Q&A

How did you decide on the name Finding Freedom?

This sounds so cliché, but the name Finding Freedom came to me while I was meditating one morning. I had been racking my brain for a name, and I didn't want to just call it LacieG or something, ha! So I spent a few days thinking about what yoga meant to me so that it would be personal. I kept going back to the memory of when I first realized I wanted to become an instructor. I was walking out of a yoga class one afternoon and I felt like I was walking on clouds. All the anxiety was gone. Any worries - gone. I was floating. I realized that I have the option to feel like this every day of my life if I wanted to. I could be surrounded by yogi's and yogini's everyday ... 'work' somewhere that was quiet, peaceful, and joyful. And it occured to me that yoga frees me from so much. Since we are faced with obstacles on a daily basis, and we are constantly working with ourselves to become the best human we can be, I decided on the term Finding Freedom, not Find Freedom. In my opinion, nothing is definite.

How would you describe the style in which you teach classes?

I would say my style of teaching is primarily Vinyasa. I find great benefit in syncing the breath with movement. Once I get into the heart of the practice, after the body is warm, I flow through a choreographed practice, stopping to hold certain poses for 5-8 breaths. I am a big fan of holding poses (for ~30sec) because it really heats up the body, allows you to drop in, feel the stretch, and strengthen your body all the while bringing awareness to the breath and encouraging you to stay present. I love being creative with my classes by finding fun ways to sequence poses.

What other styles do you teach?

I teach gentle yoga, restorative and chair yoga. I also love teaching private classes. I feel like the more I know, and the more people I can reach out and help, the greater my life will be :)

If you are curious about restorative yoga:

In our high speed lives we cultivate a lot of tension, stress and anxiety, and forget to pause. Restorative yoga aids the "Relaxation Response" in the brain, which is the healing mode for the body by using different props to make us weightless and remove all pressure on the body's joints. Poses are held for an extended period of time allowing your body to open and unwind through passive stretching.

What do you do in your spare time?

I love to draw, hike (or just go somewhere quiet where I can surround myself with nature), explore, snowboard (in the winter), and my greatest passion is travelling around the world! I live with my partner, Jenn, and our 3 adorable cats. I have a very simple life and I love it.