Student Spotlight: Paul Batchelder
You’ve have seen him around the studio, always smiling and very personable and friendly. Paul has been practicing yoga at GMY for 4 months. We sat down with Paul and chatted about how his yoga practice has enriched his life.
What interested you or inspired you to start a yoga practice?
I noticed that my friend experienced greater vitality, strength and even some weight loss; so I joined her at GMY.
How has yoga affected your life and lifestyle?
I have more energy and much less stress. During the week I go to yoga after work and I have found that yoga is highly effective at releasing the tensions of the day and I am more composed.
Why do you continue to practice yoga?
Yoga has become the backbone of my physical conditioning. I have more core strength and flexibility than with any other physical routine.
If you were talking to someone who has never practiced yoga, what would you tell them about your experience?
Yoga is the most well rounded physical activity that I have experienced. My work is in medical physiology and I look at the world through an evidence point of view. Some postures squeeze different parts of the abdomen in a sequential fashion. This facilitates digestion and flushes blood through the organs and rids the body of toxins. There are many more components of yoga like this – but this is one of the most obvious things I have noticed since I started my practice.
Do you enjoy practicing yoga at GMY?
The atmosphere at GMY is fresh. There is an air of health and vitality that permeates the studio. The general energy is warm and inviting.
Do you have a favorite class?
I go to classes that challenge me in balance, strength, and endurance. I go to classes that stretch, open and relax. My week would not be complete without each of them. When I first started yoga, I was partial to the more calming classes and now my week is not complete without the classes that are more physically challenging as well.
Paul lives in the mountains with his son Sean Paul and their dog Chase. He grew up in Oklahoma and moved to Colorado for skiing and the forests. He attended the University of Chicago and has a medical research laboratory where he studies physiological monitors. He builds his own homes, loves to cook with friends and sees beauty everywhere he turns.
Interviewed by Fred Paull.
