This week I’m just wrapping up 30 days of doing a 30 Day Yoga Camp with Adriene. She is a yoga teacher in Austin Texas that has many classes on YouTube. I stumbled upon her videos a few years ago and I loved her playfulness and solid teachings of yoga. When a teacher can include mention of Ariel from Little Mermaid and Charlie’s Angels in one practice, she is the yoga guide for me.
So what has the experience brought to me? Five beautiful reminders.
I love the innocent surrender of being a student.
Often there are many decisions to make in a day. Just saying “I’m doing yoga camp for 30 days” as a student is one of them. I got on my mat, turned on the video and did what she told me to do. It was liberating. Some days the practice was 17 minutes. Some days it was 40. I just made time and followed along.
I’ve also learned I can be a conscious student, I can follow and also add in or change what I need to make it work for me. Sometimes I wanted more yoga, so I’d do two practices together. Or more savasana at the end. No problem, just turn off the video and lie there for longer. It’s absolutely possible to be a student and my own best guide all at the same time.
My mat is my home base, in my yoga practice and in my life.
I realized I’ve had my black yoga mat now for 18 years. It was a big investment at the time and it still looks like new. It’s seen me through more than I could have possibly imagined…two children, two businesses and many tears or sorrow, pain and joyful abundance. I’ve taken it many places (and it is a very heavy mat) and if there was a fire in my home, it would truly be the one thing I would grab.
When I’m on my mat, I am the very best me. I am so grateful for my first teacher Janet for making this practice, and being on my mat, a safe place of connecting to who I am and grounding into my body. The miraculous changes that have happened over these past 18 years have been guided by my time on this beautiful black island of peace, clarity and grace.
Strength, balance and flexibility are the perfect wholebeing trifecta.
Some days the poses challenged my arm strength. Other days my balance pushed those tiny muscles around my ankles. And flexibility, ah flexibility, you of the three are my biggest teacher of patience and acceptance of what is. Right here. Right now, in this moment.
Cycling through these three aspects of the practice kept reminding me that everyday things change. Every moment, things change, sometimes in increments so tiny they are unnoticeable. Until one day (it only took 2 years of steady rehab) I could lower into chattaranga again with no pain. It’s a practice.
So much variety, and ways to play.
Adriene likes to play, and her style matches perfectly with my rescuing the beautiful innocence and playfulness of my 9 year old self. There are so many yoga poses and we explored many of them. And there are also so many ways to be light, let the seriousness of life go for a little bit, and play. Just joyful, who-cares-how I look kind of play.
This is the other beauty of yoga at home. No one can see you are doing yoga in your wonder woman t-shirt and your favorite polka dot underwear.
I LOVE yoga.
The most valuable take away is the reminder of how much I love yoga. This practice is my meditation, my teacher, my heart. I love how it makes me feel, I love who it’s guided me to become. It can go anywhere with me, and it’s with me for life. My deepest gratitude to this practice of life.
Want to know more about 30 days with yoga? Check out our facebook page.
Want to do 30 days of yoga with Adriene? Check it out here.
Let me know how it goes.
Be well…it’s a state of mind.