Part one of my healthy living segment on Ms. Behave is
dedicated to what we put in our bodies.
After all, diet makes up around 75% of what we see in the mirror each
day, whether it’s weight, body shape and definition or that natural glowing
skin and shiny hair.
Now it’s time to address the other 25% and focus on fitness. I'm inspired everyday to have confidence, work hard and achieve my fitness goals, by three amazing people who we are lucky enough to have residing in
this hip, up-and-coming city.
In the course of the next several weeks, I will introduce three
fitness gurus all residing in Jacksonville – Nicole, Linton and Tiffany. In my three-part fitness series blog, you will get to know a different instructor each week through learning about my personal experiences with them, what
motivates them personally, and what great advice they can pass on to those of us who are
looking to start-up a solid fitness routine, or make improvements to the same
monotonous workouts we do every week.
You will soon see even though they come from highly different backgrounds, and practice different techniques, their clients are achieving the same results
due to their similar fitness ideals and goals.
Week 1: Improve Overall Strength, Flexibility And Melt Away Stress
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
Age: 33
Occupation: Owner/Instructor, Yoga Mix (Neptune Beach)
Favorite Fitness Move: Natarajasana (dancer pose)
Favorite Word: Gratitude
Least Favorite Word: Hate
Practicing yoga on and off again for more than 15 years, besides continually working to improve my downward-facing dog, I have realized how important it is to connect spiritually with your yoga instructor. It has to be the right fit, or it will just be another workout and you won’t gain all the amazing other benefits a good practice has to offer. We yogi’s like to refer to this as the “gooey” feeling that takes over your mind, body and soul after a really great session on the mat.
Four years ago I was working 50+ hours a week, and completely stressed to the max. I knew I needed to do something for my sanity and tense skinny-fat body. I started practicing yoga again at the local gym, but it just didn’t feel right to me…when I could actually make it to class on time, that is. I was yearning for a better yoga experience, so my husband recommended that I call his co-worker's wife who was a certified yoga instructor. As a bonus she could come to my house to practice with me!
Thus began my friendship and spiritual journey with hands down, the best yogi with whom I have ever practiced. Radiating her warmth to those around her, she is kind, encouraging and extremely gifted toward her practice. She transformed me into a yoga-addict, toned and strengthened my entire body, giving me 100% more flexibility, and healing my knee injury that had bothered me since college.
After months of practicing private yoga sessions at home, I became pregnant with my first child. This now gave us the opportunity of turning our vinyasa flow sessions into prenatal sessions. Then, about a month after my daughter was born, we got right back into the swing of things. We started our sessions with downward-facing dog, with my newborn daughter face up on my mat, and ending in savasina with her asleep in my instructors arms!
Nicole DeLoreto, Jacksonville native, former ROAR cheerleader and devoted wife and mother of two, started practicing yoga to stay fit and flexible during the Jaguars ’07 and ’08 seasons. She found the practice to be incredibly grounding, a great stress reliever, and immediately fell in love. She had found her true calling and knew she had to share this wonderful gift with others.
With the encouragement of her mentor and yoga teacher, Alyson Foreacre (owner of Yoga Den, Mandarin), who leads by example, coaching her not only as a growing yogi, but also as a small business owner, Nicole was soon thereafter, conjuring up her ambitious, I can do anything spirit, turned her dream of opening up her own yoga studio into a reality.
In October 2011, Yoga Mix was born. Located just three blocks from the ocean on Third Street in Neptune Beach, the boutique studio offers aspiring yogis a chance to roll out their mat seven-days-a-week. Yoga Mix offers a variety of classes for all ability levels, including Heated Power Vinyasa Flow, Power-Hour, Yin, Restorative, Mixed-Level, and Prenatal. This small community studio also offers yogis plenty of special practice sessions, workshops and classes. These include sessions set to the acoustic and vocal stylings of local artists, Acro-Yoga, Inversions, Arm Balances, SUP Yoga (Stand-Up Paddle Board). Additionally, Yoga Mix offers once-a-week free Karma Yoga Class for anyone who has had cancer, at any stage in their diagnosis and treatment.
While every instructor at Yoga Mix is exceptionally talented, Nicole truly has a gift connecting with her students. She is blessed to still teach six to seven classes a week at her studio, which gives those who have not experienced an amazing life-changing session with her, lots of opportunities to do so. When asked what motivates her as an instructor, Nicole whole-heartedly responded. “I love the intimacy I get to share with each student. During a yoga practice, an amazing connection begins to happen between mind, body, and breath. I feel honored to be there while this takes place. I love the eye contact, the physical touch, and the exchange of energy - It's pretty powerful,” quoted Nicole about her love of yoga and teaching.
Nicole's advice for maintaining a healthy lifestyle is simple. "It's not about driving yourself crazy by stepping on a scale every day - It's about how you feel! If you feel good on the inside, you will feel good on the outside." The point is, we know when our body and mind feel healthy. That is what is important, and a big part of what practicing yoga teaches us. It's also important to just be active everyday - get outside and go for a walk, you will feel better immediately.
When Nicole's not running a successful small business, practicing yoga, and being an overall Super-Mom to her best friend and husband, Derek, kids, Anabella (10), and Dominic (7), you will find Nicole running, paddle-boarding, tending to her garden, sipping red wine, and when she's lucky enough, hitting the slopes in Colorado.
Nicole’s future plans include continuing to run Yoga Mix, traveling and practicing yoga in every continent on the globe.
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| Natarajasana (dancer pose) Brian Solano Photography |
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| Camatkarasana (flipped dog) Brian Solano Photography |
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| Yoga Mix's Live and Unplugged Power Hour with Meredith Rae |
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| Surfoga and Yoga Mix's SUP Yoga Workshop |
