Amazing Weekend!

Thad and I with Clara, who Thad met at Level 1 training last month

We got home yesterday from an amazing weekend spent in Chicago. Although really it's not the location that made it amazing - while Chicago is a great city and we enjoyed spending time in such a vibrant place, it was amazing because of the people and community we shared it with at the Baptiste yoga immersion. I was nervous for weeks!! seriously, weeks! As in, debating in my mind (and okay, with Thad, too) if I should really be going, nervous! So much self doubt and worrying about whether I was good enough. Yes, Thad and my teachers told me that's not what it's about and I had nothing to be nervous about - but call me stubborn or perhaps just human - I needed to experience it for myself to really understand that. The day turned out to be absolutely awesome! Baron was so incredibly insightful and inspiring and I came away from the event with so much to think about and feeling so great - and feeling that energy from the inside out! I am also thankful to have been able to share the day with Thad and about a dozen people from our yoga studio. I really enjoyed getting to know them on a deeper level and sharing with them.

The morning started with some discussion, then moved to about 4 1/2 hours of yoga practice. There were pauses in between as he stopped to demonstrate or talk about certain poses, so it was not as daunting as it sounds. I learned a great deal and only wish I was one of those people who has a photographic memory so I could rewind and see what I missed while I was thinking about one thing or another. For my practice, I came away with the concept of True North in every pose, and the awareness that it really is true that the last wheel can be your best - even after about 8 of them, that last one felt the most open! But so much of what Baron talks about is really personal development. Finding the blocks in our lives and what we can do to make transformations. I took away a real appreciation for the concept of living in the now, that the past is gone and the future hasn't happened yet. While I do think that is something I have moved towards over the past two years as our lives have gone through so much change, believing that at heart in everything you do is a step further. It was empowering to learn that so many others came there with feelings in their lives around not being good enough. It is something I have really struggled with and I think it holds me back in many ways. We talked about giving up those things that limit us - such as the concept of not being good enough. Making those statements to the world, putting it out there, helps to make you live it.

So, I went into the weekend nervous and not feeling good enough - and came away inspired, energized, lighter inside and wanting to spend a week with Baron at bootcamp sometime next year! Yoga is so much more than the physical practice and while I 'knew' that in my mind, I now truly 'believe' it too in my heart. I also know that I wouldn't be in that place now if it weren't for my supportive and loving husband and my supportive and inspiring teachers. I would love to give the gift of this feeling to everyone I know!