Day 1

Yesterday marked the first day of my 3 week yoga retreat. Now before you start thinking to yourself “Wow, a three week yoga retreat…must be nice!?” There are a couple things you should probably know.

1. I did not leave my house, my hubby, my kids, or my responsibilities to attend this yoga retreat. While yes, that would be nice, it is simply not a feasible option at this point in my life.
2. This yoga retreat encompasses a deepening in my {limited} yoga practice by taking me a few steps backward and back to the beginning. To the basics. When I started dabbling in yoga nearly 10 years ago, I just sort of jumped in. I bought some videos off of a website and started doing them in the mornings as a way to cure my anxiety sans drugs. Beyond that I have not spent a whole lot of time really understanding the “why” behind yoga. Therefore, I feel that by going back to basics to build a foundation will allow me to really connect with my body and engage in each session in a completely present and mindful way. 
3. I tend to have an ego. This is something that I have thankfully become more aware of over the past year or so. I probably always knew it was there, but I would make excuses for it in the past. Now, I am trying to tame it. Part of that taming process is allowing myself to start and finish this yoga retreat without panic kicking in that I am not “doing enough”.
4. The concept of not doing or being enough is one that weighs me down in all the other areas of my life. I feel that this 3 week chunk of time will allow me to shift my focus from external to internal in a way that will allow me to grow as a person, and hopefully ditch that idea that I should do or be more than what I am right now, in this moment.
5. Up until this point in my life I would have been completely terrified to take 3 whole weeks of “training” off (see point 3). I would have completely freaked out that all my hard work would go right down the drain, and that I would be setting myself back.  I only ever took an extended period of time off if I was injured. I am slowly learning the importance of taking care of my whole being. And that there is so much more to me than what I see in the mirror or what others see me as.

My mentality is shifting, my mind is becoming more open to possibilities, miracles, and dreams, and I feel more ready than ever to embrace the hidden challenges that lie within these next three weeks.  I’ll be sharing my meal plan, recipes, and some of my ‘aha’ moments with you during my retreat. I look forward to sharing bits of this journey with you, and I hope that it in some way resonates with you and the journey you’re on.

Are you a seasoned yogi or someone just starting out? I’d love to hear some of your personal experiences with yoga or thoughts about yoga too!