Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Yoga, Skate and Travel with SF's Lexi B.....





Lexi B. works for an Adventure/Travel company in San Francisco that I do some work for,  and after a few beautiful coffees in the early morning, we shot her doing some yoga up on a hill overlooking the city.

She is quite the traveler and has studied yoga in India, kicked around South America, braved the roads of Baja, and can also play the hell out of an Oboe.







Here is a short Q & A with Lexi....

Where are you from originally and how did you make it to SF?

-I'm originally a 'Michigander'.  I grew up in a small town of only 2000 people in the wilderness of Northern Michigan.  I knew I needed to see the world outside my town as soon as possible, and I moved out to LA while working with a performing arts group called ' The Young Americans'.  I spent my early youth in LA and San Diego soaking up California and all the implied culture!  I explored acting, music and learned a lot about myself in those years...  A few people told me I would fit in great in San Francisco, so I came up here to finish a Journalism degree and make it my home base for a while...

How does San Francisco fit into your lifestyle?

I fell in love the 'community' feel and all the creative influences in SF.  The balance of nature and urban pursuits are like no other place I've known!  I love that I can escape to the mountains, beach, snow in a heartbeat and I can meet so many like minded people with such varied interests.
The liberal, compassionate vibe in SF is so refreshing an never ceases to inspire me.  I feel very fortunate to be living here...

How did you get into Yoga?

At first Yoga was just another form of exercise for me, along with running, biking and swimming.   I have also dabbled in Karate and Tai Chi, with a great emphasis on general movement as part of my lifestyle.
I soon learned more about Yoga, and how it represents much more than just exercise; it made me more aware of my body, my mind and really changed how I viewed the world.    I traveled to India and took courses to be an instructor and hopefully teach in a meaningful way one day.  I am still practicing and think I want to gain some more experience in general before I begin teaching Yoga..

How long have you been skating longboards and what has been your gnarliest crash?

Yeeaaahhhh,  I've ridden skateboards since I was a kid in Michigan, where the roads are flat!  Last year a friend gave me a skateboard and learning to ride hills has been a whole new world for me, and I love it!
I am still a bit sketched out sometimes and not totally confident in crazy speed, but I am hooked and love riding hills now.
I've recently paid some dues with a crash near Baker Beach.  I was bombing down the long grade at a good clip, and near the end, I felt some wobbly set in and I knew it wasn't going to be pretty!  The board shot out from under me and I tried to land on my feet and run it off, but I was going way to fast, and I ate it on the pavement hard.  I jammed three fingers on my right on my hand and had a lot of scrapes!

What are some of your recent travels and where are you hoping to get to next?

I love traveling and have done a lot since college.  I've trekked through Peru, road tripped through Mexico, meditated in India, explored Alaska via British Columbia and can't get enough of different cultures and people from around the world.  I love the beauty of India and hope to get there again soon, and to stop off in Africa too is in the plan.

I figure I have this whole planet, its' people, animals, art and history at my fingertips so I better go see it, learn about it and live it.
I think this may very well be one of the huge goals in my life!