Alexandra DeSiato

I discovered Pilates and then yoga while recovering, and at first I was drawn to these movement practices strictly for the physical benefits: I stopped getting running injuries. I had a stronger core. I discovered the power of my glutes. My running got better and faster and easier.   But over time, yoga became transformative in subtler ways. Yoga stopped being just about the physical practice, and I started feeling it affect in my attitude, spirit, and heart. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my yoga practice shifted as my body changed. Yoga became even more important to my sense of self when I was pregnant and in the postnatal period, rediscovering myself and my body in the new circumstance of being a mama. I learned to use yoga as a tool to restrengthen my hips and core, to find peace and calm in harried moments, and to be in communion with myself on busy days. The longer I teach movement, the more I feel like my primary teaching message is something like "just get on your mat and squirm around!" That's good advice, though, and when you join me for a class, you'll find that I encourage my students to figure out what feels right for them. Listening to our bodies is especially important for healthy aging. Thinking about how yoga can help us with aging has become my focus. I want to be running, hiking, and playing until my last days on earth, and I believe I've found the answer to the question "so how do I do that?" Yoga.