Lauren Fensterstock: Lila Student Highlight

GRybus-Interview-Fensterstock-LR-89851. How did you find your way to yoga?

I am relatively new to yoga. I have been practicing for about two years. A close

friend brought me to Lila on the last day before she moved out of state. I

immediately fell in love with yoga and the studio, and cherish this as an amazing

parting gift. In the past, I was never able to sustain a regular physical regimen,

but yoga easily found its way into my daily life. I am at Lila 4 days a week and

practice at home on other days. I’ve always been very much in my head and feel

like this is the first time I’ve completely occupied my body.

 

2. What do you do for a living?

I am a visual artist and make sculptures that explore the history of nature. I also

teach art part time, currently in the MFA program at the Rhode Island School of

Design. You can see my work at: www.laurenfensterstock.com

 

3. Are you able to incorporate your yoga practice into your career or into

your daily life off the mat?

Yoga is a great counterpoint to working in my studio and teaching. The yoga

studio is the one place where I can be a total failure without consequence. If I fall

over or can’t complete a pose, then I just try again. It is a huge relief to find that

precious place where I can be a student instead of teacher, amateur instead of

professional. I’ve been working diligently on my practice and take it very

seriously, but I am able to let go of expectations in the yoga studio in a way that

is difficult elsewhere in my life.

 

4. What is the best thing about the Lila yoga community?

On a programmatic level, every Lila class offers a unique sequence, so I never

get bored or grow to rely on the comfortably familiar. The intimate size of the

community allows teachers to really get to know students’ unique challenges.

Lila teachers always seem to be following student progress and thinking about

each student’s overall development. It’s like having a yoga architect helping to

guide my long-term progress.

On a personal level, there is an intimacy to the community that feels amazingly

supportive and nonjudgmental. I have come to know a few fellow yogis outside

the studio, but many I just see on the mat and still consider friends. I find it so

funny that there is a group of people I only know because we go to a room to

make shapes together!

2017-09-17T18:04:30+00:00May 1st, 2015|Student Feature|0 Comments

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