They do not claim to be handstand experts, but they do have some helpful tips that they have picked up along the way. Handstand requires strength, focus, breath and determination. Whether you are already holding a handstand in the middle of the room or just trying to kick up to the wall, we will get you thinking about ways to improve on whatever it is you are working on or towards. Let’s play!

Annie Leeks began her journey into yoga while in college looking for an alternative way to exercise. It wasn’t until 2012 that she seriously began to explore yoga both as a student and as a teacher. She began teaching in 2012 as a 200 RYT. It wasn’t until 2015 that she decided to leave her full-time engineering career to focus on teaching yoga. She received her 300 RYT in 2017 and teaches at numerous yoga studios in Connecticut. Her classes are creative, fun, and challenging. Classes focus on Vinyasa flow with buildup to peak postures. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, dining out and practicing hot yoga daily.

Yoga made its way into Tracy’s life a few separate times throughout the years. She was one of the very first members at SYJ and attended regular Bikram class under Loehmanns. She wanted to deepen her practice then, but it felt forced and unnatural. She knows now she was just not ready. It wasn’t until three years ago this April that she found herself back on the mat. This time was different. She felt a deeper presence, a different connection, and she needed more of it in her life. The dedication and commitment to her practice has resonated in her, it moves and evokes a feeling of familiarity inside of her. Relationships have changed as a result. As her boys enter adulthood and she faces new challenges in her relationship as empty nesters, she finds herself being tested in new ways. She has learned to accept people in her life for who they are, creating the necessary boundaries that allow for healthy relationships. She is grateful to have found her center, her core, her truth. This heightened awareness is powerful. Today she has a clear understanding of herself. Impacting the people she loves in a positive way is her life mission.