I honestly stumbled upon yoga. When I was the team leader for Valdosta State University Campus Recreation, we had no yoga instructor, so I got certified. I couldn’t touch my toes. I didn’t know how to breathe while working out. I didn’t know any moves besides: down dog, child’s pose, and warrior one. I didn’t know the difference between hot yoga and sunrise yoga. I was pretty much a train wreck.
As I finished my online certification, I was lucky enough to have a roommate that had a few years of yoga experience. She gave me so much help and wisdom. Without attending a yoga class in six months, I found myself in front of a class instructing a few college students in my first ever yoga class.
I was never a wonderful yoga teacher, but I made it fun and strived to give people rest. The art of yoga means so many things to so many people. Yoga became rest for me. It became my stress relief. It got me through summers of camp and my last few semesters of college. Somehow when I graduated from college and got married, I forgot all the deep rest and rejuvenation that yoga gifts me with. After many conversations with Adam I finally wrapped my mind around treating myself to a yoga class once a week. After almost a year of no yoga, as soon as I started back, I could tell my body, soul, and mind missed the deep rest that I can only seem to find in a studio on a mat.
Now it is a priority for me to go to a yoga class at least once a week! One of the studios in town had a promo for ‘bring a Friday’ for HOT YOGA. Not just normal yoga but in a room that is about 85 degrees. Yep, I drug Adam with me. I wanted him to see that yoga isn’t as easy as child’s pose and that it brings me so much rest. The teacher for the class we attended was Kim. I LOVE Kim’s classes. She is tough, accommodating for everyone in the room but she was always so real and raw. We rolled our mats out, already sweating from just stepping foot in the door, did about 100 vinyasa and felt deeper rest than I had experienced in a while.
As we packed up, I was waiting for Adam to let me know how much he hated it. To my surprise he thought the class was challenging but he enjoyed us doing it together! He could tell that I was my best self during and after attending a yoga class. He was able to see the value in me simply showing up on the mat to be my biggest encourager for me to put myself first and to go more often.
I am so thankful he showed up with me for a fun date night than meant so much to me! What is something out of the ordinary date night routine that you and your boo have recently tried?
p.s. do something today that is just for you!
Keep your heads up high and your words filled with love!
Your friend, Colleen Howard