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Lara Atella knows firsthand how wonderfully quirky Capitol Hill life can be. Lara and her husband, Ken Petersen, moved to the Hill in 1999 to be close to Union Station so she could take the train to work in Baltimore. It was convenient at the time, but they did not plan to stay more than a few years. While Ken worked his way through school, Lara held a job as a neurobehavioral researcher in child development. Her position meant hours of work behind a computer and in the lab, in addition to a long commute. Over time she began noticing increasingly stiff and swollen joints. In 2002 she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
About two years later she was pushing her one-year-old son, Nate, in a stroller down G Street with a friend, and a car stopped in front of them. A tall blonde woman climbed out and approached them with a big, friendly smile.
The woman asked the surprised pair what they thought about having a Bikram yoga studio on H Street. Lara didn’t know what “Bikram” was and thought H Street was a bit rough at the time, but she said having a yoga studio nearby would be nice.
The woman said she was looking at something around 5th and H streets and seemed excited about the prospect of opening up her own business. Lara thought she was gutsy and encouraged her to go for it. The pleasant conversation concluded, and all three women went on with their lives.
Then, in January of 2008, Lara and Ken decided to give Bikram yoga a try. They had frequently seen people coming and going from the Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill while they sat drinking coffee at their favorite shop, Sidamo – located across the street – and were curious.
“Since my husband is a sauna enthusiast, I though he might like it,” Lara says. “I never thought I would make it past class number one.”
Class wasn’t easy. But the effects were amazing.
“The next day when I woke up, I experienced one of my first mornings not feeling horribly stiff and uncomfortable,” Lara says. “By our second week we were hooked and even decided to buy year memberships.”
Lara and Ken became regulars and made a host of great friends through the studio – including that special blonde woman, owner Elizabeth Glover. Ever since that fateful meeting, Lara has grown to appreciate the place Elizabeth and her studio hold on Capitol Hill.
“Elizabeth is so supportive of the community,” Lara says, pointing to the studio’s extensive work-study program for those who can’t afford membership, as well as the Friday evening classes that generate proceeds to local charities.
Lara is especially grateful for the help Elizabeth and her studio have given to her and her family. The yoga has brought physical relief to Lara, helped her husband cope with the stress of completing his Ph.D., and even provided a learning place for her son. Elizabeth has always allowed Lara to bring her son to the studio. He watches and often participates in the yoga classes.
“After experiencing all of the benefits of practice I knew I wanted to share it with others,” Lara says.
In fact, Lara became such a devotee of Bikram and the studio that she decided to become a professional teacher, enduring the rigorous nine-week training session all Bikram teachers must undergo to become certified. Her friend, the one walking with her on that fateful day, also has become a certified instructor.
These days, Lara and her husband are basking in their Capitol Hill life and the community they’ve found. Their idea of a perfect day always includes a trip to Sidamo to see the owners Mimi and Kenfe and then to the BYCH "hot room."
“Over the past several years we've grown to love our lives and the community we share here and are so thankful to those who make it so meaningful and fun! My son is at an excellent school, Brent Elementary in SE, and my husband has an easy bike ride to work in northwest. I no longer need to commute to work by train; instead I just walk a few minutes down H Street, grab a perfect cup of coffee and hit the ‘hot room’ for an early savasana.”
Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill is located at 410 H St. NE. 202-547-1208, info@bikramyogacapitolhill.com |
