by Audra H. Anders for The Aha! Connection
Most people do not realize that I worked for AT&T for 15 years. For several years I worked at AT&T’s Atlanta HQ building at 1200 Peachtree Street in Midtown. My office was on the 11th out of 12 floors and our fitness center was one flight up on the 12th floor. And it was FREE. It was in that fitness center where I first tried a Stairmaster, a rowing machine and Yoga! My friend/co-worker, Jane, and I LOVED yoga. We would go to Yoga instead of out to lunch whenever Thomas was teaching. We both “retired” from AT&T at the same time when my oldest was born. I have barely taken a class since then.
I met my friend Maggie when our oldest children were in the same kindergarten class at Vanderlyn. She reached out to me recently because she loves Lift Yoga studio so much, she wanted to personally purchase an advertisement for them so that our community would know how awesome they are. The next thing I know she invited Peggy and me to join her for a class.
Peggy and I are sort of wimps with various health issues and were a little apprehensive to try but Maggie convinced us to give it a go. First let me say that Lift is being very “COVID-19-Cautious” and both Peggy and I felt comfortable with their precautions. Lift also offers virtual classes.
Here’s what Peggy had to say about her experience: “I took the Yoga Basics class with Maggie. The instructor was Alice, and she was wonderful … very calming and peaceful. She took us through basic poses and flows but fully explained and demonstrated as she went along. I have several limitations and she took the time to show me how to modify as needed. I am certainly a beginner, but I felt like it was something I could do with more grace and agility if I continue going. I also felt like it was so much more than just a yoga class. It is a connection between the mind and the body, one that I certainly need to strengthen myself. The class was just three of us … masks are required in and out but was able to take my mask off during class as we were spaced appropriately. I personally may look into a membership so that says a lot about how much I liked it there! “
Maggie went back with me the same day for a late afternoon class. I was surprised she wanted to take two classes in one day but apparently everyone there loves it so much many take more than one class per day. Our class was “Aligned Flow” with Erica as our instructor. I enjoyed it immensely but am glad I didn’t read the class description BEFORE I took the class: “A vinyasa style flow that focuses on proper alignment for every body. Receive individualized attention as you gain strength, balance, and flexibility. Class focuses on exploring the basic standing and seated poses, backbends, and twists. Modifications and ample guidance will be provided.” I mean, backbends, really? And what is a vinyasa? Seriously, it was the most relaxing hour I’ve spent in a long time and my mind was thinking about following yoga instructions the whole time….so no time to think or worry about politics, COVID-19 or anything else! I was sore for 5 days after, but it hurt so good! There were 5 of us in the class plus Erica. I swear the woman next to me could perform with the contortionist at Cirque du Soleil! But the rest of us were at various levels of yoga expertise and even though I was by far the least experienced, every single person was welcoming, friendly, and helpful.
Later I spoke to Lift‘s owner, Lori Denton. She opened Lift’s Alpharetta location in June of 2019 and the Dunwoody location in October of 2020. Yoga has been a very integral part of Lori’s life. She has traveled and moved around quite a bit with her corporate America job and learned over the years that she likes a certain style of yoga studio. One that is welcoming, not intimidating with no judgement plus accessibility for all levels of experience. Not only does Lori now own two yoga studios, she actually still has a high stress corporate America job. She mentioned she’s more or less “hands off” with the instructors on the content of each class but she has one demand: All classes are to be taught at all levels…meaning the instructors can modify all poses for even beginners like me and Peggy…..Peggy and I will both be back.
Lift has all sorts of pricing options. They also have a variety of classes including: Warm Yin Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Hot Power Yoga, Warm Vinyasa, Yoga Basics, Aligned Flow, Yoga Sculpt, Gentle Yoga, and Yin Yoga, just to name a few. The Dunwoody location is in the Dunwoody Village area at 1705 Mt Vernon Rd basically across the street from PNC Bank. Lift has a tight knit community full of great clients continuing from Infinity Yoga which for a short while became Yoga Works until Lori saved the day in October! Yoga was developed as a practice to unite the mind and body. All yoga styles can help balance your body, mind, and spirit, but they achieve it in various ways. … No matter which type you choose, yoga is a great way to stretch and strengthen your body, focus your mind, and relax your spirit. Sounds like a great remedy for COVID-19 blues…. maybe you should sign up for a Lift class today!?
Lift Yoga
(470) 268-4362
1705 Mt Vernon Rd
Dunwoody, GA 30338
or
501 South Main Street Suite 101
Alpharetta, GA 30009
