February 2017 Featured Yogi: Brenda Altieri

"The most important insight I've learned in my yoga practice has to be the transference of my practice on the mat into my day." --Brenda 

Preschool Teacher and Mother, Brenda has been an active member of Root 2 Rise Yoga Community sharing her bright smile and friendly spirit at our Hike + Yoga outings, Athleta store events, yoga workshops and retreats for the past year.  Read about her journey on our interview with Brenda:

1.  Tell us about yourself.
Born and raised in Southern California, I have always enjoyed being active and at 55, I take pride in keeping my body physically fit and strong.    Working in Early Childhood for the past 18 or so years has definitely kept me on my toes.  I just love working with young children for they have an incredible sense of wonder and are full of promise.  I also get to explore activites with wonderfully creative materials; colors, textures, music, movement, and more!  My greatest joy though, has been raising my son who is now 22 years old.  He has taught me so much and is the very light of my life.

2) When and how did your yoga practice begin?
Although I have taken a class here and there, I really didn't start regularly practicing in yoga until about a year ago when I just happened to wander into Mary-Michelle's class at my gym, LA Fitness.

3) How has yoga benefited you?
Up until I began my yoga pratice, I mostly worked out with weights and eqipment.  The gym is a happy place for me and I go regularly and work hard.  Working out like a maniac has unfortunately caused a few injuries in the process.  I now have incorporated yoga in my routine.    Practicing yoga, especially the way that Michelle leads the class with detailed attention to properly positioning your body, has benefited me by maintaining my strength, increasing my flexibility, while calming my mind.

4) Describe an important insight you've learned through your yoga practice.
The most important insight I've learned in my yoga practice has to be the transference of my practice on the mat into my day.  To be able to set an intention then through movement and breath keep and carry it throughout the day renues my spirit. Stressful situations happen so remembering my practice and being able to go back to my breath is both helpful and calming.

5) What message would you like to share with our yoga community to help inspire them on their yoga journey?
The message I have for our yoga community is that of gratitude for the solidarity of the Root 2 Rise community. I have met fellow yogis of various levels of practice and have not ever felt judged or uncomfortable.  I have greatly enjoyed practicing yoga inside and outside at the park or on the several yoga/hikes that you have scheduled around the city and especially attending the women's retreat this past weekend in Ojai.  I thank you for the amazing and powerful women that educated us in utilizing food as medicine, investigating lucid dreams, and meditation.  I look forward to meeting more positive and spiritual teachers and healers at future events.