Mother-daughter duo Julia and Lindsey Gallagher have discovered stillness in yoga.
Julia, a busy mom who suffered from body pain and Lindsey, a 16-year old dancer and student, explain why practicing yoga at Breathe has completely transformed them: body and mind.
Photo by Waverly Wyld
How did you discover yoga?
Julia: It was an incredibly stressful few years so I needed to do something mentally and physically. Yoga just seemed like the logical thing. Because of the stress, my hips were giving me problems, my whole spine, I would have back pain. I was trying to discover what would be gentle but challenging and something mental as well as physical.
Lindsey: My mom. I was excited to do it just because I saw how happy my mom was and how much she talked about it. I was excited to explore different parts of my body and well being and to see what the hype was about. Where’s mom? Oh she’s at yoga.
Photo by Waverly Wyld
How has yoga changed your life?
Julia: The chronic pain in my hips and shoulders is gone. I was having problems walking too. That completely resolved itself within six months and I sleep better. I have better energy through the day. I used to feel exhausted all day. I don’t feel that anymore.
Lindsey: It’s helped me as a teenager. There’s a lot of stress with school, social life…when you’re a teen everything is stressful. Doing yoga and learning how to breathe helps me calm down.
Julia and Lindsey say that practicing mat to mat has brought them closer together.
Lindsey: Practicing with my mom is nice and we’re close. I feel comfortable with her. It’s not embarrassing to me.
Julia: I love it. I think yoga is such a great thing for us to do when we’re not just rushing around. We can take an hour together to enjoy the quiet time.
Julia says her teachers at Breathe have helped her the most in learning how to… well, breathe!
“Funny enough, one of the most important things I’ve learned from teachers at Breathe, is to just breathe. And I pass that along to my dance students. Focusing on your breath and slowing things down. I feel very nurtured in Margot’s restorative classes. And as a mom who nurtures 24/7, it’s extremely meaningful to me to take a class that nurtures me. Also, in so many classes, I feel like I’ve learned the very factual anatomy of the human body and why certain poses do what they do, and how to use that in every day. I’m kind of an information junky, so I love Suz’s Yin class where I can hold a pose and settle in and listen to her fill the room with knowledge. Lindsey likes Waverly’s Yin class the best. Learning to slow down. It’s comfortable and relaxing for her, as well as challenging.”
Thank you to Julia and Lindsey for sharing their amazing story. We love having you as part of the Breathe family.
