed them. After discovering Milwaukee Power Yoga, I was immediately hooked.  In the heated room, I began to regain my strength and tone my body.  I have regained so much muscle length and balance skills over the past few months of my practice.  Not only do I feel better about my physical appearance and athletic skills, yoga is always a place where I can take a break from my daily life and clear my mind.  My practice leaves me feeling satisfied and peaceful, and I go as many times a week as my schedule will allow. Laura's classes provide the perfect amount of variety so that I never feel bored, and I am thankful to have found such a wonderful studio!

Thanks Louise for sharing your experience with us.  We love the enthusiasm you bring to the mat and are so happy to have you as part of our community! 

Milwaukee Power Yoga

April Yogi of The Month

Congratulations to Katie Watkins, our April Yogi of the Month!  Katie is an extremely committed yogi and we have the pleasure of seeing her at the studio on almost a daily basis!  Here is what she has to say about her yoga journey. 

                                                     

After a running injury a few months ago left me limited to my normal exercise habits, I decided to get back into yoga after a 4 year hiatus from a Bikram Yoga practice.  I had been trying yoga studios around the area without much success in finding one I felt I could commit to when I discovered Milwaukee Power Yoga.  I instantly felt welcomed and comfortable the moment I walked into the studio; and knew after my first class that this was the studio for me.  The heat of the room and the fluid movements gave my body a workout I was not expecting and left me craving more.

Now after practicing 5 days a week for a month, I have noticed drastic changes in my yoga practice and in my every day routines.  My body feels stronger and more relaxed, rather than the tight and sore muscles I used to wake up to.  I have noticed a change in my posture, and I have found myself sleeping much better.  I know that my body has been gaining strength as I am able to successfully attempt more difficult poses with ease instead of being unsteady.  I have also found that it has helped with my running practice, a perfect complement to loosen up my muscles after a long run.  I would highly recommend anyone interested in initiating or reestablishing a yoga practice to check out Milwaukee Power Yoga, you will leave refreshed and anticipating the next class.

Thanks Katie for sharing your experience with us. We love the positive energy you bring to the studio and are so happy to have you at Milwaukee Power Yoga!

Milwaukee Power Yoga

March Yogi of The Month

Congratulations to Cameron Hall, our very first Yogi of the Month!  Cameron has completed 20 classes in 30 days! Here is what he has to say about his yoga journey.

I originally visited Milwaukee Power Yoga out of curiosity. I had zero experience

practicing yoga, but the convenient hours and location got my foot in the door.

After the first day, I found there was a lot more to yoga than stretching and

increasing my range of motion. The balance between holding poses and working

through series at a flow place worked all of my muscles. I knew that yoga was a

real workout after the first week when I was sore from head to toe. I believed

that making a habit out of my practice would help me strengthen my entire body.

I have seen many positive results from my continued practice. I find myself more

aware of my body posture and frequently adjust my position to roll my shoulders

back improving my alignment. I also found that practicing is a perfect way to wake

up my body following a long weekend. Lastly, in combination with a healthier diet,

I shed a few extra pounds which helps me look and feel better. I recommend

Milwaukee Power Yoga to anyone with an interest in practicing yoga in afun,

friendly, hot, and sweaty atmosphere.

Thanks Cameron for sharing your practice with us. Your dedication is inspiring and Milwaukee Power Yoga is so happy to have you as part of our community!

Milwaukee Power Yoga