Marisa Palmer
Inner Fire Yogi since June 2025
I have practiced yoga on and off for 25 years, but mainly off. I had always wondered what great things could happen if I maintained a consistent practice. Well, now I'm almost six months into a daily practice and it's amazing.
I came to Inner Fire Yoga after being largely sedentary for two years while I started a business, often 80-hours a week. My neck and shoulder were hurting and I can usually count on yoga to fix my aches and pains. I had never been a fan of hot yoga, but I wanted to feel better. My first class was an original hot yoga 90 and towards the end my neck cracked in three places and it was such a relief. I had the thought, "if I do this everyday it will change my life."
"If I do this everyday it will change my life."
So I embarked on an experiment. My first goal was to go every day for two weeks. If I couldn't get to the studio, I practiced at home. Then I extended the goal to 30 days, then 90, then 180. I'm almost at 180 and I made a deal with my husband that if I hit a year of daily practice I will go on a yoga retreat :)
So, what has happened? Well, my frozen shoulder is no longer frozen. I'm not stressed. Things roll off my back more easily. I'm more present and able to connect more strongly with my students and coworkers. I'm more patient and enjoy time with my husband and son more deeply. My relationship with food has changed where I'm no longer stress eating. I still like good food but I treat it more like fuel. Time has slowed down because I'm more present. An hour seems longer than it used to seem. I'm more productive and focused at work. I easily reframe challenging situations. I've gained muscle and lost fat. It feels great to be getting strong. My skin is brighter. And now I like hot yoga and actually look forward to entering the hot studio, especially during the cold winter. Though I still like placing my mat near the door :)
It hasn't all been upwards and linear. I've had emotional ups and downs. I went through a period of intense boredom. Sometimes at night I'd be really tired – not so much from the exercise itself, but from all the amazing internal work my body has been doing to heal and open.
But the good has certainly outweighed the challenging. I enjoy coming to the studio and feeling like part of a community. I see a lot of familiar faces and know that there are lots of daily "regulars" at Inner Fire Yoga and that what I'm doing isn't so crazy. I also love that there are so many class times offered which makes it easier to have a consistent practice. I practice more and more at the studio because I enjoy practicing with others and the studios have such a great friendly vibe.
So, I plan to keep going, aiming to earn that yoga retreat and beyond :) Thanks, Inner Fire Yoga!