With three children ages 4 and younger, this local "yogini" treasures her mat time more than most.
"I center, relax and am in the moment," said Kristen Olson of Cutler Road. "I have more patience, am less stressed and it makes me a better mother."
Olson is a certified yoga instructor, and teaches yoga classes at Union Studio on North Main Street.
On Super Bowl Sunday, she'll be a featured yoga instructor at the second annual Yoga Epiphany event, leading 75-minute classes for serious yoginies and yogies from around the state.
The females are called "yoginis" while the guys are "yogis," (just like the Bear), she said.
The event, which raised some money for scholarships, closes at 4 p.m. so Super Bowl fans will have time to get ready for the 6 p.m. kickoff.
"We call it a chance to detox our bodies because later we'll be consuming a lot of food and drink," said this Patriots fan, who grew up in Stoneham.
Professional photographer and yogini Susan Currie of Andover said Olson is part of a dream team trio of yoga instructors headlining the event that includes Jen Ryan of The Yoga Loft in Wilmington and Nicole Bacon of Yoga Mandala studio in Winchester.
"The producers are looking forward to another capacity crowd this year. In 2011, the afternoon program attracted an array of energized folks from communities all over Massachusetts and New Hampshire riding the yoga wave," said Currie in an email.
Yoga continues to grow in popularity. Olson said it is great for strength training and getting in tune with one's body.
"People used to think that anyone in yoga was a hippsie-dipsy kind of person. Well, that's changed," she said.
These days, more people want to be in tune with their bodies and want to understand all about sore muscles, achey limbs and the causes of any such trouble. There's nothing dipsy about that.
"They even have yoga in gyms," she said.
Athletes are known to practice yoga, even at the high school level. The Andover High School boys varsity hockey team takes yoga classes.
"There's a mental satisfaction, too. You just feel good after a class," Olson said.
She'll be reaching for the chips and dip like the rest of us on Sunday during the game. But after her day of yoga, she said she doubts she'll over-indulge. Yoginis usually don't as they are so in tune with exactly how much fuel they need for their body, she said.
YOGA EPIPHANY
WHEN: Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: 60 Island St., Lawrence
WHAT: Yoga session with team of instructors; yoga-related vendors; "No Place Like Home" photography exhibit by Mary Ann Alwan and Susan Currie, both of Andover
COST: $65 in advance, $80 at door; proceeds benefit the "Share the Merit Prize" which offers scholarships to emerging yoga instructors
MORE INFO: yogaloftnorth.com
