Warrior of the Week: Leesa Parker

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi, I’m Leesa! I’ve been in Bellingham for almost 20 years. I keep extremely busy with my two beautiful children (ages 2 and 4), supportive husband and 6 year old dog! I have a full time job outside of home and enjoy nearly every outdoor activity the PNW has to offer!

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

I just had my one year anniversary at Flux! I knew this was my place when I found myself rearranging my schedule to make it to class almost daily. My friend Jen Fairey had started teaching the FLUX 45 at noon and it was just too perfect of a time slot not to come. The Bingo Challenge in August/September made me realize that it was possible for me to come in 5 days a week, when I made myself a priority. I found myself thinking, “I could do yoga before that…”, or ” I could go to yoga after this.” I love the heat, the weekly themes, and bold honesty and support of all of the staff and instructors here at Flux.

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

When I started, I made it in about once or twice a week, or skipped weeks because of one excuse after another. I always felt better when I came to class, so I started coming more. The more often I came, I noticed benefits both mentally and physically. I started to slim down, loose cravings and treat myself better. My emotional intelligence increased and I felt less moody and overwhelmed. Every week I notice improvements in each pose. I felt stronger at the start of this snowboard season than I have in the last 5 years!

 Favorite pose and why?

Every pose has their own strengths and challenges, but the wheel pose has been my strong suite lately. It reminds me of what is possible and what I can get out of the other poses if I practice and stop thinking about it too much. When I started, I could barely lift my head off of the ground and I dreaded it. I would fidget into position and stall, but now I’ve come to think of it as a strong ending to the sequence and lift myself up on the inhale before I can think too much about it. I give it my all, and then move on! 

Any advice for new yogis?

Listen to your body more than your brain. Your brain will tell you that you’re too tired, or too busy, but I’ve had some of my best practices on days I felt like not coming in. Give yourself grace and allow yourself to heal. Don’t overdo it to the point of injury, but push yourself and prove to yourself what you are capable of. 

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