Transformation
This year has been such a whirlwind of a year for me. I feel as the years go on, sometimes the months begin to jumble together. Everyone says that the fall is a time of transformation - my yoga studio is hosting a transformation challenge, the leaves are beginning to change, I hear the word transformation all around me! It really makes me consider where my transformation lies. If I think of 2019 from January until now, I consider the idea of my yoga practice transforming, my teaching transforming, and my health transforming.
Yoga has been my personal journey since January of 2018. I know there are yogi's who are far more experienced than me, but the Baptiste style of yoga I chose to practice has spoken to my soul endlessly since beginning the practice. Honestly, I wasn't emotionally in a great place when I began yoga. I had been exercising to fill this emotionally broken sense of self that I harbored and yoga fell into my lap. I began 2019 in my studio's version of "40 Days to a New You" by Baron Baptiste. Here I began the year with mental clarity looking to refocus and start the year with my best foot forward. Also, my new year's resolution was to do a handstand which I was able to do in June of 2019. Check. It isn't perfect by any means, but I set a goal and achieved that goal. Now, I can set the bar higher and work towards my form and some of the more logistical techniques of a handstand. In August of 2019, I attended Baptiste's Level One: Journey Into Power at Menla in New York. Talk about transformation. The program begins with a timeline that went something like this:
Genuinely, I can stay that moving forward in my yoga practice and deepening my understanding of myself through that has shifted my views on many different areas of my life. I am a school teacher and as many school teacher's know there is such a hurdle called the five year slump! Undoubtedly, I hit my five year slump last school year. It felt as if I had moved into a place where I was treading water just because I could and it wasn't something I enjoyed. As I moved out of that school year and into this school year, I vowed change to myself. I really wanted to gain clarity on why I fell in love with teaching in the first place. And though, I can't say that I am totally there, I know that I have transformed through my pursuit of meaningful lessons and through creating an environment that I am proud of in my classroom.
Yoga has been my personal journey since January of 2018. I know there are yogi's who are far more experienced than me, but the Baptiste style of yoga I chose to practice has spoken to my soul endlessly since beginning the practice. Honestly, I wasn't emotionally in a great place when I began yoga. I had been exercising to fill this emotionally broken sense of self that I harbored and yoga fell into my lap. I began 2019 in my studio's version of "40 Days to a New You" by Baron Baptiste. Here I began the year with mental clarity looking to refocus and start the year with my best foot forward. Also, my new year's resolution was to do a handstand which I was able to do in June of 2019. Check. It isn't perfect by any means, but I set a goal and achieved that goal. Now, I can set the bar higher and work towards my form and some of the more logistical techniques of a handstand. In August of 2019, I attended Baptiste's Level One: Journey Into Power at Menla in New York. Talk about transformation. The program begins with a timeline that went something like this:
Day 1-3: Build the Cocoon
Day 4: Metamorphosis
Day 5-7: Transformation
When I walked into the program, I kept my expectations low. Simply because I wanted to gain all there was to gain from level one. Honestly, I can say I did, but more on that later! If I reflect back on my transformation as a yogi this year, I'd say that I've grown not only in my practice but also in my inquiry work. I thought it was a cliche when I walked into my studio that cold, January evening in 2018 when I saw the sign, "Practice 3x per week to change your body, practice 5x per week to change your life." Taking my practice to the next level this year has totally proven that for me.
Genuinely, I can stay that moving forward in my yoga practice and deepening my understanding of myself through that has shifted my views on many different areas of my life. I am a school teacher and as many school teacher's know there is such a hurdle called the five year slump! Undoubtedly, I hit my five year slump last school year. It felt as if I had moved into a place where I was treading water just because I could and it wasn't something I enjoyed. As I moved out of that school year and into this school year, I vowed change to myself. I really wanted to gain clarity on why I fell in love with teaching in the first place. And though, I can't say that I am totally there, I know that I have transformed through my pursuit of meaningful lessons and through creating an environment that I am proud of in my classroom.
My last transformation I wanted to acknowledge in 2019 is my health. It's ironic to me that I started yoga in January of 2018 because October of 2018 brought me health news that rocked my world. It's so interesting how I had a coping mechanism in place before I knew I needed it. Perhaps that is how it should be, but at that time, I didn't know. This year I have placed an emphasis on exercising and healthy eating. I've never been an unhealthy eater, but never really placed emphasis on focusing what I put into my body during each meal either. The same was with exercise for me, I was huge into fitness in my early 20's but as I deepened into my career my exercise regimen fell to the wayside a bit. Anyhow, 2019 gave me refocusing opportunity and I've moved away from processed foods and into food sourced locally. The difference is immense. I feel better, I have more energy, and as a result my health has improved drastically. By and large, I owe much of my healthy eating to my support system in my personal life.
I love realizing all of the transformation that I have made over the year. It makes the days where my negative self-talk is loud and brings into perspective all that I have done and what I do to move forward daily.
 |
| Image from Janet Gwen (sourced: Google Images) |
Where was your transformation in 2019? How do you recognize your transformation? How do you want to transform in 2020?
Comments
Post a Comment