My name is Chris Price, a 33 year old teacher living and working in Durango, Mexico who has just completed the 40 Days of Yoga with CC. For years I have been doing yoga only here and there, treating it as something of a “necessary evil” to help balance out strength and sport-specific training. Moreover, I never had the same, consistent routine, so I admit to being a little weary when I first learned that we’d be doing the same recording each day within a week; those concerns quickly disappeared. Instead, the benefits of doing this become apparent almost immediately. I was able to feel real progress each week and within each separate practice. Also, as the practices get longer, each separate practice starts to come together in a logical and cohesive way. Even though I was doing the 40 Days of Yoga with Container Collective virtually, there was still an active community of participants, so I felt supported the entire time. Doing yoga with the community and on this consistent basis has opened up my strength training, helping me to become an even stronger version of myself. I now treat yoga as a daily and integral part of my strength training, as it has informed my posture, strength, breathing and overall physical and mental health. I used to be the kind of guy to skip savasana at the end, seeing it as a waste of time. I used to see the benefits of yoga strictly for adding flexibility, scoffing internally at what I incorrectly viewed as some of the “hippie-dippy, unnecessary” aspects of yoga. But now I understand the interrelatedness of these practices, and have even developed a love of meditation and OM’ing! It has been a long journey that I am still on, but I am now open to the possibility of becoming a yoga instructor someday! None of these transformations would have been possible if not for the supportive community of yogis and, of course, the patience, wisdom and love of the instructor, Brittany.
Namaste and que le vaya bien my people! Chris Price is a 33 year old American Literature/English teacher at an international high school in Durango, Mexico who has just completed the 40 Days of Yoga with CC YOGA.
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Day 41 of … hey wait, I thought this was only 40 days? So what does that make day 41? The beginning, the end? It makes it a continuation, a reaffirmation of commitment. To yourself, if you were wondering. To be honest, I wasn’t even going to participate. I felt like such a newbie and heard 40 days and didn’t believe that I could do it, even with starting small. But Brittany believed I could, and if she believes I can do it, then I can. So I said, alright, sign me up! I like checking off boxes, writing things down, so the workbook Brittany put together was wonderful, and added bonus, we had Nikki help us out on the nutrition side! The key for me was to be able to compartmentalize each step, the meditation, the food, the reading, the journaling, the yoga practices, but also able to look at the weekly chart and go “Wow, look what you accomplished this first week!” which got me excited for the second, and the third. The fourth week I felt like I hit a roadblock. Every part of the day seemed to be a struggle, meditating, paying attention to what I was eating, and even the practice. At some point, I realized I was making it harder for myself, that all I needed was to work on something for even 5 minutes here, then go about my day, then 5 minutes there. I discovered I was in control, I had the ability to incorporate the meditation, the yoga practice, the food, however I needed and it would still mean a successful day. I was able to use some of the podcasts Brittany had sent for previous days as well as the videos she had posted on YouTube. And you know what happened? I relaxed. I relaxed in my life, with my children, with my husband, with my practice. I was able to look at what I was doing, choose what I was doing, and look at myself and say, no matter what, as long as you keep doing, keep choosing, keep trying, you are successful. And I was, I am. I am. I am. And I made it do day 41. Or day 1. Or day somewhere in the middle, with no plan for an end, but a continuation of the commitment to myself. Would I participate in 40 Days of Yoga again? Most assuredly. Would I encourage you to participate? Most definitely. It doesn’t matter if you have just introduced yourself to yoga, been practicing for 4 months, or 5 years or more, it is worth it to yourself. So you can discover your own I AM.
Our friend, Mollie, at Two Sticks and a Board, shows us how to travel and take our yoga practice along for the ride..Part of my job is travel…. and sometimes, lots of it! Since I’ve gotten into yoga, I’ve tried to integrate a regular practice into my travel schedule. After years of shlepping my yoga mat to locations around the world, only to leave it rolled up for the duration of my trip—I was ready to figure out a strategy to make it work! After months of trial, and lots of error, here are my top five techniques for doing yoga on-the-go: 1. I bring my favorite yoga mat instead of a travel yoga mat. For me, having my mat—the mat that I love the most, makes the difference between wanting to do yoga and putting it off. Even though it weighs more than a travel mat, my Jade yoga mat gives me the support I need. I simply strap it onto the side of my Osprey backpack and it makes for 1 carry-on item on the airplane. 2. I pre-load all my favorite podcasts onto an iPod Shuffle. One of the easiest ways for me to do yoga on the go—even when traveling with my husband (Sean)—is to have podcasts loaded on a device I can wear while practicing. If I’m waking up early to do yoga, I pop in my earbuds and roll out my mat right in the hotel room. I get to do yoga, and I don’t disturb Sean’s sleep (unless I’m breathing really hard!). Plus, the iPod shuffles are extremely affordable, clip right to my clothing, and hold enough podcasts for an extended trip. 3. I plan my yoga schedule ahead of time. If I’m not holding myself accountable, I know I won’t make my yoga practice a priority. I plan out my yoga schedule from the start of the trip so I know where to go, and when. If I can get myself signed up for a class at a local studio, even better. I pre-pay for a drop in—and if I’ve committed money, I find it impossible to make excuses, no matter how tired I am. The Mind Body Online app makes it extremely easy for me to “favorite” my studios around the world and sign up for classes in one easy spot. 4. I practice persistence and forgiveness. I’ve come to learn that even during my most ambitious moments, there are trips that prevent me from following through with my plan. For the longest time, I had a lot of pent-up guilt about not following through. I was really hard on myself. Eventually, by practicing forgiveness, I overcame that tendency, and I’m a healthier yogi because of it! 5. I surround myself with supportive friends. If I’m traveling with others, I get them involved with my yoga practice whenever possible. Yoga is better with friends—and that doesn’t change on the road! My friends have be so open and wonderful to practicing with podcasts, and they help hold me accountable! And if I can expose a friend to something new, we’re both benefiting from those moments together.
So whether you’re spending a weekend away, or an extended trip around the world, there is absolutely time to fit yoga in! Just remember: pack the necessities, prepare ahead of time, and forgive yourself when plans change. Happy travels, yogis! -- Mollie Busby is a skier girl married to a splitboarding beardsman, who lives in a remote yurt in Whitefish, Montana. She gets stoked on powder turns, international travel, & yoga.Follow her adventures on Instagram and find more of her stories on TwoSticksAndABoard.com. |