with Lori Klinger, Yoga Instructor
If you practice yoga and meditation in South Walton, you have heard of or know yoga enthusiast and gifted Hatha Yoga instructor Lori Klinger. A South Walton resident, Lori has been a dedicated student of yoga since 2001. She studied to become an instructor in 2004 at Dragonfly Yoga in Fort Walton Beach under Laura Tyree and has her 200hr Yoga Alliance certification. Since that time, she has been channeling her passion for yoga through teaching and has recently began to offer Yoga Retreats, the first of which is scheduled to be held in Grayton Beach in May (Read about it here.) Lori is also currently working toward her Anusara Teaching Certification with Amy Ippoliti. Her passion for yoga is evident on and off her mat and she inspires her students to celebrate their true divine nature. For more information about upcoming retreats and classes, you can contact Lori via e-mail at Downbythesea33@aol.com or by phone at 850.496.0056 for more info.
I caught up with Lori for this week's SouthWaltonScene.com Q & A. Enjoy!
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How long have you lived in South Walton?
After visiting the area for ten plus years, our family took the plunge in May of 2002. A big leap of faith on our part, and it has all worked out beautifully...undoubtedly, the best decision we have ever made.
You were born and raised in....?
I was born and raised in East Texas--Longview to be exact. A small town that I was itchin' to get out of, but have come to appreciate as a nice place to raise a family.
You already live at the beach - where do you vacation?
Funny that we live at the beach AND vacation to the beach! We own a home in Eleuthera, Bahamas...a remote and very magical island. The people make it so special. They are pure to the core. It is truly like going back in time a hundred years. It is very close to my heart...and feels like "coming home" each time we visit.
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What book(s) is on your nightstand?
The Presence Process by Michael Brown, Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates, and John Friend's Anusara manual to name a few...it is ridiculous how many books I read simultaneously!
If you were to come back as someone else, who would you be?
My Bahamian rescue dog Coco, because she is so loved and so lucky and happens to be very enlightened :)
What is your single greatest achievement so far?
Turns out I am an excellent Mom and the only reason I can be sure of this is that I have two beautiful children with the biggest hearts on the planet to show for it. They are truly amazing kids.
What is your favorite restaurant in South Walton?
I don't eat out much...but Jambone has made me a pork eater again...the pork tacos are insane. If you haven't tried them and can handle adding another vice to your life, then try them. Who would have ever thought I'd get my "mexican food" fix at a BBQ joint?
What 2 things can you not live without?
Facebook and chocolate??? :) HA!
Seriously, I could most likely live without most everything I have, but I wouldn't WANT to live without the support and love of my friends (that includes my family)...I am convinced that I have the greatest friends ever. They really raise me up. I feel like I could do anything with their support. Anything!
The other would have to be the water. I don't think after being here and enjoying the healing qualities and beauty of the Gulf that I could ever be landlocked again.
What would you do if you won $1 million?
My philanthropic nature would probably not allow me to keep much of it...I would splurge a tad and would buy my son a half pipe, and go on a shopping spree with my daughter and after traveling a bit with my family, I would give to charities that are close to my heart.
If you could change one thing about yourself, it would be...
Probably my "balls to the wall" attitude with all of my undertakings...My passion for things that I love fuels this insanity! I have to work very hard to slow down and allow things to unfold naturally...to understand that most things are a process and that the process can be the sweetest part, if I let it. Not to mention the missed opportunities and burn out potential of working overtime to accelerate it! Thank God for yoga! :)
You are granted one wish. What is it?
That everyone in the world could be touched by yoga...so that everyone could know how fabulous they are...raising the vibration one downward dog at a time :)
The best thing about South Walton is....
The community...the cohesiveness...the support...the feeling of knowing that others have your back. I genuinely believe that this community would hold me up if the need was ever there, and there is a lot of comfort in that. And for my children...the fact that they are able to grow up here and can safely go and do and explore and be free, like children should be able to do, is priceless.
Oh, and the beaches aren't bad either ;)
What is the greatest love in your life?
Yoga. It IS life. It is all encompassing...it includes my husband, my children, my work, my passions, my guitar, my self-discovery, my goals, my creativity...it is divine love and ecstatic earthly experiences combined. I feel the most like myself when I am on my yoga mat and coming back to it reminds me how to go out and live in the world applying all the beautiful principles that yoga is built upon. It makes me whole.
What are the most important qualities in a friend?
I have found that friendship can really blossom into soul connections when authenticity abounds. Lots of truth and vulnerability combined with compassion and support...and someone that brings out and helps you celebrate the truest version of yourself. True friends are people that you can be "uncool" around and they love you even more!
Would you say happiness is found or made?
I would say neither....happiness is revealed as we work thru the unveiling of the many layers that we accumulate thru life... It's already inside of us and all around us, we just have to open to it...to allow it...to say YES to it!
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To read more SouthWaltonScene.com Q&A's, visit the People & Celebrities page.
