Yoga at Club Med

I spent the first nine days of 2011 as the guest yoga teacher at the Club Med in Sandpiper Bay, Florida. It was a unique experience that afforded me the opportunity to do the work I love (teaching yoga) while enjoying world class accommodations. Beyond the obvious pleasantries of being in 70 degree weather at an amazing all-inclusive resort in the middle of winter, I got to meet people from all over the world, fly on a trapeze, go sailing and do yoga daily. It was a pretty sweet gig.

I taught every day, morning and at sunset. Classes were an eclectic delight. Most days, I would have the elders from France who couldn’t speak any English at all (and didn’t have any yoga experience), a crew of teenagers with iPods, ear buds, cell phones and lots of questions, serious tennis pros with sculpted bodies and intense focus, worn out moms with baby brain (including myself), and lots of professionals enjoying a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle of their lives.

I had to think for a minute, how do I teach this class? We are outside on bumpy ground, no yoga mats, windy weather with so many ages, phases of life, languages and needs and just 60 minutes. In that moment, I was so grateful for my many years of students that have taught me all the possible ways to do yoga, grateful for gentle and vinyasa flow yoga styles, grateful for hundreds of hours at Kripalu Center and grateful for the beauty of a yoga practice and its endless possibilities.

I’m not sure what I taught or how it landed in each person, but as the week wore on, I noticed something interesting. Yoga was working. These people were having profound shifts, big revelations and wondering how to take this experience home. They were coming daily, sometimes 2x a day for practice. It occurred to me that people are in a very receptive space while vacationing. A healthy space free of the mundane tasks that consume our lives (dishes, laundry, caring for the children, errands). Free from work, ridged schedules and normal stressors and free to just relax, reflect and listen to themselves. Add yoga to the mix and watch out! Transformation potential skyrockets. This also applied to me, as a teacher. Because I too was on vacation, I was receptive, open, and more present than usual. I was available to stay after class, to listen, to enjoy the moment and available to be considerate and sensitive.

So I’ve been inspired by my students. It’s not the first time. I got home and unpacked my sandy yoga mat, laid it right out on the floor in the midst of my mess-of-a-pile of unpacked luggage and stepped onto it. I ignored the mundane and chose myself for a few minutes. It’s the beginning of a new year, the start of our 21 day yoga challenge at the studio and an opportunity to commit to something. Transformation is just a yoga practice a day away. Life is living with or without me and i don’t need to be on vacation to enjoy it.

Lets see how far this wind carries me…

NEW TO YOGA

Though winter is still upon us, a few days of warmth and sunshine have been a nice reminder that spring is just around the corner (fingers crossed!!)! As a time of birth and renewal, spring can spur our imaginations and our energy levels. As there is more time and sunlight in the day, we often find urges to launch into new and exciting experiences that we may have put on the back burner during the winter months.

Below, Sol Yoga's new intern discusses her NEW TO YOGA experience and how her perspective on yoga changed once she stepped onto the mat. If you are interested in launching your own yoga journey, but aren't sure where to begin, click here for more information on some of our upcoming introductions to this amazing practice. - Namaste

"My introduction to yoga began this spring when I started an internship at Sol Yoga. If anyone ever told me I would be an intern at a yoga studio and would be taking weekly yoga classes my last semester of college, I would have thought they were CRAZY!! Though a varsity team member at my University and an athlete since I was four, yoga has never had a place on my workout agenda.

The first assignment of my internship was to take all of the classes offered at Sol Yoga. My perception of yoga was that it was only for people that were flexible and liked to dance, rather than a legitimate endeavor for traditional athletes.

After taking the classes, my idea of yoga has totally been transformed. I workout everyday, but yoga has led me to use muscles I didn’t even know existed. Yoga is not just to get your muscles toned and in shape, it is complete workout for your mind, body, and soul as one. It is challenging, but you can start as slow as you want. When you are in the studio, everyone is so focused on THEIR practice - no one is concerned with how far you can stretch your leg, or how well you can stand on one foot. Yoga is great for working out, stretching, and relaxing and it can still give you that burst of energy you need to get you through the day!"

The post above was written by Sol Yoga's new intern, Angela Guaragna. Angela is a business major at Mt. St. Mary's College with years of athletic experience, but a fresh new perspective on yoga. Keep an eye out for her friendly face & youthful energy around the studio this spring!