Stepping off my mat...

I had fun..... no, a blast writing my latest article for Athleta's Chi blog: A Yogini tries TRX .  As a yoga instructor (and somewhat of a self proclaimed yoga purist (read: yoga snob) it was fun to take on the challenge, try something different, and get my butt kicked in an entirely different way. I really didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.  Will it replace yoga?  Of course not.  But I decided there were a few reasons why I would go again:


1. There is something to that whole idea of muscle confusion.  I consider myself a pretty strong yogini but after one session of TRX, many of my muscles were talking to me the next day.

2.  As a teacher it feels like you a receiving a gift when you have the opportunity to be taught by a good instructor.  That is why I always actively search out positive and well trained individuals in their craft.  Even something so different offers an opportunity to connect with your body in an entirely different way.

3.  Most importantly: there is power in group exercise. Whether you are in a yoga class, TRX class, or running with a group, just being with like-minded people is inspiring.  We know that a strong community is often sited as a health benefit as our oldest recorded humans have strong ties to their community.  It just makes sense that working out with others provides a rich experience.

Speaking of the importance of community, our retreat dates on Madeline Island offer women an opportunity to connect with other health minded women and enjoy life for a few days on a beautiful island.  One of my favorite quotes sums up the value of a retreat:

"Retreats are deliberately conceived opportunities to back off from the chase, attend to personal inventory-taking, and then go deeper---exploring what you normally neglect, getting better acquainted with whatever in you needs to be forgiven, nurtured or germinated....A retreat is a refuge from a world in which you may have lost yourself and a place where you can find yourself."

- John R. O'Neil, The Paradox of Success