I started regularly practicing yoga just over five years ago, shortly after I joined the InterWorks team. On my travels to various cities around the country to deliver Tableau training, I was always able to find a yoga studio within walking distance of my hotel. I found yoga as a great outlet that was able to balance the busy lifestyle of a trainer: I appreciated a full hour where I could be silent, and it was someone else’s turn to lead class!
From Student to Teacher
Over the years, my passion for yoga—specifically Baptiste Power Yoga—has grown, and I’ve participated in various workshops and training programs to further my knowledge of the vinyasa practice. Yoga has had a profound impact on my life, and I’ve invited a few InterWorks friends to join me in a class or two. At the annual summit in Stillwater, OK, in 2018, I was asked to lead a yoga class for my colleagues. While I had practiced yoga as a student for years, teaching yoga was neither something I had done nor was really interested in. However, all of that changed after I led that 30-minute class for a great group of InterWorks yogis back in December…
The interest and support I get from my InterWorks yogis is just one example of the incredible people we have and shows how community can, and does, exist far beyond the walls of an office.
Setting an Intention
A few months after the yoga class at Summit, I was enrolled in a mentorship program led by my Baptiste yoga teachers. I reflected on the class I led at Summit and came to the realization that I was ready to take my passion for yoga to the next level: become a certified Baptiste yoga instructor. As soon as I put my goal to paper and out into the world, opportunities came up for me to lead classes.
The first opportunity came from my colleague Matt Brimer. He reached out for some guidance on stretches and videos that the crew in the Oklahoma City office could use once a week. I saw this as my chance to not only lead a yoga class for the team in OKC, but also to connect with colleagues I rarely see. I’m based in upstate New York, and while I love having colleagues all over the country, we do have to get creative at InterWorks in the ways that we can connect.
Empowered by Community
Over two months later, we have a consistent group of yogis that sign into a Zoom room to take a yoga break every Wednesday afternoon. My years of leading virtual training courses helped me find immediate comfort in teaching yoga remotely. The yoga break has quickly become my favorite part of the week! The interest and support I get from my InterWorks yogis is just one example of the incredible people we have and shows how community can, and does, exist far beyond the walls of an office.
Above: A screenshot from the weekly yoga break at InterWorks.
