Online Holistic Directory  |  Events  |  Advertise With Us  |  Contact Us

Home Current Issue Archives About Us

The tumbling water is hypnotic, the woody smell of incense, soothing…and the twisting of arms and
shoulders into a pliable pretzel is actually… kind of peaceful. In fact, breathing deeply and holding this yoga pose for 5 minutes is approximating

Thanks to yoga instructor extraordinaire Faith Brandt, yin and other forms of yoga are not just something to muscle into a “to do” list each week. They are a highly anticipated highlight of the week — Tuesdays at 7 pm and Saturdays at 10 am — and an unwavering North Star to nirvana.
Brand, Director of The Yoga Center at Fort Collins Pulse Club, and her fellow instructors have made all forms of yoga fun, accessible and meaningful since its opening in ’02. They have helped hundreds across the community downshift from their busy lives, breathe, slough off stress and reconnect with the best part of themselves.

“We’re human beings, not do-ers. Yoga is about just being and not doing anything, but showing up for yourself,” says Brandt. “Yoga helps us learn to stay centered and grounded in an environment where you aren’t distracted. Our bodies are like conduits that can take us to that more peaceful place. Then, when we leave we can take our yoga practice with us to stay centered and more aware of what triggers us.”
Brandt teaches a wide range of people, from stressed-out students, parents and professionals to the physically challenged such as an MS patient who walks into the class with ski poles or more seasoned practitioners toting oxygen tanks. She believes yoga is for everyone and can be beneficial, even life-changing.

“I notice that the more I practice, the more I become aware of where tension is held in my body and where to open, lengthen, release and become more mindful. You don’t have to know yoga to practice yoga. You just have to practice yoga to know yoga.”

Brandt’s classes are well known for their addicting blend of therapeutic, high-quality instruction and equally addicting levity. The glorious result: the ability to release tensions, stay grounded in the present moment and leave much lighter than when you arrived.

A few years ago, I was deep into a pose, breath easing into a body-melting sigh, but still holding on to too many worries that nagged me, right on the mat next to me. Suddenly Faith said, “So I bought myself this huge latte today. Hot, steaming, huge. Couldn’t wait to drink it, you know. But noooooo. One of my cats found it first and drank the whole thing!” Still easing into our pose, many of us giggled like children and slowly I sensed my lower back releasing even more, as did the worries du jour. “I feel a desire to remind everyone that we can be playful. I mean isn’t it kind of hilarious to be human?”

Yoga is a powerful tool to release lifelong buried emotions or any unwanted tensions from the day Brandt says. “Sometimes we just want to release the trauma of living too fast, like robots. Physically, we often adopt physical postures to try to protect ourselves emotionally or compensate from pain and hurt, like slumping over to protect a broken heart,” she says. “By adopting a range of yoga postures and being mindful of the thoughts and emotions that come up, any stuck suffering and stressors can be released.”
“Once I had a student with bad neck pain who asked for help after class. I had her lay down and stretch, and — step-by-step — asked her to be present to the area of her neck that hurt. I asked her what her neck would say if it could speak to her and she started crying. She said she had injured her neck rollerblading and had stored the fear of falling and being out of control inside her neck.

“I believe that we store these emotions in our body, but also that we can unlock them and release anything that comes up. If you can just be with yourself, hang out in the unknown for a while and see what comes up, you can heal.”

A recent graduate of Naropa University, Brandt began to teach yoga after her son Zach was born. She tried to continue teaching aerobics but her body rebelled. “I was exhausted physically and I also wanted to spend more time with Zach.” Now 12, Zach is still her biggest teacher, she says. “Zach reminds me to let my light shine. We’re all children who’ve forgotten how to let our light shine. But all we need sometimes is the invitation. I want to be the invitation.”

Susan Skog is the author of Peace in our Lifetime: Insights from the World’s Peacemakers.
www.susanskog.comsomething near bliss.