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?

I don’t know if I believe in past lives, but I knew yoga was for me before I ever tried it — so, even though it was the physical aspect that drew me, there was a spiritual element to it

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 practice has mostly shifted to Pilates, so when I choose to do yoga, it’s usually because I’m seeking longer, deeper holds or a more meditative experience

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

I took my first yoga class in college about 30 years ago and got certified about a year later

When you’re teaching regularly, can you lead classes too often? How many times a week, and a day, might be too much?

at my peak as a freelancer in NYC, I taught 15 classes a week, which was verging on too much with the subway commutes — when you’re teaching that much, you have to warm up properly — it’s also important to develop your verbal cuing skills so you don’t burn out your body demonstrating everything

now, my friend and I run Knockout Pilates in Brooklyn — when you’re teaching a lot of Pilates sessions, the key is to be mindful of the way you’re changing springs and handling the equipment so you don’t strain your wrists or back — I’m almost 50 now — the older you get, the more you have to take care of your beautiful body!

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

it’s more about the teacher than the style for me — I’ve learned a lot from good teachers in Iyengar, Astanga, Kundalini, and Kripalu yoga — recently, I discovered the Anti-Gravity Yoga Lab run by a wonderful teacher named Christopher Harrison — you hang from hammocks, and the traction feels wonderful on my spine

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

I was always flexible in forward and backward bends — inclined plane was very hard, as were inversions — I have short arms and legs so had trouble binding in twists and still cannot wrap my legs and arms in garudasana

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

this is a huge generalization but men often struggle with forward bends and anything involving hip mobility or hamstring flexibility and women often struggle with upper body strength poses like chaturanga — everyone struggles with remembering to breathe during difficulty

What are the more difficult poses for beginners to execute?

headstand and plow are challenging for beginners to do without a feeling of compression in the neck — I also see a lot of lumbar compression in up dog if students haven’t learned to access their abdominals — in general, I think the sun salutation is taught too quickly without enough attention given to the transitions and to shoulder safety if jumping

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

it’s given me awareness of the power of my breath and has allowed me (as basically an atheist Jew) to cultivate a feeling of devotion

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

I sometimes sit at a Zen center in Brooklyn and have done a few Vipassana silent meditation retreats — I was lucky enough to study Sanskrit chanting back in the day with the amazing Vyas Houston and still play my harmonium and chant when I’m feeling blue

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

Ragdoll throughout the day to release my back — Malasana to stretch my hips and ankles while I wait for the subway — I always hide out back by the bathroom on planes and do various asanas to the amusement of the flight attendants

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

again, it’s about the teacher for me, not the place — I’d follow Patricia Walden anywhere she went

—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?

I can’t really explain what drew me to yoga other than it was an intense pull that I just had to start a yoga practice — but my physical body was what really needed it first before the other two followed

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?

all three equally — it calms the mind, makes my body feels alive, and allows me to feels connected to source

How long have you been practicing yoga?

9 years

How frequently do you practice yoga?

everyday — even if it’s only for a few minutes

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

practicing in a studio takes away all distractions — you have to be very disciplined to keep up with a consistent home practice, but studio classes are definitely worth it

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

I have only practiced Hatha yoga and Vinyasa — I also incorporate a lot of Yin Yoga into my practice

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

the most challenging for me was getting the posture correct due to being very inflexible, but simply sticking with my practice cured that — the easiest for me was breathing because I was already a very experienced Meditator

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

physically, the greatest benefit is flexibility — overall, self acceptance and patience with myself

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

I practice Meditation every day as well — I do both guided meditation, Vipassana meditation, and occasionally transcendental meditation

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

daily walking

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

always! — when my body is calling for it I stretch, do a yogi squat, downward dog, or child’s pose

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

Costa Rica

—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?

I became interested in yoga in college, but didn’t take a class until after college when I took my first job — the yogic and Hindu philosophy, present moment awareness, and meditation was what actually drew me in the first place — I am very much a seeker and a college philosophy course really sparked my interest — I was already doing physical activity, and the movement practice was more about the body/mind connection — although flexibility is a great secondary benefit!

