Whirl Yoga Fest

This weekend, I was lucky enough to be able to attend Pittsburgh's first annual One Whirl Yoga Fest + Healthy Lifestyle Expo. In a word, it was awesome. Complete with great company and wheat grass shots, it was everything I expected and more.

Just some of the spoils...info, coupons and recipes from Yoga Fest!

One of the first classes of the morning

Reminiscent of my yoga teacher training days, we schlepped our mats, snacks and bodies from one practice to another for a total of about 5 classes. (For $75, yogis could attend 2 exclusive workshops and unlimited classes throughout the day.) It was an enriching experience to be able to enjoy so many different types of yogis, teaching styles and yoga all in one place. From power yoga to chakra work, there was so much to learn and share.

Taken by WHIRL Magazine, my friends and I are technically in this picture on the VERY far left. :)

My favorite class happened to be the very last one of the day, one that we dropped into on a whim. I'm so glad we did! The class was called Alignment Flow & Transitions, taught by Kristi Rogers, founder of BYS Yoga in the South Side. The focus of the class was "the moments between the poses." Not only is this something often overlooked in our yoga practice, but Kristi made the connection between asana transitions and life transitions. As we rush from one activity, one life event or one job to the next, we sometimes forget to fully participate in what's happening right now. Backed by this great philosophy, Kristi's class brought a new awareness to "the space between" yoga asanas. I can't say enough about the energy and insight that Kristi brought to her class, and I look forward to taking some of her classes again soon...but in the meantime, I will enjoy the space between. ;)

It's really not everyday that you get to sample so much yoga and I'm sure it was a great experience for seasoned yogis as well as first-timers. What a great way to be welcomed into the yoga community! It's exciting to be a part of it as a teacher and as a life-long student.

And I almost forgot to mention, we even got a t-shirt. :)