#ODDLight Teacher Feature: Alexis Novak

Each month we will be bringing a teacher into the #ODDlight and illuminating their interests, practices, and who they are. There is a real person behind those teachers and it’s their knowledge filtered through their own experiences that make them that person that pulls you into class. This month, we are featuring Alexis Novak who is also our CommUNITY Outreach/Marketing Coordinator!

Name:
Alexis Girl Novak

Nick Name:
Lex to friends, Lulu to my family

Hometown:
Proudly- Denver, Colorado

Favorite Place:
Anywhere my family is

Favorite color:
Green

What’s your sign?
Leo baby!

Most embarrassing moment?
Oh I have to pick just ONE? I would probably have to narrow it down to parallel parking in front of people on multiple occasions, and then second runner up is the fact that I just had to Google how to spell parallel.

Most empowering moment?
Taking a final LOUD exhale breath together with my first sold out class at One Down Dog. The connection of community, and the trust students have in me to guide them is pretty empowering!

Fun Fact most wouldn’t know about you?
I fan girl over Drag Queens.

Fun Fact most wouldn’t know about you?
Tacos are my hearts currency.

Fun Fact most wouldn’t know about you?
Animal pics take up about 80% of my iphone photo library.

Share a story or anecdote with us – something magical, changing, funny, or adventurous. Something that you love to tell.
I have SO many stories. I would say that something magical that has happened in my life is, I just had the opportunity to travel to Bali! Magical is the only way to describe that place. It was eye-opening and life changing and brought me a sense of appreciation I didn’t have before. Something funny? There are frogs in Bali that have ribbet’s that sound like human farts. In Munduk, there was one outside of my room- and I turned 12 years old again when I couldn’t stop laughing EVERY TIME they would ribbet. They ribbeted for hours. I felt insane, but couldn’t get control of myself.

When you aren’t at the studio where can you be found (favorite past time)?
Somewhere outdoors is my hope. I love being outside. Hiking or camping is great if I can get away-but I am content just sitting in the Sun most days :)

How do you define yoga?
What a great question! I define yoga as a connection from yourself, to yourself. It’s a tool to build a sturdier bridge between mind, body, soul, and surroundings. The beautiful thing about yoga is it is whatever you need it to be on a daily basis. We all change constantly, and so does our practice! We are able to show up as raw and real as we are and it’s always enough. There aren’t very many avenues we have in life where we can be completely perfect for an extended period of time, and that’s all the yoga mat is.

Why do you teach?
Why do I teach? Because my fire can only continue to burn from being lit up by other’s fire. MY STUDENTS give me life on so many levels. Being a yoga teacher blends the perfect balance between creativity with my playlists, to the physicality and anatomy in my sequencing, and a sense of humor through connecting with all of my eclect students. I truly do wake up everyday ready to go to work happily. It’s the best!

Why do you teach? What brought you to become an instructor?
I became an instructor after falling in love with my mat. I saw what intense shifts I could create in my practice just from spending a short time flowing and breathing in class. I wanted to learn how to hold space for myself, and then hold space for others. I saw first hand how yoga could change people’s lives, and I wanted to help spread that where ever I went.

What is your favorite song to play in class?
Oh lord! I couldn’t pick just one. It really depends on the playlist. But I would say anything from the 90’s. I love all types of music from Paul Simon, to A Tribe Called Quest, to The Wutang Clan. Anything that is going to make you MOVE.

What is your favorite pose or flow? Why?
Sorry students, but plank. It’s SO POWERFUL! It is the most despised pose, but the concept of holding your own body weight up and how challenging it is really does something for me. All the muscles are involved. It’s an all or nothing pose, and I dig that.

Memorable yoga moment?
There is one specific moment I remember laying in savasana and reviewing my entire yoga journey. From beginning (2004) to present, and thinking of how every step of my life yoga has been available and positive for me. Knowing that my mat will always be there for me in good times and in bad is so comforting and empowering.

What is your favorite yogi prop or piece to wear or use?
Anything from Carbon38! They are a beautiful company and carry a ton of different yoga/fitness quality brands! Use code "ALEXISNOV50" to get $50 off $200! Whoop!

What special causes or non-profits do you hold dear to your heart?
Lionhearted Kids non-profit in Cape Town, South Africa. A friend of mine, Lauren Pech founded Lionhearted Kids. Lionhearted Kids provides play, touch, and yoga therapy to children in the Red Cross Hospital and surrounding orphanges in South Africa. The children are our future, so I feel it is SO important to teach them coping mechanisms and tools to take care of themselves to build a positive and productive life.

What can we share in promoting you, your business, or your projects?
I am currently running a #HotBodyChillMindChallenge which consists of participants (on social media) completing daily victories! Everyday I post a mantra, exercise, yoga pose, or goal revision for them! It has been SO MUCH FUN to watch people from all over the country participate and show up for themselves! I am also running a BODY BURST 2-day sculpt, circuit training, goal crushing workshop in the middle of July at One Down Dog. SIGN-UP and GET YOUR LIFE. All updates can be found at @AlexisGirlNovak on Instagram. Also, CABON38 digs… But see the above for the promo of that!

Anything else?
"Listen to goo music, and let go of bad people!"