Yogi Spotlight – Alison Little

Want to know a little more about our yogi of the month?

We did too! So we asked 🙂

“I am a Human Resources Manager for a small IT government contractor based in Florida. My boyfriend, Jason, and I have been together for 6 years. We have two adorable, crazy dogs that keep me company while I work from home. We are both from Slidell and moved to Florida after college. We spent about 3 years in Tampa and 1 year in Destin, and made the decision to move back home to the Northshore. We missed the culture and all of our family and friends here, however the beaches aren’t quiet as nice as FL 😉
Jason recently took over a dental practice in Ponchatoula, so we are officially staying here for the foreseeable future! We both LOVE to travel and take quick weekend trips whenever and wherever we can. When I’m not doing yoga or HR stuff, I love drawing, going to concerts, cooking and teaching my dogs tricks.”

And then we wondered how she found her way to yoga, and more importantly, to us.

“I’ve been practicing yoga regularly for about 4 years, but my mom had always been into yoga and taught me a few things when I was young. Before I started yoga, I was doing a lot of running and weight lifting at the gym. I was getting very bored with both of those and wanted to change it up a bit. I felt like I was kind of dragging myself to the gym, chugging down pre-workout to get me there, blaring loud music through my headphones… I couldn’t keep doing it forever. Eventually some health concerns forced me to quit running and then I really dove headfirst into my yoga practice…and eventually ditching the weights too (until Stephanie made me pick them back up in sculpt, haha). Little did I know I would completely fall in love with yoga as time went on!”

“Yoga has taught me how to get my head quiet. I have a tendency to be “go go go” all the time, and had a very hard time slowing down. I was actually dealing with a lot of anxiety before yoga, as I continuously repeated habit patterns over and over again without realizing it. Yoga gave me the space to practice being quiet and notice the way the thoughts jump around in my head. I can’t say that I get totally “zenned out” during class every time, but it’s giving me a place to practice it and start taking it out into my daily life.”

(*insert tears of joy streaming down our face)

We love being able to provide the space our students needeto put in the work and start reaping the benefits of their yoga practice, on and off the mat. It didn’t stop there for Alison, the gift of yoga kept giving.

“At first, I joined yoga thinking I would get a workout and hopefully get more flexible. I had no idea how much of an impact it would have on my life. I feel like that is the story of most people, but it is very true for me as well. It has given me so many tools that I use in my day to day life, as well as keeping me physically fit. I am becoming much more self-aware, noticing my habitual reactions to things throughout the day. By noticing them, it’s giving me the power to make intentional decisions of how I really want to react. As a result, yoga is making me live a happier and more fulfilled life. 🙂 ”

With so many options available to our students, we always wonder what it is about our community that keeps them coming back. The answers, much like our students, never cease to amaze us.

“Because Bayou Yoga is amazing! But really…When I moved back to LA, I did so much research on nearby studios and just couldn’t find a place that offered what BY does. I love the variety of classes and things going on at the studio. If I need a challenge, there’s a class for that, if I need to slow down, there’s a class for that too! Aside from the actual practice, I love the sense of community that is fostered. I work from home, with all of my co-workers in Florida, so I love going into the studio (almost) everyday and seeing the same familiar faces. So to sum it up: the balanced class offerings, amazing instructors, and the friendships and community Bayou Yoga has given me. PS – I think it stems from the fabulous leadership of Nicole and Elizabeth. I am so thankful you opened this studio.”

Our turn to sum THAT all up! Thank you for your kind words! Each of our students hold a special place in our studio, in our community and in our hearts. Alison is no different. We’re so blessed you walked through our doors, and even more blessed that you keep coming back. Thank you for all that you are!