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 was battling severe gastrointestinal issues, and my doctor recommended trying yoga

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?

body for sure

How long have you been practicing yoga?

7 years

How frequently do you practice yoga?

a few times a week

How long did you practice yoga before you started teaching it?

3 years

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

Vinyasa

When you were starting your yoga journey, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

the most difficult part was learning all of the poses on a vocal cue, the easiest was getting into the stretch

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

less body pain & greater lung capacity

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I’d like to go on walks

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I run marathons and lift weights — I also enjoy cycling

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just assume a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?

yes! I am always going into a wheel pose, wide legged forward fold, staff pose, crow pose for fun — truly anywhere

If I gave you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?

Bali!

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Mind, body, spirit — yoga is a holistic experience for many. 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?

curiosity about the practice in general, wanting to learn something new

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 my spirit the most

How long have you practiced yoga, and how long did you practice before you started teaching it?

practicing for 19 years, teaching for 11

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

love them all — Hatha if I have to pick one

When you were starting your yoga journey, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

easiest — breathing; more challenging — full presence in the practice

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

experiencing life with greater ease, grace & purpose

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?

easiest — exploring poses; more challenging — settling the mind

I understand you work with sound healing, particularly Crystal Alchemy Singing Bowls. Is that a regular part of your yoga sessions?

yes — they provide a lovely atttunement

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

yes, many! — mindfulness has become this way of moving through the world for me — I also love metta meditation and heart coherence

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

hiking, cycling, weight-lifting, and stand up paddle boarding

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose and where?

standing crescent moon pose whenever I need to perk myself up a bit — I’ll do this anywhere

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?

how about an open air studio overlooking the ocean — there’s something magical about weaving the elements of the natural world into a practice

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Mind, body, spirit — did one element or another first draw you to yoga? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

a little mind and a little body — I was a type-A non-athlete in my early 20s in NYC and someone suggested yoga as “non-exercise” exercise that would also address stress and anxiety — it worked

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?

finding “balance” is kind of the holy grail of life in my opinion — yoga keeps me closer to the center and helps reorient me both physically and mentally when I am veering too far in one direction or another

How long have you been practicing yoga, and how frequently do you hit the mat?

I’ve been practicing for 25 years and try to get on the mat at least 3-4 times/week — in an ideal world it would be every day!

How long did you practice before you started teaching, and how long did you teach?

I practiced for almost 15 years before I started teaching — I’d wanted to take teacher training for a long time, but it didn’t work with my full-time corporate job — I taught for about 5 years, stopping when I got serious about novel writing — I love teaching but with two kids I didn’t have time for everything so, for now, I just practice

What are the benefits of classes at a studio vs practicing yoga at home?

in a home practice you have the freedom to explore — I practiced at home a lot more when I was teaching because that was how I refined sequencing — the studio is more escapist — I can get more immersed in the practice (both yoga and meditation) at a studio when I’m not the one deciding what comes next — I also feed off the energy of the room which is kind of magical

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

I like slow vinyasa flow — I’m an alignment nut and I love props, so I always have a little hatha and Iyengar in my head, but I like to move with the breath

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

nothing about yoga or meditation came easily to me! I had never moved my body (or thought about it for that matter) in the ways that yoga asks you to — I was not flexible, and my mind was always busy — when I tried to think about breathing, I would feel like I was hyperventilating — still, I stuck with it — getting comfortable with discomfort and all that

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

more mental balance and a greater sense of self-acceptance

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I try to practice mindfulness meditation several times a week — I often fail

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I still hate “exercise,” but I do love to walk and hike — and I work out with a trainer to address aches and pains and hopefully stay strong as I age

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which poses and where?

yes! — my go-tos are janu sirsasana (head-to-knee forward bend) and viparita karani (legs-up-the-wall) which I often do for a few minutes before bed — actually, for me it is “legs-up-the-bed” pose

If I gave you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?

I’d go to the mountains — where the mornings and nights were cool and the days warm and I could go on easy hikes in between yoga sessions

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Mind, body, spirit — yoga is a holistic experience for many. 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 spiritual nature?

initially I thought it was for ‘exercise’ — almost immediately, however, I noticed the greatest impact on my mind — from day one my yoga practice helped me gain mastery over my anxiety

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 still tends to every facet of my being, but now is predominantly a spiritual practice for me

How long have you practiced yoga?

