[note — this is part 2 of 2; here we focus on Foxen’s journey as a student of the yoga]
Yoga is a holistic experience for many — mind, body, spirit — but did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?
it was—and remains—the only form of physical exercise I can consistently get myself to do
How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?
it’s balanced pretty evenly amongst all three now
How long have you been practicing yoga?
18 years
How frequently do you practice yoga?
I aim for 5 days a week
Are you more likely to attend classes at a studio or practice yoga at home?
definitely studio
Do you have a preferred yoga style?
Hot Vinyasa
When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?
it’s been a while, so my memory is a little fuzzy — I’m going to say: getting into some version of the posture came easiest, the breathing was harder — that hasn’t changed much
What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?
it keeps me sane(ish)
Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?
very sporadically, I’ll try to sit in meditation, but I’m awful at it — movement makes focusing easier for me
Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?
I started running during the pandemic, but that’s kind of lapsed now
Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just assume a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?
I have been known to randomly sit on the floor and do hamstring stretches pretty much everywhere
If I gave you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?
I’d be torn between trying every yoga studio in New York, and every yoga studio in LA
[note — this is part 1 of 2; here we focus on Foxen the yoga professional; part 2 (coming soon) is about her journey as a student of the practice]
As a yoga professional, what aspects — mind, body, spirit — do you pitch to someone who has never done yoga but is open to the possibility?
the connection between body and mind
Do you have a particularly strong relationship tie to any teachings or text?
a very tangled connection to Paramahansa Yogananda’s lineage — but it’s not what I practice
How long did you practice yoga before becoming a teacher?
3 years
How long have you taught yoga?
consistently for 3 years, very occasionally for the last 12
When you’re teaching regularly, can you lead classes too often? How many times a week, and a day, might be too much?
I’ve always struggled with this — more than a couple of times a week starts to be too much
Do you have a preferred yoga style? Do you teach others?
Hot Vinyasa
From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?
this is so person-specific
What are the more difficult poses for beginners to execute?
headstands and arm balances? no, actually, people really struggle with getting forward bends right
Apart from yoga, do you recommend other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?
I like body-scan meditation — it’s a good way to build basic awareness
Say you have a beginning student who has come to yoga for help with a bad back. They are already pretty chill, and you intuit they are only looking for the physical benefits from yoga. Do you leave it at that, or do you look for opportunities to promote the non-physical benefits?
I leave it at that — the other stuff will come if and when it makes sense
Do you have a favorite sutra or mantra or koan that you like to share with those in your classes?
be okay with it feeling good
You have a choice: lead a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?
the indoor space, for sure — it can be helpful to minimize distraction if that’s the kind of practice we’re going for but, as a teacher, I just really like being able to control my environment
Yoga is a holistic experience for many — mind, body, spirit — but did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?
I’d hurt my back doing Shakespeare and after occupational rehab had succeeded some, I decided to give yoga try in addition
How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?
feeds them both equally — and they’re more in balance when I’m practicing regularly
How long have you been practicing yoga?
since 2010…. though I first dabbled while in acting school back in 1985
How frequently do you practice yoga?
very irregular — I like to do it twice a week — I do a few yoga stretches every day, but sometimes (like now) a month might go between sessions
Are you more likely to attend classes at a studio or practice yoga at home?
at a studio in a gym, though I did it at home during Covid (via an online instructor)
Do you have a preferred yoga style?
any style works
When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?
easiest was breathing and settling my mind — most challenging was I’m just not very limber
What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?
it’s great for my back, my spirit, my flexibility, and it seems to help me with weight loss
Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?
I walk and swim a good deal, but the meditation which occurs only comes naturally while doing for the most part
Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?
yes: swimming, weightlifting, walking
Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch?
not really, though like mentioned before, I do a few yoga stretches every morning…. most involving my low back and legs, plus the cow and cat
If I gave you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?
I’m easy — wherever’s expenses-paid — the whole world’s interesting to me
[note — this is part 2 of 2; here we focus on Lowitz’s experience as a yoga professional; part 1 is about her journey as a student of the practice]
As a yoga professional, what aspects — mind, body, spirit — do you pitch to someone who has never done yoga but is open to the possibility?
I have never in my life pitched yoga — people come when they are called
Do you have a particularly strong relationship with any teachings or text?
Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism
How long did you practice yoga before becoming a teacher?
five years
How long have you taught yoga?
30 years — I can’t believe it myself
When you’re teaching regularly, can you lead classes too often? How many times a week, and a day, might be too much?
when you feel tired, or that the inspiration is gone — everyone has a different limit and gives a different amount of energy — holding space for others can take a lot out of you but it can also feed you
Do you have a preferred yoga style? Do you teach others?
From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?
being in the moment is difficult for beginners and advanced practitioners — letting go of perfectionism/exhibitionism
What are the more difficult poses for beginners to execute?
Savasana — hands down — people find it incredibly difficult just to relax and let go
Apart from yoga, do you recommend other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?
any kind of mindfulness or meditation is so liberating — watching the thoughts come and go, you learn that you are not your thoughts, which are ever-changing
Say you have a beginning student who has come to yoga for help with a bad back. They are already pretty chill, and you intuit they are only looking for the physical benefits from yoga. Do you leave it at that, or do you look for opportunities to promote the non-physical benefits?
yoga needs no promotion — if you are practicing yoga asana and the other limbs, it works on you in the ways that are needed
Do you have a favorite sutra or mantra or koan that you like to share with those in your classes?
Thich Nhat Hanh (1926 – 2022) taught a powerful simple mantra: “Breathing in, I calm my body — Breathing out, I smile — Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment” — not wonderful in the sense that everything is great, but wonderful as in awe-inspiring — just to be alive — here — now
You have a choice: lead a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?
nothing beats doing yoga outside, tuning in to the rhythms of nature — definitely overlooking the ocean — infinite space outside reflecting infinite inner space
How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?
Do you have a particularly strong relationship tie to any teachings or text?
How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?
Do you have a particularly strong relationship with any teachings or text?