PHOTO BY MARK NESSIA
Warrior 1 Yoga offers a variety of techniques and levels to meet the diverse needs of its clients.
WARRIOR 1 YOGA Strength and Diversity Warrior 1 is a stabilizing and fierce pose based in Hindu mythology. It is also a locally owned powerhouse studio with two locations that offer more than your everyday yoga. Warrior 1 has heated and nonheated yoga, plus cycling, spa treatments, laser liposuction and even cryotherapy. The bigger twist? Warrior 1 has been succeeding at challenging stereotypes, welcoming people of all backgrounds, experience and body types to join in the fun. Here, it is only heart-pumping if you want it to be. With two studios, 35 employees and schedules packed with cutting-edge programs, Warrior 1 is still a personable family business. “I have 35 employees, but my mom runs the front desk,” owner Dana Healey laughed. Healey is not only a certified trainer in yoga, but she’s also a veteran, former bodybuilder, contractor and philan-
thropist. Focusing on breaking down the yoga stereotypes, Healey embraces the healing power of yoga, matching it with one part Bakersfield heart and one part military excellence. “My first yoga DVD kicked my butt,” Healey said. “It was hard even for someone like me.” Picking up yoga as a form of destressing from both military service and bodybuilding, Healey notes that yoga is not simply meditation but a complete workout for both the mind and body. “I used yoga to rehabilitate myself, then I opened Warrior 1,” she said. Since then, she has strived to connect yoga with those who truly need it by scheduling free classes, specifically for veterans and cancer survivors. Both guys and girls can enjoy a good sweat while feeling better and more complete. From bodybuilders looking to gain flexibility to moms stopping by in between errands to simply unwinding from responsibilities, Warrior 1 has everyone covered. The hardest thing is getting people to
take the first step away of the florescent lights of the gym and into some yoga pants. “Everyone takes something different from yoga,” explained Healey. Recognizing the diverse needs of her clients and understanding the power that yoga has to heal and revive, Healey is taking giant leaps in showing the world that yoga is not just for chicks. Warrior 1 does not focus on one school of thought, instead combining techniques, levels and styles to meet any client’s workout needs. They have traditional vinyasa and Bikram-style hot yoga, from beginning to advanced levels; yoga sculpt, which uses free weights to build muscle; Buti yoga glow, which is a black light Zumba-like class; and specialty workshops that focus on core strength, self-defense, self-care massage, mixed martial arts and more. Continued on Page 64 www.BakersfieldLife.com
63