We’re so excited to welcome Aislinn to our growing Defy Yoga team. Join her for a challenging but playful and accessible class that helps build flexibility, strength, mindfulness and endurance. She aims to help students find space to laugh, breathe deeply, release tension and challenge themselves while creating a sense of peace and equilibrium to carry off the mat. Expect a good stretch and a great workout for beginners and longtime practitioners alike!
Get to know her through some of her favorites, then join her on a mat every Wednesday at 7:35pm and Thursday at 10:50am.
Favorite yoga pose:
This feels like a loaded question! I love them all, of course. Seriously, though, I’m a big fan of pretty much all seated forward folds, especially Janu Sirsana, also known as head-to-knee pose – they’re very calming and a great way to wind down energetically after a practice. It’s a hamstring stretch, a hip opener and a release for the low back all rolled into one, so there’s a lot going on. It’s very calming – I rarely go a class without teaching this one!
Favorite drink to hydrate before class:
I really love passion fruit black tea. I drink gallons of it all day with agave and soy. It has just enough caffeine to give me some pep in my step, but not enough to make me bounce off the walls (like when I drink espresso).
Favorite snack:
Honeycrisp apples. I can’t get enough of them – I keep them in the fridge so they are nice and crunchy when I run out of the door in the morning!
Favorite season:
I love the fall, especially here in California. The summer has been so dry and feels like it’s gone on for ages. I’m glad a bit of mild cold is here so I can layer up and take a bit more time to warm up in every practice! It feels good to build heat from the inside out when the weather turns.
Favorite non-yoga workout:
I’m an avid surfer and occasional rock climber. I love to get outside and bring a natural element to my workout whenever I can; I’ve been known to run marathons, but nothing beats a good surf.
Favorite tattoo:
I have ten tattoos, and my favorite one is definitely the outline of the continents I have on my left arm. There’s a little heart over Hawai’i, where my family is. People ask me about this one a lot; I spent several years traveling alone after graduating from NYU, and it reminds me to keep exploring and never lose my sense of adventure or wonder.