Guest Spotlight: Mahalakshmi Mahadevan!

Flow Fam - please meet our beloved guest Mahalakshmi!  Mahalakshmi is a dedicated Flowgi, and we are so honored that she chooses Flow as her yoga home.  Learn more about her below, and say hi if you see her around the studio!

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

I am inspired by the energy, creativity and the warmth and affection shown by all my teachers and my fellow yogis at Flow. Flow brings all the best people in one place!

What was your first yoga experience like?

My first experience at Flow was a Friday community meditation class back in January 2017. The Hare Rama Hare Krishna Maha mantra singing by dear teacher Brittanie DeChino was so moving and uplifting, I couldn’t stop my emotions from silently flowing for the entire duration of the class. And needless to say I couldn’t stop coming to Flow.

Who are some of your most influential teachers?

Every class I’ve taken at Flow has had a salutary influence and I’ve been consistently drawn back to practise with Alicia Moyer, Aqeel Yaseen (Viveka Om), Brittanie DeChino, Caroline Weaver, Chelsea Xeron, Cory Bryant, and Sam Breschi. I’m especially grateful for Dharma Yoga offerings that integrate pranayama and meditation and Kirtan because these devotional offerings build community in ways asana practice alone doesn’t. I’d love to experience more of these at Flow.

What is something the Flow community may not know about you?

People may not know that I go by the nickname Machimi (pronounced Match-mee) among family. Or that I have a darling 6 year old daughter who loves to sing and dance but is not so much into yoga. Or that I grew up and went to school and college in Kollam, a small town in Kerala, South India, famous for a spiritual leader of humble origins, Mata Amritanandamayi (in other trivia, it’s also known as the cashew capital of the world). Currently distressing news is coming out of Kerala as it grapples with the worst floods in a century; every little helps rebuild homes and lives destroyed in the deluge. The international community can make donations to the State’s distress relief fund here: https://donation.cmdrf.kerala.gov.in/

Thank you so much for sharing, Mahalakshmi!

Guest Spotlight: Patrick King!

Flowgis! Meet fellow Flowgi and our Guest Spotlight feature, Patrick King! Patrick has been a loyal and dedicated student in Leah's Saturday AM class since 2013 - that's amazing! Learn more about him below:

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

A psoas injury and several twisted ankles brought me to yoga. Track and Basketball injuries from high school had manifested in frequent shoulder and back pain by my second year in college. I found some relief in chiropractic, but that benefit eventually plateaued. So, my original reasons for coming to yoga was to regain flexibility and reduce the pain from previous injuries. While managing these injuries is still important, what keeps me coming back to Flow is the amazing community of people that the studio attracts. I’ve met truly wonderful people.

What was your first yoga experience like?

My first yoga experience was very humbling. I could also say brutal, but that wouldn’t be very yogic of me! My first yoga class was during Yoga Week after a friend recommended the studio. However, it took another seven months for me to start a regular practice. The first several years of practice felt like I was fighting my body in order to heal itself. That obviously didn’t work. More recently however, I am listening more to what my body needs and letting that voice lead the way to better health.

Who are some of your most influential teachers?

Leah is by far my most influential teacher. I have taken Ashtanga with Gail and Todd, and have practiced at other studios, but I am in Leah’s class nearly every Saturday. Leah has been pretty open about her injuries and is really good about assisting other students working with their individual challenges. She creates a very non-competitive, non-judgmental, non-achievement-oriented environment for everyone, which is ideal for healing and strengthening.

What is something the Flow community may not know about you?

I grew up in Nashville, but I am actually from Morgantown, WVA.

What is your current practice like and how does it fit into your daily routine?

My primary practice is Saturday morning Vinyasa with Leah, but I have also tried Ashtanga, and Iyengar. During the weekday, I incorporate stretches that I have learned in class, but rarely take the time for full sequences. My ever-recurring New Year's resolution is to find more time for yoga!

Thanks so much for sharing, Patrick! We love your steadfast Saturday routine :)

(pictured: Patrick and his wife at the KL tower in Malaysia!)

Manager Spotlight: Marcela Morales!

Meet our Manager of the Month, Marcela Morales! Marcela has been with Flow for over a year, and is one of the sweetest souls we have the privilege of working with. Say hi if you see her around the studio!

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

All of you!

Who are some of your most influential teachers?

Wow... what a question! I love every instructor at Flow — from Sam Breschi's delicious Prana flows to Alicia's enriching midday vinyasa. Dharma with Viveka Om makes my heart smile every time and I love going back to basics with Caroline or Angela's Level 1 Vinyasas. Last, but not least, Mimi with whom I spent a grueling and empowering 200 hours of teacher training last year.

What is your current practice like and how does it fit into your daily routine?

