Roaming Review

A friend from work, who knew of my love for yoga, shared with me a couple weeks ago that she had been taking some yoga classes. She said to me, with an almost astonished look, "Michelle, it has been a truly transformative experience!" Of course, I know this about yoga! I was so excited for her and wanted to hear all about it. She sent me some information on the teacher she had been learning from, and it worked out perfectly that I was available to try her classes two Wednesdays in a row! :) I was so excited to try a new class! From her bio, I learned that Lisa Dumas was certified in 2010, and was trained in the Anusara style. This was awesome to hear, because my mentor is greatly influenced by the Anusara principles, and I really feel at home with that style.

What most impressed me about Lisa was her warmth from the very first moment that I entered the room. She made me feel welcomed! There were candles all around the room, music playing, and it just felt comfy. I loved that she started her classes by encouraging us to set an intention for our practice, and she reminded us of that intention throughout the class. This was so helpful for those moments when a challenging pose starts to tug at your concentrtaion, threatening to weaken your focus! At one point she said "Breathe... and remember: we're all in this together..." WOW. At that moment, I was really struggling, and it gave me this boost of energy to know that the person on the neighboring mat was willing me to continue and to support her too so we could both get to where we were trying to go. It was just what I needed.

Lisa was very encouraging to the students who were newer to yoga. She was gentle yet inspiring and very good about validating all of our efforts. Lisa also had amazing soundtracks! They really set the mood and also picked up the beat when we were heating up our bodies. I was able to sweat and be challenged, focus and breathe, relax and rejuvinate - a very well rounded class!

Sadly, Lisa's class at the studio won't be continuing. However, she's promised to let us know of new classes she'll be teaching around town. I'm really excited for a possible "Happy Hour" class on Friday evenings! I can't think of a much better way to start the weekend than an hour with Lisa and her positive vibes, her challenging classes, and her reminders of bringing our minds and bodies together, exploring the endless opportunites available to us. I give Lisa so much credit because it takes a lot to get in front of people and teach yoga! I'm so glad I roamed into Lisa's class, and I look forward to seeing her again soon!

Namaste, Michelle