By Mollie Eisler | April 30, 2024
Have you ever met someone whose energy is so infectious, you can literally see it fill an entire room, causing everyone to join in and catch the waves together? Meet Becca: live music enthusiast, certified-yoga instructor, marketing manager, former national competitive figure skater, and founder of Ripple. Affect, a music-driven yoga method. Ripple. Affect is inspired by 1) The ripple effect of happy dancers at a jam show, 2) “Ripple” by the Grateful Dead, and 3) Nature symbolism. And why affect with an A? Because it’s a verb, evoking the deliberate effort to initiate change and transformation.
Drawing on her vinyasa training, the free-flowing movement of the jam scene, and personal experiences moving to music, Becca created her signature ‘Jam Flow’. Let us speak from experience and tell you that it’s much more than a yoga class: it’s the space to connect with yourself and others, explore the freedom of movement and music, and reflect, each time to a thoughtfully curated set list (which Becca posts afterwards). These flows happen weekly at locations ranging from studios, breweries, and gift shops, to festivals and in nature. To learn more about Becca’s story, and join in on the transformation, check out Ripple. Affect’s upcoming classes and events – we’ll see you there.
We sat down with Becca after attending a jam flow class where she shared more about her story and answered a few questions for the groovement:
What was your first concert?
Bob Dylan at The Wang Theatre in Boston, MA.
Where are you from/when did you move to NYC?
From Natick, MA which is just outside of Boston, MA. I moved to Greenpoint, Brooklyn in October of 2023.
What do you do?
I am the Founder of Ripple. Affect Yoga, a live-music-inspired yoga method. I guide weekly Jam Flows, which pull inspiration from the form & formlessness of Jam Band music. Everyone feels music differently and everyone moves to music differently. I always felt like I got the same kind of “high on life” feeling whether I was in a yoga class or dancing my ass off at a show. I felt there was a missing piece of wellness in the world of live music, so I founded Ripple. Affect which combines music & wellness.
I guide weekly *Jam Flow* classes in NYC which are a combination between vinyasa inspired movement and free movement.
Who/what do you draw inspiration from?
My primary inspiration is the Grateful Dead. Ripple. Affect was formed off of 2 main principles: 1) *Ripple,* the Grateful Dead song, which I’ve been singing with my dad on guitar since I was 2 years old, and 2) the ripple effect I’ve seen on the dance floor at shows from one euphoric dancer to the next. That feeling really spreads throughout the whole audience.
I purposefully designed the flow Jam Flow classes to mimic a live music show and each sequence to mimic a song. We ease into class by grounding, get acquainted with movements, build heat, reach a peak of ecstatic dance-like cardio, and then mindfully come down and end in a sweet Savasana. Also, the practice is beginner friendly as I put together approachable vinyasa sequences for each song and eventually students begin to feel the sequence in their body and flow at the pace they need. This style was inspired by jam music, there’s a core verse & chorus & melody & rhythm, but then the band goes off where the jam is taking them at that specific day and time. Different every time.
Each class has a unique setlist that I post on social media afterwards, similar to the Grateful Dead and other jam bands.
What does live music mean to you?
Live music to me feels like one of the most innately human experiences on earth. Dance was one of the very first forms of connection & expression amongst humankind. Unlike any other activity, live music allows people to express their most authentic & diverse self while connecting with like-minded communities. To most people, music feels like a soul connection and it brings people together who may not normally interact in daily life.
Music has quite literally shaped my life looking back on it. It is a centerpiece of my family, and I have had some of the most bonding and fun experiences dancing and singing with family at concerts or floating down a river blasting music. I was a nationally competitive figure skater, moving to music for 12+ years. I met my partner while at a Grateful Dead cover band show at Brooklyn Bowl. I’ve met some of my best friends in the world through music. And it guides my yoga practice, and now business. That says it all.
Connect with Becca on Instagram and check out Ripple. Affect on Instagram and the website.
