Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1184228
7 4 | M A C O N M A G A Z I N E F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 9 I f you haven't noticed the explosion of yoga over the last decade, you must have been living underground. Or maybe not – since some studios now offer classes in salt caves (whatever those are). Whether their preference is vinyasa, kundalini, hatha or bikram, the faces, ages and body types of yoga practitioners are as varied as the yoga styles. Contrary to popular belief, yoga is not simply a means of relaxation. Whether a person is seeking a practice that involves weight-bearing to strengthen and tone, movement to loosen joints and improve flexibility or relaxation techniques to increase mindfulness, from its physical, mental and spiritual roots in India, yoga provides a solution. And hundreds of Maconites have discovered just that. With classes offered in two gorgeous studios (Southern Soul Yoga and Sparks Yoga), Macon classes range from basic hatha, pre-natal and senior, to kundalini, restorative and aerial. e spectrum of classes continues to evolve and expand. More than meets the eye Macon yogis share their diverse, health boosting and soul fulfilling reasons for coming to the mat BY RACHAEL PIGG-WISNER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH Tracie Souther, who co-founded Southern Soul with yoga instructor Jessica Brown, said part of the studio's mission is to "clear up misconceptions about who can practice yoga." Macon yogi, retired Marine and U.S. Federal Marshall Joe Aloi shared those misconceptions at one time. In 2006 at age 20, after a long deployment in Iraq, Aloi had returned home with a bacterial infection that resulted in open-heart surgery. e irony of surviving war overseas, only to come home and face a life-threatening condition, left Aloi riddled with anxiety, and he fell victim to severe PTSD. Aloi laughed when a friend and fellow Marine suggested he accompany him to a yoga class: "I thought, no way. at's lame." But he was pleasantly surprised after his first class. "It was difficult, and I enjoyed it, but I didn't like the idea of spending time within myself," he said. What kept Aloi attending class, surprisingly, was not the relaxation that many yogis seek. "I actually enjoyed the competition JOE ALOI