Student Spotlight: Ruth Phillippi

Yoga Heights is made up of many fascinating people.  We are excited to introduce you to them one by one via the blog!Meet Ruth. She first came to practice yoga for the exercise, stayed for the peace it brought her, and now loves the warm, welcoming community she has found at Yoga Heights. Read on to learn more about Ruth! Yoga Heights: Why do you practice yoga?Ruth: I began practicing yoga as a way to try to exercise – at the time I hated so many forms I had tried (treadmill, elliptical, weights, attempting to run), but I knew I needed to develop an exercise practice. I came to yoga when I was living up in New York City and was recovering from a run of some pretty serious illnesses and hospitalizations. I needed to find a way to exercise for both my bodily health, but also for the sake of my sanity as I was in the middle of an intense Master’s program.I pretty much fell in love with yoga from the start. There were so many different styles, teachers, studios, etc that there’s something for everyone. For me, being on my mat means I can spend 50-75 minutes not focusing on my to-do list, or how I’m going to solve a problem at work, or what I need to buy at the grocery store. It means I can tune out my brain and tune into my body, and just focus on being present. This is a skill I have in no way mastered, just as there are many yoga poses I haven’t mastered yet, but by being there and present in my perfectly imperfect body, I know that I am doing not just what I “should” do, but what I need to do in order to maintain my health and sanity. YH: Tell us about your first experience at Yoga Heights.R: Shortly after I moved to DC, one of my neighbors who knew I liked yoga and was looking for a place to practice told me about Yoga Heights, and I decided to check it out. I was immediately struck by everyone’s enthusiasm for the practice, as well as the incredible sense of a growing, developing community. The teachers were (and are!) warm, kind people, and I was immediately struck by the  level of love and acceptance – of your body and its limitations, of your background, status, the wisdom you’ve accumulated, the challenges you’ve been through and/or are going through. YH: What classes do you go to at YH and why?R: When I go more consistently (my move to MD suburbs has put a bit of a crimp in how frequently I go, as well as an increased workload at my job), I love going to Angela Meyer’s flow classes, they always kick my butt! I adore Alex Hall’s candlelight yoga classes – it’s a great wind-down from the work week – as well as any sort of workshop she does that I’m able to attend, as they’re always refreshing and amazing! Michelle Mae’s classes are another favorite when I can get to them, and I’ve loved Shana Silverstein’s Sivananda yoga classes on Sundays. Classes with Jess, Amy, Gregory, and Julianna range from soothing to challenging – often in the same class – and I’m always delighted to see their smiling faces. And of course, I go to as many yoga classes with puppies or kittens at the Animal Rescue League as I can! Honestly I’ve never been to a class I didn’t like, and I think I’ve taken classes with almost everyone.YH: What do you do when you're not on the mat?R: When I’m not on the mat, I’m either working in administrative coordination at a local hospital, learning to ride horseback, or having fun with friends.YH: Where did you grow up?R: The City of Brotherly Love, good ol’ Philadelphia. YH: What neighborhood do you live in now? People love to know about their neighbors!R: For two years I lived in Petworth very close to the Parkview studio. For the past several months (and probably next year or so) I’ve been living in Silver Spring, so I am very excited about the Takoma YH studio!