[note — this is part 1 of 2; here we focus on Lowitz’s journey as a student of the practice; part 2 (coming soon) is about her experience as a yoga professional]

Yoga is a holistic experience for many — mind, body, spirit — but did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your spiritual nature?

I wanted to feel grounded, more settled

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

it always helps me come home to myself

How frequently do you practice Asana yoga?

about twice a week

And heart yoga?

daily

If you’re not leading a session with others, are you more likely to attend classes at a studio or practice yoga at home?

home

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

hatha/restorative/yin

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

it was challenging to let go of perfectionism, some idea of what a pose should look like — now I just feel, breathe, and enjoy

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

self-love, compassion

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

yoga is a state of being in union with yourself and the universal energy flow — yoga is every breath

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

mostly walking in nature — walking meditation

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just assume a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?

yes, all the time — side stretches twists, heart openers — if my body speaks to me, I respond intuitively — animalistic

If I gave you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?

somewhere tropical, near the ocean — anywhere, really — Hawaii, Bali, Japan, the American Southwest — where the land is sacred

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Mind, body, spirit — yoga is a holistic experience for many. But did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your spiritual nature?

initially I thought it was for ‘exercise’ — almost immediately, however, I noticed the greatest impact on my mind — from day one my yoga practice helped me gain mastery over my anxiety

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

it still tends to every facet of my being, but now is predominantly a spiritual practice for me

How long have you practiced yoga?

I began dabbling about 22 years ago, but have been studying and practicing with commitment for 13 years

How long did you practice yoga before you started teaching it?

lightly for about 12 years, but seriously for 3 — since then I have not stopped studying — my study and practice have only intensified

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

I study, practice, and teach Traditional Tantric Hatha and Classical Yoga — under the guidance of the Himalayan Tradition

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

as a former dancer, I ‘thought’ the postures came easily, but soon realized I was missing the point entirely — loosening my effort was the most challenging, and making peace with the neurotic tendencies in my mind

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?

dissociating yoga from exercise seems to be the most challenging because in the west we’ve sold yoga as a workout — it isn’t — it’s a spiritual practice which utilizes the body to gain access to the breath, the breath to gain access to the mind, the mind to gain access to the soul — reframing students’ expectations which are based on a western misinterpretation of yoga is my greatest challenge as a teacher

What are the more difficult poses for beginners to execute?

Savasana and a Meditation Seat

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

more peace within my own mind and continuous joy in the midst of challenging circumstances

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I practice a traditional Yogic meditation called Vishoka Meditation, as well as traditional Yoga Nidra — these both incorporate pranayama (techniques for gaining mastery over the breath)

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I do — I love to hike, swim in the ocean, garden, and play with my dog

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?

I often find myself utilizing yoga asanas to create more freedom and ease in my body — I try to be subtle about it in public so as not to draw too much attention, but when I’m at home I’ll stretch and twist and enjoy savasana just about anywhere

You have a choice: lead a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

I love practicing outside and find it to be more comfortable and accessible for a lot of people — it’s a great way to reconnect to something bigger than ourselves

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Yoga is a holistic experience for many — mind, body, spirit — but did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

I was drawn to the physicality of yoga

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

hot yoga is my favorite way to bring out the leanest version of my physique — I also feel a greater connection to my inner rhythm

How long have you been practicing yoga?

since 2014

How frequently do you practice yoga?

I do my own at-home flow daily, and I try to attend studio classes 3 times per week

What are the benefits of classes at a studio vs practicing yoga at home?

the therapeutic benefits of yoga are more present during an at-home practice — the physical benefits are more present during an in-studio class

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

Vinyasa

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

at first, the most challenging aspect was quieting my mind — the postures came easier for me

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

for me, a consistent yoga practice brings wonderful peace of mind and increased flexibility — both of which contribute to greater performance during strength-training workouts too

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

yes, I lift weights 5 days per week — I also swim and take walks for leisure purposes

You have a choice between a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

a class overlooking the ocean would be beautiful!

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose and where?

yes! — all the time — for some reason, I always feel like doing half-moon pose while I’m getting ready in the morning

If I gave you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?

the Amalfi Coast

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

[note — this is part 2 of 2; here we focus on Foxen’s journey as a student of the yoga]

Yoga is a holistic experience for many — mind, body, spirit — but did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

it was—and remains—the only form of physical exercise I can consistently get myself to do

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

it’s balanced pretty evenly amongst all three now

How long have you been practicing yoga?

18 years

How frequently do you practice yoga?

I aim for 5 days a week

Are you more likely to attend classes at a studio or practice yoga at home?

definitely studio

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

Hot Vinyasa

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

it’s been a while, so my memory is a little fuzzy — I’m going to say: getting into some version of the posture came easiest, the breathing was harder — that hasn’t changed much

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

it keeps me sane(ish)

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

very sporadically, I’ll try to sit in meditation, but I’m awful at it — movement makes focusing easier for me

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I started running during the pandemic, but that’s kind of lapsed now

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just assume a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?

I have been known to randomly sit on the floor and do hamstring stretches pretty much everywhere

If I gave you an expenses-paid yoga retreat, where would you go?

I’d be torn between trying every yoga studio in New York, and every yoga studio in LA

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

[note — this is part 1 of 2; here we focus on Foxen the yoga professional; part 2 (coming soon) is about her journey as a student of the practice]

As a yoga professional, what aspects — mind, body, spirit — do you pitch to someone who has never done yoga but is open to the possibility?

the connection between body and mind

Do you have a particularly strong relationship tie to any teachings or text?

a very tangled connection to Paramahansa Yogananda’s lineage — but it’s not what I practice

How long did you practice yoga before becoming a teacher?

3 years

How long have you taught yoga?

consistently for 3 years, very occasionally for the last 12

When you’re teaching regularly, can you lead classes too often? How many times a week, and a day, might be too much?

I’ve always struggled with this — more than a couple of times a week starts to be too much

Do you have a preferred yoga style? Do you teach others?

Hot Vinyasa

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?

this is so person-specific

What are the more difficult poses for beginners to execute?

headstands and arm balances? no, actually, people really struggle with getting forward bends right

Apart from yoga, do you recommend other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I like body-scan meditation — it’s a good way to build basic awareness

Say you have a beginning student who has come to yoga for help with a bad back. They are already pretty chill, and you intuit they are only looking for the physical benefits from yoga. Do you leave it at that, or do you look for opportunities to promote the non-physical benefits?

I leave it at that — the other stuff will come if and when it makes sense

Do you have a favorite sutra or mantra or koan that you like to share with those in your classes?

be okay with it feeling good

You have a choice: lead a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

the indoor space, for sure — it can be helpful to minimize distraction if that’s the kind of practice we’re going for but, as a teacher, I just really like being able to control my environment

—interview © Marshal Zeringue