Oh dear... my current practice is mainly focused on gratitude-meditations and karma. My time has been very limited lately so I try to focus on just giving myself small moments of reflection and kindness throughout the day rather than scheduling classes. On a really good week, I'll make it to Corinna's restorative class Sunday evening after my shift.

What is something the Flow community may not know about you?

I am a night owl and a binge watcher which is a very dangerous combination — I've been known to binge watch an entire season of a show (i.e. Queer Eye) in one night.

Anything else you would like to share?

I love and appreciate you all soooo much! I think a lot of us feel this way but my shifts at Flow never feel like work to me because of how beautiful this community is. <3

Manager Spotlight: Liz Cole!

Flow Fam! Check out Liz, our Manager of the Month.  Liz is an animal and nature lover - learn more about her below!

What is your current practice like?

It is amazing - I have always been a vinyasa power flow kind of girl but these days I’ve been getting into slower, deeper flows and finding my cardio elsewhere (mainly spinning). I like the idea of having balance in my “movement diet” (Clare Kelley shoutout) and this is how I’m trying to find it. But I like that yoga changes with the seasons of the year and of life and I’m just going with the flow on that. Embracing my practice for whatever it is whenever it is.

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

The community. Every time I show up at Flow I get to catch up and practice with someone I’ve grown to love in our Flow family. It really feels like a second home! And I lived in DC for over a year before finally finding Flow and I felt like I finally found my space once I found it. So much love and gratitude for this place and these people!

What would your perfect DC day look like?

Oscar Bear snuggles (the cutest mutt you’ll ever meet), matcha lattes or tea dates with close friends, a class at flow with a favorite teacher (maybe even a double header on a really perfect day!) and some time at home being a hermit with my husband.

Do you like to listen to music when practicing? If so what are some of your favorite songs to hear in class?

Music is everything to me! I love it all depending on the class - from pop/hip hop/alternative to mantras. My home practice is full of music - it totally influences my energy.

Who are some of your most influential teachers?

Clare Kelley and Adam LaPierre have had a great influence on me - I admire them both so much. But I’ve also been heavily influenced by all of my fellow teachers in my 300 hour teacher training - this has been an incredible year of growth with the support of Debra, Cath, Alicia, and all of my loving classmates.

We love and appreciate you, Liz!

(*pictured with Oscar Bear here!*)

Karma Yogi Spotlight: Nana!

So much love to our KY of the Month, Nana! A total sweetheart with an inspirational practice, we are so grateful to have Nana on our team :) Learn more about her below!

What inspires you to practice at Flow?

The teachers and the classes Flow offers. It is such a blessing to be a part of the community and have so many amazing yogis that inspire me to come back and practice yoga often.

What is a typical day like for you and how does practice fit into your daily routine?

After I finish work around 5:30 pm, I will go home and get ready for the class in the evening. I usually walk to Flow from Adams Morgan where I live, which is about 25 minute walk. I manage to practice at least 3-4 times a week regularly (Monday Rocket Vinyasa with Elyse, Wednesday Rocket Vinyasa with Jonathan, Friday Happy Hour Flow with Kevin, and Mix Tape Heated Flow with Mimi). After the class, I will stay in the classroom for a while and hang out with other yogis. I will either walk home or take a bus home after that.

Who are some of your most influential teachers?

I usually practice with Jonathan, Mimi, Chris, and Kevin. I've never practiced Rocket Vinyasa before 2018, and after I started practicing with Jonathan earlier this year, I fell in love with Rocket Yoga. Jonathan can easily push me out of my comfort zone, and I have learned a lot and improved working with him. Mimi's and Chris' classes are always very dynamic, which is very helpful for strengthening my body. Kevin's Happy Hour Flow is very mindful yoga practice. I love to practice the Happy Hour Flow with Kevin and Mix Tape Flow with Mimi on Friday. Such a good combination! Other influential teachers: Cory, Adam Lapierre, Dolly Lee and Lisa Pettinati. They all inspire and enlighten my practice in so many different ways.

What is something the Flow community may not know about you?

I moved to DC from China two and a half years ago which is why I have a bit of a Chinese accent :) I speak 3 Chinese dialects, a little bit of Japanese and Spanish. When I was new to DC, Flow was very helpful for me to connect so many wonderful people and make me feel like a part of the community. I'm currently working at the LINE DC Hotel accounting office. Come and say hi if you are ever around :) The restaurants are fantastic!

Anything else you would like to share?

I am starting a yoga clothing business with my family. The brand is called VOL, short for Voice of Love. We all deserve to have our own voice of love. I hope that if anybody in the community has any advice or guidance, please feel free to connect with me. You can reach out through Instagram @dcyogi_nana, I always love to meet new people!

We <3 you so much, Nana!