The Love Yoga Fest took place in beautiful Falmouth, Massachusetts at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel (which is, you guessed it, right on the beach). It began on Friday, September 20th and went through Sunday, September 22nd.
As the Love Yoga Fest people explain on their website, "[Their] goal is to create a fun, safe, and healthy environment in which to expand your knowledge in all areas of health and well-being. At Love Yoga Fest you will be surrounded by like-minded people and contribute to the world beyond your yoga mat."
When I first heard about it 6 months ago, I was interested and curious and a little intimidated. But I decided to sign up and give it a chance. After all, I am attempting my 200-hour yoga teacher certification; what better way to live and breathe the yogi way than to surround myself with "like-minded people"?
I documented my experiences from each day of this festival to share with you. So if you ever wanted to know what non-stop yoga-ing is like from a regular gal's perspective, please read on.
Day 1: Lessons on Being Human
This is NOT
your mother’s yoga…unless your mother happens to be an intense yogi, that is. I’m
going to be a bit sore after today’s practice, this I know.
I
participated in a couple of hour-long yoga sessions on the first day of the
Love Yoga Fest and truthfully my body was not fully prepared for it. Before
arriving at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel, it had been a couple of weeks since I
last did any yoga stretches at all (as the busyness of life kind of got in the
way) so my muscles and joints were stiff and resistant. But the best thing for
stiff and resistant muscles and joints is…you guessed it…YOGA.
I was 10
minutes late for my first class. Ha, what a great way to kick things off on day
1, right? It was not my intention to arrive late, of course, but Falmouth, MA
is an hour and 40 minutes from where I live and my first class was at 9:15 a.m.,
so I literally got there as quickly as my car and Friday morning traffic would
allow. Not only was I a few minutes late for my first yoga class of the
weekend, but I also accidentally left my yoga mat in my car in all my rushing
to get inside the building and get checked in. Naturally I realized my error
AFTER I was let into the quiet classroom where the two instructors were already
engaged with the students – who were all sitting dutifully on their yoga mats.
Doh!
I knew in
that moment I had a choice to make: slink out of the class and miss the lesson,
or go with it. I chose to go with it. I
didn’t want to miss the class and truthfully, this wouldn’t be the first time
(or probably the last) that I did yoga directly on a rug instead of on a mat.
Even though I was the only one in the room not sitting on a mat (and man do I hate
being singled out as the only one doing anything), I made a conscious decision
to focus on the lesson, the movements and breaths, and to allow myself to get
lost in the yoga. And it turned out to be an awesome class.
We’re all human,
we make mistakes. Sometimes we arrive late for a class or forget our yoga mats
or stumble when we walk or pose. Today was a lesson for me on being human; it
was a lovely and humbling reminder that even when I have the best intentions, I
will still goof up sometimes. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have a positive
experience anyway. Sure my knees are a bit sore from getting down on the floor
without the cushion of a mat, but I also got to give myself a gift of peace of
mind for an hour this morning.
Day 2: Dig A Little Deeper
So the drama
with my yoga mat continued today. As I was leaving my hotel room for my first session at 8
a.m., I realized my yoga mat was not in my room with me. This means I left it
somewhere yesterday. And I was in a lot of places yesterday, so it literally
could be anywhere. I went to work in retracing my steps and speaking to 3
different “lost & found” stations at the hotel but alas, no one had my
little blue yoga mat. So I went ahead and purchased a new mat from one of the
many vendors available at this weekend’s festival. A minor blip in my weekend’s
activities…but once I had the (new) mat in my possession, I was ready to face the
day.
