Favorite Yoga Moments of the Year
I thought a fun way to round out 2020 would be to put together a mini highlight reel of my favorite yoga moments of the year (you can also read about 10 things I learned this year that aren’t necessarily yoga-related). Normally my retreats would make up a big chunk of these moments, but as we all know, they were canceled this year. That was a huge bummer but ya know what? There were still so many moments I felt proud of my practice, so here I am sharing anyway! :) And I would encourage you to do the same - take a minute to reflect back on your practice throughout 2020 and find the bright spots. Maybe you did your first handstand this year, maybe you finally started doing yoga! No matter how big or small, give yourself a pat on the back because in a year like 2020 we all could have just thrown in the towel, but we didn’t!
Thanks so much for everything this year and for supporting me in my new blogging venture, which I hope you’ve enjoyed! Hopefully lots more to come on this front in 2021 so stay tuned!
1. With the pandemic canceling my retreats for all of 2020 and having all of this extra time at home (and not in airports), my daily drills are back in full swing! I love love love being back in the routine of waking up before the kiddos and practicing in a dimly lit and quiet room. If you want an exact guide for my daily drills to practice them with me, my ebooks and my yoga app have them all!
2. My handstands have NEVER been better and it’s due to consistency! I love a good routine and was really able to hone in on my handstands having more time at home this year. It makes such a difference being able to have a dedicated practice. It’s so addicting when you start to see and feel noticeable progress! I mean, look at the progress from 2016 to now!!
3. I injured my back pretty badly in August. I was learning to wake surf behind my parents’ boat and while any injury is just the worst this one led to a shift in my practice. The only way to release and ease some pain was to forward fold. Compression work (think forward fold or crane pose) has always felt impossible for me. My anatomy has led me to believe that the rotation of my femur in my hip socket created too much of an external rotation meaning I was neeeever going to bring my chest/belly to my thighs. Well, since this injury I have lived in a forward fold. Whether it’s around the house, Target, or the check out aisle in my local grocery store, my chronic back pain has me forward folding all over town. The silver lining… my press handstand game has entered new heights (quite literally). I never had this length before. This is the first time I have been able to do a toe tap to press handstand and it’s been on my “yoga bucket list” for years! Injuries by and far are never great but there are always so many life lessons in the climb (or my case, press) back up.
4. With my kids being home all day long with full-time remote learning it’s led Kevin and me to step in and create PE and recess for an otherwise sedentary screen-filled life at home. Being able to do my drills and yoga with them has completely melted me (ideas for introducing your kids to yoga found here). They definitely don’t last too long but just having that time together has felt like a gift. You should see their crow poses!