Meet Kelly Tobin, MINT Yoga Instructor since 2011. When Kelly moved to DC, she tried yoga and loved moving through poses in sync with the breath and felt yoga was improving her life in many ways. She felt more calm, present and mindful as well as more comfortable with challenging situations. She wanted to learn more about the philosophy and roots of the practice and share it and so she signed up for yoga teacher training.

Kelly now teaches a few different styles of Yoga:

• Vinyasa Yoga – Kelly’s favorite, it strings together poses in an energizing flow.
• Restorative Yoga – Using props such as blankets and going slowly through reclined positions for about 8 minutes each to truly restore and access our parasympathetic nervous system and practice “being” versus “doing” in a deeply relaxing way.
• Yoga Nidra – A reclined restorative guided meditation, Nidra also helps you relax the nervous system and regenerates cells.

Yoga means “union” as Kelly shares, and is far more than time to stretch. It is about developing a deeper relationship with yourself, developing more self-compassion, self-acceptance and trust. Through that journey, we grow and learn to have more unequivocal acceptance and compassion for others.

Kelly has a regular meditation practice, which is another component of yoga. She tries to find time to meditate daily, for 3-5 minutes of deep breathing and grounding in the present moment. Yoga is not just about flexibility!

Beyond MINT, Kelly enjoys classes on her Peloton, outdoor happy hours, and hiking on the Billy Goat Trail.

You can take her yoga classes on Tuesdays 7:30-8:45PM. Kelly encourages newbies to try yoga at home – it’s a good time to try it during COVID – you can keep the camera off. Kelly is always happy to go over the basics a bit more for students new to yoga.

The clients at MINT are truly extraordinary,” Kelly says. “I have had a lot of amazing people in my classes as long-term students for almost 10 years at MINT now and I want to take this moment to thank you for bringing all that you do to this great community. You guys are very special! Hope to see you on the mat! Stay healthy!