No BS, just Yoga with MOXIE

After a long July 4th week, the SF Corporate Challenge kicks off this week with MOXIE. We caught up with MOXIE fitness instructor Martine Hamers, to find out how she is constantly switching up her fitness routine and beating the heat this summer! Now’s your chance to sign up for the Challenged check out MOXIE this week.

As a yoga teacher, I lead an active life, moving around constantly. Staying healthy and in shape is part of my daily routine, it’s ingrained in me. When I am not exercising I will notice immediately that my energy runs low and that my mind gets dull. Movement, staying in shape and being healthy just makes life so much better!

I like a challenge and I also like to challenge my clients. You’ll see similar poses return to my routines, but always with a twist to it. That way you get to experience the same pose, but from a different angle, different point of view. That teaches my clients to not be stale, to not go on auto-pilot and to be present with the practice. I usually pick a bigger pose or a body part I want to work on and sequence by calculating back what needs to be warmed-up, what muscles and body parts need to be ready to deal with a big(ger) challenge later.

I am born and raised in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and weather in this country is very rainy, grey and often cold. About 6 years ago I decided to move to a warmer climate. I packed my bags and lived in Brasil for 2 years. The warmer climate there got me hooked. San Francisco is not as warm, but the sun is out every day and escaping the city to warmer areas is easy.

The best thing about this climate is that people spend a lot of time outside, making use of the beautiful nature surrounding this city and doing workouts outside everywhere. Warmer weather makes people more active, smile more and enjoy the outdoors.

I like Moxie for it’s no BullShit just yoga attitude. Moxie to me is a different kind of studio, it already starts when you walk in, the interior is different – no clutter, beautiful wood furniture and clean look. I really appreciate that.

It also gave me the space, as a teacher, to teach a physically demanding class to my students, to let the yoga class be a work-out and to still have the experience and benefits of yoga; A stable heart-beat, steady breathing and a still mind.

I love to go hiking with my dog, to go dancing with my friends or to cook a feast for whoever wants to join!

It really depends on how much time I have to cook. But my quick, healthy, go-to meal would be a quinoa salad with fried onion, cucumber, olives, tomatoes, avocado, feta cheese, some olive oil and lemon juice.