Community Voices: Our August Spotlight Members & Their Personal Yoga Journeys at Dóttir Hot Yoga

Are you interested in learning more about what you may get out of a regular hot yoga practice?

At Dóttir Hot Yoga, we really value our community and all of our members. That’s why we’ve decided to start reaching out to some of our members and asking them about their own personal yoga journeys. 

Whether you are new to yoga, are trying to convince a friend or family member to practice with you, or are considering becoming a yoga teacher, it can be nice to hear about other people’s yoga experiences and perspectives.

For this month, we had a chance to touch base with three members of our community – Mia, Teresa, and Michele. Keep reading to get to know our spotlight August members a little more!

Mia’s spotlight:

What brought you to first practice yoga and why?
I started practicing yoga to even out my exercise, from only high impact training, to also include something that expanded my mind and flexibility.

What is it about yoga that keeps bringing you back to your mat?
The grounding and the mindfulness is what first brought me to the yoga mat and kept me coming back.

When did you try your first hot yoga class?
2018, when I started at Dóttir hot yoga, so I have been a member for 4 years now.

What do you enjoy most about your yoga practice?
The calm and the relaxation in tense muscles

What’s a fun fact about you not many people know?
I have chickens in my backyard and I train kickboxing

What is your favorite element of practicing hot yoga?
The added heat, it helps me with turning inwards.

What challenges you the most in your yoga practice?
Calming the mind and not to obsess with perfection

Do you have any yoga related goals?
To be more present with myself, not just go through the movements.

What advice would you give someone who wants to try hot yoga?
Breathe and turn inwards, find an instructor with a tonality and style you like.

If you were going to define, “what is yoga,” what would your definition be?
Yoga to me is "relationship with self.”

Teresa’s spotlight:

What brought you to first practice yoga and why? 
I had started falling apart, both physically and mentally. I started going to a psychologist and a physiotherapist, but something was still missing. After I woke up with my left shoulder completely frozen, and a knot in my stomach that wasn't going anywhere, I wrote to Deanna at Dóttir who suggested a massage. After the massage, she recommended trying yoga to help out. That was a life-changing moment for me, and I've been loving it ever since!

What is it about yoga that keeps bringing you back to your mat?
It makes me feel really good afterwards. I know that I will be feeling a calmness in my head and my body after a session on the mat. Every.Single.Time.

When did you try your first hot yoga class?
I think it was late August 2021, so it was extra sweaty!

What do you enjoy most about your yoga practice?
Everything.

What’s a fun fact about you not many people know?
I'm obsessed with squirrels.

What is your favorite element of practicing yoga?
The feeling of bliss afterwards. It's kind of like a special "high".

What challenges you the most in your yoga practice?
Some of the positions that challenge my flexibility and also my patience. I want to be able to do everything, but I know that I need to practice to get to where I want to be. That grounds me.

What’s a common myth about yoga you’ve heard?
Only skinny health freaks practice yoga.

Do you have any yoga related goals?
To become more flexible, maintain my mental health, and eventually to start losing weight and gain muscle.

What advice would you give someone who wants to try hot yoga?
Just try it! Having encouraging teachers like the ones at Dóttir makes it much easier since they make it such a nice experience.

If you were going to define, “what is yoga,” what would your definition be?
In the past, just fancy stretching. But now, I would say it's a lifestyle that includes the physical aspect of yoga, and also the mental.

Michele’s spotlight:

What brought you to first practice yoga and why? 
My first yoga practice was in a fitness center maybe 12 years ago, I just wanted to try it.
I liked it because there was a certain quietness about it. The first time I attended a yoga studio, I was practicing Ashtanga with Ujjayi breathing. Afterwards I was flying….. high on dopamine and totally sold on yoga. The meditation flow felt great.

What is it about yoga that keeps bringing you back to your mat?
Ever since I have just enjoyed every practice. The way you move mindfully and listen to your body. There is a kind of self-loving and caring energy about it. Along the self- caring it's also challenging and I keep on developing myself physically and mentally and I feel my “light” is shining through.

When did you try your first hot yoga class?
I started at Dóttir Hot Yoga January 2022, which was my first hot yoga class.

What’s a fun fact about you not many people know?
A fun fact about me is, I don’t need artificial lip filler - I just eat celeriac (I’m allergic)

What challenges you the most in your yoga practice?
The biggest challenges in yoga to me are my tight hips and short arms.

Do you have any yoga related goals?
Next year my goal is to keep on enjoying yoga as I do now and keep on developing my practice. In my next life I would love to be a yoga instructor. 

What advice would you give someone who wants to try hot yoga?
Trying Hot yoga be sure to start out with an easier yoga practice than you are used to.
Make sure that you are hydrated 2-3 days in advance. Mind your body and enjoy!