“I’m an Island girl. Although New York doesn’t spring to mind as a tropical paradise, when it comes to heat, beach, sea, sunshine and fruit - Long Island has them all!
Hot sunshine, cicadas rattling activity into the morning air, hot yoga as a natural product of the local temperature, summer nights twinkling with the sound of crickets, and meditations around a crackling campfire. What richness for the body and soul.
Growing up in this environment, the polarities of freezing cold and humid heat and the range of effects they bring are quite the experience - especially from the inner perspective.
You may imagine N.Y. busy with hustling workers, creatives, and driven people looking to ‘make it big.’ It’s true. Putting your passions into action on a bigger scale is the dream, but often comes with a cost - your health!
New Yorkers know all-too-well the routine of coffee first thing in the morning, followed or accompanied by an egg sandwich or sweet cheese Danish from the deli on the way to work. We know the constant ‘go-go-go’ mentality makes us feel that ‘the next thing’ is just around the corner, waiting for you to take it and make it or break yourself trying. When people say that New York has an energy, what they feel is that constant state of ON. It’s true. New York is buzzing. There’s a pulse, and that pulse is highly caffeinated. 😝
While I say all of this with a deep love and appreciation for the pep and power I received from this upbringing, there are many elements to this culture that are very harmful.
We can say that a healthier routine is coming, that we will get up at 5am to go to the gym and start the day better, but until we have the time, mental space, and self-nurturing reason to get or prep a juice/smoothie instead of picking up a greasy breakfast, old habits die hard. For so many in the world, work takes up over 80% of their time and energy both in travel time and being occupied, and valuing self-care routines often comes at the bottom of the list.
For me, trying to keep the pace in such a rapid and overdrive culture made me burn out early on. I’m a natural labourer. From 14 years old, working some nights and weekends in high school in a pizzeria, or as a dental assistant, summer jobs painting houses and eventually driving 30-mins to and from work every day for the 40-hour work week. My path was carved out for me. I just had to find a way to fit myself into it.
In many ways, I identified with being someone who worked physically, a manual labourer, so it came naturally to me to eat deli foods and drink coffee like it was water. I knew somewhere within that even though I was young and fairly healthy, I was damaging my body with substances, which included food (and food-like items) as well as cigarettes and alcohol.
It may sound cliche but the truth is that Yoga, with a strong emphasis on hot yoga, changed the course of my life. For me, “hot, cold, fast, slow” doesn’t take away from the experience of Yoga. In fact, there is a great reason why people gravitate toward and create different styles of yoga practice. Ultimately, we are all searching for truth and depth of feeling, and our practice needs to meet us where we are.
My journey into hot yoga began when I was 20. I had a longstanding interest in moving meditation, physical fitness, spiritual and existential musings, and exploring the depths of consciousness for most of my life. I had previously practised Tai-Chi movements in my Grandma’s backyard, loving the deep nature connection this daily practice offered. When the opportunity to join my friend in a Bikram hot yoga session came up in Buffalo, NY, I was intrigued. She said it would be tough, but I was up for the challenge. Little did I know that this experience was going to knock down a door of deep healing for me.
When I experienced the physical and mental challenge of hot yoga, the power to listen to my body was awakened. I began to feel more attuned to every cell within that craved water, healthy foods, and rest - nourishing rest. When I began a regular hot yoga practice in 2010, I stepped forward on a path that would stay with me to this day.
I started to incorporate my daily yoga practice before or after work (adding an extra 15-minute drive further from home, making the 45-minute commute to my favourite studio), sometimes just driving all the way out for a class, then meandering back home on my days off.
I noticed how much easier it was to get myself prepped and organised for the day ahead by buying the foods I wanted to eat, getting a breakfast smoothie made beforehand, prepping lunch to bring to work, as well as dinner salads to share with my Grandma.
Long Island, N.Y. 2011
As the dependency on substances and junk food started to fall away, I remember rockin’ out with the sunroof open in my ‘78 Mercedes “Big Blue,” drinking a Kombucha, feeling high on life and so grateful for the freedom I had found within my body and Self. Life felt SO good!
I began to notice how my body felt from eating meat and dairy, which was slow, sluggish and emotionally painful. My journey with veganism started then and has continued ever since. I delve into this pathway on my personal yoga website Vibrant Vegan Yogi.
In the 15 years since my first hot yoga class, I can say that this modality still speaks to me. It has served me in ways that can only be seen by my continued health and resilience. I know that over the past 12 years of teaching here in Sheffield, there are others who also have a powerful story to share. As I move forward to share what I’ve learned, I do so with the intention that others can realise options for how to value their own personal time, mental space, and physical wellness. The power for healing and health is truly within your hands, and can only be supported further when we learn and practice together.
Want to hear more about Anne Marie’s hot yoga journey? Stay tuned for more HOT topics to come. Click the IGNITE link HERE for more info on the Hot Yoga Alchemy training coming in October.
