{"id":410,"date":"2023-10-23T08:59:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T13:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/12yogamalibu.com\/?p=398"},"modified":"2023-10-23T07:57:22","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T12:57:22","slug":"meredith-r-lyons-writer-actor-yogi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/23\/meredith-r-lyons-writer-actor-yogi\/","title":{"rendered":"Meredith R. Lyons \u2014 writer, actor, yogi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yoga is a holistic experience for many \u2014 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?<\/p>\n

I was trying to give my body a break after intense martial arts training \u2014 I fought competitively for years and I was uncomfortable “resting” and never made time to stretch, so I started yoga<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"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?<\/p>\n

it’s difficult to separate \u2014 I’m no longer teaching, so it’s very nice to be a student again \u2014 less pressure and I can just accept what’s being given to me in the class \u2014 I often feel rushed and like I’m “fitting it in,” but I always feel better after class \u2014 mentally and physically<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

How long have you been practicing yoga, and how frequently do you hit the mat?<\/p>\n

somewhere between ten and fifteen years \u2014 I don’t remember when I started doing it regularly \u2014 I try to take a class once a week, but I do a short stretch with breath on my own before bed most nights<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

How long did you practice before you started teaching, and how long did you teach?<\/p>\n

that’s also difficult as I started teaching in stages \u2014 we’ll say I practiced five to ten years before teaching full time \u2014 I taught fitness for a decade, but adding yoga in was a gradual thing as I got various certifications<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

For you, what are the benefits of classes at a studio vs practicing yoga at home?<\/p>\n

accountability and distractions \u2014 I live in a small house with my husband and two enormous cats \u2014 to get any peace I’d have to practice outside \u2014 and then I’d feel like I’m performing for the neighborhood \u2014 I like classes because there is a set time to be there \u2014 I can feel anonymous among the other students, but the instructor is there if I have a question \u2014 I don’t have to create my own sequence, I can follow and let my mind go<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Do you have a preferred yoga style?<\/p>\n

I got my 200 hour with an Ashtanga school, so I’ll always have a fondness for Ashtanga \u2014 I prefer a Vinyasa style over a Hatha \u2014 I need to move in order to get my mind to still \u2014 the meditation at the end is always best for me if I’m worn out<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?<\/p>\n

I’ve always had good body awareness, so as long as I had a teacher good at cuing, I could get the posture correct \u2014 blocking out distractions is probably the most difficult \u2014 that’s one thing I like about the Ashtanga primary, all those vinyasas at the beginning are good for settling in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?<\/p>\n

it’s a yin to my yang \u2014 stillness without stagnation \u2014 it settles my mind and my body always feels better afterward \u2014 I have thoracic scoliosis, so it’s good for that as well<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?<\/p>\n

I like guided meditation, especially when I’m having trouble sleeping, but there are so many different kinds \u2014 there’s an app called Insight Timer where you can pick everything from the type of meditation you’re looking for to the time you have to meditate \u2014 I like it because, although the goal is to be able to meditate for a decent length of time, five minutes of meditation is better than no minutes, and the app allows for that if that’s what you need<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

You fought in the Chicago Golden Gloves, ran the Chicago Marathon, and competed for team U.S.A. in the savate world championships. Was your yoga practice particularly valuable as a supplement to one of those activities?<\/p>\n

for the marathon for sure \u2014 I’ve mentioned that I’m terrible at stretching, and running is such a solo activity for me, no on is around who’s going to make me cool down and stretch \u2014 with the fighting, I always had teammates and coaches \u2014 I was doing yoga two to three times a week when I was training for the marathon<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?<\/p>\n

I will if I’m feeling tight (which seems to increase in frequency as I age) \u2014 I stretch my hips a lot \u2014 I’ll do baddha konasana while sitting at my desk<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

You have a choice: take part in 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?<\/p>\n

overlooking the ocean \u2014 I did a retreat in St. Lucia once and we had a view of the ocean \u2014 the sound of the waves is a great addition<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014interview \u00a9 Marshal Zeringue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yoga is a holistic experience for many \u2014 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 was trying to give my body a break after intense martial arts training […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":421,"href":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410\/revisions\/421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/12yogaweho.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}