Recession seems the worst time to do anything apart from lie on the floor, bash your hands and wail. But there are a few intrepid adventurers breaking the mould. Becca Grossman is one of these hadry few. She’s throwing in her job as an admin assistant and starting a new career as a yoga instructor in New York.

We asked Becca when she first got involved with yoga. ‘I first started a yoga practice when my mother suggested it might help severe joint pain I had been suffering from.’

I was extremely skeptical, having adopted the very Western idea that pills cure all ailments. I reluctantly walked into a basic Vinyasa class at OM in New York City, and was almost instantaneously transformed. There was so much energy and possibility for me in that room…I was hooked.’

Becca demonstrates a Danurasana or Full Wheel

Unable to touch our toes without spending at least half a day in a sauna, we were curious to know how long it takes to become a fully fledged flexibility ninja: ‘In many ways it’s taken me all 24 years of my life to become a yoga instructor. More specifically, though, I practiced for two years before enrolling in a ten-month teacher training at Yoga Synthesis in Ramsey, NJ.’

Becca shows seated 'Mudra' pose

We asked Becca what benefits yoga can bring to recession-drained workers: ‘Yoga benefits practitioners in innumerable ways. There’s a physical benefit, though that is secondary or even tertiary to the mental and spiritual benefits of a consistent practice.’

‘The mind learns to focus, open, and explore the world with more curiosity & compassion. The spirit learns inexplicable, beautiful, terrifying things…’

We asked Becca what kind of yoga she would be teaching and how you can get involved: ‘The style of yoga I teach is called Ashtanga-Vinyasa; it’s an eclectic style that draws on alignment principles from the Iyengar method and incorporates breathing techniques, postures, sequencing and meditation practices from all over the yoga-verse.’

Becca demonstrates a Bhakasana or Crow Pose

‘It can be rigorous or gentle, but maintains a sense of curiosity & mindfulness no matter what. Private sessions with me are 90 minutes, at a rate of $120 per session. Discounts are available for first-time clients, session packages, and semi-privates. I’ll also be teaching at studios in and around NYC.’

If you want to find out more about Becca’s Yoga practice, you can visit her website, www.beccafaithyoga.com or email her here.

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