How did you get started at Dfly?
I moved from Chicago to Madison last year. I made it my goal to try new things and meet new people. I hadn’t done hot yoga for many years and when I saw online that there was an intro special, I signed up and got hooked — on both the practice and the people!
What is/was your yoga/barreamped experience before Dfly?
Believe it or not, I took my first yoga class back in 1998 … yes, I was only 8 years old ; … and over the years I would sort of phase in and out of doing all kinds of yoga and meditation. I used to play college and some pro hockey and my hips aren’t, shall we say, the most loose. Yoga has helped so much.
What do you enjoy most from attending Dfly classes?
I love the instructors. I love the studios as a physical space. I love the balance between being both athletic yet meditative … modern yet traditional … hot but not TOO hot. But I most enjoy the yogi community and all their smiling faces and positive energy.
Have you experienced any changes in your total well-being since taking classes?
For sure. There’s no question that my overall mental, spiritual and physical health is stronger and more consistent. My mood is brighter. The practice can truly be a total mind, body and spirit exercise, and I feel like all three of these parts of me are cared for and nourished in some way with every class.
How often do you attend classes? Favorite class?
I generally attend at least 4-5 days a week, depending on my other commitments. My favorite class is whatever class I am participating in at that moment. It’s true! I will say, however, that Kay’s Fusion class on Sundays is super challenging and I always leave feeling so refreshed and energized.
Please feel free to share any other thoughts you have about Dfly, hot yoga, or your life as we would love to know more about you.
My daughter plays on the UW women’s ice hockey team and they just won the national championship. It was amazing. And her challenging journey has greatly inspired me. And it’s also had me reflecting. We all go through hard times in life. My own journey has certainly seen ups and downs, successes and failures. In this sense, I feel like every yoga class is a microcosm of life. But the practice teaches you to breathe through the hard parts while not being hard on yourself — and to use all of it to learn about yourself and grow as a person inside and out. The fact that I can do that in a supportive and accepting environment is something I am super grateful for.
Instructor Kay Lera: “Ken Baker is a dedicated yogi who shows up for himself by stepping onto his mat regularly at Dfly! He listens to his body and knows when to push it, as well as when to take it easy! All DFly peeps are blessed to have his dedicated, kind spirit in our community! Thanks for being awesome, Ken!”
