Yoga gives me peace unlike anything else.

“I have always enjoyed when people come together to move to a common goal, breathing, sweating, feeling good! I love the energy of a group moving together.”

Skip Mershman

When was your first class? How did it go?

I was visiting my son Dayne in 2013 in Los Angeles. He took me to my first Bikram Yoga class. It was hot, very hot! My first teacher’s name was Nancy. What I found most surprising was how refreshed I felt afterwards. It was an incredible feeling.

What led you to start hot yoga?

It was a challenging time in my life. I was working long hours, under high stress, and in a lot of pain physically. So I was curious about yoga and how it could help. Initially I was going to hot yoga classes off and on. After a while I made the commitment to practice regularly, and really started feeling so much better.

If you are returning to hot yoga after some time away, what brings you back and how do you feel now that you are back into a healthy routine?

During the 6 month lockdown, I practiced at home and in outdoor classes. I really missed the hot room. Now that Thrive re-opened, the hot room helps me regain the feeling of calm in my practice. This helps me manage all my daily stress.

What health benefits do you get from hot yoga?

When I started practicing yoga in California and then back to Troy, I noticed my back pain was gone. At that time I was working 12 hours a day, heavy labor moving parts for GM. that takes a toll on your body and everyone working around me was much younger! It took me a few weeks of hot yoga to really notice a difference. All of the sudden I realized I didn't need the pain medication anymore. I was getting up one day, moaning, and realized “I don’t have any pain, it’s gone!”. The pain still comes and goes at times, and the yoga really, really helps.

Now many years later, the benefits of yoga are mental. Yoga gives me peace unlike anything else. There’s peace I get from it now, and I look forward to more and more of it.

I make much better life choices now. I pay more attention to my body. I feel more confident in my practice. It’s amazing to me how every day is a new day with yoga. I take the good with the bad and move forward.

How does your life outside the yoga studio benefit?

The most physical benefit I feel is less pain, which helps with my personal attitude! I sleep so much better. Yoga has also helped me to replace some bad habits with good healthy habits, and it’s easier to choose what’s healthy for me. This really helps my Monday practice, post weekend activities!

What is your favorite thing about the studio?

I have always enjoyed when people come together to move to a common goal, breathing, sweating, feeling good! I love the energy of a group moving together.

What advice do you have for beginners?

A very good teacher once told me the toughest thing is getting to the mat! We can talk ourselves out of driving to the studio so easily. So just get yourself there and half the battle is over. This kept me going especially in the early days of my practice.