A little bit about Karina
With the amount of yoga and other exercise that Karina practises each week, you’d never guess she worked as a busy young media executive. From a young(er) age Karina has always been curious and eager to try new exercise challenges and healthy eating plans. Over the last two years, Karina has discovered her love for yoga and has really found her rhythm at Lunge Yoga and Health with Louisa:
“I was really interested in exercise [in general] so I would try anything but this [studio] I really loved. I’d done heaps of different types of yoga before and they never really felt that good and I didn’t feel like I was doing the right thing but as soon as I went to Louisa’s class, I felt so much better”.
There were a few different things that kept Karina coming back to Lunge:
“Initially I felt better just doing the classes and the movements. I knew that I wasn’t going to get injured, I could do the movements at my own pace with no pressures from anyone in the class and I thought it was really cool that we did yoga in a circle”.
Karina was keen to challenge herself with the intensive programs
The biggest drawcards for Karina about Lunge were the intensive programs that Louisa runs at the beginning of each season. Loving a challenge, Karina jumped straight in to a spring seasonal intensive and hasn’t looked back.
“Before I was really even into yoga, intensive exercise programs, retreats and food detoxes just really appealed to me.”
It was after Karina’s first few intensives that she began to experience the amazing body and mind health benefits of the intensive programs. From helping her recover from sickness to giving her a needed health routine boost, Karina says she now wouldn’t miss an intensive.
“They are almost relieving when they come up every season. They keep me grounded and guide me back toward a healthy lifestyle. Especially working in media, it’s easy to fall off the [health] wagon. So the intensives just really help remind me of my true healthy values”
“It feels really good to go for a swim every day before work. Just knowing you’ve done that is so good and if I do an intensive when I’m sick, the sickness just passes.”
Karina finds the intensive programs also help to improve her regular yoga practice.
“What I really love most about the intensive programs is that you make such big improvements. I feel that when I do the intensives in between the rest of my regular yoga practice they really really helps enhance my ability.”
Getting into her groove
Although Karina really enjoyed the yoga at Lunge after her very first class, it took her a good year to work her way up to her now tri-weekly yoga practice.
“Initially, I only went to yoga about once a week very inconsistently and looking back I didn’t really feel any big effects on my lifestyle from it but it wasn’t until that I started going to class three times a week consistently that I noticed the bigger changes”
“I think going to yoga once a week definitely helps as well though. My mum has started coming to Lunge once a week after having broken both of her wrists. She has gotten so much more movement in her wrist joints since coming to yoga and saw huge improvements after her first intensive as well.”
Initially, the biggest challenge of yoga for Karina was actually getting to class. Working a busy full time job in the crazy media industry while trying to live a social life AND fit in yoga was a bit tricky.
“Fitting yoga in was a big thing for me. It took me a good year to make it a priority. I think the intensives are really key to starting and making yoga a priority. I think you really notice the best differences when you go two or three times a week and following an intensive. The thing that helped me really commit was buying a pass and increasing the sessions each term”
Karina today and how yoga at lunge has helped her see results
Today, yoga is a big part of Karina’s weekly routine. Going to yoga at Lunge has enabled Karina to live her demanding life to the fullest – all without pain, stress or sickness.
“[Before going to Lunge] I used to get heaps and heaps of body aches and pains especially around my shoulders and neck and lower back, and since I’ve increased my sessions to three times a week I feel so much better in my body. I also used to have a low immune system and would get sick a lot – I had pneumonia last year – and I found that continuing my consistent yoga practice, even while I was sick, really helped me heal and get better. Now, if I’m sick I just go to yoga and it makes me feel better.”
Back in the day, Karina trained with a myriad of different trainers to work on her body strength and shape. Karina still goes to the gym but more for fitness than for seeing tangible results.
“I’ve trained at the gym with so may different trainers and I haven’t gotten any of the results with them that I’ve got from doing yoga at Lunge. When I go to the gym now though I can feel that my core strength has improved amazingly, my flexibility is a lot better and I’m just really comfortable in my body. I’ve always been a similar size but everything looks like it’s in the right place now, if that makes sense”
Karina has even noticed improvements in herself and ability at work.
“It’s definitely calmed my mind. My yoga practise has really helped my work as well. I’m so much calmer now and I feel like I can deal with difficult situation in the workplace a lot better.”
Being the generous and outgoing person she is, Karina didn’t want to keep Lunge to herself and has invited those close to her to come along and see for themselves.
“I’ve brought lots of friends and family with me to yoga and they’ve seen some really great lifestyle benefits as well”.
Some final words of advice from Karina to people considering yoga at Lunge:
“I feel like you can really trust Louisa and her advice and I think if you really listen to what Louisa says in class and apply it the moves you’re doing, you can really improve so much”
Check out our other client testimonials.