Tap, tap…is this thing on!? I haven’t written a post in eight days! My absence wasn’t intentional but the last week was a vortex where I accomplished on average 25% of what I thought I would when it came to anything other than yoga.

It was graduation weekend for my VIDA Hot Yoga 200-hour yoga teacher trainees so I spent a lot of time last week prepping and then the weekend itself was long and immersive. Despite that, I returned home with my fire burning brightly for the work that I do. It is so insanely rewarding.

Here’s a look at the weekend!

FRIDAY

Finn’s dad picked him up at noon and I headed straight out on a run to move my body before sitting in the car for over three hours. After my run, I loaded up the car and set off for Tennessee.

I like to listen to podcasts and audiobooks in the car. The highlight of this trip was listening to a conversation between Will Smith and Jay Shetty on Jay’s podcast. It got pretty deep and was thought-provoking. And how can you not love Will Smith? I think he’s even cooler after listening to this podcast.

I drove straight to the studio and taught a 75-minute hot power yoga class that was sweaty and so good. After class, I led the trainees through a very cool shaking and dancing meditation. It’s called Osho Kundalini Meditation and it’s one of my favorites. When most people think about meditation they think about sitting quietly with your eyes closed. Movement meditation is actually a thing and this one is really powerful!

There are four stages of the meditation. The first two are active – shaking and dancing. It’s meant to prepare you for stillness in the second two stages where you sit quietly and then take rest. The meditation unlocks repressed/blocked energy and helps to move you into a state of happiness and joy. I find this meditation especially effective for helping me to let go of things…maybe it’s the literal shaking off! I know this might all sound a little crazy but it’s amazing!

We broke around 8:30p and after a quick stop by the store to get supplies for the next day, I checked into my hotel. I am always starving and desperate for dinner on the nights we break late so I packed leftovers to heat up at the hotel for dinner. This is baked salmon over a mashed sweet potato with sautéed zucchini, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes.

Netflix kept suggesting The Baker and The Beauty to me so I took the bait on Friday night. It was really cute and I ended up watching two episodes! I am very disappointed that there are only nine and they aren’t making any more.

SATURDAY

I arrived at the studio to find that some of the TTs had brought breakfast and coffee for the group. After we all got caffeinated and settled in, they took their final written yoga exam. It took about two hours and then I taught a hot power class at the studio that they took. They were all so happy to get our of their heads after the exam.

After we got the test out of the way, the rest of Saturday was fun! We went over and graded the test together and then did an arm balance workshop. We ended the day with a lecture during which wine was consumed. 😉

I took a quick trip to the hotel to shower and get ready for our graduation party! The studio management planned a party for the TTs and we had a great time celebrating them and their achievements.

I got back to the hotel around 9:45p and ordered a chicken quesadilla from room service. I ate it in bed while watching another episode of The Baker and The Beauty. I was wiped out from the day!

SUNDAY

We met at 8a on Sunday for our final day of training! We started the day by listening to Brene Browns famous TED Talk on vulnerability with discussion on why it’s important as a yoga teacher and practitioner. Then they took their final anatomy exam followed by an inversions workshop. I led them through lots of mobility and strength drills and then we played around with handstand, forearm balance and headstand.

I squeezed in a four mile run during our lunch break and it felt AMAZING. Give me all the running right now. I can’t get enough.

After lunch we discussed the book The Four Agreements, listened to The Spirit of the Vedas and had our closing ceremony. Many tears were shed over the course of the weekend and during our closing.

I took the backroad route back to Charlotte and got to enjoy beautiful mountain scenery for about 70% of my drive. I arrived home at 8:30p with a heart very full of gratitude.

I don’t typically repost Instagram posts on my blog but I want to share what I wrote on Sunday night when I got home in the event that you don’t follow me there.

These people. ❤️ I am so honored to be a part of the team at @vida_hot_yoga.

When Finn was two months old, they asked if I would consider partnering with them to lead a 200-hour yoga teacher training…and wanted to start in two months. I was in Charlotte, they were over three hours away in Tennessee. I was newly navigating single motherhood and had just left the studio that I taught at for seven years. I was honestly questioning my future in yoga, and if I would continue to teach. I felt lost.

They told me that if I took a chance on them, they’d do everything they could to support me as a new mom and a lead teacher. I’m here to tell you…they made good on that promise and then some. I’m so grateful they took a chance on ME.

Saying yes was one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made. Finn came with me for all but one of the eight weekends in our first 200-hour training. I pumped all the way through our second training and today we graduated our third group of trainees.

I am so inspired by this studio, its management and its strong community. I am honored to continue to grow with them.

VIDA is opening a second studio in Johnson City this fall. It’s going to be ??? and we are expanding to offer a new HIIT format in addition to our yoga and barre classes. We just released dates for our fall yoga teacher training. ?

I graduated from yoga teacher training 10 years ago this month. I have more to say on that in a separate post but for right now I am just really freaking grateful to be doing work that I love so much. I pinch myself regularly.

I had a two-hour meeting this afternoon (in Charlotte) with one of the studio owners for a debrief on our recent training and to discuss the new HIIT/Strength format that we’re rolling out at the new studio this fall. I’m so excited to see where this group of teacher trainees goes and to continue to be a part of the VIDA community.

For now, I’m happy to be settled back at home with the doggies and Finn and to get caught up on work and things around the house. I hope you guys have been well and you’ll be hearing from me regularly again!

QUESTIONS

Do you meditate? If so, what are your favorite ways to meditate? Do you like sitting quietly, using guided meditations, moving meditations, sound baths, etc?