I cannot explain specifically what it was that called me to go to the Northwest Yoga Conference but the calling was strong.
I went to my very first Yoga class in university 16 years ago. I fell asleep in Shavasana EVERY single time. I fell in love with how relaxed and peaceful I felt at the end of class. However, after I used up my 10-week pass I didn't continue with it aside from the Rodney Yee videos I had at home. I have suffered from back pain for most of my adult life and found that when I did the videos I often hurt my back because I wasn't doing it safely. There was a few years of time that went by before I went back to Yoga and this time at a well known Hot Yoga Studio in my city. I attended classes there for 7 years, 4 of which was during a period of time that I was training for Physique Competitions. At that time, although I still loved the feeling of Shavasana, I very much looked at Yoga as an addition to my workout regime. It wasn't until I completed my degree as a Respiratory Therapist and moved out of the Physique Competition world that I really began to seek out what else Yoga meant to me. My interest was peaked. I am a Buddhist and always felt that fed my spiritual realm. But still, I craved more. I was introduced to a woman who would become one of my favorite yoga instructors, the same woman whom I journalled about at the Conference this past weekend. I pay homage and gratitude to her before and after each of the classes I teach. Adrienne Shum. I have learned about Ayurveda and fell in love with Kirtan because of my experiences in her classrooms.
I completed my Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training in India and, aside from marrying my best friend and giving birth to my two beautiful boys, it was THEE most exhilarating, life changing experience for me. I met so many incredible people, some of whom I have formed lifelong friendships with. But mostly the introspection and self awareness I gained propelled me to a place where I wanted to learn even more. Ever since my return from India and now my move across the country from East to West, having left my entire community of family and friends, I have become even more introspective and desiring more from the world of Yoga. I live in a small community where Yoga is a new concept that is growing, and I see so many who see it as a workout like I did. I know with time that many will be left with interests peaked and I see myself as the person with the passion to provide that place to land their mats.
I have been pining to return to India as I feel my soul belongs there. When I saw the Conference advertised, somehow it felt like a connection to India; a place where I would meet incredible people all hungry for the desire to learn more about Yoga and themselves. I also saw it as a place to network and gain ideas for the "how" to combine what I have to offer with discovering what the needs/wants of my community are. Also, since leaving the Prairies and all my loved ones, although I have been blessed with some beautiful new friends, I have felt an immense loneliness and lack of community (especially of the Yoga kind). We are always changing and therefore always learning new things about ourselves. Sometimes when we are left with so much space and lack of distraction, what comes from that is discovering things about our inner spirits that is scary. I have discovered things about myself that I believe have always been there, but lying just below the surface, covered up by the distraction of life; extreme levels of anxiety and panic, and a lot of sadness at the loss of my community - the lack of the people I love most in the world at arms reach. I've discovered that joy, happiness and peace are only easily accessible to me when I am outdoors in nature, in the fresh air, close to the highest power in the universe, and on my mat.
I saw the possibility with the workshops not only to learn about things that will broaden my knowledge as a teacher and pass on those benefits to my students, but mostly, things that would fill up my soul; taking me to a place where I know my truest self and happiness. The best part was that I would do it with a grand community; the thing I feel that lifts my spirit most. Given that our Canadian dollar is at an all-time low, I almost didn't sign up. I went to bed and dreamed about the conference, woke up thinking about it wishing to go, couldn't stop thinking about it while in my morning yoga practice and the feelings were so strong that I knew I just had to go. The calling was as strong for me as when I made my decision to go to India. I believed that what I stood to gain did not have a monetary value and so I registered. I was most excited to participate in the workshops of one of my favorite teachers on MyYogaOnline, Clara Roberts-Oss. The spirit she embodies is even warmer in person as I already felt it online. Little did I know that many others I would receive workshops from would touch my spirit in profound ways. Silvia Mordini was gracious enough to fly in early and fill in for Sadie for my first workshop, all day intensive - WHAT A TREAT! She is an incredible, beautiful woman (Lakshmi). She inspired me to take another look at the Yoga Sutras which I read before training, and be able to see the sutras in a whole other context. "You'll never need another self help book" is what she said, and I believe she is right. This excites me! Terilyn Wyre - BEST yoga class I've EVER experienced IN MY LIFE! Her beautiful Bhakti soul opened my heart right up and the tears were flowing throughout the entire class. The beautiful musicians that accompanied many of the classes I took were the tip of the iceberg. I was introduced to the spirit of Bhakti, which leaves me desiring to learn more. I have moved into a new realm of curiosity, desire to increase my study and the ability to share what I learn with my community. I believe strongly that this calling may have brought me some clarity on the multiple benefits I could achieve by having a mentor and thus brought me closer to determining some incredible possibilities.
I was able to network with some very incredible people and create some new friendships. And it all started with an attempt to room share. I discovered that the universe delivered to me the most beautiful human spirits. We were meant to find one another through this journey. We came from far and wide. It was as though the universe handpicked us to find one another. One of the greatest fortunes I believe I experienced on this journey.
The NorthWest Yoga Conference 2016 had some challenges of their own but they were all handled with such grace and care, ensuring the show went on so that all of us who had our calling to this Pilgrimage of the Soul could land our hearts and mats where they needed to be. I know that it takes a village of loving and devoted people to create and then manifest a conference of this magnitude into something as incredible as it was.
Thank you to each and every person involved in this conference from the creator, Melissa Lundsgaard, who had a vision and then carried it forward, all the amazing teachers who travelled from around the world to bless us with their teachings and wisdom, and mostly the beautiful people who attended and shared your energy with me and everyone around you!
What an incredible gift I gave myself . . . this Pilgrimage to inspire more :) Namaste
Jen
