I just love Shirley. I also kinda want to be her. She’s a bad-ass small business owner/pioneer/entrepreneur (Wolfbait), an awesome mom of two girls, she’s talented AF (has her own clothing label, BruiserEst2003), and she’s just plain COOL. I would describe her as a ‘fearless ray of sunshine’. I am so happy that I get to see her so much at the studio and that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know her better over the last few years.
If I can’t be Shirley, maybe I can convince her to be my BFF? :)
From Whitney Bradshaws OUTCRY portrait series.
Here’s a bit more about Shirley……..
Hometown: I am a pilots daughter so there were many homes in many towns. Chicago has had my heart for a long long time though.
Sign: Libra
Favorite Color: Emerald Green
Favorite Movie: Is it Delicatessen? Or UHF? Depends on my mood.
What would your last meal be? My Dads Famous BBQ Spaghetti, or My husbands Shrimp and Grits, or a Phillys Best cheesesteak from next to the car wash. All delicious.
What brought you to yoga? A need for mental and physical well being, as well as calmness that my kooky life does not otherwise contain.
What brought you to TULA? Tula is the most welcoming, inclusive, positive, happy place I have ever practiced at!
What is your favorite yoga pose (and why)? I like balancing poses because they are fun and I laugh when I fall down! Same with inversions. Eagle arms has probably saved me from becoming Quasimoto, so those are my top 3.
Shirley in a Bruiser original!
What are the benefits you have experienced from a regular yoga practice? I am more present, whether at home with my kids or working at Wolfbait. I also have more strength and patience, 2 things you can never have enough of.
What is your Least favorite pose (and why)? Back bends, because my back DOES NOT BEND!
What advice you would give someone just starting yoga? Breathe, and look inward, it's a personal practice that helps me live intrinsically.
What is your favorite after-yoga activity? It's usually errands out of necessity, but if I could do anything it would be to commune with nature. A hike or a bike ride in a forest preserve is ideal.
List 3 fun facts we don’t know about you:
I am an open book so it's hard to come up with anything that is not common knowledge...
1) I studied acting in NYC before going to fashion school in San Fran.
2) I sign the alphabet with my hands when I am nervous or claustrophobic.
3.) I love old footage and narration, Ken Burns RULES!
Shirley and her family.