Team YogaSlackers

Redefining Rest

2011-12-31T11:14:00.000-06:00

It is interesting to look back, especially as the new year approaches.
The past three days, the weather up here in Bend, Oregon has been nasty. And after a solid week of training it seemed like a good time for a rest day. But instead, for some reason each day we resisted the temptation, and ventured into the outdoors to train. We almost made it through Wednesday, but ended up at the gym for an 90 minute lifting session as a "warm-up" for an evening yoga class. Thursday was bitter cold, with unseasonal downpours, and high winds. Certainly we would have been justified in hunkering down next to the fire with a good book, but someone got the idea that the conditions were just about as close to what we'd experience in the upcoming Patagonian Expedition Race, and the idea stuck. A cold, wet (but somehow still fun) 3 hour training ride on our Ellsworth mountain bikes ensued - complete with fartlek pushup sprints at the end.

Friday, however we were all determined NOT to train. Our bodies had certainly been sending "rest" messages for days, and finally we listened. But by mid afternoon we were going pretty stir crazy, with random guttural screams and spontaneous wrestling matches erupting around the house. The rest day seemed to stretch on forever.

Is I tried in vain to go to sleep, I wondered if why I(we) were like this. If it had always been this way. I certainly feel lazy much of the time, and enjoy sitting around with my morning coffee till it is late in the day. But something seems to always push me out of that place of physical contentment before too long.

An hour later, still unable to sleep, I was sorting through old computer files, and stories I'd written. I came across a movie I'd made over two years ago...and it seemed all to familiar...
(the text below the movie is what I wrote that day....)

The day after we finished our monster AcroYoga teaching weekend, we were in desperate need of a rest. And we tried, but YogaSlacker Dan had flown all the way from Minnesota to Arizona for the Acro workshop, and we couldn't let him go back to the cold north bitterness without showing him exactly what sort of things he'd be missing....so we kept the climbing to 5.10 and 5.11, and since Chelsey was teaching yoga classes all day - there were just three of us so we all got a bit of rest while the others climbed. The routes were all long (35m) and really really disgustingly sustained. As someone in the video says - "we are gonna need another rest day after this rest day..."

May you all have at least some relaxing moments on this last day of the year....

Jason

Before YogaSlackers

2011-12-30T00:37:00.000-06:00

As Sam and Dan rebuild the floor in the climbing gym in North Dakota - I think it is time for a history lesson...YogaSlackers actually started on the floor of the Northern Heights Rock Gym in Grand Forks ND....years before it was actually called YogaSlackers....or even before we knew how to slackline....just crazy dirtbags trying to squeeze the most out of every moment....the above video is full of those formative moments...and lots of cool outfits...

Coastal Training Trip!

2011-12-21T01:06:00.000-06:00

Paul getting a look at the wave action...

Chelsey here!

We are spending the Solstice week on the Coast of Oregon - celebrating the approach of more light and longer days by training our asses off! Paul, our new 4th for The Patagonian Expedition Race arrived in Bend on Friday night. Since we know that the race will have paddling to Cape Horn, we headed to the Coast for 3 days of lots of paddling, a bit of biking and running and ALOT of eating and laughing. It's only the first day, and we have managed to hit them all! The morning started out with our trademark breakfast of eggs, toast, greens and LOTS of yummy coffee. We then headed out to the port blaring "Eye of the Tiger" while looking out at the 14 ft waves. Getting out of the bay was all well and good, and even out in the ocean, it was beautiful despite the massive ground swell. After about an hour and a half (Jason left the bag full of training food at the cabin so we went until we were good and starving) we headed back to the jetty. Despite the guys assuring me that getting back in was going to be a piece of cake, I was eyeing the HUGE crashing waves to my right and left with some anxiety brewing in my belly. Paul did an awesome job of lining us up for a great entry back into the port, but the waves were hitting us from all sides. Trying to enter back into the bay was much more challenging - as the ebb tide was moving about 7 km/hour against us, so we were basically sitting in one place getting buffeted. We paddled harder and harder and didn't go anywhere...

Jason, Paul and I finally managed to get into the calmer section after some close calls, but when we looked back we couldn't see Dan. We waited for a minute or two paddling still to stay in one place, and then we saw his paddle moving. He'd capsized 3 times, having to dive after his surf ski! Apparently a passing boat had been really worried about us and called the Coast Guard. They were coming out to find us as we made it in and the harbor seals welcomed us back to our dock by barking and sliding off their rocks into the water.

Back at the cabin we slammed some well deserved food into our mouths, changed into our biking clothes and started our afternoon coastal rode ride. The ride was amazing, especially since two days before I had the most humbling ride of my racing/training career. (My road tires had been at 40 psi instead of 115 psi)

Today's ride felt great as I could keep up with the guys and the scenery was so beautiful- lakes, beaches, rivers and beautiful green colors.

