Guest Spotlight: Orie Snider

Meet Orie! He's a Pilates regular & constant source of joy around the studio. Learn more about him below :)

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

The people around me. The community here is full of fun, talented, caring people, and that just makes coming here a great part of my daily routine.

Tell us about your current practice including some of your favorite classes & teachers?

I’m taking a lot of Flow Fit, Pilates, and Flow Fusion lately. Cara, Claire and Juliet are helping me learn more about my body and how to grow stronger with grace.

Why is your yoga practice important to you?

Yoga gives me the peace and stability to handle the chaotic parts of my life that are present and out of my control.

What are some things you love about DC living?

I’m a big into finding new restaurants, especially on the Hill—Sally’s Middle Name is my new favorite.

What is something the Flow community may not know about you?

I grew up working in a bakery, so I make a lot of cookies.

Manager Spotlight: Natalie

Meet Natalie! She's a longtime Flowgi and a welcoming face you can find behind the front desk. Learn more about her below :)

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

I love coming to Flow to practice amongst talented and compassionate yogis and learn from a wide variety of teachers. Connecting with fellow KYs and managers is a bonus!

Tell us about your current practice including some of your favorite classes & teachers?

I'm trying to develop a more consistent ritual of personal practice at home, or wherever I might be. At Flow, I enjoy coming to classes with Sam, Alicia, and a variety of teachers. I'm always looking for different ways to participate in yoga around the community, from community practices in the park to spontaneous flows among friends.

Why is your yoga practice important to you?

Amidst the craziness of life, it helps ground me. From a good workout from a heated vinyasa flow to mindful mediation to engaging with the Flow community, there's always some aspect of yoga that is there for me when I need it.

What are some things you love about DC living?

It's great being able to bike and walk most places around town. I enjoy exploring new (to me) coffee shops and stopping at the Philips Collection and other museums around town. There are still so many Smithsonians I haven't been to. It's also lovely to have Rock Creek Park and the Arboretum nearby when I need a dose of nature.

What is something the Flow community may not know about you?

I'm from Michigan, so I enjoy the winter weather we've been having. In the Midwest, it's not winter if it doesn't snow (and stick) -- the more scarves required, the better.

Anything else you would like to share?

Start your weekend with a Vinyasa with Angela @ 6:45am -- I'm there every Friday morning!

Are You Sleeping?

I adore my kids - they are my everything but…they have seriously ruined my good night’s sleep. Between the early years of nursing during the evening, their early rising & frequent night-time visits to my room - my days of 8 (or even 7 :) hours of uninterrupted sleep are long gone. It’s honestly a real struggle for me. And, when I don’t get good sleep - I am tired, cranky, impatient and definitely not able to show up in my best ways. And I know that am not alone with my sleep issues. Kids or no kids, more than 25% of us are having trouble getting good rest for a huge range of reasons from stress, anxiety, depression to technology affecting our circadian rhythms with all the extra doses of blue light, changing hormones, special conditions and even the blurry lines between work/home life balance.

The number of us getting poor sleep has increased over the past years. The National Institutes of Health predicts that America’s sleep debt is on the rise and that by the middle of the 21st century more than 100 million Americans will have difficulty falling asleep.

Sleep deprivation can noticeably affect people's performance, including their ability to think clearly, react quickly, and form memories. Sleep deprivation also affects mood, leading to irritability; problems with relationships, especially for children and teenagers; and depression.2 Sleep deprivation can also increase anxiety.3

Sleep is important for overall health, and inadequate sleep is associated with numerous health problems. Research shows that not getting enough sleep, or getting poor-quality sleep, increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.2,4,5,6

The good news is that there’s a lot of promising support if you need help getting a more restful nights sleep — including yoga. I’ve tried many of them on myself and my kids and have had great some great outcomes and I’m here to share my favorites.

My absolute best sleep tip is to practice Yoga Nidra. I’ll typically practice for 20 minutes in bed at night to help me get to sleep but have also found that doing it anytime in the day (including when I wake!!) will contribute to a sounder sleep. I love Rod Stryker’s guided meditations and there are also tons of practices you can find on youtube - including ones for kids.

Other things I swear by…..

1. I adjust my screens to a pm setting at sunset and use flux to help me cut down on blue light.

2. I try (try!!) to stop using any screen an hour before bed -even though I love watching Don Lemon ;).

3. I always use a weighted eye pillow - I have perfected keeping the lavender infused pressure on my eyes, even when I sleep on my side. I hear folks love using weighted blankets too!

4. Right now in the colder season, I keep my covers super warm but always leave the window open a bit - including when it’s really chilly outside.

