Matthew opened Drip Hot Yoga on Bayshore in October 2019 so he would have a place to practice on the southeast side of Naples. He considers himself "custodian" of Drip and wrote this letter to us for our wellness issue.
I initially started hot yoga back in 2009 for its anxiety-reducing effects but have come to see it as so much more. The heat pulls us into a meditative state of mind very quickly and makes the body pliable and permeable to change, inside and out. The connection to breath, body, and spirit, moving connected in the present moment, is a feeling unmatched.
It has become my gym, my church, my sanctuary and my community.
Hot Yoga reduces anxiety, quells depression, quiets the mind, reduces inflammation all over the body, creates a sense of community, is fantastic for circulation, strengthens the lungs, the benefits are countless.
I originally opened Drip Hot Yoga in Clearwater in 2016 when I relocated up from Miami and it has been a blessing to help navigate grief, attachment, loss, and acceptance after my mother’s passing in 2017.
I married in 2018 and my husband lives in Naples so I started splitting my time between Clearwater and Naples. This however cut my personal practice in half. I enjoy a quicker-paced class with lots of creative movement, anchored in technique and working in a real hot room, however, I found a need for the movement my body craves. It has been a blessing as I’ve discovered countless other yogis seeking the same movement. Our little yogi community on Bayshore is growing every single day and that is a blessing.
"I’m too old, too sick, too broken in body, mind, or spirit, it’s too hot..." Move through your fear and make your weakness your strength because EVERYTHING is an excuse until it is not.