A few things I learned in 2019:
1) You will never please everyone. Don’t bother. What is it to please yourself, take time for and honor self as the most important cherished authentic tool to take into this broken world?
2) Finding peace is hard. We spend our entire lives looking for connection, belonging, acceptance. The only place we can truly find this is “ground zero” starting with ourselves. Do the work. Show up for yourself and do the practice. There is no quick fix.
3) We all want to help, (the entire yoga community is filled with “helpers”). Truth is you can’t help or change anyone. Worrying or championing a cause borderlines on the dangerous territory of righteousness and holding power over another. Charity is not for the intentions of gains. Your’s or another’s. Charity should be of effortless compassion without expectation but, oftentimes, it is disguised as some level of control or the paving of a personal hero’s journey.
4) We all make mistakes. The bigger the mistake the greater the possibility of learning. Keep in mind- We don’t always learn the first go around. Rinse. Repeat. Until we learn.
5) Everything works well again if just unplugged for a little while– including you- love this gift from Anne Lamott paraph
rased.
6) “High Vibes Only” is BS in yoga culture. You need the dark and the light. In fact, the dark is where all the goodness can grow from. Be in it, just don’t live there.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://www.inletyoga.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Untitled-design-e1589816379810.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Jennifer Vafakos began practicing yoga regularly in 2008 in NYC. Though Jennifer started years earlier it wasn’t until she met a group of yoga instructors that changed her life and where she become a serious yoga practitioner and student. Registered with Yoga Alliance at the ERYT500 level and YACEP, Jennifer currently runs a yoga studio, leads weekly classes, yoga teacher trainings, workshops and international retreats. In 2016 Jennifer left a 20-year career in Fashion Design and purchased Inlet Yoga from Emma Clagett in Manasquan, NJ. In 2019 Jennifer founded a podcast with New Jersey Yoga Collective’s Bridget Riepl called “Here for Savasana.” In her weekly classes, you will notice a strong influence of Jennifer’s Laughing Lotus training (Dana Trixie Flynn), with layers and influence of Katonah Yoga (as taught by Nevine Michaan) and Seasonal Yoga. Je
nnifer will reference and inform on alignment, healthy transitioning between shapes, themes of seasons, cycles discovering and uncovering human existence and of layering in music, poetry, and laughter in her classes, trainings, and workshops. She believes yoga is for everyone and gives you the ultimate tools to engage life fully to recreate and work towards your potential to heal and live well as we age. Jennifer’s Training Background includes over 1,000 plus hours of formal Yoga Teacher Training, and more: Baron Baptiste 100hr Laughing Lotus™️ 200 hr, 300 hr (twice) Laughing Lotus™️ India – study of Bhakti and advanced asana- 100hr Katonah Yoga™️ – currently working towards 200 hr certification Ayurveda Foundations- Dr Claudia Welch (current) What Jennifer is working on now for you and launching soon! Lead trainer for Inlet Yoga’s 200 RYT Teacher Training 2016, 2017, Year Long Seasonal Yoga™️ 200 Hour 2018 to 2019 and launching again in 2020 (student signups currently being accepted) Lead Trainer for the 300 RYT Inlet Seasonal Yoga™️ Teacher Training launching in 2020 Seasonal Yoga™️ Retreat 2019 and launching again in 2020 in Costa Rica Here for Savasana Podcast founded in 2019 Regular Blog contributor New Jersey Yoga Collective Beginner Video Online series Inlet Yoga launching late 2019[/author_info] [/author]
