Middleton Yogi of the Month: Jon Bake | Dragonfly Hot Yoga Madison WI

Middleton Yogi of the Month: Jon Bake

How did you get started at Dfly?
A few years ago, I moved back to Madison after being away for grad school. As luck would have it, my apartment was right down the street from the Dfly studio. When walking or driving past Dfly, I remember saying to myself, “I have to try that someday.” The thought of practicing yoga in a hot room was intriguing. As with starting any new activity, it can be a bit intimidating. In January 2014, I finally worked up the courage to take my first Flow class and have been coming back ever since.

What is/was your yoga/barreamped experience before Dfly?
I was pretty much a yoga newbie when I found Dfly.

What do you enjoy most from attending Dfly classes?
The sense of peace after taking a Flow or Fire class and the feeling of accomplishment/strength after a completely tough Power Up or Yoga Up.

Have you experienced any changes in your total well-being since taking classes?
I feel much more grounded and less anxious since establishing a yoga practice. Growing up I had a stutter, which led to a bit of social anxiety. Yoga is a great tool for helping with anxiety. I also found yoga work transfers to other sports. I enjoy trail running and shortly after establishing a regular yoga practice, I ran my fastest 10k time.

How often do you attend classes? Favorite class?
I usually attend 3 times a week. My favorite class is Fire. I like that it is a scripted class— the same sequence of 26 poses. With doing the same poses, you can really see progress when attending every week. I remember my first class I barely had the flexibility to reach behind and grab my foot in dancer. Now I can get my foot overhead. I used to not be able to take a single breath in Camel without completely freaking out. Now I can rest comfortably in camel for many breaths.

Please feel free to share any other thoughts you have about Dfly, hot yoga, or your life as we would love to know more about you.
I would just like to give a huge shout out to the instructors and front desk staff. After over six years and hundreds of classes, every single one of my experiences at Dfly has been great. I think that is a testament to the quality of people at Dfly. Thank you Dfly staff!