5. You’ll always find me diffusing essential oils - I have a favorite blend I call “liquid sleep” near my bedside. I massage it on my feet too! I can make you a sample if you’d like!

6. I don’t pull the shades…I like waking up with the sun and read somewhere it is good for balance in your circadian rhythm. So is going to bed at sunset, but I haven’t gotten there yet ;).

7. My husband loves using a white noise app…the soft sounds of water or crickets are his faves. I really dislike the crickets….so he has to make it super low when it’s cricket night ;). My son loves listening to crystal bowls and a crackling fire - some white noise apps let you choose 2 at once!!

8. There are so many great yoga sequences out there help you relax before sleep. Many of our evening classes are designed to encourage a good night’s rest- including yoga nidra, lunar flow, deep stretch and yin! I’ll often do a short practice before bed to unwind, usually with the lights out or the soft glow of a candle to add to the chill factor mood.

9. My son loves doing an A-Z gratitude practice before bed. It’s super simple and let’s the mind release some anxiety and stress. You start with A…and think of an A word that you are grateful for, like sweet honeycrisp apples. Then B (usually this one goes to his friend Bodhi) and so on. X can be a challenge but he usually doses off before we get there and lately he has been doing it on his own!

10. Finally I try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time…this is aspirational for the bedtime but I get up at 6am no matter what!

I hope some of these are helpful to you! Let me know if you have any favorites - like warm drink concoctions, journaling prompts, a warm shower….. I’d love to hear from you!

warm regards,

Debra

ps. drop me a line - you can always reach me at debra@flowyogacenter.com or follow me on instagram!

Karma Yogi Spotlight: Dan Voit

Meet Dan! A joyous presence behind the front desk, he can be found in class almost every day. Learn more about him below :)

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

Flow has cultivated an amazing community that is always warm and welcoming. There’s nothing quite like making plans to take a class with a friend or running into a friend I didn’t expect to see. The way that the sunset hits the windows of either studio is pure magic.

Tell us about your current practice including some of your favorite classes & teachers?

I took 200-hour Teaching Training with Sam and Catherine earlier this year and they hold a special place on my yoga journey. I tend to take a lot of classes with Sam and Mimi Rieger because I gravitate towards classes that challenge my physically. I try to avoid developing strict routines and try to embrace the variety of offerings at Flow. Recently, I’ve enjoyed adding Pilates with Juliet or Cara classes to the mix.

Why is your yoga practice important to you?

My yoga practice is important to me because it helps me to be more present and attentive in all aspects of my life. We tend to be either forward or backwards looking which causes us to miss out of the moment we are experiencing. There’s a Kurt Vonnegut quote that I’ve reflected on frequently for years – I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, “If this isn't nice, I don't know what is” and I think a sustained yoga practice helps one to embrace this same spirit of gratitude and presence.

What are some things you love about DC living?

DC brings together people from all over to form a very diverse tapestry of cultures, beliefs, experiences, etc. There’s a lot of history in this city and the frenetic energy of the past and present is swirling all about. It feels very alive but simultaneously small. The city has a ton of great music venues and especially in the warmer months I love Glen’s Garden Market and my Sunday trips to the Dupont Farmer’s Market.

What is something the Flow community may not know about you?

I like to cook and embrace the challenges that come in learning how to prepare my favorite dishes constrained by limitations of an electric oven and city living. Most weeknights I can be found in my kitchen cooking and jamming out to some tunes. There’s always a seat at our table for guests and anyone is always welcome. I love cooking for others and sharing a meal with friends.

Anything else you would like to share?

My wife Kerri is my biggest supporter and inspires me daily. We enjoy taking a variety of exercise classes together and she is spin class champion.

Breath Over Poses

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

The promise of a daily practice does not have to be oriented to a future goal of health, wellness or fitness. In fact becoming better friends with who you are right now- body, mind and spirit -  is one of the most powerful and radical acts we can experience. 

I know it is not always easy to love the right now - but there are little steps we can take each day and each practice to bring us a bit closer, a bit more grateful and bit more at ease. And guess what? When we act, move and dream from a place of self respect & self love -we begin to access our inner power and will start to show up as our best selves— more clear, decisive, intuitive and strong!  

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. ~Thích Nhất Hạnh

Choose Breath Over Pose

One of my favorite tips to help cultivate present moment awareness and self compassion is to approach your practice allowing your breath to be front and center of your focus, even more than your poses!

This breath over pose focus will help us overcome our tendency is to hold our breath during a challenging  pose or sequence which can bring more stress and tension into the body. An easy & steady breath, even when things get hard will bring more grace and steadiness into our bodies, the poses, our hearts and our minds.