Lisa: Since the age of 12. My Mom used to take me to meditation and yoga classes when I was younger. I then practiced vinyasa flow yoga more seriously in my 20s in New York at Jivamukti. It really became a great thing in my life, so I decided to do a teacher training at Synergy Yoga in Miami. I then did an Ashtanga training at Shiva Shala in New York City.

WedSpace: How can yoga help a bride de-stress and focus while planning her wedding?

Lisa: Yoga is not only a fabulous way to get in shape, tone, lose weight, and make your skin glow — it has an overall life-enhancing result when practiced on a regular basis. There are proven physiological and therapeutic effects for those who practice yoga. Yoga poses, combined with meditation and breathing exercises, calm the mind; this actually helps a bride focus more clearly and reduces stress. Yogic breathing, which is the foundation for every yoga pose, enables the body to take in more oxygen. Because that's what keeps the body alive, you literally take in more energy when you practice yoga!

WedSpace: How does yoga help brides lose weight or get in shape?

Lisa: Vinyasa flow yoga classes, which I recommend for losing weight or getting shape (sometimes known as power yoga) is a flowing series of poses that increase the heart rate. This type of yoga is vigorous and it builds muscles, because each pose addresses a different part of the body. It's a 5,000-year-old total-body workout that also is great for the body internally! Problem areas for brides are usually flabby underarms, the booty, legs, and abs and these are all addressed in a Vinyasa flow class. 

WedSpace: What benefits does yoga offer a bride that regular exercise may not?

Lisa: Yoga is hugely beneficial for a bride who is sick of the gym, has sustained an injury from an exercise like running, or simply feels like she needs a change in her exercise routine during the months leading up to her wedding. Private yoga classes are individually designed to address a bride's physical goals and the wellbeing of her mind. Regular exercise doesn’t help balance a bride's emotional state, which is vital, because a wedding is such an important passage in a woman's life and usually a huge transition.

Either way, there are many participatory places in the ceremony for family members and friends.

WedSpace: What would a yoga bride wear?

Alternatively, for a traditional wedding ceremony that includes yoga-themes such as passages from yogic texts, maybe some chants, yoga-themed rituals, Indian music, etc. a bride could wear a traditional wedding dress or something that she feels comfortable in.

WedSpace:Does someone need yoga experience? Do you offer classes for all levels?

Lisa: Nope. All levels are welcome and in fact many of my clients have never even stepped on a yoga mat before. Yoga for Weddings offers classes for absolute beginners to very experienced practitioners.

After the Wedding is Over Yoga Classes: Post-Honeymoon Maintenance Package, Nuptial Renewal, Anniversary

Lisa: Yoga and weddings are so complementary. Yoga literally means "to yoke" or to "connect with the divine self," so what a perfect practice to include in a wedding which is the yoking of two lives and hearts.