August People of People’s: Tracy Burkholder

TBurkholderFor August, we just walked across the hall to meet one of the People of People’s Yoga–meet Tracy Burkholder, one of the massage therapists that shares the SE studio space.
How long have you been practicing?

I’ve been practicing regularly since 2011. In total cliche fashion, I turned 40 and realized that my minimalist approach to fitness wasn’t going to cut it anymore. As a massage therapist, I’ve always encouraged my clients to find an activity that they enjoyed so that exercising was a pleasure rather than a chore. I took my own advice for once and found yoga.

How has your practice changed over time?
When I first started, I was only interested in the physical aspects of yoga. I wanted a good workout and was uninterested, maybe even a little resistant to any lessons it had for my life off the mat. But one can’t really isolate one from the other and the physical practice has opened me up to the rest.

How long have you been coming to the People’s Yoga?
I’ve been coming to the SE studio since 2012. I just fell in love with the teachers right away. They made me feel so welcome, as did the rest of the community. When the SE studio moved down the block to its current location, I knew right away that I wanted to move my massage practice there. For 13 years, I worked out of a small office in my house so it’s been wonderful to have more space and be surrounded by such a wonderful community.

What do you love about the studio?
Between my yoga practice, my massage practice, and my workstudy cleaning duties, the SE studio has become my home away from home and I couldn’t be happier about that. One of my favorite things is when the chanting of a class filters across the hall while I’m working with a client–there’s something so very lovely and unifying about it.

Everyone who enters the SE studio passes the door to your massage studio (it’s the one with the great literary quotes on it). Tell us a little about what happens behind that door.
If the door to my space is open, I invite people to stop in, say hello and ask any questions they may have. There’s also lots of info about my massage practice at benemassage.com. Bodywork and yoga are a great combination, so even if I’m not the right LMT for someone, there are three other talented therapists at the studio that I encourage people to check out.