Kimberly Montgomery

I was first introduced to yoga in the 4th grade, and I never forgot about it. I lived in Seattle for 7 years and during that time began to practice yoga regularly. Once I moved to the Triangle I visited several studios before deciding on my "home" studio. My favorite practice is hot yoga. I find that my muscles allow me to work deeper in the hot room.

While my husband and I were enjoying being an empty nest, he developed "Early Onset Alzheimer's". His illness progressed very quickly and after a leave of absence from work, I decided to quit my job to care for him full time. This made going to the studio for yoga much less consistent, but the centering I had learned to achieve through mindful breathing helped me. In fact, when my husband experienced panic attacks, I was able to talk him through using his breath to focus and ease the fear. Yoga never left me.

When my husband moved into nursing care, my yoga practice helped teach me to experience each moment "in the moment". My yoga practice in my favorite studios helped me to begin to re-build a life for myself. 

For me, yoga helps bring the endorphins that come from working the body. It can help calm me as well.  But, what I also really appreciate is that it can be completely fun as well as challenging. I never regret time on my mat.