Summer of Yoga + Life Lately

Hi there. It’s been another extended period for me between posts but at this point I’m considering it a summer break of sorts. It’s not that my mind isn’t overflowing with ideas for posts and things to write about – it’s just that life has been full this summer. I will also admit that on the motherhood front, we have lost all semblance of a schedule at this point. What even is bedtime these days?

I am mostly proud of myself for leaning into the fulness of this summer season. I won’t say there haven’t been moments of overwhelm but it’s mostly been a great summer. Finn starts back to school after Labor Day and I’m planning to do a big sit down to get really intentional about my schedule and how I’m allocating my time. I think some shifts and changes are in order to feel a bit more in balance and to maximize my productivity.

I’ll start with my BIG NEWS!

Last Sunday I completed the in-person portion of the 150 hour advanced yoga studies training for yoga teachers that I’ve been taking all summer! It took place over the course of six weekends and I was on this journey with the nine other beautiful souls you see in this photo.

I did this training through Asheville Yoga Center. We had the option to participate in the training virtually or in-studio. Due to time, logistics and finances, I opted to do the training from home over Zoom but felt this deep pull to be there in person for the final day.

I was up and on the road at 5:30a on Sunday to drive to Asheville. It was an easy drive that time of day and I spent it preparing for the class that I was teaching that morning. We all had to teach a 60-minute class that incorporated asana (physical movement/poses), pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation techniques that we’d learned throughout the training.

My class went really well and it was so nice to be able to meet my fellow trainees and our teacher trainers in real life. While I am grateful that the pandemic made Zoom learning a possibility for yoga trainings, there is just nothing like physically being there. The energy, connection and vibes are just totally different.

The rest of the day was spent practice teaching pranayama and meditation, taking an oral exam (all the nerves for that one!) and celebrating our accomplishment.

One of our trainers is a talented vegan chef and she baked us all sorts of yummy treats. This was a chocolate cake with strawberry buttercream and there’s a raw cheesecake in the background.

While I have led a whole lot of 200-hour yoga teacher trainings over the last five years, it has been a very long time since I was on the other side of an immersive training like this. It was a humbling experience and a great reminder of the intensity of being a teacher trainee. It not only requires a lot of time and energy but also vulnerability, courage and surrender. I am very in my feels on the other side of it. On the one hand, I’m so glad it’s done and I have my weekends back. On the other hand, I wish I could do it all over again. I feel like I have more to give and more to learn. I still have some requirements to make my way through to complete this training including a 15-hour service project, reading, essays, etc.

I am never done growing as a student and teacher of yoga – and that excites me beyond words. This 150-hour training was part of a 300-hour certification that I’ve been working on since 2019. I have about 50 hours of electives remaining and I can’t wait to choose my modules and fully graduate the program! For my non-yogis out there, I’ll essentially have my masters degree in yoga after this.

Okay, I will wrap this up with a few photos from life over the last couple of weeks.

All the pool days. Finn’s favorite song at the moment is Sunroof so I let him bring “I’ve got my head out the sunroof, I’m blasting our favorite tunes” to life.

Family walks. <3

Tomatoes on repeat.

Fridge organization.

Singlehandedly deadlifted a dresser into my trunk that I found at the curb.

Donut mornings. We tried out Beyond Amazing Donuts and they were delicious!

Alrighty friends. I’m off to the gym to train a few clients and maybe squeeze in a workout. It’s been a week since I lifted! Have a beautiful day and thanks for being here!