Local Yoga Practitioner, Teacher Overwhelmed by Support in Contest

CANTON – When Canton resident Carrie Brostek entered a Yoga Journal talent search with nearly 1,500 entries, she never expected to have a shot at winning.

But with the help of social media, e-mail and word of mouth, friends, teachers, students and others have lent so much support that she is a strong contender to finish in the top 5.

The contest is sponsored by the Yoga Journal and Athleta, a “feminine, performance-driven apparel” company. Five finalists in the contest, chosen simply through the most number of votes, will win a $250 Athleta gift card.

From those, Yoga Journal, will pick a winner and treat them to a trip to San Francisco and a photo and video shoot for the magazine — a prize that really attracted Brostek’s attention.

And while she would love to win, Brostek said she is honored to be doing so well.

“I feel like a winner already, just from the amount of support, respect and love people are giving me,” Brostek said.

She’s been practicing yoga for approximately 20 years and became more serious about it the last nine. Since 2007, Brostek has been a certified teacher. She currently offers classes at Valley Yoga in Simsbury, the Farmington Valley YMCA, Healthrax in Avon and will soon teach at the Innerspace in Avon. She taught at Collinsville Yoga Center until she gave up teaching at night.

Brostek comes from a background teaching fitness and feels yoga helps with her with a busy life as well a work through some injuries.

Ironically, the contest has added a little stress to her life as she spends extra time on the computer, urging friends to keep voting, which they can do five times a day.

“It’s a little bit exhausting,” she said.

Yet while she doesn’t want to get her hopes up, the possibility of winning and support is exciting.

“They’re keeping me excited about it,” she said of her supporters.

Through April 17, votes for Brostek can be cast at http://talentsearch.yogajournal.com/view/1463?sort=popular