Tonight we feasted on fish, leafy greens and some bean and veggie stew I put into the crockpot this morning. Paul entertained us by cooking for us in "Paul's Country Kitchen".

Tomorrow is another big day - we start the day with a 50 mile ride and end it with a paddle and some beach combing..

Happy Solstice!!!

Love- Chelsey, Jason, Daniel and Paul

AssistDance

2011-12-06T03:13:00.004-06:00

October 17, 2011 - 2:15am
Getting on my bike, I turn on my handlebar mounted video camera. This morning, I am recording my 35 minute bike ride to Houston's Yoga One studios where for the last three weeks I have been assisting the Forrest Yoga Teacher Training. I have four more days until I return home to Arizona, thus completing my participation in all three of Ana's 2011 trainings. Supreme honour pervading feelings of excitement and nostalgia make up the emotional cocktail of the moment. As scenes of Houston’s nightlife flash by, I pedal forth, considering my experiences and achievements. Thinking back seven months to when I was in Boston, assisting the training for the first time, I remember where my practice was then and fully appreciate how I’ve progressed. Rolling into Yoga One, I arrive right when Ana does. We meet at the door and enter at 2:55am. Our first order of business is to practice the class that Ana will teach at 7am. The mix of an extremely early yoga practice following an invigorating bike ride proved to be a strong amplifier of a healthy relationship betweeen body and mind. Arriving at the studio by bike every morning, my body had already a good physical and aerobic experience, but my mind was still pretty chilled out. This meant that my practice was free from all mental baggage and excelling in the poses and transitions became easier and easier. It’s a very surreal process… very dreamlike. It is like being on a slackline. You don’t fully acknowledge your accomplishments until after they are over. During, all that exists is pure presence. There is no room for excess thinking. All that exists is feeling and doing. This cozy relationship of the think and the feel enabled me to experience several “quantum leaps” in my practice. The first of which was in a morning practice during the Los Angeles training. I was in bridge with a leg up. My eyes were closed as I rode the waves of sensation in my legs and pelvis. Suddenly I hear Ana’s voice, very close over me. She's cueing me as she performs a new hands on assist that I had never experienced. My eyes open automatically for only enough time to take in the scene and then they shut back down as I receive the assist. Through three or four breaths, Ana takes my hamstrings into release and my leg travels near effortlessly into much deeper flexion over my torso. With my next breath, I feel something like a knock in my sacrum... like a latch flung open on a shutter bowing under the wind's pressure. In such a short amount of time, I was able to delve much deeper in the pose with the right focus and Ana’s assist. In Houston, armed with the bike ride/ early practice combo, I was able to provoke many similar quantum leaps with breath alone. The most notable is lowering from handstand into astavakrasana. Now, that I practice during more sunlit hours, replicating that “early morning mind” feeling dramatically helps me through mental hurdles in the pose and also in life. Through out my nearly 60 days with Ana in 2011, my ability to teach, train and be trained went through many quantum leaps.

Ana's trainings are just as much human training as they are teacher training and those experiences surely don't end when the training does. Assisting all of 2011's trainings has been a springboard for both my practice and my teaching. In closing I will say that anyone who has the means and the desire to work with Ana in any form should jump on the chance to do so. Go for it, and then go deeper.

by Chip Fieberg
chipandlaura.com
yogaslackers.com

Don’t Let the Yogaslackers Kill You - by Gillian Pierce

2011-11-30T02:00:00.000-06:00

November 17^th, 2011

After spending the last 4 days filming a documentary on Yoga and Intention with the Yogaslackers in New York City, I am left with the image of standing on the subway platform and the massive whoosh of air when a train rolls through. Now sitting alone in my brother’s small Manhattan apartment, minutes after they left, the only word that describes the experience is “whirlwind”. Four of the Slackers are now in a car (with no backseat) traveling to Montreal to teach part of their Acro Yoga tour. And as a tribute to their undying energy I have decided that instead of collapsing, as I so desperately desire, or calling my boyfriend as I also desperately desire, I am going to follow their lead to go further than I think I can, and go deeper into my exhaustion by sitting down to write.

Other than my friendship with the slackers (born at a yoga journal conference in 2008 where I was taken by their energy and presence), I signed on for this project for several reasons. Mostly out of a desire to gain filming experience, but also from a personal interest in the project because of my own yoga exploration, which has taken many forms over the last 15 years.

