Community Spotlight: Irene Farrow

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

The. Community. And the amazing caliber of teachers and students, especially the morning mysore crew! They are the best people to 'bow to the lotus feet of the Gurus' with. Flow has an immensely diverse student body and I wish more studios could emulate it.

What was your first yoga experience like?

While serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Peru, I was given a hatha yoga DVD that I practiced with on my laptop in my tiny dirt-floor room. As I explored the postures, I became increasingly enthralled with how this yoga thing unlocked tight parts of my body and helped me stand taller, breathe deeply, and think clearly.

What would your perfect DC day look like?

Sunny, warm early summer. A big cup of coffee, followed by a fierce mysore practice or fun Rocket class, followed by an enormous breakfast with lots of cheese and kabocha squash. Then a relaxing day - enjoying the fresh outdoors or an art gallery with my boyfriend, drinking tea and catching up on New Yorker articles, and baking something chocolate-y and gluten-y. No television, minimal connectivity.

What are some of your favorite things to do/places to go pre and post practice?

I am a firm believer in Guruji's assertion, "No coffee, no prana." Before mysore practice, I almost always down plenty of coffee, black.

Anything else you would like to share?

I would love to take up classical piano again. If anybody has a used keyboard for sale, hit me up.