Gratitude Yoga Virginia

A Special Thank You to the Yax Family

When I first set out on the journey to Costa Rica to attend the Yax Yoga Concepts Retreat, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had planned on giving a sort of bird’s eye view of the trip, the accommodations, the classes, the instructors, and the overall experience as it happened. Of course I had looked forward to enjoying the beautiful scenery, spending time with my girlfriend Jennifer, practicing yoga with the best around, meeting new people, and having tons to blog about. And while all of those things occurred and were amazing, the other things that happened on this trip are what I am truly grateful for.

At the beginning of the week all of us in attendance were asked to write down a word to help describe or sum up the week. Each day in my blog entries, I chose a different word to represent the day. Words like balance, realistic, and play all seemed to fit the trip well. As the week came to a close, I was overwhelmed with every positive emotion a person could have. I knew how to best describe my journey to others. I was full of gratitude from so many things on this journey. I first started to feel gratitude during my first session of practice on Sunday afternoon. John and Chris were instructing every session, and as they took turns cueing they would walk around and help adjust and assist people in poses and postures. I was thankful for any assistance given to me. I am new to practicing yoga and appreciate the individual instruction from the guys and their sister Sarah and sister in law Kristen as well.

On Monday morning we began to learn the art of mediation. I have always had trouble silencing my own mind and my own thoughts. I almost thought that meditation was an impossibility for me. Each morning we learned new techniques to focus on breath and clear the mind. Meditation is something I have taken away from this trip and plan to implement into my daily life.

Being an “eater” I was excited to indulge on some gourmet vegetarian cuisine throughout the week. The food was amazing. The fruit was so fresh, sweet, and vibrant in color. The daily vegetables and salads featuring beets, heart of palm, and lentils were a welcome treat to the body after 1-2 intense yoga sessions per day. I was thankful to be fueling my body with such amazing and nourishing food.