Warrior of the Week: Jessica Fleming Gale

How long have you been practicing at Flux Power Yoga? How did you know this was your place?

June was the month.  June was the month I decided to take better care of my body. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I hadn’t had regular exercise in 2 years. This was my place after five classes. By then, I had stopped feeling dizzy (it took some time to get used to the heat) and I found myself thinking about the word of the week outside of class- “ahimsa” (non-harming). That word guided me in my parenting, my job, and in my own self reflection. It helped me turn down the volume of my often negative inner voice. This yoga studio wasn’t just about changing my body, it was about changing my mind.

How has your practice evolved and /or what benefits have you gotten in your practice and in your life?

 My practice is growing. Yoga is different for me now. I had a knee injury 2 years ago that resulted in surgery, muscle wasting, daily pain, and a large decrease in my range of motion. I could not kneel or come close to a squat in June.  At first, I held back from going deeper into many poses. I soon realized that I was holding myself back, it wasn’t my knee injury anymore. I was just used to not being able to do things and stayed in that place. Now, my yoga practice is not about what my body can’t do but how I feel both physically and mentally when I go deeper into that uncomfortable place. I grow! And now I’m pain free and kneeling and squatting all over the place!  

Favorite pose and why?

I chose chair pose. I could sit all.day.long. But chair pose burns.  It burns so good.   

Any advice for new yogis?

Advice for the new yogi: Just keep going. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t make it through my fist couple of classes. I vomited. I was light headed. I felt like I couldn’t do what everyone else did. Melissa suggested I go to class three days in a row. Rebecca suggested I hydrate really well and consider taking an electrolyte supplement. They were right. I felt like a totally different yogi, my body got used to it and that gave me the space to really listen during class. I shut off the negative self talk.  And I remembered, it’s called yoga practice, not yoga perfect.
 

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