This past weekend I attended Yoga Journal Live, yoga workshops and lectures with world renowned teachers, at the Hilton in midtown NYC. Literally, hundreds of workshops were held over four days, and people from all over the country attended. I felt like I was at the Governor's Ball on Randall Island running from stage to stage to see some of my favorite musicians perform. Only instead of having a drink in my hand, dancing my way through the crowd, I found myself carrying my mat, notebook and props from conference room to conference room amongst thousands of other yogis doing the exact same thing.
My favorite workshop was the ABC's of Inversions with Rodney Yee (one of my teacher, Chrissy Carter's, teachers) and Colleen Saidman Yee, who I've followed on Instagram and is perhaps the most beautiful woman I've ever met! Believe it or not, it was a seven hour inversion practice, that helped teach alignment some tricks of the trade to get upside down. I personally have a love/hate relationship with inversions, because I have the strength and understanding of alignment so I can do them when I allow myself, but most of the time I get in my own head and freak myself out too much to actually make them happen. The struggle is real!
“Be grateful for situations that make you feel uncomfortable. Without them, we wouldn’t know there was something unhealed in us.”
I also loved Gabby Bernstein's Kundalini Yoga class and lecture, which were both super emotional! Between listening to her encouraging words about understanding our personal truth and chanting lyrics that encouraged healing, everyone including myself left feeling encouraged and raw, which I wasn't prepared for.
Besides the lectures and workshops, I spent a ton of time at the market, where vendors and sponsors sold everything from mala beads and leggings to books and food. Of course, the bookstore lured me in more than any other and I picked up Retox by Lauren Imparato, The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte (which I've been wanting for a while!) and Art of Attention by Elena Brower. Of course, I'll keep you posted as I dive in. To summarize the weekend in two words, I'd choose exhilarating and exhausting! I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to join the Yoga Journal community and continue my education as a teacher and student.
