Making Fitness Fun

I am a firm believer that in order for you to commit to movement and fitness, it must be fun. And fun is different for everyone! This past month we implemented the August challenge. We are already halfway through the month and some of our members have already met their goal of 20 classes in 31 days! Most of those who have participated in the challenge were more excited about the camaraderie and fun that the group was having amidst the challenge and less concerned about the prize they would receive at the end. These members have proven themselves to be motivated and dedicated to completing this challenge. I’m really excited for them. If you missed the challenge, don’t worry. I am already in the planning stages of an October challenge.

In order to commit to a plan and keep our bodies moving, we must enjoy what we are doing. There’s no need to punish your body with hours and hours of grueling unenjoyable workouts. Make it fun. Find a group that lets you be free to move in a way that feels good for you. Find a workout buddy that holds you accountable. If it stops being fun, change something. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some of the ways that I keep fitness fun personally!

Why I chose Costa Rica for my Yoga Training

I began my journey with Yoga back in 2011 with a group called Yoga Legacy. I had worked with Pat and Kaye and trusted their expertise and enjoyed their teaching style. The process of becoming a fully-certified 200-hour yoga teacher is not for the faint of heart. At the time, there weren’t many companies offering Yoga Teacher Training (YTT). My goal at the time was merely to become a more versatile group fitness instructor. There was really no long term objective. My employer was reimbursing me for the cost, which was very expensive. Yoga teacher trainings can range in price from $3000 to $5000 depending on the organization. Yoga Legacy was reasonable and offered the flexibility of receiving the training over the course of 10 months. Midway through my training, my company stopped reimbursing for the cost of the training. I had already been teaching for the better part of 6 months as I wasn’t required to hold an RYT with Yoga Alliance to teach a fitness yoga class. I merely needed the fundamentals. That’s where my yoga training took a 7 year hiatus. I continue to teach a yoga class based in fitness but the last few years I have felt that something was missing from my practice as well as my ability to teach others. I realized that at this point in my life, I am ready to finish what I have started. Fitness is an ever-evolving cycle of trends, new research, conflicting data, and novel modalities. Each year it seems we have a new trend in fitness. Indoor cycling was the rage for a long time and while still popular, has started to taper off. Just last year, Pilates reformer studios were popping up like McDonald’s, each promising the newest equipment, best trained instructors, and revolutionary workouts. The one constant and that which is resistant to the fluctuations in trends and style is yoga. Why is that? It’s because yoga is not about fitness. Let me clarify. The meaning of the word yoga is defined as “tying the strands of the mind together”. Yoga is the culmination of so many different things collectively and individually. It is realizing that there is a power greater than ourselves. It is the ability to become closer to that power. It is the understanding of our body, how it works together as well as how it interacts with the universe. It is breath, it is movement, it is life. It is a practice ultimately of achieving that which was once unachievable.

My yoga “practice” up until this point consisted of a sequence of poses, guided through breath, beginning with a warm up, and finishing with a meditation of sorts. I wanted more than that. I wanted to truly be immersed in the practice and use it to grow and improve as a human being as well as a fitness instructor. I wanted to be completely immersed in it. I didn’t want to just spend one weekend a month, or every other weekend, in a classroom learning the poses, breathing techniques, formatting a class, etc. I thought about my options. If money were no object, what would I do? I have heard of people going to Tibet or India for month long immersions. Realistically, I couldn’t make this work. I couldn’t be away from work that long and I certainly didn’t want to be away from my family for that long. Next option, please. Two week immersions in Costa Rica or Thailand. Okay, maybe I can work with that. I reached out to a yoga instructor I knew who did immersions and she recommended Blue Osa. I couldn’t believe how inexpensive the actual training was in comparison to all the other YTT organizations I had found in North Carolina. I had to get there, of course, which was nothing to sneeze at. However, the tuition included 3 plant-based meals a day and lodging on the breathtaking Osa Peninsula in the southwest corner of Costa Rica. The bonus was that I would be completely immersed in it for 15-days. I would learn from a true guru, someone who can show me the way to my own path. I am looking forward to that.

I hope to share my journey along the way. I am currently reading through some of the required reading for my training. I am in the middle of “The Heart of Yoga” by TKV Desikachar, which has really opened my eyes to what yoga really is. It’s confusing as hell to me but it’s my path and my journey and I am embracing everything about it. More to come…

Wellness Retreats

When I first decided to embark on the business of wellness/yoga retreats, the idea I had in mind seemed way too daunting for someone just getting into it. Eight years ago, in passing, I mentioned to a friend how much I would love to plan a week-long vacation for individuals who wanted to embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement. What an awesome idea! I thought about the possibility of traveling to Costa Rica, eating (mostly) healthy foods, beginning the day with morning meditations and yoga practice, giving each participant individualized attention as it relates to their personal fitness and wellness goals, and providing a high-end but affordable vacation centering on wellness. But a week is a really long time with tons of planning, no concept of the potential problems I might run into or money that might need to be spent. So I decided to start small with weekend adventures to mostly easy-to-get-to locations. Our first wellness retreat will be in Banner Elk, NC in January. I am honestly so excited about this adventure. I have partnered up with an amazing pair of women who specialize in preparing and cooking mostly organic, locally grown, plant based foods. They will provide the catering for both of our dinners and both breakfasts and the menu looks OUTSTANDING!

Our weekend will consist of group bonding activities, individual introspective journaling activities, guided nature walks, morning yoga and meditation, afternoon optional workouts, and lots of fun!

I am not under the illusion that it will be a flawless event. I am prepared for unexpected things to happen but I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of the personal growth of each of these amazing women. I am also looking forward to sharing my experience here with you. Look out for many more wellness retreats in the future. In fact, where would you like to see an upcoming retreat and when?