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?

yoga over the past 20+ years for me now feeds every aspect of my life — as I now have more of a desk job, the physical aspect of stretching is actually more important to keeping me pain free — I also use breathwork and yoga nidra for relaxation — and teaching yoga and owning a studio also feeds a creative need in me — the process of putting together a yoga class and maybe some music to complement it is really enjoyable

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

I practiced yoga for about 2 years before teaching — I knew I wanted a deeper knowledge of yoga, so the teacher training was more for me, at first — but our little community needed actual yoga teachers, so I began teaching as a way to bring it to others in 2003

When you’re teaching regularly, can you lead classes too often? How many times a week, and a day, might be too much?

since I also have another job, I only teach about 4-5 classes a week — there was a point where I taught 3 classes in one day — that was a lot, both mentally and physically, and wasn’t really sustainable with everything else going on — two classes in a day is plenty — I try to balance my yoga so that it doesn’t feel like work! — it’s my passion and I want to protect that

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

my go to practice is Vinyasa flow or Yin Yoga — but I enjoy getting to practice Kundalini and Iyengar for some of the benefits more specific to each

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

settling my “monkey” mind was often one of the hardest things — but I loved when I could really tune in during a practice or savasana and catch those times of “thoughtlessness”

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

I don’t know if there is an easy part for beginners — but not because the practice is hard, but because of the mindset of forcing and not allowing — I find so many people intimidated to even start because they don’t want to “do it wrong” or “look wrong” — the beginner mindset is that it’s not okay to be a beginner — it has to be perfect right away — that’s the hard part… allowing yourself to be a beginner and open yourself up to learning and not looking or being perfect, because there is no perfect — after 20 years there are things that I can’t physically do, whether it’s because my body isn’t physically able to bend in a certain way or because I haven’t taken the time to really cultivate practicing certain things — and either way, that’s okay

What are the more difficult poses for beginners to execute?

unless it is set up well, I don’t think most people need to put the compression on the cervical spine that shoulderstand creates — our modern forward slumping shoulders already exacerbates that — until it is learned safely (at the wall and with props), I don’t think the benefits outweigh the risks — another asana that I think beginners should learn with a teacher so they can do them safely is Ardha chandrasana (standing half moon) — understanding rooting/grounding and even using a block or a wall to find alignment if the hip isn’t open enough can make a lot of difference to the balance and enjoyment of that pose

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

learning to observe my thoughts in the moment before I act on something — being present for wonderful things that I might miss otherwise — breathwork, meditation and flexibility have helped me with both of my pregnancies and childbirth — and I get to meet some pretty amazing people as both teachers and students from being a yogini — shoutouts to a few of my amazing teachers: Anna Pittman, Paul Grilley, Eric Schiffman, and Katie Silcox

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

I practice yoga nidra, especially for sleep — walking and being in nature — my seated meditation is on and off — I also find painting to be a mindfulness practice, especially outdoors

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

mostly walking or hiking

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

twists in bed first thing in the morning — squatting is great for some back traction — and legs up the wall on an acupressure mat when I get a migraine

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’m a forester by profession and an outdoorsy person in general — outdoors anytime, anywhere — I’m spoiled to live in a beautiful place in the mountains where outdoor yoga is just magical

—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?

strength, and because I wanted to do arm balances and headstands

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 and mind, definitely

How long have you been practicing yoga?

2007, I think? maybe 2008

How frequently do you practice yoga?

daily

Are you more likely to attend classes at a studio or practice yoga at home?

now, post COVID, definitely home practice

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

I’m trained in Viniyoga, but I do love Ashtanga and any fairly kinetic vinyasa practice

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

depends… flexibility, I had, so that was easy — strength came later and from much effort — the yoking of breath to movement, without distraction: that’s the hardest for me, and I’m still working on it

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

I have a more balanced, emotionally level approach to non-physical challenges and frustrations — I strive to be Vulcan! — but I’m not

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

heh — yes — the Litany Against Fear from Dune, when something is scary and I need to calm down ASAP

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I run 3 times a week and walk the other 4

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

sure! — most often some variant of uttanasana

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

Iceland!

—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?

the physical element is what originally drew me to yoga — I simply needed to work on myself

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?

yoga feeds my spirit and quiets my mind — the physical benefits to my body are a side effect

How long have you been practicing yoga?

seven years

How frequently do you practice yoga?

as often as my schedule permits — if I’m lucky: 3-5 days / week

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

Vinyasa

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

at first my mind would go nuts focusing on the outside world, comparing poses to other students and judging myself — over time, I learned how to use the breath to drop in and focus within, to discover the real magical part of the yoga practice: the moving meditation and the discovery of Self

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

better sleep, better attitude, more loving connection with others, more patience with my family, eliminated “stress” back pain, improved my self-confidence and appreciation for my own body — body image insecurities are gone! I exude a more loving and kind energy as I move throughout the world and my day

