YOGI OF THE MONTH

December 2019 - Angie McKinster

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

A friend of mine in northern Virginia asked me to join her roughly about 10 years ago for my first yoga class. I had just had my son, Finn, and I quickly realized that the practice helped me work through the challenges of being a new mom. To this day, I find it amazing that I have continued finding my way back to my mat, despite life’s challenges. I sometimes refer to this as the “magic” of yoga.

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

Oh, I have so many, but mostly my intention is to find a calm and peaceful mind. I suffer from anxiety and find that when I get on my mat every day, I am able to settle my mind and feel a sense of peace I honestly don’t think that I would find otherwise.

What is your favorite pose and why?

Definitely Ardha Chandrasana (half moon pose)! I love this pose because I feel so incredibly strong when I am in it, and every day it is a challenge depending on my balance. And, as we all know, our balance changes from side to side and from day to day, so I always get to feel the joy of the challenge with this asana. 

What is your favorite class at InsideOut Yoga?

Because I live on Gwynn’s Island, I am only able to attend Susan’s Tuesday and Friday Vinyasa classes, both of which I absolutely love. I love Susan’s instruction, and the strengthening that takes place is incredible. I really am able to go to this meditative place in my mind and body, and I just really lose myself in the practice. Susan is my true mentor and without my two days a week with her, I would truly be lost. My practice in White Stone is my serenity.

How has the practice of yoga influenced your life?

Yoga has absolutely changed my life. From when I started as a new mom to when I weathered a broken tibia and fibula and two major leg surgeries, to my husband’s stroke and driving an ambulance in northern Virginia, and just constantly battling anxiety. Without yoga and my mat, I would truly be lost. I like to say that my mat is my best friend. Also, the community I find on the mat is what truly feeds my soul. Yoga is my “church,” so to speak.

What advice would you have for a beginning yoga student?

Oh, there is so much to say, but mostly, trust in us. Trust the community that you encounter in your yoga practice. Allow yourself to let go; let go of control, self-criticism, judgment and expectations. And, give it time! The transformation does not happen overnight. But, it will happen. Just let it come. Keep showing up on the mat to experience this beautiful settling force and energy. If you keep an open mind, you will notice a transformation of mind, body, spirit and breath. Just breathe!

What is your occupation?

I am a yoga teacher, and just opened my studio, Honestly Yoga, in Gloucester Courthouse. I am also a mom to a very lovely and inspiring little nine-year old boy, Finn.

What activities do you enjoy?

Yoga, of course is number one! I also love to walk, bike, paint, play the piano, sing and dance, and go for long boat rides when the sun is setting.

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

We moved to Gwynn’s Island a year ago, and what I have found that I love the most is the community of yogis I have met through my practice and my teaching. After spending most of my life in the DC area, it is truly wonderful to live in a place that is slower and gentler. When someone asks how I am, it’s so cool that they really want to know. But, it is my yoga community that has helped me weather the challenges of being on an island in a place so unfamiliar. I do also love living on the Bay and staring at the water. To be able to meditate and practice yoga on my pier is something that words cannot even begin to describe.

Is there anything you want to add?

I want to express my sincere gratitude to Susan for quite literally changing my life. I don’t know where I’d be without her, and I love continuing to learn and challenge myself each week while being so blessed by her presence. We all have our challenges in life, and mine is, unfortunately, getting out of my own head—the battle with anxiety. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without Susan and the InsideOut community. You have all become my family and I feel so incredibly grateful. When I arrive at UU every week, I feel home. Namaste my friends!