This month kicks off a brand new feature on the blog, inspired by you! The yogi power behind Grateful Yoga is what keeps us (especially me) coming to class each day, thank you. I am honored, thrilled and humbled to present our first ever Grateful Yogi of the Month.

Name: Ali Sivori
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland (but a happily converted Vermonter)
Current favorite yoga posture: Side Crow!
When/how/where did you start practicing yoga?
I started practicing about five years ago in South Carolina. I was hooked after the first Surya Namaskara and have been riding the yoga high ever since :)
Why is yoga a part of your life today?
Yoga is always there for me. It is a constant that I am grateful to have; something for me to come back to no matter what is going on in my life. My husband is in the Army, and I’ve seen him for all of 40 hours in the past 6 months. Yoga has helped me overcome so many emotional and physical obstacles in my life so far, and I want to share that with others.

Along with pursuing the teacher training at Grateful Yoga, over the past 8 weeks, I have been training to get my certification for Yoga for Amputees. The goal is to teach veterans (and their families) who suffer from PTSD and traumatic injuries.
What other things in life make you feel full, great and happy?
My sweet pitbull Onyx and his brother, the green-cheeked conure Kále! I love having them to come home to after a long day. Also, I have been blessed with an amazing group of friends and family that support me and the journey I have begun.

Words from Ali:
I wanted to take a moment to thank the beautiful, magical, ray of sunshine that is Chrissy Lefavour. Without her, I would have never taken the leap to start the teacher training. It’s safe to say that I would not have been able to get through my husband’s absence without her. There is no other person in the world I would rather learn from, and I hope that one day, I will be able to give to my students what she has given to me in such a short amount of time
Words from Chrissy:
Ali is special because of her independence. She is small but mighty, a legendary quality throughout history. Her smile is infectious and she is always welcoming new students to the studio. As Ali gets ready to complete her 200 hour yoga teacher training we will be welcoming veterans and their families to come and share practice. Please contact us is you or someone you know could benefit from this service. All sessions will be offered on a sliding scale fee. gratefulyogavt@gmail.com or 802.224.6183