Yogi Spotlight – Caroline Sobolewski
“I’ve been practicing yoga for a little over two years now, exclusively at Bayou for about one year. My go-to exercise before that was always running or hiking, and even though I’ve always known yoga would be a good fit for me, I never gave it a real try until I needed it most. After my dad passed away I spent about a year lingering in grief and unhealthy habits, and starting yoga classes and exercise again in general was one of the ways I was able to pull myself out of it.”
Yoga has been known to show up in your life when you need it the most.
“I tried a few classes with Bayou Yoga as a way to branch out and spend time with a friend who also liked to practice, and I gradually wanted to attend more and more of these than any other classes. I was instantly attracted to the intensity and encouragement of both Elizabeth and Nicole and yoga became much more of a spiritual experience for me under their instruction.”
“The Bayou Yoga community is the perfect balance of hard work and playfulness. I have been pushed to try harder, exceed what I thought were my limits and break through them, and I have been given permission to be gentle with myself, and bring introspection and curiosity into my practice. I love that the studio finds ways to encompass our whole lives into what we experience on the mats- from community involvement, to bringing our kids and pets into the mix, the social events and fun. I still haven’t even been able to experience everything it has to offer, but I will, eventually, and knowing I always have this place and family to belong to is powerful. I’ve seen phenomenal improvements in myself over the last year, and it was a year unlike any other. I also lost my mother last summer. Having a foundation of a yoga practice and the knowledge of how it could help me move through that grief was crucial. It’s been a year plus of many, many ups and downs, and I don’t know how I could be on this side of it (or who I might be) without having incorporated a yoga practice, and Bayou Yoga, specifically, into my life. It has done wonders for my stress levels, my overall health, and given me so much more strength and confidence. It has made me more aware of myself and the world in general, more patient in my relationships, and more comfortable in my own skin. My concentration has improved, I feel fantastic and energized- so much more so than ever before. Even at 6 months pregnant!”
At its core, Bayou Yoga is about our community. We love hearing how Bayou Yogis feel the impact of their practice off the mat. It affirms that we’re on the right path… together.
We strive to get to know each one of the students that walk through our studio doors. We have had the pleasure of doing just that with Caroline, meeting her husband and her two boys.
“My family and I have been in Mandeville for about 5 years now. My husband, Wojtek, is from Warsaw, Poland, and I grew up in Metairie. We have two sons, Sebastian, who is 13 and an incredible artist, and John, who is 8 and full of spirit (or defiance)- his teachers say he’s definite CEO material, someday. We have a third son coming right before Mardi Gras and are beyond excited. We also have a Schnauzer/ Shih Tzu mix names Jax, who will be a year old right before Christmas. We have a very large extended family and love to spend time with them and travel or explore the outdoors when we can. I’m a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch and I work with families on investments strategies and long term planning for retirement and other financial goals. It can be a high stress job at times, but I love building the relationships I get to have with my clients and helping them break down things that seem complex into what really matters to them. Finding that elusive work life balance can often be a challenge, and fitting in my yoga time was something I had to commit to, but it’s become almost like sleeping or eating to me now- a fundamental need, for which I am so grateful.”
Congratulations Caroline! You inspire us EVERY time you walk through that door. Much love friend.