Jennifer Goldstein
age: 38
occupation: owner
found at: Bikram Yoga Farmington (Farmington)
What did you do before opening Bikram Yoga Farmington?
After graduating with a BA in psychology I worked for one year as a mental health worker at a psychiatric hospital. That's when I realized I did not want to work in the psychiatric field. Still in my early 20s, I decided to dedicate myself to what I loved: dance. I studied and performed with the Albano Ballet in Hartford and worked as a freelance dance instructor throughout the state.
What was it that you loved most about your previous career and how did it help with what you're doing now?
Hatha yoga and dance are actually worlds apart but the two do intersect in a way that is obvious to everyone: They are both physical. They both require proper body alignment as well as controlled use of breath. I think my years of studying classical ballet and modern dance trained my eyes to see body alignment, which is of course a great advantage when teaching yoga.
What is Bikram Yoga's appeal and importance?
Bikram yoga is designed for everybody, literally every body. This is a basic, beginner yoga series designed to work the body from the inside out for overall health and well-being. The synergistic effect of the 26-posture series removes stagnation and inflammation from the body, as well as building a natural balance of strength and flexibility. When you come to class you may feel like stagnant swamp, but when you leave you are a flowing river. The way you feel after you practice, along with the cumulative effects on both the body and mind, are what keep people coming back.
The inexpensive product you can't live without?
Hair ties.
Biggest misconceptions people have about Bikram yoga?
That it is so hard and requires a prerequisite of a certain level of strength and flexibility. But that's why you take the class, in order to acquire the strength and flexibility. Not to mention alignment, mental focus and clarity, breath and stillness. Those things come in time. That's why it's called practice.
Moment you realized you were an adult?
No particular moment. I would liken it more to a long, slow boil.
The character trait you find most attractive in others?
Self-awareness.
Tell me about your first kiss.
In kindergarten a sweet little boy named Alejandro decided he was in love with me. When the teacher wasn’t looking he would chase me around the big table where all the kids would sit. I would run around the table, screeching along with the other children, trying to escape his romantic pursuit. Despite my efforts to escape he eventually caught up with me, grabbed a hold of my little 5-year-old body, and planted a big wet kiss on my cheek.
