I started practicing yoga full time at Sumits a little over a year ago. Before moving to Columbia to attend law school at Mizzou, I played college football in Massachusetts. Football was a huge part of my life for a long time, and I loved every second of it. My favorite part about being an athlete was spending time in the weight room - I loved lifting weights, and the gym was my sanctuary. However, after my football career had ended, I slowly lost the satisfaction that I had gotten from the gym before. Though I was extremely lucky to make it through my career without any major injuries, I felt that the kind of exercise I was accustomed to had taken a toll on my body and mind. For years, waking up sore, stiff, and in pain was my norm and I wanted to change that. Eventually, I found myself looking for some other kind of exercise to commit to.

My girlfriend Halle and I would go to Sumits in Chesterfield from time to time when I was home from college. Usually I walked out of there, dripping with sweat, stating my wishes to never return! I definitely never considered it as something I would do as a daily practice. But, last year I started regularly going to class with some encouragement from Halle, and soon thereafter, I found myself craving the hot room and going to class everyday. It’s hard to describe all of the benefits that yoga has given to me in such a short amount of time. Truly, going to class is the part of my day that I look forward to most. I love everything about Sumits, and more importantly, the people that make it such a great place to be. Yoga gives me the chance to put my phone down for an hour every day, clear my mind from my school work or whatever else I have going, and focus on working to become a better person and version of myself. When I first started going to class, my body and movements were stiff, I could hardly touch my toes, and I couldn’t make it through a class without taking a bunch of breaks to catch my breath. Now, my body feels great and mobile, my mind feels stronger, and I crave the daily challenge that hot yoga provides. Most importantly for me, yoga allows me to take inventory of how my mind and body feels each day, and the flexible nature of the practice always provides exactly what I need.

Sumits has helped to keep me grounded during some really difficult and busy times in my life, and I am forever grateful that I decided to pursue it as a daily practice. I hope and plan to continue my practice for years to come!