The Yoga Loft Storybook: Corine Barone

Why/When/Where did you start practicing yoga?
I have always been lucky to be an active, physical person, and find happiness most when my body is in motion. We are all the sum of many things depending on a multitude of factors. My need to be in constant motion is probably a combination of a few factors. In Aurveyda terms, I have a Vata, Pita Dosha, a fact of being first born. Add in an Aries Zodiac sign, and (don't hold it against me) born in New York ... and there you have what one would label a hyperactive individual. So, lying motionless and finding inner stillness did not happen voluntarily. My Yoga journey began about 8 years ago after a Martial Arts accident.

After receiving my Black Belt, I attended a weekend retreat in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, during a self defense exercise, an over zealous fellow Black Belt male student did not judge the location of my sternum. He delivered a blow that severed my pancreas, causing pancreatitis, significant subsequent complications and several hospitalizations. After my recuperation and healing period (which included Acupuncture and Reiki treatments, thus dodging a scheduled surgery), I found Yoga! After the storm, the sun comes out! I truly feel that out of every hardship, whether physical, mental or emotional, one can always find/take away/ learn/ benefit from the negative experience. My prescription by the traditional medical establishment for healing was to move slow, and approach movement more mindfully. So lucky am I that Yoga had found me! Fast forward from my first introductory class with Evie, gratefully, I have never looked back!

How has yoga changed/influenced your life?
When anyone asks, “Why do I practice Yoga?” I reverse the question and ask them, “Where can you go for one hour where you can work on strength, flexibility, balance, and calm your nervous system, in the most immaculate, supportive environment, all for less than the price of lunch? Yes, there is a place right here in Marblehead “The One and Only Yoga Loft!”

What has been your experience practicing at The Yoga Loft?
My husband and I enjoy traveling, and taking yearly biking trips. Every chance I get when visiting another city or foreign country I try to attend a Yoga class. I have taken weekend retreats in Switzerland, France, Italy, Ireland, London, Paris, Bermuda, Bhutan, ‪Block Island, at Kripalu, and more. I have been exposed to all styles from Iyengar to Vinyasa to Bikram to Ashtanga ... not necessarily doing them well, but appreciating the varied experiences. While every instructor and environment has something new to offer, I can’t help but compare the experience, the facility, and instructors to The Yoga Loft. The lighting, the room design, the simplicity in decor, so uncluttered and soothing to the mind, the immaculate floor, and lastly for the Yoga fashionista, always a fabulous selection of apparel.

While here at The Loft, I am partial to ‪Vito’s classes due to his attention to detail, his emphasis on alignment, and his sense of humor. I don’t consider it a good start to the week if I have to miss Monday morning class and seeing all my fellow yoga buddies. After class, while putting on our outer attire, it always makes me giggle inside to over hear conversations about the level of difficulty, or moaning about a particular pose. Yet then as a group, we acknowledge that it is exactly what we ALL needed! When my schedule allows, I look forward to taking classes with Jennifer, Hilary, Larisa, Molly and Lisa ... all so different yet all so committed. The fact that Randy and Laurel are Yoga students, adds to the quality control of the instructors they allow to teach at The Loft. I have never had a “bad” class! Can you tell that I am a big fan?

Anything else you wish to share about your yoga journey?
I try to mixup my workout week with Yoga, Pilates, weight training, Martial Arts, biking, and my other passion, horseback riding! I believe the body does best when there is a variety of movement. However, when you incorporate the mind/body aspect of yoga, with the physical aspect of all of these pursuits, the benefits and improvement are exponential. To deepen my own practice, a future goal is to participate in the teacher training program. I have also recently taken a course on aerial yoga (or low flying as I have heard it referred to). This form of yoga allows one to incorporate various traditional yoga moves, without the restriction of gravity or the compression on one's joints from the floor. All the while simultaneously positioned in a supportive, playful apparatus called a “ Swing”. And frankly, who doesn’t like to Swing on a Swing and bring out your inner child? A final position in your swing is where you stay wrapped up in a cocoon to finish with Savasana. It’s heavenly!!! Perhaps I can talk Randy and Laurel into hanging up a few up at The Loft. ... then maybe I too can give back to the Yoga community that has given so much to me❤️