Student Spotlight: Amy Spegele
I moved from Charlevoix to Traverse City June 2015. Moving to a new city can be a hard transition, I was excited to find like-minded people. I tried a few yoga studios around town until I made my yoga home yen yoga and fitness in the fall of 2015.
I started yoga to enhance my martial arts performance. Flexibility has never been my strength, as I advanced my martial art career flexibility became not only important skill wise, but also to avoid injury. I was not prepared for how yoga was going to change my life. I was quickly drawn in to the peace of mind I experienced after class; grounded, rooted, calm. Physically I saw changes in my body to meet the original goal, but I stopped attending for physical reasons and embraced the mental changes even more. My adult martial art students would often complain about their own flexibility issues, and how martial arts was affecting their aging body. I felt yoga would also help them, so I decided to become a certified instructor and incorporated that into their training. Yoga has changed my life in ways I would have never guessed. It is a companion to my marital arts career beyond the just the physical aspect I had anticipated.
Physically my biggest accomplishments since starting has been arm balances and inversions! I enjoy the play that comes with those kind of poses. It is like being a kid again. Mentally, it has been slowing the mind; to let go of the world for the time I set aside to be on my mat. To know it is ok to take this for me and I will handle things when this time is done.
I don’t have a favorite class. Yoga is so personal to me, I tend to take classes my body or mind seems to need. Some days I need to be challenged, other days the stretching and relaxing is just what I need.
One of the funniest moments I had at yen happened before I walked in the door. I had called to get information and the person who answered the phone became tongue tied during the greeting. We both just laughed and joked at it. It was also a sign this would be a yoga home for me, the ability to laugh.
If you have not yet had a chance to try yen yoga and fitness, I encourage you to simply walk through the door. You will find a warm staff and friendly environment. There seems to be a class for everyone and every “body”. I have always felt so welcome and cared for here at Yen. Be open-minded in your yoga path, it is well worth the journey!