Testimonials
LifeCore Yoga has been a sanctuary and refuge to me for more than 9 years. Practicing in this community has been a conduit to my own strength as I have navigated a transition out of an unsafe marriage and into a new life. LifeCore Yoga is a place where I am seen and fully accepted, where I can imagine my greatest potential, surrounded by loving, supportive teachers and fellow yogis. I am grateful for every one of you, for every kindness you’ve shown me. Namaste and thank you.
-Katy LCY Yogi since 2011
I started my yoga journey with Life Core in 2014. I knew nothing about yoga. I had been a runner for 20 years and a chronic injury low back injury mandated that I give up running. I remember walking down the stairs in the White Bear 4th street studio and seeing Allison sitting at the desk with a warm smile. I told her that I was interested in yoga but I was not a dancer and had little to no coordination or grace to speak of. I thought she would kindly tell me that this was not my sport. Instead, she said, “that does not matter. All you have to do is show up on your mat, be present, and breathe.”
From then on, Dawn patiently showed me the ins and outs of yoga in her gentle classes. She diligently encouraged me to prioritize the yin in my practice. Then, Janet showed me the importance of accepting the body that I showed up with to class with no judgment, and she counseled me through difficult life transitions. Then, Nikki taught me how to hold a plank and headstand with peace in my heart. Then, Marina taught me how to find patience in each posture. Then, Kim taught me how to smile, joke, and find community with my fellow yogis. Then, Maria taught me that “yes you can try anything” on any given day. Then, Lindsay taught me how to kick ass, even when I did not think I could. Then, Allison C. taught me how to find the right “juicy” spot in my poses. And then I came full circle, and Allison taught me how being a yogi has nothing to do with age, weight, or ability, but once again to show up on your mat, be present, and breathe.
All of my instructors and fellow yogis have taught me to be a better friend, mother, family member, and person. Most importantly, they have taught me that I have value, and I will always have a yogi community to come back to. I know that Life Core has changed my life for the better, and I cannot imagine a happy, healthy, peaceful future without it.
- Sarah LCY Yogi since 2014
I found LifeCore in 2018 and have experienced notable peace since then. Like many, my life had been focused too much on work and I was growing both mentally and physically fatigued. Being new to yoga, I am so glad that I gave LifeCore a try. Your instructors were extraordinary at teaching me yoga and those first classes showed me how positive yoga could be. Over these years I have met most of your instructors and have found all of them to be very welcoming and dedicated to sharing their knowledge. I enjoy all of the options you have at LifeCore, from relaxing or challenging classes to the classes teaching meditation, mindfulness, and all the special events you put on. You have created such a lovely community with kind and thoughtful students and instructors. I am so happy I found LifeCore and have gotten to experience this community. Thanks, Namaste
- Jake LCY Yogi since 2018
I started at LCY in 2019 when my physical therapist suggested yoga. I had no idea what I was getting into, not even wearing my workout clothes in the beginning because I thought I would just go a couple of times and be done. That didn’t happen! What I found was a true “community” that has been very welcoming. I’m not usually able to move my shoulders and but my arm strength is starting to come back. You have me trying new things and I look forward to the time on my mat!!! The commitment of the teachers is so awesome!
I’ve learned about plants, wood ticks, nutrition, and Dawn (my first and one awesome teacher) showing me I have four corners to my feet (although I do still tip over) and telling everyone they’re super strong, Allison’s core workouts, SCS with Dawn and Allison. I know it has been a turbulent, changing time for all lately but I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone for really helping me through my own turbulence. The fun you all have together is fantastic and contagious! When I see the looks on your faces I can see and feel the commitment, dedication, and passion and really believe in LCY! Ten years is just the beginning for you Allison. I can’t believe I was lucky enough to find LifeCore. Thank you so very much!!
