2536 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL, 773.880.8055, unwind@infuseyogaspa.com
Home ยป Blog

Now is all we have: A conversation with Jerry Mikutis

Submitted by Andrea on Thu, 12/03/2009 - 23:17.
Why do you practice yoga? 
It stills my mind so I can be aware of this present moment rather than worrying about the past or the future. Now is all we have – the past is gone and the future will never be here. Plus it’s great to stretch and move those creaky muscles and joints!
 
Why do you teach yoga?
Yoga is something that has really impacted all areas my life and I'm happy to share that with others.
 
What style of yoga do you teach what is it all about?
Vinyasa flow with influences from the Ashtanga Yoga system.
 
What makes your yoga classes unique and who should take them?
I incorporate a mix of flow with attention to alignment. I set up the foundations of the pose in structure and safety that allows a freedom in movement.

Who or what inspires you?
My biggest master teacher influences are Tias Little and Sean Corne. Tias focuses on alignment and gentle holds while Seane is more of a proponent of a vigorous vinyasa flow. While they have very different approaches to asana (physical postures), both teachers have touched me with their similar messages of union through yoga – not only in our selves that there is no division between our physical, mental and emotional layers of being, but also in the greater world at large that we are all connected, that we are more alike than we realize despite the illusions that cause us to believe that we’re different and separate.
 
Real life yoga lessons?
The first few years I did yoga, I would get irritated whenever the teacher would introduce a pose I wasn’t comfortable with and chose to struggle through it and even blame the teacher for daring to teach it... It wasn't until one class last year where we were learning kurmanasana, which is a deep forward fold that also requires external rotation of the hips - nearly everyone in my class was complaining about the pose, until my teacher said something really profound that stuck with me to this day. "It's not the pose's fault that you can't do it or you don't like it." Poses are neutral. With that awareness, I've learned to have an open mind towards those poses that initially stir up feelings of dislike or aversion and it’s usually a habitual holding pattern of mine rather than the pose itself.
 
Birthday:
May 17th
 
Hometown (and where else have you lived):
I grew up just over the Indiana border in Crown Point and I've lived in the city for well over 10 years.  
 
Favorite yoga pose:
Any hip opener especially the The Marichyasanas of the Ashtanga first series. 
 
Least favorite yoga pose:
I'm not a fan of handstand or forearm balance. 
 
Favorite Yoga Experience:
It was in an Ashtanga class where Upward Facing Dog is the de rigueur, but at the time I could barely do cobra without back pain, let alone Upward Facing Dog. The instructor gave me a deep adjustment that crunched up my lower back in agony, but what was happening in my heart center made it all worth it. I could literally feel my heart as a warm ball of glowing white light expanding for the rest of the day with every inhale from that adjustment as well as a sense of deep peace and happiness.
 
Trust me, I’m not a proponent of painful adjustments, but I’m thankful for that teacher for recognizing the potential in my body that also affected my psyche. Since that time, I’ve learned how to ground my lower body to allow myself to go deeper into backbends.  
 
What else do you do, besides yoga?
I knit socks and hats, I wall climb. I’m a huge fan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”  
 
Something most people don't know about you:
I’ve always wanted to hop in a car and do a round trip tour of the country and I was able to do that this summer for 2 weeks with a close friend when we drove to California and back. And what I find amazing is that we didn’t say “are we there yet?” once the whole 5,300+ miles over 14 states!
 
Anything else you'd like to share?
I’m excited to join the Infuse teaching staff and look forward to meeting the community!
 
Jerry teaches Refresh yoga Tuesdays @ 7:30pm.