Did you know that September is National Yoga Month? In 2009 the Department of Health and Human Services designated September as National Yoga Month in an effort to educate the public on the benefits of yoga.
There are a lot of misconceptions about yoga. Beyond the standard “it’s boring, too easy and a little weird,” there are also the common responses of “I’m not flexible enough” and “I can’t sit still long enough.” I can say this because I actually used to believe these things. When we lived in Birmingham I dabbled in yoga with mixed results. Some classes bored me to tears, some had me bolting for the door the second we bowed and said namaste and others were simply tolerable – not bad but not great either. Oh and then there was the time when I had someone clanging bowls around me to send healing vibrations but that’s another story for another day.
What I failed to realized in my early yoga days is that not all yoga is created equal. Now that I have been immersed in yoga and have experienced different styles, I firmly believe that there is some type of yoga for everyone. I will never forget the feeling I had when I left the first class that I truly loved. I felt euphoric and honestly almost high, even though I had just had my ass handed to me and shook and fumbled my way through the practice. I went back for more and more and more…craving time on my mat. And here I am two years later leading others through their practices and just hoping that I can ignite that spark in new yogis that I was so lucky to find.
So in honor of National Yoga Month, I wanted to let you know about two FREE ways that you can get involved with the yoga community in your area. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi, interested in trying yoga or have deemed yourself “not into yoga” I encourage you to participate in these events. There are always lessons to be learned by stepping outside of your comfort zone!
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#1 Yoga Month – One Week Free Yoga
New students can register for one week of free yoga at one of over 1,6000 studios participating in the One Week Free Yoga program. This is a great opportunity for new yogis to experience yoga in a studio setting and for seasoned yogis to try a new studio. I encourage you to really use the pass and try a variety of teachers and classes at your selected studio.
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#2 Lululemon’s Salutation Nation
Lululemon is hosting a “National Day of Om” by offering a complimentary yoga class in cities across the country on Saturday, September 10 from 9-10 a.m. The classes will be led by a local yoga instructor and are appropriate for all levels. I love the idea of a nationwide day of yoga! Grab some friends and participate in your local Salutation Nation event!
I am attending the Charlotte Salutation Nation and would love to see Charlotte-area readers there. Let me know if you want to meet up to practice! I will be running the Big Red Shoes 5K before.
Are you taking advantage of any of these yoga events?