- Karen LCY Yogi since 2019
Happy 10th anniversary Lifecore Yoga! I am so grateful to have been introduced to your studio. I am so appreciative of the small, personal class size and the knowledgeable and caring instructors! They all put an emphasis on proper position/technique, while also presenting alternative postures to accommodate students with restrictions. No two classes are alike, but all are educational and fun! Lifecore offers many different class intensities and workshops to challenge our minds and bodies. After 4 years of practicing at Lifecore, I can't imagine going without my classes. They have meant a tremendous amount to both my physical and emotional well being. I am grateful to Allison and all of the talented teachers for providing such an awesome and caring community! Namaste
- Eva LCY Yogi since 2016
First CONGRATULATIONS to Allison and all of you on 10 years of giving yourself and others the gift of yoga. I tried to send you a video but every time I would start, I would get all teary, so I decided to write to you instead.
How it all started. I meet Allison at Core Power teacher training in early 2009. One day after a brutal practice teaching session in which both Allison and I failed miserably. We were consoling each other and found out we both were from White Bear Lake and wanted a yoga studio in our town. After yoga teacher training graduation and a few meetings, we decided to go for it. We were able to find a lease space, leveraged our net worth and sign a lease agreement. That was one of the scariest days of our lives. For we both knew that if our yoga studio could not earn enough to pay the lease, we could lose it all including out homes. With a lot of hard work, it took only a few months to develop the brand, build out the space, start marketing and hire a few teachers. We kept Doug busy day and night to get the build out done as we were firm on our grand opening date of August 14, 2010 and we did it!
I know that Allison and LifeCore Yoga are also facing some challenging times, I ask you stay with your LifeCore Yoga community and your practice. What you and Allison have created is something special. This time in the US is a challenge, but yoga reminds us that challenges can be a beautiful thing. Stay with your practice and the community you have built; it will get you through these unsettling times. I encourage you to view the challenges in your life as you do the challenges in your yoga practice, how you move in between asanas and how you hold the pose. When you focus on challenges with grace, you begin to see the beauty in it. I tell you this because when I was going through the death of a child and divorce the LifeCore Yoga community and my yoga practice is what got me though and I am forever grateful for that.
I am also extremely grateful for Allison, her wise words of encouragement and ability to take the reins at LifeCore Yoga have brought me to the place I am today. I now live on the tropical Caribbean island of Roatan. And manage a 40-acre private island off Roatan called Fort Morgan Cay. Fort Morgan Cay hosts groups of 6-20 people for an all-inclusive private island experience. I still teach yoga and have we have done a couple of yoga retreats as well. I will be beyond ecstatic if Life Core Yoga can someday experience a yoga retreat on Fort Morgan Cay.
Truly with all my heart...the teacher and light in me honors the teacher and light in all of you...Namaste
- Julie LCY founding partner
I don't even know where to begin to express my love for Lifecore yoga. I started taking yoga there in 2010 and became a Member in 2011. I was finishing up my pharmacy residency and yoga helped me to relieve the stress that comes with the high expectations and requirements of this part of my professional training. I have been a member ever since and lifecore yoga has helped me grow as a person and helped me get through some of the toughest and most exciting times in my life to date. As many of you know, I have practiced at Lifecore through all three of my pregnancies. Lifecore yoga kept strong, prepared me for labor, helped with the emotional rollercoaster during and after pregnancy, and provided a community of the most positive people to share that journey with. With my first pregnancy, I also got the distinct pleasure of having my water break at 37 weeks in a child's pose at the start of a LC2 class. That story is one of my favorites because I was so nervous and excited to become a Mom and I couldn't think of any other people I would have wanted to share that experience with. They had watched me and supported me through my entire pregnancy. I still remember all the smiles on their faces as they asked me if everything was ok when I was rolling up my mat and I said.... I think my water just broke =)
This place gave me a community I didn't even know I was needing! Many of the fellow yogis have given me life advice, they have listened when I just needed to talk to someone who would not judge me, they have applauded me for doing things I didn't even know I needed that encouragement for, they are just the very best! Lifecore has helped me recognize the importance of being present as a yogi but also as a wife, mom, health care professional and friend.
