I’ll admit it, a yoga studio was the last thing I expected to find in Alabama.
But there it was, just a stone’s throw from the stuffed ‘gator heads and fried po’ boys of the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The place I stumbled upon, David’s Gallery & Yoga Studio, was the first licensed yoga studio in the state of Alabama.
The center is a combination head shop, tattoo and piercing parlor, psychedelic t-shirt shop and, tucked away in the attic, a tiny yoga studio. How could I not try a class in this setting?
And so I got the opportunity to see firsthand what yoga is all about in L.A. (That’s Lower Alabama, by the way.)
Of course, there’s probably a lot of outsiders who would be shocked to find yoga thriving in Wisconsin, where you can easily practice everything from pre-natal yoga to advanced bikram yoga. Maybe this common language is more universal than we think.
My Southern instructor, Sharon, was an Alabama native who lived in California for 30 years to design exercise programs for a health care company. Out of this she grew her own business designing corporate fitness programs for businesses across the US and Asia. Yoga became an important part of the programs and she continued her education with certifications from the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, Calif.
And then she returned back home, and eventually taught me in a small class of five people. I caught up with her afterward for a few questions about her Southern Fried practice.
Who are your students? It seemed like you had some out-of-towners and regulars.
It’s very diverse. Locals appreciate their transition in life to positive thinking with yoga classes. Visitors appreciate professional and certified teachers the yoga center offers every morning and evening. Students are young, older and varied levels from beginners to advanced.
What’s your favorite yoga pose?
Cosmic Dancer makes me feel emotionally cleansed and balanced.
What do you like to do when you’re not teaching yoga?
Read books on the beach and walk my precious little dog. She loves the beach.
Your class was quite similar to what I’m used to, but you were a little more colloquial and talked individually to us. Is that just your personal style or did you pick that up?
My “Personal Style” is to teach with compassion and awareness of the energy in the room, which includes individual attention and often modified poses from level I to advanced.
Have you ever used the phrase “Y’all are fixin’ to do the Downward Facing Dog”?
NOT YET!!! However, I am teaching yoga in Lower Alabama — about as Deep South as possible.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Words to live by: Show loving kindness toward others.
Training with Tim is arguably Milwaukee’s third most underrated fitness blog. It’s updated semi-daily at www.trainingwithtim.com.