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

I practice about 20 minutes of seated meditation daily, and pranayama as part of my yoga practice

You have a lot of experience leading yoga classes of teens. What aspects of that are more challenging–or easier–than teaching adults?

aside from very tight hamstrings, teens are much less familiar with their bodies and very concerned with what others think — poses can be embarrassing or weird for them so some are less apt to fully try their best — they always giggle when first practicing cat / cow (just because they have to stick their booties up) — I organize their mats in a circle in the room so everyone’s booty faces a wall and not a pair of eyes — teens can also be “softies” when it comes to enduring uncomfortability (holding a chair pose or plank will have them collapsing on the floor in exasperation) — all these lessons are precisely what they need to work through — they are an incredible gift to work with

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

Ragdoll all the time — not uncommon to bust out a dancer’s pose or a reverse warrior in the kitchen or waiting in line in public

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

expenses paid and yoga: I’d go anywhere! Costa Rica would be fantastic though!

—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?

I was drawn to yoga to quiet my mind at first — since then I wanted to be more fit and flexible — I also wanted show my teenagers to be physically active by example

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?

yoga feeds my mind and body mostly — it puts me at peace

How long have you been practicing yoga?

I started on a limited basis in 2019 — in January 2022 I realized that I was getting the results I wanted so I started doing yoga mostly every day for at least an hour — sometimes I practice up to 3 hours

How frequently do you practice yoga?

I practice about 95% of my days

For you, what are the benefits of classes at a studio vs practicing yoga at home?

I like attending classes for the structure and social interactions — if no classes are available I practice at home

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

I prefer ashtanga and vinyasa

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

I had difficulty with balance and blocking out distractions (monkey mind) — balancing poses were difficult and I wanted to be able to do them quickly but I realized I would achieve the level I wanted only with practice and persistence

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

the physical aspect has been the biggest benefit for me — through yoga with a general lifestyle change, I lost about 50 pounds — it increased my energy level, balance and overall health

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

no, I don’t meditate outside of class

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

biking, hiking, stand up paddleboarding

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

I often practice poses in the kitchen — sometimes I will practice while standing in line to check out a store, although I feel like other shoppers find this odd

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

I’m not really sure where I would go

—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 sought out yoga for my body — as I was aging I needed more flexibility and stretching in my exercise routines

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?

now, I realize that yoga feeds my mind and spirit as much as my body and I relish the overall sensations and balance

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

about 5 years

When you’re teaching regularly, can you lead classes too often? How many times a week, and a day, might be too much?

teaching yoga is tiring and to be the best teacher I can be, I must limit how much I teach — 1 or 2 classes a day are best for my psyche

I understand you used to practice Power Yoga and now focus on Yoga for Everybody. When you were practicing Power Yoga, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

I was teaching yoga to college students when I began — they wanted (I thought) a very physical practice and they wanted challenging poses — as I matured in my yoga practice I realized that teaching them pranayama was more important — it was a hard shift but I’m glad I took the hard route for the students — as I I got better at teaching breath and slower movements, I got a better response from the students — at 20 they already have enough physical demands and movement but few know the power of breathwork

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

balance is often what brings the clients into the Yoga for Everybody class — as they learn Warrior and hip openers and they begin to lengthen their calf they find the balance — arm strength is very hard — easiest are the movements they do daily Warrior 1, lunge sagittal plane — opening the side body brings about nice change — sitting on the floor is hard for many new yogis — moving with the breath is hard for beginners — they rush the poses unaware how to match it to their breath

What are the more difficult yoga poses for beginners to execute?

Downward Facing Dog is the hardest pose for most beginners — Chatarange and arm strength, properly executing sphynx for older clients

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

calmer — more present, willing to forgive and forget — yes, better sleep

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

no

Your classes are described as “musically eclectic.” Will you share two song titles that demonstrate that?

ha ha — that would be my barre classes, I think, not my yoga — barre is done in time with the music — two fun barre songs are “America’s Sweetheart” by Elle King and “Got To Give It Up” by Marvin Gaye

for Yoga — in Happy Hour I use songs like “Wish You Were Here” by Bliss, “Makambo” by Geoffrey Oryema, and “Easy in the Early” by Uncle Earl (a great spiritual!)

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

all the time — on a paddle board, before and after riding my horse — after dancing — I can’t get through a day without joyful movement

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

awesome, let’s go! — any of the Blue Zones — Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

[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

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

[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

—interview © Marshal Zeringue