[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

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

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’d hurt my back doing Shakespeare and after occupational rehab had succeeded some, I decided to give yoga try in addition

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 them both equally — and they’re more in balance when I’m practicing regularly

How long have you been practicing yoga?

since 2010…. though I first dabbled while in acting school back in 1985

How frequently do you practice yoga?

very irregular —  I like to do it twice a week — I do a few yoga stretches every day, but sometimes (like now) a month might go between sessions

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

at a studio in a gym, though I did it at home during Covid (via an online instructor)

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

any style works

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

easiest was breathing and settling my mind —  most challenging was I’m just not very limber

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

it’s great for my back, my spirit, my flexibility, and it seems to help me with weight loss

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

I walk and swim a good deal, but the meditation which occurs only comes naturally while doing for the most part

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

yes: swimming, weightlifting, walking

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

not really, though like mentioned before, I do a few yoga stretches every morning…. most involving my low back and legs, plus the cow and cat

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

I’m easy — wherever’s expenses-paid — the whole world’s interesting to me

—interview © Marshal Zeringue