I began dabbling about 22 years ago, but have been studying and practicing with commitment for 13 years

How long did you practice yoga before you started teaching it?

lightly for about 12 years, but seriously for 3 — since then I have not stopped studying — my study and practice have only intensified

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

I study, practice, and teach Traditional Tantric Hatha and Classical Yoga — under the guidance of the Himalayan Tradition

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

as a former dancer, I ‘thought’ the postures came easily, but soon realized I was missing the point entirely — loosening my effort was the most challenging, and making peace with the neurotic tendencies in my mind

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?

dissociating yoga from exercise seems to be the most challenging because in the west we’ve sold yoga as a workout — it isn’t — it’s a spiritual practice which utilizes the body to gain access to the breath, the breath to gain access to the mind, the mind to gain access to the soul — reframing students’ expectations which are based on a western misinterpretation of yoga is my greatest challenge as a teacher

What are the more difficult poses for beginners to execute?

Savasana and a Meditation Seat

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

more peace within my own mind and continuous joy in the midst of challenging circumstances

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I practice a traditional Yogic meditation called Vishoka Meditation, as well as traditional Yoga Nidra — these both incorporate pranayama (techniques for gaining mastery over the breath)

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I do — I love to hike, swim in the ocean, garden, and play with my dog

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?

I often find myself utilizing yoga asanas to create more freedom and ease in my body — I try to be subtle about it in public so as not to draw too much attention, but when I’m at home I’ll stretch and twist and enjoy savasana just about anywhere

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?

I love practicing outside and find it to be more comfortable and accessible for a lot of people — it’s a great way to reconnect to something bigger than ourselves

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

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 wanted to meet my inner self and get to know myself better

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?

my mind, body, and soul are way more in balance than before — I trust more in life and in myself

How long have you been practicing yoga, and how frequently do you practice yoga?

I started years ago, since 4 years — I do it daily — I don‘t want to pass a day without yoga

How long did you practice yoga before you started teaching it?

4 years

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

Vinyasa and Yin Yoga — I like to flow creative through Asanas and I like to flow slowly sometimes so I do Yin Yoga

When you were starting your yoga journey, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

concentrating on the breathing and to silencing the mind was the most difficult part, and so I realised that I was way too stressed every single day

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

my health became way better — no back pain anymore — I feel more grounded and connected — got to know my inner self and my inner path — less anxiety and more trust and a calm mind

Yoga heals the soul and body!

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I meditate regularly and do breathwork; pranayama and did a few rebirthing sessions — they changed my life! — I also practice energy work and work with the chakras

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

hiking and horseback riding

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just assume a pose and stretch? If so, which poses and where?

I stretch daily — I do for example cat and cow and twists regularly — I can do this everywhere

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?

I mostly teach outside and my yogis love that, so definitely 1! — there is no better place to practice yoga than next to the ocean — nature is healing

I’m aware you’re a passionate traveler. If I sent you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?

Asia, Thailand or India — I would also love to go back to New Zealand for yoga, it’s such a special place — I would love to teach my own retreats in these places!

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

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 was interested in learning more bodily control

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?

everything about me is in better balance now: mind/body/spirit

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 try not to proselytize, but I share concepts

How long did you practice yoga before becoming a teacher?

six years

Do you have a preferred yoga style? Do you teach others?

all physical yoga is “Hatha Yoga” — I blend styles

Do you have a particularly strong tie to any teachings or texts?

my roots were with Swami Muktananda and Swami Vishnudevananda — I pattern my classes around the teachings of Patanjali

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for younger beginners and what is more challenging?

younger beginners have shorter attention spans, prefer movement

How about for students coming to yoga later in life?

seniors often need to modify poses

Apart from yoga, do you recommend other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I consider all mindfulness, whether sitting, walking, breathing and/or movement to be yoga

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 mention, but do not “promote,” yoga philosophy — I believe that physical power without a philosophy of unselfishness can be dangerous

I know you are a poet as well as a yoga teacher. Is there a poem or two that reflects the influence of yoga on your writing?

my own poems “Yoga Class, the Teacher Speaks” and “Solstice Poem” both available on blogger (google title, my name, and blogger) are directly connected to my practice of yoga — (as are all my poems, but less obviously)

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?

I would absolutely choose an outdoor space on a beautiful day to a comfortable minimalist indoor space

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Mind, body, spirit — did one element or another first draw you to yoga? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

definitely the body element, I loved how the asanas felt in my body — I’m not a very spiritual person and this aspect of the practice developed over time

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?

100% more in balance now, they have equal weight — yoga helped me quieten my anxious mind, and I’ve found my own definition of spirituality over the years

How long have you been practicing yoga?

10 years

How frequently do you practice yoga?

every single day, in one way or another — (sometimes it’s 10 minutes of pranayama, sometimes it’s 3 hours of asana)

How long did you practice yoga before you started teaching it?

