There was a long period of time where I hated yoga. 😖
And I know, hate is such a strong word!!!! Yet, not only did I NOT understand it AT ALL but I also failed to see it’s usefulness in the tiniest possible way. So, if the topic of yoga came up, it was generally accompanied by a big eye roll from me and then….NEXT!! (Such a brat, right?? 😛) I just had no patience for it at all!
THEN, there was a longer period of time where I fell in love with yoga! Which takes me all the way to the present moment. 😍
How did this massive shift occur? Well, there are stories, of course!! You totally knew that I was gonna say that, didn’t you?!?! 😉😃
First of all, I have always been a person on the go, never able to sit still for very long, and always having some type of plan or pursuit. The “go-getter type,” if you will.
Then came my assortment of knee injuries and knee challenges and they sure slowed me down a bit! Injuries of any kind do have this “special” knack for forcing us to slow down and lessening that busybody instinct inside us all, that is for certain!
Though, I still feel like that same go-getter now, except I am on pause and waiting to resume when I get the green light to do so – – depending on the status of my ACL recovery. We shall see how much of my ambitious drive and planning returns as I move forward! 👉🏽
Anyways, so back when I was in college and even afterwards, while I was wholeheartedly prepping for the audition world of dance, I also sought out the activities and the classes that challenged my capabilities. I loved taking boot camps and new HIIT classes, learning new movements and choreography, and doing different modalities that would push me out of my comfort zone. That would always fuel me and give me such motivation, empowerment, and satisfaction – – when I was testing my limits in a dance class, in a fitness setting, at the gym, or while participating in any type of competitive activity or event. 🏋🏾♀️🚴🏼♀️🏃🏼💃🏻
And let me just say, yoga was not on ANY of my lists!! ❌🧘🏻♀️❌
Because of my dance background and years of experience, stretching was already a huge part of my life each and every day. And the few classes of yoga that I took just seemed to be straight-up “stretch classes,” that were slow-moving, boring, and seemingly easy. At least the poses were easy for me – – that I do remember! I was completely missing the actual point of yoga…
One could say that I hated yoga, simply because I had no patience and I had no desire to slow down…and yoga is all about slowing down, being present, and bringing awareness to your being as it is in this very moment! Nope, that did not fit in my go-go-GO lifestyle at all at the time.
Funny thing is that my impatience, my unwillingness to slow down, my refusal to pay attention to my breath, and my avoidance to really look at the purpose of yoga actually showed how much I really needed yoga in my life. The things we struggle with and run away from tend to be the things that are most important for us to focus on, deal with, and understand.
And because yoga seemed “too easy” for me, it just wasn’t enough of a physical challenge or enough of a mental distraction. So, I dismissed it as being “not for me.” I had this inability to pause and no desire to focus on myself and my being. SO, yoga was O-U-T!!!
Until…….
A castmate of mine, five years later when I was on one of my dance contracts, was planning on taking a Bikram Yoga class on one of our days off. I had never heard of “Bikram,” but yoga is yoga, right??? So, I said “no, thanks!!” She immediately challenged me to try it because she thought I would like it…
She’s challenging me?!?!?!?! 🤨 Well then, I HAD to give it a shot!! Can’t back down from a challenge!!! 😁 And I was kinda curious because she seemed to really like this yoga style. So, I ended up joining her for my first-ever Bikram Yoga class.
Can I just say……that after being in this jam-packed class, where we were sandwiched next to each other, performing these 26 poses in this 90-minute class AND doing it all in a 90°F+ temperature room, (that absolutely bumped up to the 100’s by the end because of all the bodies in the room, working hard)…..that I left that class like the WALKING DEAD. 🧟♀️ <—This is exactly what I looked like and I’m not even kidding.
It completely kicked my booty, in every way that it could!! The heat, the challenging poses and balances, the heat, the way most poses are repeated twice, the heat, being unfamiliar with these poses while being sandwiched next to students who were great, and, did I mention the HEAT?!?!?!?!
