I took single or “drop-in” classes at Dragonfly Hot Yoga in Fitchburg when I flew back to visit family during holidays. Dragonfly’s welcoming space; class format & tempo; and instructors’ styles were a good fit. As such, I signed up for classes any time that I was in town and became a consistent student and DFly member after relocating to Madison in 2018. As so many small businesses struggled (and closed) during the pandemic, I find myself incredibly grateful the Dragonfly studios and community made it through this extraordinarily difficult time.
I started practicing yoga during graduate school in 1998. I lived in Denver during this time and there were only two teachers; one of whom instructed Ashtanga classes out of her small home studio. I continued practicing yoga when I moved to LA for continued training/residency, frequenting Bryan Kest’s Power Yoga classes and Ana Forrest’s classes in Santa Monica. As a former classical ballet dancer (and someone who finds “flow states” only while in motion), yoga served as a “moving meditation” and compliment to the other forms of exercise I was doing at this time, like weight-training & running. Unlike my experience with ballet training/dance, I discovered that I could work on the mat in a “friendlier” [less demanding/perfectionistic] way with myself (e.g., allowing myself to falter when my balance was “off”). The underlying philosophies of yoga resonated, particularly with regard to the connection between form and formless (i.e., yoking breath & movement; mind, heart, & body). Yoga introduced the idea that most things in life are “a practice” and the act of “showing up” counts; no matter how imperfect or imbalanced the moment feels. Working with one’s natural tendencies on the mat introduced other options/choices for approaching life’s “mixed bag” of conditions, particularly those not of our choosing, which can be quite challenging.
I enjoy the soothing atmosphere of DFly’s three studios and the variety of instructors & classes. I appreciate the centering themes, philosophies, mindful observations, and book excerpts that teachers share/read at the beginning or during classes. In the busy-ness of life, these prompts ease the transition, which is often a harried one before arriving on the mat. I also appreciate the meditative, “electric flow” playlists, which the instructors are so generous in sharing on Spotify. It is an unanticipated thrill when yoga feels like modern dance.
I work as a psychologist with kids, teens, young adults, and families. I find that I do my most creative planning/preparation for my work and upcoming week’s sessions during the classes that I take at DFly. There is considerable overlap in the philosophies that guide the individual and group work that I do clinically with youth in that the most robust interventions (and metaphors for change/growth) are somatic/movement-based. Also, on a personal level, my time in classes at DFly has helped me manage the overwhelm/stress associated with a certain challenging (unsolvable) situation that my husband (who also works in healthcare) and I have been “tasked” by family to intervene and even “fix.” Efforting to try and make a difference (e.g., align a family member or friend with treatment) is much more difficult than its opposite of “letting go” when assistance or the intention to help is unwanted/thwarted. The teachings and classes these past few years at DFly have made an invaluable difference in helping me adjust, de-stress, and connect to my deepest sense of knowing/truth; all of which are a challenge when it comes to this one particular situation that requires much more than our participation/determination to shift/solve.
When possible, I try to make it daily or at least every-other-day to classes at DFly. Since I feel so rushed in too much of my daily life outside of yoga, I gravitate to the Slow Flow; Fire Slow Flow; Flow & Yin; and Yin classes. In the regular Flow and Core Flow classes, I sometimes hold a prolonged Downward Dog to be able to move a little slower.
I appreciate the addition of the Sound Bath & Meditation to DFly’s class schedule. If there is ever an opportunity to participate in Kirtan or a Drum Circle at DFly, these would definitely be of interest! :)
Instructor Krista Balgeman: “Lori’s kindness and beautiful spirit is evident the moment she walks through the studio doors. Her practice is lovely, grounded, and intentional. She is a joy to have in class and around the studio. Congratulations Lori!
