Hi! How was your weekend?? Things have been crazy busy and the only reason I am even sitting still is because I currently am recovering from a bout with food poisoning! Who knew you can get sick from a veggie burrito (without sour cream)!? And I was on a date when it happened. Embarrassing! Probably just as bad as when I fell in my stilettos on a first date.
Anyways. 
On Friday I had the privilege of teaching yoga at Fort Meade military base. After getting lost and making it by the skin of my teeth (had to show my license, registration, insurance cards, get the car searched, and get my picture taken) there were about 60 military students who were in attendance ready for yoga.
This event was part of a Warrior Resiliency Day which featured meditation, yoga, a talk about nutrition and natural ways to help reduce stress- especially during the holidays. This event was put on by my friend MSgt Chris Eder is who in addition to being on active duty, he is also a yoga teacher as well as the Ft Meade DC Metro representative for Semper Fidelis Health and Wellness.
My fellow teachers were CJ Keller, Karen Dubs, Chris Eder, and Laurie Hyland Robertson.
Everyone needs yoga. It amazed me that these young people had so much physical strength but really needed the balance of yoga and mind body awareness. It was hard for them to sit in a seated position let alone with a straight spine. But just like a lot of newbies to yoga- we don’t realize how we sit or even how we breathe. We just go through the same motions and habits every day.
We all taught parts of the sequence and I think they really loved it. I could tell they were more relaxed and just happy to have even tried a basic beginner yoga class. The ab sequence by Karen made them sweat and you hear everyone kind of groaning which was pretty funny to me considering I can only imagine what their military training is like!
I think the even went really well and there was a great turn out. I realized that even though I am not a huge fan of war and a lot of the politics behind it- that the men and women in the military are some of the people who need yoga the most!!!! I left feeling pretty fulfilled.
On to the next event!
Friday night was a class taught by Kim Manfredi and sponsored by Lululemon and Charm City Yoga. I had the chance to assist the class and it was in the penthouse of Silo Point. The view was amazing and there were a TON of people in attendance!
It was an awesome night- followed by bubbly and yummy food at Kim’s house. Sadly no pictures were taken by me. But a really fun time all around.
Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes. If it were always a fist or always stretched open, you would be paralyzed. Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as bird wings. ~Rumi
I hope you all had a great weekend!
xoxo, C
Oh…sorry about the food poisoning – the worst! But what a wonderful day with the troops. It’s so true: everyone needs yoga.