I am the juicy caboose on the train of Victoria Klein's blog book tour. Natch! :)
She's a yogini. Her writing cred = legit { Ode Magazine, Yoga Journal, Yogi Times, Gaiam, Tree Hugger, and more }. She rocks tattoos and she knits. You want to know this girl. And I bet you want to read her book. Guess who has a free copy for one lucky duck?! Me.
7 Things to Know About Victoria Klein:
1. If you were a pose, which one best embodies the real you and why?
"That’s an easy one — Tree Pose all the way. I can get scatterbrained and take on far too much at once. Thankfully, I’m also organized. Tree Pose is the ultimate in balance & flexibility. No matter what huge waves life has thrown at me, I simply sway a bit and come back to where I started, refocusing my life & moving forward."
2. You just got married last year — congrats! Do you and your husband practice together?
"Thank you! Unfortunately, no, we don’t practice yoga together. We did take a few classes together when we lived in San Francisco. He enjoys yoga but prefers the class environment, which can get expensive, and I enjoy maintaining a strong practice at home.
Side note: my husband will be in Marines boot camp in South Carolina when this post goes live, so I’m sure he’ll need some yoga when he gets back." :)
3. I read that you've moved over 20 times since childhood. Was yoga your calm within the storm?
"Oh boy howdy, I wish I had yoga during most of those moves! I wasn’t introduced to yoga until 2000/2001, so my childhood way yoga-less. On the plus side, when I moved from Connecticut to San Francisco and back to CT 3 years later, yoga was a huge lifesaver. Without a doubt, yoga has helped me maintain my sanity through the varying degrees of insanity that my life has presented to me. Now-a-days, if I ever feel physically or emotionally overwhelmed, I know it's time for yoga."
4. Tell us about your yoga and what it means to you.
"Yoga is my therapy, my lifeline to my true self. I’d spent a lot of my life feeling very disconnected, both from my mind and my body. Though my yoga practice was sporadic for many years, the more I do yoga (both physically and in everyday principle), the more I can think clearly, smile often, and feel like a whole being instead of just the sum of some random not-always-working parts."
5. You love quotes as much as I do! What is the one that best defines your life philosophy?
"Oh, now this is a tough question! I’d have to say, 'Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.' – Buddha
Our minds have immense power that science is just beginning to grasp, and not in relation to our bodies, but our feelings, our perceptions, and our subconscious biases. Change your mind and your change your world."
6. Biggest pet peeve in yoga class? And the thing you love most?
"Another tough question — it’s easy to find many things to be irritated about, but more difficult to find the positive side (though 100% worth it!).
My biggest yoga class pet peeve is a two-way tie between cell phones & talking. Not only should your cell phone be off, it shouldn’t even be in class with you! If your life is so busy that you think you need your phone during yoga, you need more than yoga — you need a total life overhaul.
Along the same lines, if you can’t get through a 60-90 minute class without talking, then go home and talk to yourself while you practice. If you really want to chat with those in your class, make a date to meet up some other time — don’t socialize when the rest of us students are trying to focus (which, by the way, is what you should be doing too).
My all-time favorite thing about yoga classes is hands-on adjustments — I know that sounds naughty, but hear me out. I practice yoga at home every other day and it is easy to get too comfortable in poses. Having a teacher watching me from an outside perspective provides priceless assistance. I’m not a physically shy person, so take your hands and move me to where I should be — that way I’ll know what the pose should really feel like."
7. If there were a 28th thing you could add to the book, what would it be?
"This is the toughest question yet. Off the top of my head, I’d add a section about how yoga can benefit any other fitness method, such as running, football, swimming, basketball, strength training … etc. & the poses that are best for each sport. This would be just another way to show folks how yoga is great for everyone."
How to win yourself a copy of V's book:
Post your most creatively penetrating question for Victoria in the comments section below. She'll pick the one she'd love to answer most { and will answer it in the comments }. The chosen questioner wins a free copy of 27 Things to Know About Yoga! { Questions due in by next Thursday, September 23rd at 11:11pm. }
Victoria's Website: victoriaklein.net
Spots to Purchase the Book: amazon + barnes & noble + powell's books + indie bound
