happy 1 year yogaversary!!!!!!

it's my yogaversary!!!

Tomorrow will come and girl I can wait it’s my yogaversary….it’s my yogaversary, yogaversary…. Tomorrow marks the 1 year anniversary of my recommitment to a consistent yoga practice and I couldn’t be more grateful. A year ago my yoga practice was almost non-existent. I was stuck in a place in my life where I felt overwhelmed and was convinced there was not enough time in my day/week for yoga…especially a 90 min class, a workshop or a weekend retreat. I would daydream about practicing, I talked about practicing constantly, I remember telling my friend that I wish I could get back to my yoga practice…she would remind me that I was practicing…by existing, breathing, being mindful in all that I do, I was practicing. This reminder was very true and this mindfulness carried me through many intense challenges and dramatic life changes.

In the beginning of May I opened my email and took notice of a 4 week “Radical Hip Opening” workshop series being offered at the studio just 2 blocks from my home beginning on May 11. Knowing that the hips are our “junk drawer”, housing much of our emotional baggage (and I had some “junk” to clear out). I had never taken a class with teacher Ai Kubo, let alone any class at Yoga Tree but Mother’s day was 3 days away and I decided to treat myself to this workshop so I signed for 1 of the 4 series. 2 hours on my yoga mat with my hips. The class was exactly what I needed. The asanas, the mindful breath and movement, the affirming words spoken by Ai were a gift and I was hooked. I left the class and signed up for the 3 remaining series (which included classes with Ai at Yoga Tree for the month) I decided I would get the most for my money and attend every class she offered (3 classes weekly and the workshop) I went from barely practicing for the past 3 years to 4 classes a week. How did I find this time and space…and childcare? Well, I tapped into my abundant resources, which included my family support and my highly capable teenagers who could help care for their little brother while I attend class. I had no idea where this renewed commitment to my practice would take me but I knew my mind, body and spirit craved the nourishment that it offered. Through the first 4 weeks I discovered that my strength, courage, and trust were expanding and with the guidance and beautifully layered classes Ai Kubo offered, I could move into poses that I never bothered trying…this was new for me and I was loving it.

Yoga is nourishment for the mind, body and spirit. The practice of yoga allows for opening and expanding, a counter pose to this life we live where we spend many hours hunched over our desks, lap-tops, steering wheel. It allows us to become more aware of our breath, allows us to become more aware of our bodies so that we can better listen and care for ourselves. Among the countless benefits, a consistent yoga practice creates an opportunity to release and renew, bringing us back to our true selves.

Through this past year I have continued to cultivate my yoga practice through weekly local classes, home practices, yoga in nature with friends and family, traveling to experience and grow my yoga community, open my heart and walk with more gratitude. On and off the mat I have been challenged to expand beyond my comfort zone. I slowly peeled away the layers, of fear, doubt, worry, self- critique and uncovered courage, trust, love, beauty, patience. Yoga has been with me for the past 16 years, through the pregnancy and birth of 3 children, through joy, pain, heartbreak, death, single parenting, life’s daily challenges, taking courageous steps to live out my passion for sharing health and wellness with a larger community and daily transformation.Yoga has saved my life more times than I can remember.

Thank you for always bringing me back to my true self. Yogi for life!