Student Spotlight: Amanda Sutker

Yoga Heights is made up of many fascinating people.  We are excited to introduce you to them one by one via the blog!Meet Amanda. She thinks of her mat as a sanctuary and has been coming to Yoga Heights since she moved to DC. Amanda stays busy with work, wedding planning, and adventures (like scuba diving!) with soon-to-be husband, but loves YH so much she plans to continue coming to the studios even after she moves to Virginia!Yoga Heights: Why do you practice yoga?Amanda: In different seasons yoga gives me different things I need.  For a while I went because I lived in a group house with so many roommates.  It seemed like going to yoga class was this one time I had space on a mat to explore and rest peacefully.  Sometimes I practice yoga because the way I feel when I step on my yoga mat feels a lot like walking into church.  My mat can be a sanctuary and a place to reflect, breathe, and process my thoughts. I also practice yoga because on a very basic level it helps me feel strong and notice how my body feels.YH: Tell us about your first experience at Yoga Heights.A:  I started the 3 week trial at Yoga Heights shortly after moving to DC in May 2015.  Despite dropping in on a few yoga classes in college and practicing with a podcast called "20 Minute Yoga" during my two years abroad with the Peace Corps, my first few classes at YH felt like a struggle.  I know that yoga isn't about "being good," but it seemed like it took me a long time just to figure out if we were doing the pose on the left or right side! I kept coming back to class and back to the mat, and I distinctly remember walking down Georgia Avenue one day with my mat rolled up under my arm, feeling overwhelmed with a sensation of contentment and joy.  That feeling has kept me coming back to yoga, even as seasons of life shift and change.YH: What classes do you go to at YH and why?A: I have been to many different classes at Yoga Heights.  Right now, I am pretty busy with work and wedding planning, and the most convenient classes for me are the 12 pm classes during the week, which I go to on my lunch break on days when I work from home.  I also love attending Alex Hall's Gentle Candlelight Flow/Soul Flow classes, and any of Becky's classes.YH: What do you do when you're not on the mat?A:  I work as a writer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  My fiancé, Kareem, and I are also planning our wedding--it will be held October 28th just outside of Asheville, North Carolina! I am a member of D.C. Christian Reformed Church (it's located between Takoma Park and Fort Totten), and as much as possible, I try to attend theater and other cultural events in the city.  Kareem and I also recently learned how to scuba dive and on the weekends, we enjoy visiting new towns in the area.YH: Where did you grow up?A: Columbia, South CarolinaYH: What neighborhood do you live in now? People love to know about their neighbors!A: I used to live in Parkview but now I live in Fairfax County :(.  I miss being so close to the studio but after the move, I enjoy stopping by at the Georgia Avenue studio as well as the new Takoma Park location on my way home from work.