Alina Kuznetsova
Senior Alina Kuznetsova has been doing yoga for two years since she was challenged by coworkers at Lululemon to try it. This month Kuznetsova was named Yogi of the Month for Elements Hot Yoga Studio for her improvement in the practice of yoga. Q: What is your favorite pose? A: “I love backward bends and hip openers, but it depends on the day and my mood.” Q: What type of yoga is your favorite? A: “I like Vinyasa Flow and I love Yen classes too.” Q: What is the benefit of yoga? A: “It’s like a whole different world, when I’m on my mat, I’m just with myself and I am able to reflect on anything that is going on and work through some challenges.”
Bianca Calagiu
Sophomore Bianca Calagiu is a student teacher of yoga at the Wade King Recreation Center and has been doing yoga since she was 12 years old. As a teacher, Calagiu decided to dedicate her life to helping others get through their struggles using yoga as she had done herself. Q: What is your favorite pose? A: “I really love wheel, it’s a backbend where your hands are on either side of your ears and the soles of the feet are on the ground and you lift your hips up so you are in a wheel.” Q: What type of yoga is your favorite? A: “ I personally teach Vinyasa, but I have been really getting into Kundalini yoga which means the yoga of awareness, so you do chanting and mantras and specific breath work.” Q: How does yoga benefit you? A: “What it does is really connect a person to their body and to their soul. With the movements that it does and the breathing that goes along with it, it activates your parasympathetic system which is the system that calms you down, so you are able to bring yourself into the moment right here. You begin to cultivate such an appreciation for your mind, body and your entire being because you are able to move through these postures and you are able to see your true inner self because the mind is quieted.”
