Clara Huskin

Growing up as an athlete and competitive swimmer, I reluctantly joined my mom for my first hot yoga class when I was 18 years old, after a grueling two-hour swim practice. I remember leaving that yoga class feeling more calm and centered. Yoga, even early on in my practice, brought me relief from anxiety and stress. Yoga challenged my mind and body in ways that swimming and other athletic sports did not. While yoga and swimming can both be physically demanding, I found that yoga changed my relationship with my mind and body.

Yoga taught me that movement doesn’t have to be about competition or achievement, but rather a practice of both strength and mindfulness.

I continued to practice yoga at the studio with my mom multiple times a week and I became a consistent yogi where I was able to get to know an instructor of mine, Keeley. Keeley became like a yoga mentor to me and she encouraged me to continue practicing yoga in college. Keeley must’ve seen something in me, or perhaps she enjoyed that I enjoyed doing some unique arm balances, but she gifted me my first ever yoga mat. I took that mat with me to college, UW-Madison, and continued my yoga journey.

I owe the start of my yoga journey to my mom and Keeley. To this day I still have that same purple Jade Yoga mat that Keeley gifted me. Throughout college I used this mat at various studios around the UW-Madison campus. The first studio I attended in Madison was Inner Fire Yoga. I used to go to the studio on East Campus Mall. It was the perfect location for me to fit yoga into my busy college lifestyle, and I used ClassPass and the student discount very religiously to make yoga fit into my college-friendly budget as well. Today, I often frequent the West Side studio for my yoga practice. Inner Fire Yoga was the first studio in Madison that kept yoga active in my life and it brought me a genuine community that I’m grateful for.

My yoga practice is what helps me feel balanced. My own experiences with grief, loss, demanding jobs, and mental health have taught me the importance of community, safety, connection, and self-compassion. Yoga has given me a space to return to myself when life feels overwhelming, and as an instructor, I hope to offer that same space to others: a place where they can feel safe, supported, connected, and at home in themselves.

I completed my 200-hour yoga teaching certificate at Inner Fire Yoga (2025-2026). My classes are rooted in Vinyasa, with creative sequencing that connects breath and movement. I encourage students to cultivate a sense of autonomy in their practice: to listen to their bodies, honor what they need, and remember that rest is just as valuable as physical movement. Breathwork, mindfulness, and self-determination are woven into every class, creating space for students to move with intention and connect more deeply with themselves.