September Fortier, Yoga instructor, Washington

After the death of my mother, I was really looking for something that would just sort of calm me down, and yoga seemed to be the answer. So, I walked into class -- it was at an Iyengar studio, and they're very big on alignment. You hold poses for a longer period of time, and being there on the mat, being in this forward fold for such a long time, it was amazing. I just felt my body opening. Part of the idea behind yoga is that we pull different memories and different experiences to different areas of our body. So, when we open up different areas of the body, we're actually releasing some of the emotional stuff. And it just started to make all the difference in the world. After the frenzy and the grief of losing my mother, it really helped me cope with her loss.

You get people used to that extra hard physical practice at the gym, you know, the aerobicized bodies ready to go: pound, pound, pound! Everything's got to be hard. Everything's got to be tough: I can hold my chaturanga for five minutes! A real competitive thing. [But] I take it as a high compliment when people fall asleep in my class. I had one student who kept sleeping through savasana. Usually you ring a bell to pull people out. I rang my bell once, and she kept snoring. I rang my bell twice, and she kept snoring. Finally, I started to giggle, and everyone started giggling, and she woke up with a couple of loud snorts. But, you know, she got what she needed. We're in a stressed-out world, especially here in D.C., which is why I think there's such a yoga explosion here. This town needs it!

Interview by KK Ottesen