Wow, did I have this newfound respect for yoga and this style that completely wiped me out and was actually really challenging!! This was when my drastic shift happened, from despising yoga to being totally intrigued and captivated by yoga!! 😯
As soon as I finished that particular dance contract and had months off to recoup and regroup, I began to practice Bikram Yoga. Twice per week, three times per week…..and then soon, every single morning at 6am. I was totally hooked and absolutely loving it!!!!
I loved it so much that I actually began to get curious about the other styles of yoga out there, like Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Hot Yoga, you name it. So, I started to branch out, to different studios and to different locations like NYC, Las Vegas, or wherever I happened to be, and I would take every style of yoga at any studio that interested me.
This is how I found YogaWorks in NYC! I realized that I really enjoyed this vinyasa-based flow form but I did not fully, 100% understand the poses. I would get critiques in class, try to adjust my form, and then leave those classes feeling self-conscious and actually questioning if I was doing them properly. My ambition to learn these postures accurately led me to spontaneously join a 200-hr Intensive Program through YogaWorks in Boston, MA to become a certified instructor in March 2010.
And it was at this month-long intensive that I finally understood the purpose and the true meaning of yoga and all of its benefits. It was one of the best things that I ever did for myself at the time AND it has been incredibly beneficial to the clients that I have had the pleasure of working with along the way as well!!
These stories about my yoga experiences came up for me this week because on Monday, July 21st, it was International Yoga Day!! And a wonderful time to reflect on the impact that yoga has had on my life – – in a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual way. Practicing yoga has definitely revealed and taught me so much about myself, which is one of the many invaluable traits of having a yoga practice.
Now, here’s something that not many people know!! When I was in the prime of my Bikram Yoga shape and practicing daily, I ALMOST gave up my quest to pursue dancing on cruise ships – – my major dream at the time – – in order to be a Bikram Yoga Instructor AND also to participate in Bikram Yoga competitions!!! Yes, they actually existed!!! At least they did back in 2010…I have no idea if they still do or how long they lasted?? 🤷🏻♀️
So, I decided that if I received a scholarship to attend a Bikram Yoga training, then my new direction in life was Bikram Yoga, these competitions, and whatever came next after that. And dance would be placed on the back burner or possibly even eliminated from my career choices!! 🙊
The scholarship requirements requested a well-written essay on why I should be considered for this scholarship AND it also requested photos of the recipient in 6 particular Bikram Yoga poses. And though the photos I sent out were of a MUCH better quality, clean, and professional, here are the practice photos for the scholarship from June 2010:
So, I wrote a superb essay, perfected my poses, and had high-quality photos taken….and I did NOT get selected. 😣 Instead, I moved on to fulfill my dream and dance on cruise ships, while practicing various forms of yoga on the side when I could. 😃
In this scenario, you could most certainly say “there is a reason for everything!!” I didn’t get a Bikram Yoga scholarship because I was meant to continue on my professional dancing path. And I will forever be grateful for how yoga tested me, opened my perspective wide open, and created this flood of awareness for me….AND I will be eternally grateful that I did not get that scholarship and therefore stop pursuing my dance dreams! 😊
So, dear yoga, though I had a moment of hating you and not giving you a chance, I definitely had a massive change of heart along the way, I learned so much, and I sincerely love and appreciate you!!! ❤️❤️
And I choose to share that love and appreciation with YOU!!! With a full heart, I say thank you so much for being here and I hope you find many reasons to honor, appreciate, and connect with your own amazing being. You, your heart, your thoughts, and the way you feel….they are all worth exploring and understanding.
Like my next favorite yoga quote says:
I suppose it should say ‘Happy BELATED International Yoga Day,’ though it is always something that can be celebrated!!! And we are always invited to participate in getting to know ourselves better, staying more present, connecting more with nature, and being joyfully curious about our inner world!
Namaste, love, & gratitude, Jaycee’s Footprints 👣✨💝💫😍😊🤗