Meet Maghee! She is a newer Karma Yogi, transplanted from San Diego, who used to be an ICU nurse. Learn more about her below :)
What is your current practice like and how does it fit into your daily routine?
In a perfect world I would make it to a class everyday, it truly is the only way I can seem to de-stress and shut my mind down for 60 minutes. The reality however, is that I travel quite a bit for work and just like everyone else, life gets busy. Typically, I can make it to 2-3 classes a week but then I do practice in small bites at home. I suffer from tension headaches and migraines so hanging forward fold and neck/shoulder stretches are a daily occurrence. While I am an experienced yogi in my own practice and have even completed teacher training, I much prefer to be guided in a classroom setting so that I can focus on my breath, flow and get the most benefit from my practice.
What inspires you to practice at Flow?
One of my favorite things about Flow is the diversity and the feeling of being welcome; in every class, when you walk into the studio, you just feel safe. The energy in the studio whether I am practicing or working is both calming and grounding for me which is such a nice change to my hectic daily life and work. I love that there are so many different types of classes and teachers which inspires me to explore and step outside of my comfort zone in my practice. I am also inspired by the contentedness of the entire Flow community and that everyone is so willing to share, to teach and to be a friend.
What was your first yoga experience like?
My first few experiences with yoga were in large donation based classes and I honestly felt really lost and didn't understand why people loved yoga so much. A few years later after some encouraging by one of my sisters I went back to a group class and actually got a little personal instruction from the teacher that day and figured I would give it another try. Just happened to be that a friend of mine (who is now a badass yoga teacher) was in the process of doing her first teacher training and she wanted to practice her instruction with me. It was those one on one sessions with her teaching me the asanas and me finally understanding how it really felt to hold a pose, breath and let go that hooked me for good. From then on I became a regular at my local studio in Columbus, Ohio and really began to find my own practice as well as reap the many benefits yoga has and continues to give me. Yoga has taught and continues to teach me so many things in addition to the physical benefits.
Who are some of your most influential teachers?
My most influential teachers are those who started me on this journey in Columbus, Ohio at Studio 543 and as well as my teachers at Reach Yoga in San Diego, CA where I both practiced and completed my teacher training. It was at Reach that I really gained a sense of taking my practice off of my mat and into my every day life, practicing patience, respecting the process and being grateful for all that I have. Last but not least one of my best friends in the world Ashley Dexter who became a yoga teacher way before any of our friends even knew what it was, she is a constant resource and guide. While I may follow others on social media or have read some of their books and even taken classes, it is the personal friends and those who truly have taught me in a personal way that influence me both on and off my mat.
What is something the Flow community may not know about you?
That I am an advanced practice nurse who worked in the cardiac ICU and heart transplant unit for 10 years and that I now work for the American College of Cardiology where I am so lucky to be able to travel the world teaching nurses and physicians and helping to improve patient care and outcomes. I truly love my job and am grateful to have the experiences and opportunities it has afforded me. Also, that I have 8 siblings (blended family to the max!) I love each and every one and visit them as much as possible.
Anything else you would like to share?
Joining the Flow team and community has been such a great experience thus far and has helped me to feel more a part of my neighborhood and a group outside of my work. Having moved here in April it has been a really nice way to start meeting people and get back into my own practice. It even inspired me to start teaching a few coworkers each week at my office and finally put my teacher training experience into action!