My last entry was all about slowly easing back into my own yoga practiced. That hasn't stopped by any means, and I'm very grateful for it. My busy schedule doesn't always allow for classes, but when it does I've been much more proactive about where and how I spend my time, and it's really been helping me.
Blogging on the other hand...I've just felt flat-out uninspired lately. I'm not sure exactly what the reason is or how to climb out of it. I think part of it has to do with the fact that I have just felt over saturated in general - inundated via my lovely Facebook friends with endless articles that might catch my fancy on yoga, on pregnancy, on parenthood, on health, on fitness, on eating, on relationships - you name it. We are more in the information age than ever before, and sometimes I think I just have article fatigue. So maybe I feel weird contributing yet more noise to this over saturated little world of blogs and online articles. Maybe I'm just waiting until I feel like I have something truly awesome to say.
However - today is the five-year anniversary of my start to this ol' thing, and for most of those five years I have been super devoted to writing once a week, every damn week. Even on the weeks it was a bit of a cheat - just posting a link to a YouTube video, for instance, or another post written by someone else.
It feels like I should write in the ol' girl on our five year anniversary. So with that in mind, here is what I wrote in my first entry. Is it narcissistic to think that it's cute? It's kind of cute. Anyway - enjoy!
Greetings, Blogverse! I am officially joining the ranks of the millions, billions, and/or zillions of self published and self proclaimed gurus of the Internets. Who am I to do this, you ask?
Well, I'm Annie Foster, first of all. Most of you reading this probably know me but if not - hello! I'm starting this little ol' yoga blog for various reasons. I'm a southern girl who moved up to the Big City from beautiful Virginia this past September. I had no idea how dramatically and positively it would change my life.
I've practiced yoga for about 7 years total. It started as an off-and-on thing for when I had access to a gym or did a yoga tape (remember tapes?). I started practicing more consistently during my senior year at beautiful Christopher Newport University, and after graduating in 2007 my practice really began to deepen. I thought about becoming a teacher, but lack of confidence, scheduling challenges, or lack of money always made it seem impossible. After I decided to finally take the plunge and move to New York, it was clear there would be no better time (or place!) in my life to finally sign up for a training program.
I chose Sonic Yoga in Hell’s Kitchen for my 200-hour training, and it was the best thing I have ever done for myself. The teachers there are phenomenal, and the program is life changing.
Since the program ended in December, I’ve striven to continue what I view as just the beginning of a lifelong journey in not just teaching yoga but becoming a better student of yoga. My teachers referred to the 200 hour training as “yoga nursery school.” Having graduated and subsequently been thrown into the big world of articles, books, classes, styles, workshops, not to mention more clothes, accessories, and various merchandise than anyone could possibly wrap their brains around, I’ve been yearning for some kind of outlet to help me make sense of this big yoga universe I’ve plunged into.
Hence: blog.
As my career as a full time yoga teacher starts taking its first steps and leaps I hope to make this blog an extension of everything I learn through both study and experience. I plan to share thoughts on books I’ve read, concepts I’ve learned, and start a conversation with all the lovely souls who are kind enough to read it.
The past couple of weeks have been full of first steps for me as a teacher. I subbed my first studio class and secured my first regular studio class, both at Creative Vibrations. I'll be teaching there Mondays at 5:00pm and I'm very excited. I also taught my first private client (or the first private client who wasn't already my friend, I should say!) last week. I'm nearly finished collaborating with the excellent Billy Griffin to launch my yoga website. I have my first exposure to the amazing world of Thai Yoga Massage via the Integral Yoga Instituteand will soon have my first 5-day intensive there to become certified. Lots of stuff is happening and I hope this can be a place where I share all that I learn through my study and practice yoga!
