• love stories
  • movement
  • portraits
  • brands
  • family
  • home
  • about
  • journal
  • work with me
  • Menu

jenna dailey photography

Denver based portrait, lifestyle, wedding & elopement photographer.
  • love stories
  • movement
  • portraits
  • brands
  • family
  • home
  • about
  • journal
  • work with me

learning to take my yoga off the mat

October 20, 2015 in personal

Today, I found myself sitting in traffic - 45 minutes of traffic, to be exact - the longest it has ever taken me to get home from work. Oy. I realize that this may be very middle of the road depending on geography, but when it takes me roughly 14 minutes and 38 seconds (I may or may not have timed it...more than once) without traffic. That's enough of a difference to make me blow a freaking gasket.

Normally, you'd pull up next to me in bumper to bumper traffic and I'm that chick who's flipping everybody and their mothers' off and swearing up a storm. I have serious road rage people, this is not a joke. I'm entirely serious.

But no, that was not me today. Today, I was that chick who had the volume on full blast, sun roof open (Minnesota fall-time, I love you) and was belting it out to some tunes. I was having a blast and I didn't care who knew - admittedly, I was banging some T Swift. No shame here.

After one week of yoga teacher training under my belt I've already started to feel a huge shift in the decisions I'm making in all aspects of my life. Some of these are small shifts made subconsciously that I barely notice, and others - like my decision not to flip out over traffic - are more significant and made with intention and purpose. In order to lead a more mindful, holistic life I'm putting the lessons I've learned on my mat into practice each and every day.

Through teacher training, more time on my mat and meeting more yogis who share the same passion as me I've come to realize that it's true - we are spiritual beings having a human experience. And as one of my favorite yoga teachers, Justyn, said in class last week (I'm paraphrasing the best I can, she speaks to it much better than this), things don't happen to us. They simply happen. And we have a choice to either let them alter the mood we're in, to disrupt our flow, or we can acknowledge them and let them go. It's so simple and yet so profound. Obviously, at the time she was teaching to a room full of yogis twisted into all different shapes on their mats, but this is something - like most things I've learned in yoga class - is applicable to the everyday.

In another class led by the same teacher, she talked about how we should be present in, and fall madly in love with, each and every moment. We need to learn to love the suffering, because in the next moment it will be gone. Yes, so much yes!

Even though I wasn't like, "Oh heck yes, traffic! I love this shit!" I was determined to make the most out of the inevitable. I accepted, before I even made it to the highway, that I would be sitting in traffic and I would NOT let it alter my post-yoga bliss. Nuh-uh, honey. I was going to jam in my car and I was going to embrace, and love, every second of it - and that's exactly what I did.

Remember these two things:

1. You always have a choice.

2. Be present to, and fall deeply in love with, every. single. moment.

 

Tags: choice, yoga, presence
Prev / Next

musings


  • March 2018
    • Mar 26, 2018 permission to slow the fuck down Mar 26, 2018
  • January 2018
    • Jan 22, 2018 retreat yoself Jan 22, 2018
  • December 2017
    • Dec 28, 2017 see ya later 2017 Dec 28, 2017
  • July 2017
    • Jul 20, 2017 tattoos, timing, & trust Jul 20, 2017
    • Jul 19, 2017 quarter-centuries, gratitude switches, & clarity Jul 19, 2017
  • May 2017
    • May 19, 2017 real May 19, 2017
    • May 19, 2017 grounding with soul values May 19, 2017
    • May 9, 2017 building blocks & self-love May 9, 2017
  • April 2017
    • Apr 25, 2017 trust the process Apr 25, 2017
    • Apr 25, 2017 busy part I Apr 25, 2017
  • March 2017
    • Mar 6, 2017 oh, my raging ego Mar 6, 2017
  • February 2017
    • Feb 4, 2017 the art of non-attachment Feb 4, 2017
  • December 2016
    • Dec 22, 2016 new year, same me Dec 22, 2016
  • November 2016
    • Nov 22, 2016 permission to be messy Nov 22, 2016
  • October 2016
    • Oct 4, 2016 the sweet spot Oct 4, 2016
  • September 2016
    • Sep 18, 2016 there's no place like home Sep 18, 2016
  • July 2016
    • Jul 24, 2016 100 things Jul 24, 2016
  • March 2016
    • Mar 24, 2016 why i do what i do Mar 24, 2016
    • Mar 2, 2016 february reflection, march intentions Mar 2, 2016
  • February 2016
    • Feb 27, 2016 lean in and learn to love whatever rises Feb 27, 2016
    • Feb 9, 2016 why i really wanderlust Feb 9, 2016
  • December 2015
    • Dec 1, 2015 the power of saying no Dec 1, 2015
  • November 2015
    • Nov 26, 2015 why i choose to live in possibility Nov 26, 2015
    • Nov 24, 2015 be kind, always. (please) Nov 24, 2015
    • Nov 13, 2015 ego part II Nov 13, 2015
    • Nov 9, 2015 the yoga hustle Nov 9, 2015
    • Nov 4, 2015 real Nov 4, 2015
  • October 2015
    • Oct 30, 2015 aparigraha, among other things Oct 30, 2015
    • Oct 20, 2015 learning to take my yoga off the mat Oct 20, 2015
    • Oct 16, 2015 what is yoga to me, and why do I practice? Oct 16, 2015
    • Oct 7, 2015 courage, my dear heart Oct 7, 2015
  • September 2015
    • Sep 29, 2015 the inbetween, and beyond Sep 29, 2015
  • August 2015
    • Aug 23, 2015 oh, the people you'll meet Aug 23, 2015
    • Aug 15, 2015 why living in a mountain town was my best life choice yet Aug 15, 2015
    • Aug 7, 2015 ego Aug 7, 2015
    • Aug 5, 2015 about that comfort zone Aug 5, 2015
  • July 2015
    • Jul 24, 2015 twenty three Jul 24, 2015
    • Jul 22, 2015 feeling all the feels Jul 22, 2015
    • Jul 22, 2015 the unplug drug Jul 22, 2015
  • June 2015
    • Jun 6, 2015 what aspen has taught me about loving my life Jun 6, 2015
    • Jun 6, 2015 always coming back home to you Jun 6, 2015
  • February 2015
    • Feb 27, 2015 practice Feb 27, 2015
    • Feb 23, 2015 intent Feb 23, 2015
    • Feb 4, 2015 fearless Feb 4, 2015
    • Feb 4, 2015 love love Feb 4, 2015
  • January 2015
    • Jan 17, 2015 just let go Jan 17, 2015
    • Jan 16, 2015 new perspective Jan 16, 2015
    • Jan 11, 2015 come alive Jan 11, 2015
    • Jan 6, 2015 humility Jan 6, 2015
    • Jan 2, 2015 a year in reflection: 2014 Jan 2, 2015
  • November 2014
    • Nov 9, 2014 that full moon though Nov 9, 2014
  • October 2014
    • Oct 19, 2014 anywhere but here Oct 19, 2014
    • Oct 6, 2014 self love Oct 6, 2014
  • September 2014
    • Sep 26, 2014 get lost Sep 26, 2014
    • Sep 24, 2014 choose to see the good stuff Sep 24, 2014
    • Sep 17, 2014 week 1 Sep 17, 2014
    • Sep 3, 2014 c u l8r Sep 3, 2014
  • August 2014
    • Aug 11, 2014 #goalcrush Aug 11, 2014
    • Aug 3, 2014 take a f*cking chance Aug 3, 2014
  • July 2014
    • Jul 31, 2014 no regrets Jul 31, 2014
    • Jul 20, 2014 cheers to 22 years Jul 20, 2014