Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1196352
28 WAC Magazine | wac.net living fit exercise of the month / instructor insights Instructor insights Erin Allan | Yoga Fitness instructor and California native Erin Allan found solace in yoga nearly seven years ago aer experiencing burnout as a family therapist. "I had hit rock bottom," she says. "I'm very empathetic and was taking all the mental stress of my job home. I gained so much weight and was on all kinds of medication for depression, anxiety, pain and insomnia." Aer leaving her therapy career of 10 years, Erin completed 200 hours of yoga instructor training and quickly began teaching full-time. "Yoga connected my mind and body in a way I had never experienced before," she says. "I delved into my practice as a new kind of medication and lost 70 pounds." Erin start- ed at the WAC in 2017. "I have so much fun teaching at the WAC," she says. "I feel like it's a unique community and a different vibe than anywhere else." In her spare time, Erin enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time in nature with her friends and husband. She plans to complete an additional 300 hours of yoga training this year. —Erin Allan teaches vinyasa yoga at 8:30 am on Wednesdays and at 9 am on Fridays in Studio B on the 4th Floor. A N I TA N O W A C K A Exercise of the Month Lateral Lunge with Slider Personal Trainer Amanda Schneider demonstrates a Lateral Lunge with Slid- er. This exercise strengthens your quads, glutes, and inner thighs. 1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with one foot on a slider. 2. Squat down on your standing leg and extend your slider leg out to the opposite side. Holding your hands in front of you at chest level can help you keep your balance. Note: You can make this exercise harder by squatting down farther. Finish by straightening your squatting leg and pulling your slider leg back in. Complete 10–15 repetitions on each side.