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Elska Upcoming Classes, Teaching live from Memphis, TN

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Q & A with Elska Franks!

What is your yoga / fitness background? As a student? As an instructor?

My fitness background is rooted in roller derby. I first learned teamwork and physical stamina in derby, which led me to discovering my love for strength training and my disdain for cardio. Having sore, tight muscles from skating led me to yoga, and I've been a student of yoga for 7 years and teacher for 5 years, since receiving my 200 hour Certified in Kundalini Yoga in 2017.

What is your practice philosophy?

All bodies can do yoga. I'm very body positive having a body that is shorter and rounder than what we see on the cover of yoga magazines. Yoga is for every type of body, and I strongly believe that all ages, races, backgrounds, and genders can find their peace and calm on the yoga mat.

What do you hope your students get the most from your classes?

A deep sense of connection. I hope that my students feel connected to themselves, their community, and the world as a whole when they step away from a class with me.

Do you prefer a specific style of yoga? fitness? Why?

I do love Kundalini Yoga the most! Maybe because of the stamina and cardio that is in a lot of the kriyas, or maybe because it is the root of my yogic teachings, but something about the mantra chanting and deep spiritual practice of Kundalini always brings me back to myself over and over.

What is your advice to a beginner walking into their first class?

Just keep breathing. Emotions, insecurities, doubts, and comparison can keep our minds racing when we've never been to a yoga class before, but returning to our breath can help keep us grounded during the most important first steps of our lives. And I highly believe your first yoga class is a big first step in life.

What tip do you use in your life to motivate yourself to move?

Tracking and rewards personally works for me best. Keeping track of my energy cycles, knowing what weeks I can go hard and what weeks need to be gentle I can curate my movements to be fun and different from week to week. I need to create rewards to keep me motivated for cardio days, but I spring out of bed for strength training mornings.

What elements of yoga and fitness are you excited to teach, and why?

Breathwork and Mantra! I think it's an overlooked part (and a huge part) of Yoga in our Asana driven society. I look forward to bringing more limbs of Yoga to the forefront of the practice while we explore the physical postures.

A little more….

I like to say, "Who's ready to get weird." My classes are meant to take you out of your comfort zone physically, yes, but also emotionally and energetically. We can't be holistic in our physical body without being holistic in our energetic and emotional bodies as well. Otherwise, what's the point!