Roots Instructor in the Spotlight

Terri Delfino is a testament that you don't have to be athletic, coordinated or strong to practice yoga. She recalls a childhood of being outside all day, playing tag and climbing trees, returning home only when called in for dinner. Though an active child, Delfino didn't partake in team sports, nor did she give much thought to her weight.

"As a child, I didn’t worry much about weight. I was chunky in middle school, but nobody ever called me fat or overweight. I wasn’t huge, just not thin. Of course, I was always comparing myself to the thin girls," she said.

It wasn't until she graduated from high school that Defino began a serious workout regimen. She spent six days a week weight lifting, squatting as much as 200 pounds.

"I was very muscular and felt strong, but wouldn't say I was lean. I could wear legging style workout pants, and two-piece bathing suits, but I wasn’t thin. I was always reaching for that next level," she said.

When Delfino married, her workout regimen began to fade. Both she and her husband, who was also an avid exerciser, became lax and sporadic with their routine. As their careers advanced, their days at the gym fell to the wayside. Delfino gained five pounds a year for the next six years, inching her way to 170 pounds.

"It’s funny, my husband and I both worked out religiously and we thought it would carry over into our marriage, but just the opposite happened. We would work out in fits and starts, but never at the level that we did before we got married," she said.

What prompted Delfino to begin yoga was chronic neck pain, a nagging issue for 10 years.

"There were times when my neck would “go out” like when someone throws out their back," she said.

In 2005, after a round of physical therapy for her neck, Delfino attended a yoga class. She spent the next few years developing strength, flexibility, and her own practice. Delfino's body responded positively to her practice; both her weight and her neck pain subsided. Over time, she trimmed down to a healthy 125 pounds, and her bouts of neck pain became a thing of the past.

"I tried everything I could think of for my neck: physical therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and even night guards. Since yoga, my pain has become almost non-existent. When it does flare up, which isn't often, I can manage it with my practice," she said.

Delfino brings her past experiences with her, instructing students with an understanding that people walking into her class may be first timers who may not understand anything about yoga.

Said Delfino, "The fact that I was not a dancer, gymnast, or jock makes it easy for me to relate to people who walk into a studio for the first time. They aren’t sure what to expect; some people may not be in the best shape and some are pretty stressed out. What I do is try to make yoga fun and approachable, and bring them to a place where they can open themselves up to the benefits of their practice. After eight years of practice there are many poses that are still out of my reach, but that doesn’t stop me from trying!"  

In 2011, Delfino enrolled in teacher training classes for yoga with an initial goal of learning more, not actually teaching yoga. "I wasn't planning on becoming a teacher, but once I started, I became hooked. Teaching gives me such a gift. I get so much from my students and I think I give them something in return," she said. 

When she finished with her teacher training, Delfino, who is vice president of marketing communications at a software company, brought her passion for yoga to her day job by offering a free yoga class to her coworkers.

"It was a lot of fun to bring my yoga world to the office and help my co-workers be a bit more healthy," she said.

When asked why she considered yoga important to a busy lifestyle, Delfino cited that she knew yoga would help her physically, but the true gift she received was a deeper sense of peace.  

Said Delfino, "The real action is what yoga does on the inside. We hear things like “balanced” and “centered” when we talk about yoga. I can tell when I haven’t been on my mat. I am less patient, more anxious, and more stressed. When I practice, it's like flipping a switch; I immediately see the benefits. I like to say that for me, yoga keeps the crazies away. I also think yoga has made me a nicer person. I am much more compassionate now. Before, I never really considered other people’s struggles and what they might be dealing with at any given moment. I am definitely a better person for bringing yoga into my life," she said, adding, "I tell all my students that by taking 75 to 90 minutes for themselves, they will be better at whatever they go back to outside of class." 

Delfino's favorite pose is Trikonasana, or Triangle Pose, because it feels so freeing and it only takes a small adjustment to get more from the pose. Below is Delfino's step-by-step instructions of how to do Triangle Pose.

• I usually come to triangle from Warrior 2, so from Warrior 2, straighten your front leg and toe-heel your back foot in a few steps.  If you tend to hyper extend your knee, keep a micro bend in the front leg.

• Breathe in and as you exhale, reach as far forward as you can, keeping your feet planted.
•  On no breath, drop your bottom hand and raise your top hand, coming into triangle pose.
• Allow the bottom hand to land wherever it falls – on the shin, in front or behind the foot, on a block… If the toe is in your reach, feel free to wrap your peace fingers around it, but don’t worry about it if you’re not there. Reaching the toe is the eventual goal, but I think opening up the chest is more important. In fact, resting the bottom hand on a block brings the floor a little closer and helps you rotate open. This is a good approach for beginners. Gaze can be anywhere it is comfortable on the neck – ceiling, wall/side or floor.
• Continue to lengthen out through the crown of the head to wall in front of you, as you rotate the top hip back and the bottom hip under. Imagine you are trying to fit through 2 panes of glass.
• Release the shoulders if you are clenching them up by ears and open your chest up any bit more to the ceiling.
• To come out of the pose, put a little bend in the front leg and reach up with the top hand, using it draw you back to warrior 2.