Meet Scott Gilbert (and Rocco)!
 
What do you do or did you do for a living?    I own two clothing stores an sell and invest in real estate
 
Your favorite food?    I love Thai food!

Do you have a fave recipe to share?     I am more a take-out person.

Any pets?    I have a french bulldog named Rocco

Tell us about your yoga/pilates journey. What led you to PHY?

I fell in love with the hot yoga community in the early 2000’s. I am still practicing with some of those same yogis here at PHY that I practiced with way back then. I was recommend to PHY from a fellow student that I have been practicing with for many years. 
 
 
What are the main benefits you have received from your practice? Share your journey, you inspire us!
I started doing Hot Yoga originally (20 years ago) to help with a back injury from a car accident. I had a bulging disc L4-L5. Hot yoga seemed to be the only thing that helped. Yoga did not come naturally to me. I am not a very limber person. I kept with it because I loved the supportive community and it slowly made the pain go away. I focused on the process and as I improved, the practice came together for me and I realized I was getting way more out of it than just the physical benefits. At the risk of sounding corny, it really became a dependable thing I could turn to when life was difficult. Fast forward to the pandemic. I was not able to practice for 2 years and I could really feel myself physically and mentally regressing. By this time, the disc had become degenerative. As the lock down loosened up, I started physical activity and began hitting the gym. The disc ended up bursting and the disc material was pressing hard on my sciatic nerve. The pain was unbearable. After a couple of extremely painful, sleepless months I was able to get surgery to have the disc material removed from the nerve. As soon as I was cleared, I restarted my Hot Yoga journey at PHY. Initially I couldn’t bend over, I couldn’t sit up, I had zero balance on my left side. After a couple months of hard work at PHY, I can bend over, I can sit up and my balance on my left side is slowly coming back. The benefits are endless and I am super grateful to be part of this amazing, supportive community!

Why do you keep practicing?
I believe that you are either moving forward or backward. I keep practicing because I am inspired by my fellow yogi’s and the physical and mental benefits are amazing!
 
What's your favorite class to take?   Hot 26&2, 90 minute

Do you have a Fave posture?   The Eagle Pose

Do you have any advice for someone who is new to yoga/pilates? What do you wish someone had shared with you when you started your practice?
I would say to just stick with it. It can be hard at times, but it gets easier and It will become your own personal journey. The benefits will be specific to you and there really is only an upside to the practice.
 
Our biggest lessons often come unexpectedly, what is something you have learned about yourself in the last year or so? How did your practice impact you during this time of discovery?
This last year has been one of the most difficult of my life and I have learned that the important thing is to just keep going. My practice is something I could always turn to that had a positive impact on my health and my positive attitude. Life will get extremely difficult at times and its good to have something positive that you can turn to and know that the results are guaranteed. 

What are you grateful for right now?
I am blessed. I am grateful for my family, friends and my business that allows the flexibility to practice daily

Get ready for a great summer!
This time of year, we start to hear people say, "I couldn't practice in the summer. I couldn't handle the heat!" and they couldn't be more wrong.

Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that summertime isn't a great time to practice Hot Yoga. It's actually an awesome time to stay with your Hot yoga and Hot Pilates classes! With the warm weather, your body won't tense up when you leave class. You will actually love the feeling of our Summer weather on your sparkling skin. Plus, you'll be more comfortable in class as you will warm up faster than in the colder months since you'll quickly be covered in sweat.

Most importantly, remember that your body still needs strength and stretching all year round. This summer is the perfect time to maintain your gains and keep your mental health on track.

We can't wait to see you in the studio!