My Sunday mornings have become pretty routine over the past couple of years. Light breakfast and coffe while finalizing playlist, sequence and message for my hot class, teach a 90 minute class to the most amazing yogis, post-yoga brunch with friends and then grocery shopping and house organization. I like it.
I don’t like to practice yoga with a lot of food in my belly and I know this sounds crazy but the same goes for teaching. Weird, right? I get so distracted if I’m full while I’m teaching. I guess that’s not so weird when you consider I have to spend 90 minutes in a 100 degree room. I usually keep my Sunday morning breakfasts pretty light so today I made a smoothie with banana, mango, protein powder, coconut oil and almond milk.
Class felt really great today. As a teacher I find that I have really “on” classes where I feel like I really connect with my students and feel completely in the teaching zone and today was one of those days. Everything seemed to flow effortlessly, my students were super focused and the energy in the room was just good.
It was all made even better when after class Katie came up to introduce herself. Katie lives in DC and was in Charlotte visiting friends for the weekend. She shared with me that she tried her first yoga class after reading my blog, fell in love with yoga and completed teacher training. She is now teaching and preparing to open her very own studio this spring. My heart explodes with yoga love.
To be continued in tomorrow’s yoga Monday post…
Big salad for lunch after class. Oh gah, let me try to get through it all…baby spinach, cranberry tuna salad, roasted red peppers, boiled eggs, shredded purple cabbage slaw, roasted butternut squash, cannellini beans, parmesan cheese, pecans, nutritional yeast, sesame sticks and balsamic. Told ya it was a lot!
I ran three miles with the pup and trained a client this afternoon before heading back to the studio for a tribute class for my friend and fellow yogi Jennifer McManus who recently lost her battle with cancer. Over 60 people showed up for a practice led by three of her favorite teachers. Her husband gave an opening message about living each day as if it were your last that left us all in tears. We spent the next 90 minutes sweating, flowing and breathing in her honor. As soon as we made it into savasana, our final resting pose, tears started flowing down my cheeks. I can’t really explain to you what I was feeling but my soul literally ached.
Dinner was a little heavy on the cheese, which translates to heavy on the delicious. Spinach penne with eggplant parmesan and lots of mozzarella cheese.
I decided that I needed some frozen yogurt after dinner. I arrived at Yoforia at 8:57…just three minutes shy of closing time and filled up my bowl. This was exactly how I needed to end my weekend.
Time to regroup and refocus for the week ahead. It’s going to be a tough one.
See!? You’re such an inspiration to many, including me 🙂 My heart aches for you and your community with the loss of your friend Jennifer. I’m sending you lots of positivity and love for the week ahead, lady!
Was totally drooling over your dinner! Looks like the perfect way to bring a fabulous weekend to a close. It’s been a while since I cried during savasana, but when it happens it feels good to let it out and is probably one of the best places to do it. Have a great week! XO
Katie– I am also a yogi living in the DC area. I am excited to read about you teaching and opening a studio this spring and would love to come and practice there. Jen thanks so much for being such a wonderful inspiration to us all!
You inspired me to get into yoga, too! I’ve always wanted to get into it but was sort of intimidated until you wrote a post about “just doing it” and I started about a month ago and am in love! I got my headstand a couple of days ago 🙂
Wow Katie is awesome 🙂 Also your dinner looks insane I am kinda drooling here!
That story is so amazing. And I have to say I think of my teacher training when reading your past posts, as well as your classes when I”m teaching mine 🙂
oh my goodness – that fro yo cup looks delicious!
I don’t like teaching on a full belly either, so I can totally relate! Congrats on having an “on” class…it can totally set the tone for the whole day 🙂 And your salad, dinner, and fro yo look amazing!