A love story.

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On October 18, 2013, I was scouring Netflix for a documentary to watch. At the time, I was living with my parents, relaxing next to their fire place with too much time on my hands. Alas, a documentary caught my eye. It was called, "Yoga Is." The film was about a young woman who was struggling to cope with the loss of her mother. It documents the year she spent pursuing her "practice" (Boss Tip: this is what yogis call doing yoga). Yoga found her, and transformed her life. The concept that a set of stretches could alter one's outlook intrigued me. If you are curious to learn more about the spiritual aspect of yoga, I definitely encourage you to look this documentary up on Netflix.

Up until this point, I had no pre-conceived notions of what yoga was/was not. I was a blank slate. If anything, I thought it was comparable to Pilates (which I had never done either). Something only long, lean models did in L.A. Little did I know, there are some 16 million Americans practicing yoga year round, and this number is ever growing.

By the end of this short film, I was googling local yoga studios in my area. Voila! Enter, Heart Stream Yoga. What's great about this yoga studio is they offer classes for all levels, with two convenient locations, and at SO many different times. To my luck, there was a class starting in 15 minutes! Which was great because none of my yoga pants had ever been to yoga practice...

As I opened the door, I walked in with an open mind, but an even more nervous heart. Where they going to smell like patchouli? Was I "too girly"? Did I remember to cut my toenails? Shit, I forgot to cut my toenails. I'm scared. Let's go home. Okay, I made it ALL the way here... I'll just stay for ten minutes.

The studio was warm; temperature wise and in the sense that it was very welcoming. The ambiance was relaxing and peaceful, the kind of environment where you'd rather whisper than maintain normal volume. Walking around barefoot not only gave you the sense that you were grounded, but it made you feel at home. A feeling you don't get at most businesses. Yards of fabric were draped along the windows letting in just the right amount of natural light. A woman with a beautiful spirit greeted me. Her name was Donna, and she wore beaded bracelets which made me curious about their meaning. My worries were quickly put to ease by her friendly nature and ease of character. "Grab a bolster and a block."

Come again? What's a bolster? Your guess was a good as mine. Come to find out, it doesn't just rhyme with holster... it's a butt holder. A head pillow. A heavy hotdog. And a prop for yoga to provide added support. Go figure.

Surprisingly, yoga came very natural to me. Probably because yoga is for every body, regardless of age or physical capacity. After 90 minutes, I was hooked. I felt like I had more space in my body; more space to give love and receive it in return. It allowed me to let go of things I'd been carrying around, conversations I held onto, situations that I couldn't move past. My first yoga practice provided me with more space for gratitude. I had a quieter mind, which gave me more control to choose my thoughts. I was no longer an innocent bystander at mercy to the crazy mind-chatter we all encounter. It was a glorious feeling.

I went every day for two weeks straight-- thanks to their New Student Two Week Unlimited deal.

Fast forward a couple years and over 100+ practices later, I am celebrating my 3rd Yoga Anniversary and I couldn't be more grateful. Heart Stream Yoga has given me so much and I've loved being a part of their Fairbanks yoga community. It is comforting to know I am always one practice away from finding love, joy, groundedness, peace, and happiness.

What makes this year extra special is that I am incorporating yoga into my Pageant Preparation for the Miss Alaska USA competition. The happy-go-lucky woman with all the bracelets who led me through my first yoga practice turned out to be the owner of the studio and has grown to be a great friend/mentor of mine. Donna draws yogis from all shapes, sizes, and walks of life to her classes. She has a gift of cultivating the light, love, and connectedness that is within us all. Donna and her business partner, Marsha, have graciously decided to sponsor me with unlimited yoga practices for my pageant. With their continued love and support, I hope to make them proud in February.

If you haven't been to one of there studios, I definitely encourage you to visit their website, take a look at some of the classes and the different types of yoga they offer. Marsha teaches a great beginner class to introduce you to the joy of inner discovery. October is a month for celebration. As it is their 5th Year Anniversary sale! All yogis will receive 10% OFF all punch card purchases bought between October 21- 23.

Click the Heart Stream Yoga logo below for current news and updates!

Namaste,

Jessica Rene