Yogini-Challenge Two

Hello wonderful readers,

Thank you all for reading last week’s post on minimalism. I was very happy to see those who partook in the #MsMinimalistChallenge. I forgot to mention something last week when I started the challenge; there will be a prize per week for one lucky participant that takes part in the challenge and posts their progress. (That’s right, I will personally send you a prize!) Last week’s challenge was as simple as flipping your hangers, but someone took it upon themselves to go above and beyond and share a basket full of clothes they were donating!! Congratulations to Anna F. for being the first winner of the #MsMinimalistChallenge! Please feel free to join the challenge anytime, take a photo of your progress, and tag #MsMinimalistChallenge for your chance to win a prize while uncovering the life you deserve underneath all of your possessions.

#MsMinimalistChallenge Week Two:

Now that all of your hangers are facing a different way, I am sure you have seen how many clothes you have because you had the flip all of the hangers yourself. J As you were flipping the hangers, did you spot an item that you forgot you owned or you haven’t worn in a year or more? I ask you to move that item to a donation pile. Notice I said move it to the pile, not actually donate it. Keep this pile in a space you can add more items to.

I also wanted to take a brief moment to thank you all for reading, commenting, and sharing this blog’s posts. I know the past few posts have been lengthy, but I really appreciate you sticking with me as I lay the foundation for this blog. Some future blog posts may not be as long, but please know they will not lack meaningful content. I appreciate your feedback and support, so please share anytime.

For this week’s post I wanted to continue on the theme of explaining the pieces of the title, which leads me to Yogini. As shared in the first introductory post, a Yogini is the Sanskrit title for a female who practices yoga. When creating the title for this blog, I spent a great deal of time putting words together that held meaning for me, and I knew yoga had to be incorporated somehow in the title.

My yoga practice was born in college at Lakeland College, now University. (You would think the amount of times I have referenced the now university I would be compensated by them, but I am not. This is just a reoccurring reference.) I played Basketball from middle school through high school on a traveling tournament team with Badger Sporting Goods, and loved the physical outlet for exercise. I grew up playing at least one sport to stay active, but after my sophomore year season, I decided to step away from Basketball to focus on my studies and get a job to build my resume. I was still very active after finishing my basketball career throughout high school, but I wanted to remain active and find something that was a new challenge for me in college.

One day my freshman year of college, I passed an advertisement sharing that yoga was held on campus once a week. I had heard of yoga before, but I had never personally practiced (I know, crazy seeing as I grew up in Madison). Being the semi-adventurous college freshman I was, I decided to go. My freshman year roommate was an athlete herself and agreed to come with me to attend the class.

During my first yoga class, many thoughts passed through my mind: “this mat is extremely slippery…I am not flexible in the least bit…I have never been in this position before…I wonder how silly I look right now…why do I not wear yoga pants all of the time…the instructor wants us to put our foot where…I am feeling a stretch in places I never knew could be stretched…I am a lot sweatier than I expected to be…this is a work out…why have I never done this before…I love this practice called yoga…I am coming to yoga as many times as I can!” If you have taken yoga before, one of these thoughts has crossed your mind. As I walked out of my first class, I was hooked on yoga. I loved how much of a workout it was, I loved the mental challenge, I loved the stretching aspects of it, and I loved how it can be in a group or individual setting. I loved it all, and I still love it all.

Yoga is something that I hold near and dear to my heart (hence why it had to be in the title of my blog). My yoga practice has evolved greatly since the first time I stepped foot on a yoga mat, and it will continue to evolve which is just another beautiful aspect of this practice. I thought I was a pretty seasoned yogini after leaving college, but I was about to be humbled yet again through another aspect of yoga, and it had nothing to do with the physical movement that drew me to the practice in the first place. I signed up for my 200 hour yoga teacher training before leaving to visit family for Christmas. I was still recovering from my first episode related to MS, but my husband simply told me: “You need to follow your dream Jenny, if not now, when?” (I know I hit the jackpot marrying my supportive soulmate, and this just confirms it yet again!) With the love and support from my husband, I signed up for my teacher training, which I had dreamed of doing since college. In teacher training you learn so, so, so much. It’s a truly beautiful, transformational time. (If you are waiting for your sign to sign-up for yoga teach training, here it is!) During teacher training we were asked to journal and take sixty contact hours, aka, sixty yoga classes in addition to lecture and practice teaching.

My yoga teacher training was from February through April, so I was doing yoga every day, sometimes twice a day. I grew to crave the time I occupied that rectangular piece of real-estate. It was a safe space, a space I didn’t have to impress anyone, a space I didn’t have to put up the façade I was wearing so frequently, a space I could let the weight of sorrow that I was carrying from my diagnosis go. I was blessed to have teachers who not only cued the physical postures, but touched on the emotional and spiritual limbs of yoga. Learning to sit with what shows up for you, both physically and emotional, on your mat can be extremely uncomfortable. I often found myself praying to God for healing and strength to get through this time. I also would be physically trembling and crying in half-pigeon because I was furious at the situation I was currently in, but I let it out, and I let it go. This did not all happen in one practice, but many, and I am still learning to let it out, and let it go, but I have faith I will get there.

Without yoga, I would not be where I am today. I know this is a huge cliché, but it is my truth, and I am simply sharing it with you. Learning to breathe and be fully present in the moment got me through my darkest days. They also continue to get me through the very best days. Yoga has also taught me that everything is temporary. We are not are not our bodies, we are not our thoughts, we are not our diagnosis’, we are not our past, and we are not our future. Everything begins and ends, and this is a breathtaking cycle we are all able to experience.

Yoga is a practice that many people, including me, are drawn to for the physical benefits. One will quickly feel an internal shift, something within them changing for the better, and a connection to everyone and everything that surrounds them. Everyone’s yoga practice is unique and beautiful to them and whatever your reason is for getting onto your mat, it’s a good one. Make yourself a priority, not just when you get bad news, or when you feel the time is right, but all of the time, and the time is now. We all deserve this life, this moment, this breath, this heartbeat, and this beautiful practice we call yoga.

A mantra I frequently use in my practice that I would like to share with you is this:
I am healthy, I am free, I am exactly where I am meant to be.

Thank you so much for reading this heartfelt post about my love for yoga. I have a great deal that I would like to share on yoga, but I feel as though this is a good place to end this week’s post. Stay tuned for more posts on yoga and what a life changing practice it is.

Please join me with the #MsMinimalistChallenge for your chance to win prizes and uncover the life you deserve underneath all of your possessions.

As always, thank you so much for reading and being on this blog journey with me.

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Namasté.