Katy Polich

The first time I stepped onto a yoga mat was through MSCR about 20 years ago. Over the years, I dabbled in community classes and prenatal yoga, but it wasn’t until 2015 that yoga became a true practice. I joined Bliss Flow while grieving significant life changes, and my mat became a place where I could begin to process what I was carrying.

In 2016, I transitioned to the heated room at the Yoga Sangha, where I made friends, met my husband, and learned to love to sweat. Somewhere along the way, yoga became about so much more than movement.

For 25 years, I worked as a social worker advocating for the mental health and well-being of unhoused folks. My work asked me to problem-solve all day and called on my empathy, my energy, and sometimes even my anger. Yoga became a place to set some of that down and come back to the present—to come back into my body.

Yoga makes me feel empowered and grounded. It invites me to stretch out and take up space—a message I think many women rarely receive in life. On my mat, I can feel my strength and discover my own flavor of grace. There is something that sparkles with a little magic when a room full of people moves and breathes together, and I especially love those shared exhales with other yogis.

I joined Inner Fire Yoga in November 2017, and this community has been an important part of my journey ever since. I have chronic health challenges that cause fatigue, joint pain, and inflammation. Yoga has helped me learn to accept my body and respect its boundaries while still challenging myself to keep moving.

My why is simple: yoga helps me love and honor myself. It helps me feel strong, present, spacious, and connected. And if I can help create that same space for someone else—a place where they can heal, burn brighter, and discover their own strength and grace—then I am exactly where I am meant to be.

When I’m on the mat, you can probably find me in a flow class—Inner Fire Flow has long been my favorite! When I’m not at the studio, I’m often hanging out with my family, including three teenagers, two dogs, and several chickens; puttering in my garden; or reading a good book.