Emily Oberwetter

(she/her)

Being active has always been an important part of my life. In high school, I played tennis competitively and would practice nearly every day after school. Once I was in college and had less time for tennis, I started taking cardio-focused group fitness classes, like Zumba and HIIT, at our student rec center. I felt like I needed something high energy with a competitive component to maintain my attention and get a good workout. 

I would go to yoga as a last resort; I was extremely inflexible and didn’t think that could ever change. I was self-conscious and uncomfortable going to yoga, which I perceived as revolving around flexibility.  

However, I soon came to notice and appreciate the unique mental clarity that I gained during and after yoga, along with a deeper understanding of my body. During quarantine, yoga quickly became essential in my daily routine as I could easily practice at home with just a mat and some guidance from a YouTube video or app. 

It was a treat when I was able to return to in-person classes. Unfortunately, my studio went out of business shortly after quarantine ended and I ended up bouncing around other studios for a few months. I eventually committed to Inner Fire Yoga due to Amelia’s rave reviews (even though I was afraid of the heat :)). I’ve since come to love the heat and find that it brings more focus and intensity to my practice - I particularly love Inner Fire Flow and Power 60. 

The community at Inner Fire Yoga has inspired me to grow my practice and has shown me that there is no limit to the places I can go in my yoga journey. In July, I spent three weeks in Costa Rica at a yoga teacher training retreat, which is something that I’d dreamed about doing, but didn’t know that I could make a reality. 

It’s empowering to look back a few years and see how much I’ve grown in my physical and mental practice - I look forward to continuing my journey with the dedication that the Inner Fire Yoga community has ignited in me :)