YOGI OF THE MONTH

August 2020 - Karen Kaechele Costantino

What first brought you to yoga and how long have you been practicing?

Seven years ago, a friend and yoga teacher rather insistently challenged me to go to a yoga class. I wasn’t that interested. She kept me accountable, asking repeatedly, “Did you go this week? It’ll be good for you!” I finally went and in the beginning thought Savasana (corpse pose) was a complete waste of time! Since then I’ve done a 200-hour yoga teacher training and have taken classes in trauma-Informed yoga.

What is/are your intention(s) for your yoga practice?

To become more aware on many levels, and to intentionally connect to peace and a non-anxious state through disciplined practice (a lifelong goal). Also, to keep flexible. I love how yoga makes me feel and how it helps me to slow down my emotional reactions (read: to take deep breaths and have patience rather than to default to an unpleasant-to- be-around status).

What is your favorite pose and why?

I love poses that open the front line of the body, especially the chest, abdominals and shoulders, such as Camel Pose and Wild Thing. I like the combined effect of reversing our habitual closed posture from sitting with a laptop, the opening up of breathing space and the inverting. A bit of everything in one pose!

What is your favorite class at InsideOut Yoga?

Vinyasa Flow! And I think I will really like the new Saturday Flow & Stretch combo! I find stretching as well as yin yoga to be very therapeutic. It took me a while to realize, but it’s a fine thing to permit time for relaxation.

How has the practice of yoga influenced your life?

Practicing yoga is one of the best journeys I’ve taken. This has been especially true after trauma, which research shows is stored in the body, not just the mind. I appreciate being in a supportive, nonjudgmental space with others, driving over a phenomenally beautiful river on the way to class, and glimpsing a hummingbird in the trees while practicing yoga at IOY.

What advice would you have for a beginning yoga student?

Feel completely free to take child’s pose, down dog or watch-asana, anytime, and without the need for mental chatter about it! There’s a lot to learn, and you will not be asked to take out a pencil and paper for a test on Sanskrit pose names. There are so many beneficial layers of this practice to discover! Just keep on practicing, practicing, practicing.

What is your occupation?

I’m an Integrative Healthcare RN with an online functional medicine practice. I help people optimize their brain health through lifestyle medicine of nutrition, exercise, meaning and purpose, healthy thoughts and relationships, time in nature and a variety of creative ways, including YOGA! My background is in mental health nursing and health coaching. In a prior career, I was a biotech patent lawyer, where I met my husband, Mario, who was my officemate at the U.S. Patent Office.

What activities do you enjoy?

Kayaking, skiing, group exercise, mountain biking, being outdoors, and hiking and playing ping pong with my whole family. I spend a good amount of time these days just hugging my dogs!

What is your favorite thing about living in the Northern Neck or Middle Peninsula?

Being on the water with open sky, and experiencing a sense of community. I love having neighbors who know one another and their dogs by name and who look out for one another.

Is there anything you want to add?

Thanks very much to Susan and my fellow yogis for the flow, the inspiration and the peaceful space. Thanks also to UUFR! We are very blessed to have InsideOut to help us be our best, healthy selves.