My name is Samantha Mason and I’m super excited to be joining the Main Street Yoga team! Let me tell you a little about myself. I’m a Marion county native and a registered nurse working at Ruby Memorial in the neonatal intensive care unit. I have a husband and an ornery dog named Captain. When I’m not working, I enjoy being outside, walking my dog, hanging out with my husband, running, traveling, and most recently, gardening.
I got into yoga as a means to aid in my running. I had dabbled here and there before, but it never really stuck. I don’t know why. However, a little over two years ago, I found someone on Instagram who connected running and yoga, and to her the two were like peanut butter and jelly: better together. So I thought to myself, this may help me get stronger, have less stiffness after runs, and decrease injuries. I bought some of her streamable classes online and gave it a go, and boy oh boy was I pleased with how I felt! I kept telling myself that it was all of the physical benefits I was reaping that kept me coming back for more, but it was totally a shift in how I felt mentally as well.
Luckily, shortly after that, Main Street Yoga opened up, and I had a studio to go to! (Well, once I got over feeling self-conscious and nervous and all of that nonsense.) Once I started going to classes regularly, I began to feel like a new person both physically and mentally. It was also a nice way to meet new, like-minded folks. The longer I kept going, the more I knew that this was something I was so passionate about that I wanted to learn more and share it with whoever was willing and able! So I signed up for yoga teacher training last year and began in October of 2017.
I completed my 200 hour training at Asheville Yoga Center in Asheville, NC this past April. Throughout my training, I got a bit of exposure to many different styles of yoga, meditation, and pranayama, and I feel so lucky that I get to share my love of yoga and newfound knowledge with all of you.
I’ll be teaching a class that I call “Lengthen and Strengthen” on Thursday evenings from 7-8 pm. The beginning of class will most likely still have some residual heat left from the 5:30 warm yoga class, which will be perfect for focusing on static postures and holding positions to really stretch the muscle bellies. Think of it as yin yoga without all the props and with shorter holds. We will then begin dynamic movement and go through some sun salutations and flow our way through different asanas (poses) while really focusing on linking the breath and movement to create a strong bond between our mind and body while building muscle strength at the same time.
I’m a fan of breath work (pranayama), meditation, and laughter, so I may pop in one or more of those elements here and there throughout the class. I have yet to be drawn to one particular style of yoga and I think my classes are just a collection of bits that have resonated with me from all of the various styles and teachers that I have been exposed to.
My hopes are for you to leave feeling happy, of course, and also light yet strong in both body and mind and feeling accomplished in your own personal goals and desires.
See you at the studio!