Many students are familiar with Mast as a guidance counselor but may not know that she also teaches yoga. Mast teaches a yoga class after school on Tuesdays and has taught yoga during Winter Week and wellness classes.

However, yoga hasn’t always been a part of Mast’s life. After the birth of her first child, Mast began experiencing pains in her body. While at a gym, she observed a yoga class and noticed that it was a mix of stretching and relaxing.  She decided to give it a try.

“I took the plunge. I really felt like this was something that I could get into,” said Mast.

After a year, she began noticing some physical changes.

“A lot of the aches and pains had gone away, and I felt like my posture was becoming better. There was just more flexibility, strength and balance,” said Mast.

Mast also noticed that she was becoming more relaxed and felt calmer as she continued yoga. For Mast, the emotional and mental benefits are just as helpful as the physical advantages.

Yoga quickly became not only her hobby but a passion and something she learned to love.

“I have a competitive nature, and I like how there’s that challenge, but at the same time, I don’t feel judged in yoga. I feel like I’m in my own world, and I love that about yoga,” said Mast.

After her second child was born, Mast decided to get certified in teaching yoga through an organization called YogaFit. Her favorite style to teach is Vinyasa yoga, an athletic and aerobic form of yoga. In addition to Vinyasa yoga, Mast also practices Hatha, Ashtanga, Restorative and Bikhram yoga.

Mast first began teaching yoga in her hometown, Stowe, to a small group of women. During her second year as a guidance counselor at Wayland, she decided she wanted to teach yoga to students and teachers. At first, only a few teachers joined her class, but that year, students formed a yoga club.

“It was a combination of students and teachers with varying goals, learning more about our bodies, what our bodies can do and pushing ourselves. I try to meet people where they’re at with their yoga,” said Mast.

After the club was formed, more and more people joined her after school for yoga class.

In a typical class, Mast starts by helping people clear their minds and focus on their breathing. Then she  moves into an active flow that includes the Vinyasa flow and sometimes a sun salutation or another well-known pose such as upward dog or downward dog. After that, the routine can vary, depending on what Mast feels the class needs most. Near the end of the class, Mast likes to use hip opening poses.

“There are a lot of athletes at the school, and often the hips and hamstrings are the tightest, and kids don’t often stretch those parts,” said Mast. To close the class, Mast leads a period of Shavasana, or rest.

Mast also tries to incorporate yoga into her job as a guidance counselor. Often when stressed or upset students approach Mast, she will ask them how comfortable they are with trying yoga. Sometimes students are cautious or unwilling, but sometimes they are open to the idea.

“It’s not for everybody, but if it is for you, I want to make sure there are enough opportunities in this school,” said Mast.

Mast knows that not everyone enjoys yoga or finds it as useful as she does, but she hopes that everyone she teaches will try to keep an open mind.