YOGI OF THE MONTH

September 2025 - Marci Robinson

What first brought you to yoga and how long have you been practicing?

I started practicing Bikram in 2012 to increase flexibility and to improve balance and for general health and fitness. During COVID, I started working my way through “Light on Yoga” by BKS Iyengar alone in my basement, but I missed the energy from other people. As soon as studios opened back up, I started practicing with others all that I could, sometimes 8 classes a week. But then life got in the way, and I hadn’t practiced for a few years before finding InsideOut Yoga.

What is/are your intention(s) for your yoga practice?

Now I’m focusing on joint health and posture and core strength, so basically combatting the effects of aging.

What is your favorite pose and why?

Dancer’s pose is my favorite. I’m capable of doing it, but only sometimes. It requires the right balance of struggle and surrender. I feel like there’s a life lesson there.

What is your favorite class at InsideOut Yoga?

I love Susan’s Vinyasa Flow classes.

How has the practice of yoga influenced your life?

Practicing meditation has helped me immensely, though multiple difficult situations and periods of my life.

What advice would you have for a beginning yoga student?

Improvement is measured in millimeters!

What is your occupation?

I’m a geologist. For 22 years, I have been a Research Geologist at the US Geological Survey, leading paleoclimate research into past geological intervals that are similar to today. I will retire from USGS at the end of this year (I was DOGEd), but I will continue working as a Research Scholar at William & Mary and the Editor-in-Chief of a scientific journal focusing on microfossils.

What activities do you enjoy?

I gravitate toward activities that teach me something and result in a product. For example, I’m working on an afghan that includes every crochet stitch and a cookbook that documents my family history of food. A few years ago, I took a deep dive into learning the nuances of poker playing and found that I am a terrible poker player.

What is your favorite thing about living in the Northern Neck or Middle Peninsula?

I grew up in Beaufort, in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The Northern Neck reminds me of home.

Is there anything you want to add?

I’m grateful to have found my new InsideOut Friends!