Greetings from the foothills of Boulder, CO!
I have now been in this glorious state for almost 2 weeks and I can honestly say that it fits me like a glove. It's been instant love here in Boulder and I could not be happier with the way this summer worked out.
We are now in week 2 of our teacher training at 90 Monkeys and first off, YES, Amy Ippoliti is just as radiant and glowing in real life as she is on-line and in pictures. Her wealth of knowledge on all things yoga is truly humbling and inspiring. She is just a phenomenal person inside and out and I feel so lucky and blessed that I get this time to study with her.
I am in class with 28 other radiant budding yoga teachers to be and they are all equally delightful and full of amazing insights and wisdom. The youngest is 19 and the oldest is 64. They come from all over--Iceland, Australia, Japan, Italy, Scotland, Germany---and they all teach me new things about myself and about yoga each and everyday.
We are in training everyday from 9am - 5:30pm. We have a 4 hour block in the morning, an hour for lunch, and then a 4 hour block in the afternoons. Our sessions are divided up into yoga philosophy, history, anatomy/alignment, teaching methodology, the business of yoga, and of course we do a lot of this through asana practice. But, NO, we aren't practicing asana 8 hours a day. However our little brains are practicing retaining a lot of new material each and everyday so even if our bodies aren't sore, our brains sure are;)
I am loving the little city of Boulder and all it's beauty and activity. I had no idea how much I would love hiking but I do! I try and hike every chance I get. The city is full of all things healthy so I can honestly say that I'm eating healthier than I have in years! I even drink green juice every morning (gasp!) and I've only had ice cream once!
I can honestly say that this experience, thus far, has blown all my expectations out of the water. It's almost like I shed an old layer of skin---one that I didn't even realize needed shedding until I got here. My summer didn't start out as planned---in fact, it veered very differently from the original plan that I had in my head since January--but everything turned out exactly like it was supposed to. Learning to let go of things (and people) that no longer serve me has been one of the more rewarding and healing experiences that I've had.
I believe that all things happen for a reason and that regardless of the outside disguise of any situation, within it lie a multitude of blessings and revelations that couldn't have been experienced otherwise.
We are all bright luminous lights that are trying to break forth and SHINE and sometimes we allow things, people, perceptions to get in the way and cloud our light. And although we keep shining, even when it's covered with a darkness, we can't shine at our brightest capacity until we move through the darkness. There really is no way around it but to move through it.
My teacher says, "Gratitude is an attitude that hooks you up to your source of supply" and it's true. Being hooked up and in sync with the universe is better than any high I've ever experienced with drugs or alcohol.
I look forward to the rest of this training and the doors it will open up for me as a teacher and student of yoga.
I'm still going with the flow and taking life one day at a time while truly savoring each moment of this awesome experience.
I do miss Mississippi and all of you very much. The old saying is true, "you can take the girl out of Mississippi but you can't take Mississippi out of the girl."
Thank you for your love, support, texts, calls, packages--they all make me miss you even more and make me so grateful for the community I have back home. There is truly no place like home and I look forward to being back with you guys when that time comes.
Until then, I'll just keep hiking and drinking my green juice and doing lots of yoga!
From my heart to yours,
Jenny (which is what they all call me here)
