Teacher Spotlight: Meet Maygon!
Tell us a little about you.
I'm a Nebraskan at heart with a little Viking thrown in since I was born in MN. (We moved here before I was a year old, and yes I would totally do a Viking burial if I could figure out the logistics for that.) I'm a food scientist to pay the bills, and have the privilege of being co-owner of a start up. You can feed me anytime. I love to travel and see the world, but can't name my favorite place because I haven't been to all the places on my list yet. My goals are never ending, but being a hungry learner, loving people and loving Jesus are the biggest parts of what make me get out of bed every day.
What is the biggest impact that yoga has had on your life?
I had been in and out of yoga for years. I enjoyed the practice, but hadn't figured out a way to make it a regular habit when a teacher wasn't readily available. (read: convenient to my life) Post back surgery, being in the 1 in a million scenario where things went drastically wrong and I was in bed for way longer than expected, I knew that my way back from all the atrophy was yoga. I started where I was and continually watched my body, mind, internal world, breath change as I consistently came to class. It was not by happenstance that I had a friend who was taking the OTY TT at the time. I am beyond grateful that yoga entered my life 7+ years ago for good, and I've continued to evolve with the ebbs and flows of life to become the strongest and best version of myself with yoga as one of my anchors.
When do you apply the lessons of yoga in your daily life?
Is this a trick question? All kidding aside, yoga comes up on a continuum every day. Whether it's breathing or moving, it's a constant in my life. The stillness and slowing down have become as intrinsic to me as talking fast and my brain going a million miles a minute. That is yoga, and honestly, that is yin. Before the hard conversations, before the conflict, before the reactions, I breathe. (Not 100%, but we're works in progress…). When I need to stretch whether it's in an airport, in a parking lot, or at home, I do it. I no longer care what others think, I'm here to meet myself in the moment wherever I find I need to be met, graciously.
What are your 3 go-to poses if you need a quick practice?
Legs up the wall – forever my calm place with so many variations, lately the 2 blankets on top of the feet or my weighted bag has been dropping my sacrum which is delicious
Supta Virasana – open up the anterior side
3 could be so many things, but for today, I'll pick Figure 4 on my back because again, so many options….
What is your favorite style of yoga right now and why?
Unsure if there would ever be a time I wouldn't choose Hatha. I love going to all of OTY teachers for Hatha to see how they break apart a peak pose and rearrange it in class “x” number of times. The learning every time is phenomenal. It teaches the teachers, the students, and everyone has an experience. Hatha reminds me of yin in a lot of ways. Obviously, the passive/active thing is very different; however, the nuance, paying attention to your body, making decisions on where you are today, what props are advantageous, and sometimes needing to close the eyes for a moment to sense what's happening while we take those 3 breaths or so. Hatha is a love of mine, and building towards something, whatever your something is can be a cool thing because you notice what your body has accomplished in an hour give or take.
What is unique about your classes and your style of teaching?
My hope is that anyone who comes to a class with me sees my authentic care and love for them. I want to have fun in class, and I'm completely okay with doing that at my expense. I want any yogi to feel that the space they take up on their mat as well as their practice is theirs to create and grow on their timeline. I'm an experimenter and don't like to do the same thing over and over, so those participating in class with me can expect creativity as well as repetition.