I always tell people I take yoga for not only the physical benefits but also the mental and emotional benefits it offers. My favorite part about this studio is that it is so focused on the overall experience and isn't just about being the fittest person in the studio. So many times I come to my mat for the physical but realize I actually needed to be there for the mental or emotional benefits more than anything else. They always deliver. I have learned I am a better person when I get my Lifecore Yoga. My favorite way to spend my Saturday mornings is going to the studio for yoga and then enjoying a coffee afterwards. Yep.... that is what I look forward to on the weekends. It grounds me, gives me my me time, and prepares me for whatever is on my plate the rest of the weekend.
I can't say enough about the staff at Lifecore. The teachers all have their unique style while still having a unified approach to making the studio feel like home to everyone. Even when I haven't seen some of them in a long time, they are so invested in me as a person and genuinely care that I am getting the most out of the classes I am taking. Allison, has a heart of gold and her teachers bring that same culture. I hope someday to be as wonderful as she is and bring positivity to everyone around me like she does.
This last year with being pospartum, husband working overnights, and COVID has highlighted the importance of being in the studio, with my community, doing yoga. When people talk about what they missed most when we closed down... hands down it was going to Lifecore. Allison and staff did such an amazing job getting an online studio up and offering zoom classes but for me being there and taking that time away from life chaos is so important. Throughout the last 10 years I have participated in so many classes, events and celebrations. I know everyone would love to celebrate the 10 year Anniversary with a large scale event but honestly, the reflection of what Lifecore has given me in the last 10 years is so AMAZING. We don't always realize this until we lose it so maybe COVID has helped me see what a fantastic thing I have here at LifeCore Yoga.
Life is busy with 3 young kiddos right now so I cherish every time I can get in the studio and can't wait for the day I am able to be there on a daily basis again because it was at that time in my life that I felt the healthiest. I have grown so much in the last 10 years and this studio has been such a big impact in that personal growth and I look forward to seeing what the next 10 years bring! Cheers! Happy 10 years! I am beyond blessed to have found your studio 10 years ago.
- Jen LCY Yogi since 2010
Struggling with depression and anxiety, I came to yoga as a main form of exercise following spinal fusion surgery and other debilitating health conditions. In my younger years, I had been an athlete as an avid runner and swimmer. Finding a yoga practice released me from the prison my health conditions had placed on my mind, spirit, and self-confidence for so many years. I had tried a few yoga studios and never really found a place where I clicked with the environment and teachers. That was until I stumbled upon LifeCore Yoga in 2011 and immediately felt like I found the missing puzzle piece. This studio isn’t an out of the box typical yoga studio. The instructors and their classes are all so unique. Students learn key wisdom to help them have a yoga practice for a lifetime. Some key nuggets of information LCY taught me to include: “what really matters is what’s in between the four corners of your mat”, “focus on your breathing”, “it’s not a competition”, and “there is no perfect way to do a pose, despite what yoga journal pictures.” These things helped me get out of my head and gain confidence in myself.
I have enjoyed the wide variety of classes, teachers, and teachings of yoga as well as the friendships I easily formed with the teachers and fellow yogis. I never realized before being part of the LCY community, what the purpose of yoga really was or how it’s not about how flexible you are, it’s about how you use your muscles to hold the pose. These are just a few of the threads of wisdom I’ve learned in this community.
I’ve grown so much spiritually over the past 11 years with LCY, I hardly recognize who I was before. I even became a 200-hour yoga instructor through LCY and am so thankful for the opportunity and the gifts it has given me. In talking with other yogi teachers who were certified through other nameless cookie cutter studios, I realize how much more of a well-rounded teacher training experience I had in comparison.
The various LCY yoga retreats I’ve participated in have been amazing and I doubt I will find another studio that can put together such a valuable experience at a reasonable price like LCY.
Since I travel frequently and work long hours. I especially love that the online studio is available on-demand as a member of LCY. Since recently moving out of state, the recently added bonus of live classes via Zoom gives me the accountability I need and the video access to see my fellow yogi friends.
In closing and to make my long story somewhat short, I want to say thanks to Allison for creating this amazing yogi community and for giving me the pathway to reconnecting to my true self. The profound spiritual awakening I’ve experienced through practicing yoga with LCY has left me truly and humbly grateful. Namaste.
- Loretta LCY Yogi since 2011