YOGI OF THE MONTH

March 2024 - Dave Godwin

What first brought you to yoga and how long have you been practicing?

Many years ago, my wife, Carol, decided that yoga might complement her regular meditation practice. She dragged me along to a yoga class and I found out that I liked it. We attended weekly classes for around six years. We both stopped when we moved down to the Northern Neck from Arlington, VA but Carol started up again with Susan and InsideOut Yoga. I was dragged along willingly yet again…

What is/are your intention(s) for your yoga practice?

Frankly, as a person who tries to find excuses for not exercising whenever possible, my intention is always to make the class. At the end of the class I am always grateful I went.

What is your favorite pose and why?

I could make the standard joke about Savasana being my favorite pose, but the serious answer is Parivrtta Parsvakonasana/Twisted Lunge Pose. For me it combines a much-needed twist for my spine with a forceful, balancing lunge. Add in the muscular effort in the opposing hands and I find it a very comprehensive and interesting pose. Any balancing poses are favorite challenges for me because I spend a lot of time balancing on boats and motorcycles. Staying on the boat beats falling off the boat!

What is your favorite class at InsideOut Yoga?

No one particular class yet. I attend InsideOut Yoga weekly and we run through differing types of classes. The class is taught in Reedville and it has been Slow Flow and Focus on Form so far. The 150 yard walk from home to the class is a favorite too…

How has the practice of yoga influenced your life?

I remember when I first started yoga, I was instructed to pay attention to my body, breathing, and mental state and how they interacted. Very different from my day-to-day life of focusing on one thing at a time.   

What advice would you have for a beginning yoga student?

As I was reminded throughout the many classes I took, yoga is not a contest. Don’t worry about how you look or if someone is more flexible and agile than you. Just keep doing it. There are no downsides.

What is your occupation?

I’ve been professionally retired for 10 years. Formerly I was a federal government employee in Washington, D.C., working the information technology side of banking regulation.

What activities do you enjoy?

I spent almost 30 years racing sailboats year-round in Annapolis. I loved ocean racing but have aged out of that. I still ride motorcycles on the road locally and off-road in the deserts of Utah, Colorado and Death Valley. I’m aging out of that pastime too, I’m afraid. I work out at the YMCA and ride my bicycle on a regular basis with my wife and friends for exercise and comradery.

What is your favorite thing about living in the Northern Neck or Middle Peninsula?

Oddly, it would be the (very) theoretical idea that I can walk down to our dock, get on our sailboat and sail around the world and end up back at our dock without ever touching land. Shout out to Joshua Slocum!

Is there anything you want to add?

I loved my former yoga instructor back in Arlington, and when we left for the Northern Neck, I thought I would not be able to find another as capable, helpful and friendly. To my great delight, Susan has proven to be every bit of that and more!



March 2024 - Dave Godwin

February 2024 - Nicole Leona

January 2024 - Carol Muratore

December 2023 - Steve Griswold

November 2023 - Lynne Haynie

October 2023 - Margy Childs

September 2023 - Sharon Seal

August 2023 - Pam Bailey

July 2023 - Lydia Haynie

June 2023 - Sri Bhagava Brachmacharya

May 2023 - Kelly Goodrich

Apil 2023 - Nancy Wilson

March 2023 - Alli Crowell

January 2023 - Candie Newman

December 2022 - Cindy Miller

November 2022 - Kati O’Brien Rose

October 2022 - Margot Bearden

September 2022 - Jim Purcell

August 2022 - Leigh Purcell

July 2022 - Steve Reiss

June 2022 - Carol Buchman

May 2022 - Carla Everton

April 2022 - Jill Zelman

March 2022 - Anita Riddle

February 2022 - Seth Weinstein

January 2022 - Denise Greene

December 2021 - Lisa MacNair

November 2021 - Michelle & Tom Wolf

October 2021 - Ken Laden

September 2021 - Paulette Laden

August 2021 - Ashley Duncan

July 2021 - Mindy Arnold

June 2021 - Luba Pevnik

May 2021 - Brian Burroughs

April 2021 - Joann Burroughs

March 2021 - Carey Gaenzle

February 2021 - Thyra Harris

January 2021 - Katie Conschafter

December 2020 - Jack Fackler

November 2020 - Christian Johnson

October 2020 - Peggy DeFranco

September 2020 - Susie Dunaway

August 2020 - Karen Kaechele Costantino

July 2020 - Julie Woods

June 2020 - Julie Zimmerman

May 2020 - Ainslie Hodges

April 2020 - Bhagava Brachmacharya

March 2020 - Melissa Kerby

February 2020 - Barbara Olin

January 2020 - Kelly Strickland

December 2019 - Angie McKinster

November 2019 - Cindy Hylton

October 2019 - Beth Johnson

September 2019 - Elizabeth Bulette

August 2019 - Lauren Leo

July 2019 - Janice Thomas

June 2019 - Jane Austin

May 2019 - Dianne Nichols

April 2019 - Milly Rixey

March 2019 - Holly Archard

February 2019 - Barbara Thorum

January 2019 - Brigitte Wolf-Small

December 2018 - Mohler Carlson

November 2018 - Sylvia Voreas

October 2018 - Lisa Shivers

September 2018 - Lynn Hower

August 2018 - Brenda Brinn

July 2018 - Ingrid Buell

June 2018 - Kaz Kazenske

May 2018 - Louise Mohardt

April 2018 - Art Gilbert

March 2018 - Connie Majeski

February 2018 - Amy Maloney

January 2018 - Jen King

December 2017 - Susan Whitlow

November 2017 - Sharon Topping

October 2017 - Betsy and Pete Liljeberg

September 2017 - Lena Okun

August 2017 - Sarah Rae

July 2017 - Gayle Chambers

June 2017 - Liz Seigler

May 2017 - Rita D'Amico

April 2017 - Suzie Beer

March 2017 - Andrea Latell

February 2017 - The Manyak Family

January 2017 - MJ Anderson

December 2016 - Susan Richardson

November 2016 - Vickie and Norm Grimm

October 2016 - Lydia Sellers

September 2016 - Ginger Houck

August 2016 - Ally Childress

July 2016 - Margot Angstrom

June 2016 - Dan Grohowski

May 2016 - Christine Potter

April 2016 - Mary Beth Fox

March 2016 - Liliane and Michael Merrill

February 2016 - Consi Palmer

January 2016 - Scott Witthaus

December 2015 - Missy Reed

November 2015 - Page Wittkamp

October 2015 - Christine Whitaker Wiggins

September 2015 - Jameson Crandall

August 2015 - Pris Regan

July 2015 - CJ Carter

June 2015 - Nancy Sledd

May 2015 - Cherie Kazenske

April 2015 - Eva Abel

March 2015 - Pamela Witthaus

February 2015 - Corey Hassman

January 2015 - Adrianne Bugg

December 2014 - Kimberly Vail

November 2014 - Julie Perkins

October 2014 - Cathy Mecke

September 2014 - Kae Kindle

August 2014 - Hatley Bright

July 2014 - Maureen Lynch

June 2014 - Davy Nichols

May 2014 - Caroline Shifflett

April 2014 - Bob Weekley

March 2014 - Debi Isbrandtsen

February 2014 - Janet Hill

January 2014 - Susan and Bob Wayland

December 2013 - Anna Mendez

November 2013 - Kathy Morchower

October 2013 - Jim Philbrick