The Adventure Life Crew

IHY- What do you do?
Kassi Miller- I work at Adventure Life, a local ecotourism outfitter that runs trips to Central and South America.  I get to plan awesome trips for people all day.  It’s a good place to spend time at.

IHY- How long have you been doing yoga?
Marissa Jensen- Off and on for 4 years.  Once a week
Julia Kocubinski- I have done it a few times here and there for about 10 years. I now do it twice a week in the office.
Lynessa Nelson- Started 2 years ago. This year: twice a week.
Jenny White- Random sessions for the last 10 years, but this year is the first year I've done it regularly for any stretch of time.

 IHY- How does yoga affect job performance?
 Julia Kocubinski- I feel great after a morning yoga session! It relaxes me, and sitting at a desk is much easier after an hour of exercise.
Marissa Jensen- I feel much more relaxed after yoga.  Because we do it in the morning, I am ready to tackle the day when we get done. 
Lynessa Nelson- I feel better sitting at my desk 8 hours a day when I know I at least let my body stretch and strengthen that day.  And it makes me sit taller in my chair and be more aware of how I place my body.
Jenny White- I definitely sit up straighter and feel more focused on the days we have yoga at work.

IHY- Is it easy to fit the classes in around work time?
Marissa Jensen- Yes it has been very easy to fit it in and it helps that we do it right here at the office.
Julia Kocubinski- Definitely. We have a great schedule with one class before work and one during the day. I like both days!
Lynessa Nelson- Yep!  It works out wonderfully when we have the classes at our workplace.  We can clock out for an hour and do Yoga out the back door in the annex. Convenient!  And it ensures that I take the time to do it - no excuses when its right there!
Jenny White- I look forward to coming to work on the mornings we have yoga, and it also makes it easier for me to be committed to going each time.

IHY- If you were stranded on a desert island, what posture would you take with you? Why?
Julia Kocubinski- I like the twists. Makes me feel great to do a good twist in the morning. 
Marissa Jensen- Child's pose.  It is a relaxing and comforting pose. 
Lynessa Nelson- Hand stands!  Because they're so much fun and I feel like a kid again!  Not to mention how energized I feel afterwards.
Jenny White- Downward facing dog ... it seems to put me in some kind of equilibrium

IHY- What type of pose do you struggle with the most?
Julia Kocubinski- Downward dog first thing in the morning. Once I warm up, I can do it, but the first on eis always hard on my shoulders. 
Marissa Jensen- Head stand
Lynessa Nelson- Pigeon.  For some reason I get very angry in this pose. 
Jenny White- Handstands. I have skinny arms.


IHY- What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Julia Kocubinski- Hiking, running, skiing, boating, reading
Marissa Jensen- running, biking, snowboarding, cross country skiing, watching movies and hanging with my family
Lynessa Nelson- Being outdoors, hiking, volleyball, soccer and cooking foods from various corners of the world.
Jenny White- Writing, mountain biking, running, skiing, and other things that involve playing outdoors.


IHY- What is your favorite non-profit?
Julia Kocubinski- NARAL Pro-Choice Montana
Marissa Jensen- Moutain Home Montana.  They are doing great work helping young mothers have a successful life with the challenge of having a baby.
Lynessa Nelson- World Relief!  I used to work for them and resettle refugees in Seattle.
Jenny White- Orion - it's both a magazine and non-profit for the environment that gives a voice to some of the best writers and thinkers.

IHY- What is the biggest global crisis?
Marissa Jensen- Global warming and poverty
Julia Kocubinski- Global Warming
Lynessa Nelson- World Hunger - we have the resources, we just can't seem to spread them equally!


IHY- Have you noticed a change in yourself since you began yoga?
Marissa Jensen- Yes.  I feel taller, more limber and more relaxed
Julia Kocubinski- Yes! I am feeling stronger  and more confident in my self. It is the best break I can take during the aork day!
Lynessa Nelson- I feel more aware of my body and how its feels and changes each day.  I breathe deeper.
Jenny White- My running stride feels more fluid (I think because I hold my core in a better line), and I definitely feel stronger climbing on a bike.



Eric Claxton
IHY- What do you do?

I work at a Freightliner truck dealership. So I either sit at a desk, or lift heavy things, therefore Yoga keeps me sane. 

IHY- What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

During winter, I play ice hockey several times a week. I attempt to play guitar every day. Opinions will vary as to whether I succeed. I listen to music about 18 hours out of every day. 

IHY- How long have you been doing yoga?

I started doing yoga in 1990 for about a year. I then never thought about it again until I took one of Brian's classes in the spring of 2009. I have been practicing 2-3 times a week since then. 

IHY- What do you enjoy about yoga? or What makes you come back to class?

I enjoy the physical challenge, but the mental challenge is even more enticing. It is amazing the barriers that the mind will put into place, and breaking through them is rewarding. It is amazing how no matter how I feel before a class, I always feel a little more alive afterwards. I'm focused and relaxed, and ready to face another day. 

IHY- How have you noticed yoga affecting your life?

Yoga has made me more aware of the connection between body and mind. I play hockey, and the flexibility and strength I gain from Yoga has helped tremendously. 

IHY- If you were stranded on a desert island, what posture would you take with you? Why?

If stranded on a desert island, I would do pigeon for hours at a time. For such an intense pose, I get so much out of it that there is no other choice. The slightest adjustment changes everything, and it is easy for me to relax into it. 

IHY- What type of posture do you struggle with the most?

I struggle with doing Eagle. There are so many things going in so many directions, I have a hard time staying on my feet. 

IHY- What is your favorite non-profit?

The Humane Society. Oh, and Glacier Ice Rink. Both are great places to find happiness. 

IHY- What is the biggest global crisis?

