by Misha Fotoohi, MD
I remember my first experience at Core Power Yoga (CPY) very distinctly. It was December 31st, and I had just finished a 28-hour shift in the Medical ICU at the University Hospital. I begrudgingly accompanied my senior resident, mostly out of a sense of duty rather than my own volition; after all, she did feed me my first nutritious meal in days and didn’t punish me despite sleeping 6 straight hours through numerous pages, phone calls, and nurses banging on my call room door. However, as I endured 60 minutes of heat, humidity, and humility, I knew I was hooked. Being a former D1 athlete has created a complicated and tumultuous relationship with exercise for me. During my first 18 months of residency, I struggled to find a form of activity and exercise that I wanted to do consistently, and more importantly, enjoyed. After I finished college and no longer spent 4+ hours of my day in or around a pool, I filled the void with excessive running, powerlifting, and even bodybuilding. By the time I moved to Utah, I found that it was literally impossible for me to push myself to continue with these activities under the already crushing demands of residency.
Now that I’ve been practicing Yoga for a year and a half and have completed nearly 350 classes, I am amazed that I didn’t start yoga sooner. Jenn, one of my favorite yoga instructors at CPY, once said, “yoga will find you when you are ready.” I feel this so deep in my being that it truly drives my love and hunger for the practice. As a former collegiate and competitive athlete, my measure of success was being the fastest/strongest/leanest. However, yoga gave me what I so desperately craved—permission to be kind to and love myself right now, as I am. Yes, there are components of strength, balance, flexibility, and discipline. But at its core, yoga—at least the yoga I have been introduced to—is about self-improvement and growth through radical self-love and acceptance. This was a new concept for me, and I jumped in with both feet.
In 18 months, I have grown in ways I never imagined possible. I have become stronger both mentally and emotionally—and I can now touch my toes! If you knew me in high school or college, this alone is truly a miracle. But beyond that, I have found a place, a community, where I know I can retreat to at the end of a long day or at the start of one. Whether it’s 60 minutes of pure intensity, sweat, and tears in a Power or Sculpt class, or 60 minutes of true mental stamina during a Core Restore class with a Sound Bath (an experience I highly encourage everyone to have at least once), I know that my mat, the studio, and the community will be there to support me both literally and figuratively. I am the person and physician I am today because of my Core Power community.
Misha Fotoohi was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. She attended the University of Nevada, Reno for her undergraduate studies while spending 4 years on their Division I Swimming & Diving Team. She attended medical school at UNR as well where she took interests in class leadership, teaching, and mentoring underrepresented students. Misha loves spending time outdoors with her dogs, Frances and Oswald, and casually enjoys hiking, skiing, and biking. She also enjoys many indoor activities including board games, puzzles, reading, and karaoke. Misha and her partner, Matt, couples matched in Utah; they were captivated with Salt Lake City, and they felt eager at the prospect of training with the people in their programs. She is interested in practicing full spectrum family medicine, being proficient at in-office procedures, and providing care for vulnerable populations (prison inmates, LGBTQ+, etc).
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