2.5 years

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

therapeutic yoga — a blend of vinyasa, yin, pranayama, mobility and self-massage

When you were starting your yoga journey, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

I was naturally flexible, so that was the easy part — the hardest part was letting go of my need to be able to perform all of the postures

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

feeling more peaceful in my life in general — and a strong connection and appreciation for my body

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I do a lot of pranayama (breathwork) and gratitude practice — I intentionally pause to appreciate the good moments in my life — highly recommend it, game changer

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I lift weights and do pole dancing — I also love bouldering but don’t practice often enough

You are French, teaching in Germany, and anyone who connects with you online knows your English is better than that of many native speakers. Do you find any difference in students of different nationalities?

thank you for the compliment! I have so many different nationalities in my students and I absolutely love that — I wish I had a funny answer, but to be honest, I don’t see much difference between nationalities — the only thing that comes to mind is that Americans are generally a lot more enthusiastic about everything, haha!

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?

indoor, every time — I was taught to always limit distractions as much as possible, and I live by this — (this would probably make my students laugh because my chinchilla is in my home studio and she loves to participate in my classes…)

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Yoga is a holistic experience for many — mind, body, spirit — but did one element or another first draw you to the practice?

I believe I had the thirst for all three — they are so interdependent I couldn’t point to one over the others, though, moment by moment I do draw on different sources for sustenance

How about as your practice evolved: did yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more; were those elements more in balance than when you started?

yoga fed all three and yes, again, yoga helped to balance me

How long have you been practicing yoga?

I have been away from my mat for three years now — I was a five to six day a week practitioner for five years

How frequently do you practice yoga?

these days my practice is focused on the breath — which I work on almost constantly — and walking meditation

What do you miss most about yoga in the studio?

the community — the satisfaction of dedicated effort — the teachers’ insightful spiritual offerings even as we moved through rapid flows

What’s the greatest obstacle to you having a regular yoga habit?

I am my biggest obstacle when it comes to my practice, as I am in most of my life — but this questioning, I believe, is giving me a tender push towards my mat — deep bow

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

inversions were always tough for me — balance poses, I’d say, came more naturally

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

patience — when practicing I was less tight in all ways, more roomy, and that allowed me to flow with all more healthily and gracefully

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

Vipassana and most consistently offer and recite Metta

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I am a long distance walker and have walked the Camino De Santiago three times, Offa Dyke in Wales and trekked the Himalayas — I was regularly walking 6-10 miles a day — then came pickleball — obsessed!

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch?

yes — are you watching me?! — I’ll spontaneously strike a Warrior 2 pose or a Tree pose

If I gave you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?

Chiang Mai, Thailand — I’ll just need a moment to pack

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Mind, body, spirit — did one element or another first draw you to yoga? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

saw an article in Seventeen Magazine (when I was fourteen) and was immediately curious about the meditative and spiritual aspects of the practice, as well as the toning of my body

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?

definitely feeds my spirit the most as I have been practicing mostly mantra & sacred sound in my personal practice … however I always begin with simple asana and grounding techniques prior to mantra practice

How long have you been practicing yoga?

since I was 14 … got serious at around 19, and now I am 42

How long did you practice before you began teaching yoga?

nine years of practicing regularly whether in classes or with books, and about 4 years of dabbling before that

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

my lineage home is Viniyoga or Yoga of TKV Desikachar — I like (and teach) a low intensity flowing asana practice — as I mentioned I have been more in study and practice of Nada Yoga, the Yoga of Sound and somewhat recently completed another 200 hour teacher training at Nada Yoga School in Rishikesh India (2020)

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

holding the posture was easiest, settling the mind/blocking out distractions was (and still is) the most challenging

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?

I find that there is no straight answer to that as every individual is different — someone may have an injury or be going through something heavy and that will affect the whole practice — someone may be entirely athletic but often dissociative or unable to connect with the breath — someone may try yoga for the first time when they are pregnant — to generalize, I would say postures are easiest, but calming the random fluctuations of the mind (goals!) would be the most challenging

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

keeping ego in check, whether in a grandiose way, or a self-loathing way — reminders of unity, reminder of non-attachment — also, indeed, less inflammation, stress relief, less body pain

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

absolutely ~ as yoga has many limbs beyond the physical practice … the first two limbs I love to explore ~ svadhyaya (self reflection), isvara pranidhana (surrender) … and mantra practice as already mentioned, yoga nidra, goddess sadhana…

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I am a runner and do a 5k almost every day — completed 3 marathons and probably 10 half marathons — lately I’ve been loving free weights

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?

definitely — I love clasping my hands in a bind behind my back and folding forward extending my arms behind me (chest expansion) — random pigeon poses and hamstring stretches and prep for natarajasana (dancer) to get into the quadriceps post run

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?

100% outdoors overlooking the ocean — going there in my mind right now! — but wait … be here now!

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

[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?

Hatha — Vinyasa Flow — Yin Yoga, Yin/Yang Yoga Mix, Restorative Yoga — Tibetan Heart Yoga, Yoga Nidra is the bomb

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

—interview © Marshal Zeringue