Where the Magic Happens

Far too often, we get so caught up in the day-to-day nature of life and end up ensnared by routine. We become so comfortable that life becomes stagnant, rather than dynamic. In the last month, some of the best things I have done have been those things that I wouldn’t have expected to find myself doing: blindfolded yoga practice, for example. There's something incredible about taking a moment, every day, or maybe just once a week or once a month, to do something you wouldn’t ordinarily do.

Go to a restaurant by yourself. Confront a fear. Brush your teeth left-handed. Learn a new language, even if you may never use it. Drive on the opposite side of the road (you may need to move to a different country first). Pick things up with your toes instead of your hands. Tell someone you love them. Take a class doing something you think you can’t learn, and learn how to do it. Do a somersault. Lie in the grass, or dirt, or leaves, or even just carpet. Dance like you never learned any dance moves. Tell yourself that you’re beautiful. Learn to take a compliment. Use your imagination for something other than worrying.

If you spend all your time doing things that are ordinary, you’ll never experience something truly extraordinary.

Balance, Trust, and Play

I have recently been introduced to a wonderful new pastime: Acroyoga. Despite its name, Acroyoga isn’t a particularly “yogic” activity in the traditional sense. Unless of course by yogic, you mean amazing. Then you would be spot on. Basically, Acroyoga is the lovechild of partner yoga and acrobatics.

I am currently participating in a month-long, intensive Yoga Teacher Training and enjoying every blissful, challenging moment. Acroyoga has taken over our Sunday afternoons (and I am sorely disappointed that there are so few Sundays in a week). Though not technically part of the course, we have had the joy of being introduced to Acroyoga through one of the instructors, the quirky, multi-talented Ms. Emily Baxter, who happens to also be a certified Acroyoga teacher.

From first glance, Acroyoga looks like it is somewhere between difficult and impossible, reserved for only the strong, stable, and fearless. In reality, it’s not as hard as it looks. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say it’s easy. But with trust and confidence, it comes together. The base finds a nice, sturdy position, the flyer moves in a light, slow, strong manner, and suddenly you find that sweet spot, where you actually feel a sense of ease in all the effort. 

And, after an Acroyoga class, every one of us walks away with newfound self-assurance, feeling upbeat, light, and strong (as well as mildly exhausted). There’s nothing quite as reassuring or confidence-building as stretching the boundaries of what you think you can accomplish to include something you thought would be impossible.

*Photos courtesy of the lovely Candace Cabrera Moore and Elmar Munar, as Win has been off traipsing around Myanmar with our camera