From the Mat to the Mind: Hot Yoga with Misty
April 13, 2012
In most yoga classes, laughter is forbidden.You might shamefully let out a chuckle if someone lets one rip while in happy baby. Most yogis are stone-faced and serious as they ferociously stick their yoga poses. But yoga instructor Misty Smith’s classes are fueled by laughter as she makes jokes about embarrassing bodily noises. Her raw approach to the body comes from a 20 year foundation researching occupational therapy, the science of Ayurveda and training directly with the infamous Bikram Choudhury.
 |
| Kripalu Cover Girl and Anacostia Favorite Misty Smith |
From Bethesda to Anacostia, Misty moves her students out of their painful spaces by asking us, “Who loves you? You love you!”. She remembers everyone’s personal struggle, but never patronizes their yoga practice. There is no hiding from yourself with Misty. She calls you out observing not just your physical misalignment but your mental imbalances.
 |
| Misty in Ustrasana (camel variation) |
Since 2009, Misty has taught her unique blend of Bikram, Hot, Hatha and “Shadow” yoga in downtown Anacostia at the Health Services for Children with Special Needs. Every Tuesday participants line up to undergo Misty’s twisted abuse: overt pressure yet consoling encouragement. Misty’s Hot Yoga attracts a wide spectrum of Anacostia’s unpredictable personalities from the teen mom to the restless housewife.
I was inspired to check out her classes after observing the grace and lightness of a student attending my Monday class. I asked the student, “Who is your teacher?” and she led me to Misty. Rarely do I meet yoga instructors like Misty who can see me and all my deeper issues on the mat. Misty’s Hot Yoga burns off the layers of asana and goes straight into the heart of yoga.
Lift your yoga practice higher by moving from the mat to the mind with Misty’s Hot Yoga in Anacostia!
Hot Yoga with Misty in Anacostia
Free Tuesdays
6pm & 7pm
email: 1badbikramyogi@gmail
Health Services for Children with Special Needs
2124 Martin Luther King, Jr., Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20024
202-467-2737
Bikram Yoga Bethesda
Tuesdays and Thursdays
6am
301-215-7820
info@bikramyogabethesda.com
READ THE COMMENTS OR ADD YOURS
READ THE COMMENTS
Thank you for bringing this topic up. I enjoy the way you present and maintain all of the facts as well as your overall
writing style. Sometimes, there’s a scarcity of time to study lengthy pieces, but is short and concise, I spent only a couple of
minutes to read the whole article. It is essential
since nobody has the time to read.
Comments are closed.