Alice McMullen

I started practicing yoga regularly about 10 years ago. There was a class offered at my community center for mothers with young kids. I had 2 very young boys at the time. This class was an amazing gift to me — a way to move my body, get out of the house, and learn to let go of the anxiety of being a new mother. I attended every week for almost 6 years. 

My favorite part of practicing yoga is being able to leave behind worries, anxieties, anger, frustration, the to-do list when I come to the mat -- to let the fluctuations of the mind settle as they say. I love having a time to observe my body and my mind. I love seeing and experiencing the strength that I have. I like listening to my body — giving myself permission to push myself further into a challenge on some days and on other days allowing my body the chance to rest and do only what it can do that day.   

What I have loved most about teaching is the chance to speak kindness to people. I have noticed that people are often so kind to others while being so mean and critical to themselves. I love having the opportunity to remind people that they are full of love and light, that they are enough just the way they are, that their bodies are miraculous, and that they have the intrinsic power to heal. There are not a lot of places where you get a chance to say things like, and I think they are very important things for people to hear.