Yoga Interview with Liz Forkel

• When did you first start practicing yoga as student?
o 1997 - generally for all types of little exercises prescribed yoga such as stretches from aerobics stretches
• Why did you start?
o Started because of the demand for it for her company because her clients wanted it.
o She had found the vinyasa / power yoga became a hard workout and it had fit her
• How has yoga personally helped you?
o She was a hard-core person and she need to mend her injuries, since she gets injured a lot from over use and she had to slow down.
o It had helped her prevent injuries because of becoming more flexible.
• What type of yoga are you practicing that is different from when you first began?
o She is practicing Vinyasa / Power yoga but when she first started it was fast pace and she had to slow it down in order for her clients to keep up and also to prevent injuries for her and others
• What does yoga offer besides physical benefits?
o It helps clients to work out mental issues.
o They can make their bodies shut down and relax.
o They can be able to feel better about themselves
o Relax and meditate
o Open their body
o Wash out their problems / “kinks”
o Able to center themselves
o They can leave the world behind and shut down everything behind them
o Digestive Better
o Increase blood pressure
o Able to receive all benefits
o Live longer
o Do it anywhere
o Achieve results without breaking them
• How does yoga help you spiritually?
o She believes yoga calms the mind and slows the world around a little more
o Teaches to be a happier person and being calm
o Makes people look forward to change practice as the environment changes
• What kind do you practice?
o Body Flow
o Vinyasa
• Do you include meditation?
o She meditates after class and makes it comfortable and silent
o Empties the mind by being alone in the body and let go everything around them
• How is yoga counter cultural?
o At one point it was but not anymore
o Today it’s more of a physical exercise all around us
o From old hippie to Urban set
o Moving into sports
o Any age can do yoga and “not changing anytime soon”
o She believes that its popular because she is in the think of it and sees it all the time and can’t get away from it
• How does it help to fill the void or emptiness caused by suburban living?
o Spiritual
o Able to help the community by slowing down
o Organize
o Have a lot thought about what’s around you – once you think about it is worth less and you can let it go
• Today Yoga is more popular, do you think it has taken on a more commercial sort of “fitness industry” approach or do you feel that the roots of the practice have been maintained. What do you notice about this shift over the years?
o Commercialized very
o Not only US is changing yoga but India is also changing to make yoga different and fit different people
o She worries about the safety of yoga as in doing poses safely but people will not benefit them
o “Try out and be open to many forms and hopefully will find what works for you.”