Twisted Grit Yoga: A Recharge Zone for First Responders

At Twisted Grit Yoga, we have a definite soft spot for those of you whose job it is to run toward danger, not away from it. As owners, we’re a family of first responders ourselves: Scott’s a Marine, and we’ve got firefighters and police officers in our crew, too. We know firsthand the insane demands of the job and the toll it can take on you and your families. We started TGY, in part, as our way of saying to all our community responders: “We see you, and we’ve got your back.”

After COVID, we saw firsthand how hard everyone was hit, especially those on the front lines. That’s when we knew we had to do everything we could to create a space that lets you all shake off the day and rebuild. You have a job where being razor-sharp is non-negotiable, but you can’t be “on” all the time. You’ve got to be able to balance it out and find a way to reset, to refill your well, and to let go of the day-to-day load that comes with serving the community. And your families are part of this mission, too — they’re running right alongside you in this journey. 

We started TGY with the mission to give back and to bring yoga to everyone.

Heck, we’d welcome a unicorn if it wanted to try yoga. Our community responders, though? You were top of mind! So, we created our Community Responders Membership to make it easy for you to take a breather, literally. 

We also try to offer events to make sure you have access – for example, we occasionally do a free month of yoga for first responders so you can give us a try on the house. Plus, we show up at all the local events as part of our ongoing outreach!  

You see, yoga isn’t really about all the stretching and flowing poses – it goes way beyond that (no flexibility required!). That’s why we want everyone to experience it, especially those with daily stress. Yoga’s about building resilience from the inside out, learning to find calm in chaos, and finding ways to breathe through whatever life throws at you. 

Yoga’s a different kind of beast – a mix of exercise and mindfulness that gives you the edge you need, mentally and physically, to help you stay present and strong on the clock and off. Sure, hitting the gym or going for a run can clear your head, and both are great forms of exercise, but yoga tunes up the mind and body in a way that’s unique. Yoga takes you through a beautiful arc, starting with a calm focus, ramping up to a peak to challenge you, and guiding you gently back down. 

“All sorts of exercise is good. It releases chemicals for your brain. That is good. But, yoga brings you into different parts of the nervous system so you’re not always giving, you’re not always hitting the bag, you’re not always lifting weights – you’re more going inward to teach your body how to fight from the inside out.” 

– Yogi Amy 

TGY is your place to reconnect with yourself and your family, as well as to interact with the community in a way where we can support you. We are proud to help you recharge, refocus, rest and restore. When our community responders are healthy and resilient, we’re all stronger for it. 

If you’d like more information on our Community Responder Membership, reach out! You can stop by the TGY studio in Sun Prairie, chat with us via email at info@twistedgrityoga.com, by phone at 608-318-1848, or visit us online at www.twistedgrityoga.com/memberships.