Clean Water. I think it is going to be a much bigger issue in the near future. Even more so in countries that are used to an everlasting supply. 

IHY- You pick any question that is bumping around in your head, to answer.

Should Inner harmony offer Disco Yoga?  Absolutely. Mirrored ball and satin outfit required.

IHY- Quite honestly I've thought about 'theme nights.' Maybe that will be our first, you have to attend it if it happens.


Melissa Hartigan

IHY- What do you do?

I'm a staff attorney at the federal court.  I do research and writing for the judges.  I am very lucky; I love my job.

IHY- How long have you been doing yoga?

I did a little bit about five years ago.  Then I started at Inner Harmony last January.  I try to go three times a week. 

IHY- What do you enjoy about yoga? or What makes you come back to class?

I sit at a computer all day and live in the tiny brain space behind my eyeballs.  Yoga puts me back in touch with the rest of me.

IHY- How have you noticed yoga affecting your life?

Wow, the emotional impact has been amazing.  You really do tuck away experiences and self-images in places you would not expect.  And you can let them go by stretching and using joints and muscles you would never get at without yoga.  It's liberating and humbling at the same time. 

IHY- If you were stranded on a desert island, what posture would you take with you? Why?

Brian's twisted and royal pigeons.  They cover every position that is not sitting under the tree waiting to be rescued.

IHY- What type of posture do you struggle with the most?

I love to stretch out on Warrior 1 and 2, but I don't have the strength to hold them.  My quads cramp up.  It's like getting one lick of the ice cream cone, and then someone takes it away.  And steps on your foot.  I'm also surprised how difficult it is for me to balance.  I really want to get better at that. 

IHY- What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Hiking with my dog Ellie, reading, weeding in my Native Yard.

IHY- What is your favorite non-profit?

Heifer International.  They don't feed people.  They just give a little start and let people feed themselves.

IHY- What is the biggest global crisis?

This isn't global, just national.  Corn.  Michael Pollan is right.  Without ever making one single decision, we have put one crop at the center of our existence -- like the Irish did with the potato.  Corn is not especially nutritious.  It turns what used to be diverse family farms into mono-crop factories.  It sheds fertilizer into our watercourses.  The animals we've forced to adapt to eating it also shed fertilizer into our watercourses.  Its by-products and derivatives make all kinds of useless and harmful products.  Yet if anything bad ever happens to corn, large numbers of us will die because we can no longer produce enough non-corn food to feed our country.  It's insane.  Thanks for asking, Brian, now I'm really depressed.

IHY- You pick any question that is bumping around in your head, to answer.

If you could get anyone to take up yoga, who would it be?  My mother.  I think she'd like it.

Kassi Miller

IHY- What do you do?

KM- I work at Adventure Life, a local ecotourism outfitter that runs trips to Central and South America.  I get to plan awesome trips for people all day.  It’s a good place to spend time at.

IHY- What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

KM- Being outside – skiing, fly-fishing, hiking.  I spend a lot of time running.  I also love live music and cooking (and yoga, of course!).

IHY- How long have you been doing yoga?

KM- I have practiced yoga for 10 years.  My roommate in college dragged me to a class on the first day of freshman year and I was immediately hooked.

IHY- What type of pose do you struggle with the most?

KM-Any pose that requires inversion or a lot of upper body strength, especially wheel pose.  I realize my inability to do these poses is mostly due to a mental block, but it doesn’t make them any easier.

IHY- If you were stranded on a desert island, what posture would you take with you? Why?

KM-If I could only do one pose for the rest of my life, it would be down dog.  I feel like I could spend all of my time in this pose and still not have it perfect after 50 years.   

IHY- How has yoga changed your life?

KM-Yoga makes me strong and calms my mind.  It also is a great way to connect with people.  When I lived in rural Guatemala, all of the kids in town wanted to know what the heck I was doing in my front yard every morning.  I ended up teaching a few very basic classes and meeting everyone in the village in the process! 

IHY- What is your favorite non-profit?

KM- Trout Unlimited.

Zach Radford

IHY- What is your day job?

ZR- I am employed at a restaurant and am a full-time graduate student in English Literatures.

IHY- How long have you been doing yoga?

ZR- I have been doing yoga for about seven months now (I think).  I only have time to go about once a week, but I still find it well worth it.  I wish I had time to do yoga every day!

IHY- What do you enjoy about yoga? or What makes you come back to class?

ZR- I love how it makes me feel.  Not necessarily relaxed, as one typically imagines (although that is inherent to the practice), but no matter what my mood before class, I come out feeling like a hundred bucks.  I stand up a little straighter, want to eat a little better, and think a little clearer.  It's a great feeling.  I never thought I would like yoga because I assumed it was just sitting around stretching and breathing heavily, but I get my butt kicked in every class I attend.  It is a full body workout that may calm my mind, but I leave feeling like I just did the Presidential Physical Test from high school.  It is tough!

IHY- What type of pose do you struggle wih the most?

ZR- The most difficult aspects of yoga for me are balance and flexibility, but that's why I am there.  I struggle with those types of things in yoga class, but as I struggle with them, I am in a constant state of improvement.  It's really awesome when you find yourself doing things with your body that you didn't think were possible.

IHY- What is the biggest global crisis?

ZR- Mine is getting this master's degree completed in under a decade, but for everyone else?  I think that there is a tendency for people to forget that they have a right to live life free from the infringement of others' impositions.  I don't like to see people subjected to the most times greedy motives of others.

IHY- What is your favorite non-profit?

ZR- Public Libraries.

IHY- What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

ZR- I read books and I dream about sailboats.  I also like to build knickknacks and take things apart and try to get them back together again.  I have some squirrels and birds that I feed too.