I did some
cool stuff today and met some great people, but two things in particular stand
out:
1. The name of the session was Calm, Centered, & Grounded and it was hands down the best mini-workshop I have ever attended. It was led by Sara DiVello, and if you don’t know who she is, definitely Google her. She is an exceptionally relatable, down to earth, authentic soul who uses humor and humanity to connect with and help those who suffer from anxiety. During today’s workshop she showed us how we can use EFT tapping to manage anxiety. She also invited us to share our fears and anxieties out loud, and while this is a very vulnerable and humbling thing to do, there were many people who volunteered to share. When one brave soul shared a very personal struggle and broke down into tears, Sara got down on the floor with her and gave her a hug. It brought me to tears to see such genuine love and compassion between two strangers. I also had a chance to meet Sara face to face after the session ended; I went up and introduced myself, thanked her for the amazing class, and I purchased her book, Where in the OM Am I? One Woman’s Journey from the Corporate World to the Yoga Mat. She even signed the book for me, and I am still fangirling over the whole thing.
2. Speaking of fangirling, do you know who Seane Corn is? If not, let me tell you, she is a big celebrity in the yoga world. Google her too. 😊 I happened to see her standing in the hotel lobby gabbing with someone earlier in the day and I was totally star-struck. I played it cool and didn’t stare, but I felt the positive and warm energy of being near something (someone) magnificent. And on top of that, I got to take a yoga class led by Seane today - and it was intense and amazing at the same time. The main theme I got from her yoga session is that I need to dig a little deeper – physically, emotionally, mentally, etc. She pushed my body and my mind to the edge of my limits and challenged me to feel all the feelings, good and bad. It made me realize that I have been hiding behind beginner yoga classes for a long time, and that going forward I need to dig a little deeper and push myself a little more. And while she had us in a particularly difficult asana this afternoon during our yoga session, I remember feeling very agitated (as sometimes happens when you are pushed and forced to face a challenge) – and then I smiled - because I was feeling agitated toward my yoga teacher, SEANE FREAKING CORN. How awesome is that? And to put this in perspective for those of you who had never heard of Seane Corn before now - it would be like if Tom Brady took a day to coach a local high school football team. A-maz-ing.
Today was a
very emotional day for me. I cried a few times. I laughed a few times. I lost
and found a yoga mat. Overall, day 2 was a big success.
Day 3: Recovery
On the third
and final day at the yoga retreat, I took it easy. After so much yoga-ing over
the last couple of days, I needed to take it slow, and today was the perfect
day for it.
I started my
day by doing yoga on the beach. What a cool way to practice! The feel of the
sand under me, the sounds and smells of the ocean, and the sun shining down – it
was all too perfect for words. Before today, I had never practiced yoga in the sand. It has its challenges for sure, but it definitely adds a special depth to the practice. I really enjoyed having the sounds of nature (and laughing children) around me as I stretched.
And I ended
my day by attending a Recovery Yoga class. It was led by a woman who teaches
yoga and mindfulness to people overcoming trauma and addiction. The session was
truly inspiring; we all sat in a circle and were allowed to share about our
lives if we felt comfortable doing so. We discussed hope as our main topic, and
many people shared how even though they were overcoming addictions of various
sorts, they still felt hopeful. After the discussion the teacher led us in a
slow and deliberate restorative session. This was a poignant and lovely way to
close out my weekend at this intense yoga event.
To sum up...
It's now the day after the 2019 Love Yoga Fest has ended and I have to say I am so very glad I did this. Even though I have always enjoyed yoga, this 3-day festival truly changed my perspective. I now know what kind of yoga teacher I want to be. And I am grateful for the opportunity to have connected with so many amazing souls over the last couple of days. When I say that the energy here at this festival was warm and positive and loving, I mean it. I have never been in such a warm and loving place before.
Admittedly, a yoga festival is way outside of my comfort zone. I tend to walk through life with my arms crossed, closed off from everyone around me. I don't really let people in. But in a place like the Love Yoga Fest, I couldn't remain closed off. It just wasn't possible. And that was a scary concept for me at first. But once I embraced the love and warmth from those around me, I felt good. Probably the best I have felt in a very long time.
I know I have said this before in other blog posts but it bears repeating: magic is what happens outside of your comfort zone. You don't have to attend a yoga festival or run a marathon or give up alcohol or coffee - but if you have the chance to try something new, to push yourself beyond what feels warm and snuggly for you, do it. You might just be amazed at what happens. 💖