Interview with Sri Dharma Mittra

The streets of NYC

I have studied with renowned teachers, but I am not consistent with one style of yoga and often feel guilty when I sway from a traditional practice. As for the filming, I completed a two-week documentary video workshop this fall and was eager to put those brand new skills to use. The extent of my planning with the Slackers was an email confirming that I did in fact buy a plane ticket (self-funded) and a basic schedule of some of the yoga classes. This loose outline, and little knowledge of the scope of the project, led me to a fantasy of strolling the city, attending a few yoga classes, and filming a bit as we go. What I didn’t picture was the exhaustion of an absolute physical and mental marathon that felt like their version of a NYC yoga adventure race, with 3-4 yoga classes a day spread across the city, with little to no time allotted for eating, drinking, or rest of any sort.

deep in practice

Oh, and did I mention the elevator ban? At first, I myself scoffed at the elevator rule, wondering what difference it could possibly make, and accepted a personal “hall-pass” from the rule based on my heavy camera equipment. But as I write this, I honestly feel regret over not having joined them on the stairs. As I watched this new Slacker rule unfold, I witnessed the absurdity of our mainstream culture that Jason pointed out. The standard accepted practice is to drive our car to the gym to exercise on stationary machines- including STAIRMASTERS, yet given multiple opportunities throughout the day to move our bodies, we choose not to. There would be little need for gyms (and a much lower obesity rate) if people simply used the stairs. And to make matters even more absurd, some of the doormen tried to enforce access solely to the elevators, and even denied the use of stairs until the issue of fires was mentioned. Even more than this basic absurdity, the main reason I wish I had joined the stair movement, is it perfectly illustrates the essence of the Yogaslackers. They are constantly looking for a deeper way in. Through their acro practice, slacklining, and adventure racing, they are always seeking a more authentic and raw experience and ways to simply allow the pain to move through them. They didn’t flinch when they found out one studio was on the 17^th floor.

deep in play

After four days with the Slackers, I am only slowly beginning to understand that all of their actions are intentional ways for them to live their philosophy- to continue to explore their own limits and a vow to never get too comfortable, rather than some kind of image for the outside world. They explained that in adventure racing it is easy to look for a way out and question the point of their discomfort. So instead, in everyday life, they choose to see the only constant as change and to embrace suffering, and more so have fun with it. They live their lives in continuous practice.

In my “normal” life I typically get 8 hours of sleep. I came to NYC slightly sleep deprived already, and have been running on about 5 hours a night since I arrived. By day 3 one of the Slackers said, and I quote, “Don’t let the Yogaslackers kill you”. She went on to explain how they have burnt out several camera people and how hard it is to keep up with them. A quick recap of the week: Monday- Dharma Mittra master class and Jivamukti Tuesday-Ashtanga Mysore in the am, a 2 hour Level 4 master Iyengar class and Breakti (Break dance and Yoga) Wednesday- Fight Club Yoga, Anti Gravity Yoga, Naked Yoga, Budokon, Thursday- Yoga Pole, Abhyasa (Pranayama), Anusara.

So on day four, now that the filming project is actually finished, I am finally just beginning to acclimate to this idea of fun in suffering that the Slackers have seemed to introduce. Last night we were all exhausted and hungry at the end of a long day, when rushing to our next class the Slackers decided to perform Acro moves in Times Square in the rain, delaying our search for a quick dinner. After the impromptu performance, I found myself laughing as I was now soaking wet and cold dodging a sea of people and umbrellas in the driving rainstorm. I realized that the Yogaslackers left me with this sense that the yoga really does occur off the mat, as we make choices everyday to respond and react to things, and the more we label things as “uncomfortable” the more we succumb to that idea.

Not only did the Yogaslackers NOT kill me, but if they asked me again I would happily: take my clothes off in front of a bunch of strangers, climb the stairs to the 17^th floor, get too little sleep, lug a big camera bag around in the rain, share a tiny apartment, and physically exhaust myself with them in New York City.

Gillian Pierce lives, writes, films, photographs, plays, and practices in Boulder, Colorado.

the simple life...

2011-11-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

It is a crisp 18 degrees here in Bend Oregon. The woodstove is cranking, and the new ecofan whirring. Coffee is brewing, and I am about to practice Acro with my wife Chelsey. It feels like Christmas has come early!

Remember that our house is open for visitors!

Team YogaSlackers/GearJunkie place 6th in the Nation

2011-10-31T00:48:00.001-05:00

Below is a recap of our final race of the season- Checkpoint Tracker Nationals in Kentucky! While it wasn't our best showing, we sure did learn alot! Sometimes those experiences are actually the best as they make us see what we need to improve on.. and a bit of humiity every once in a while is always healthy. Jason and I are back home in Bend enjoying lots of yoga, acrobatics, and climbing the local mountains before the snow falls!! Our next big race is the Patagonian Expedition Race in February 2012. We'll be back to training hard soon enough...

Checkpoint Tracker Nationals - October 2011
It was a cool night in western Kentucky. The start of the Adventure Racing Championship event by Checkpoint Tracker was still 12 hours away, but our entire team had a sinking feeling — the race director had just announced that the course would essentially be decided early on by a massive traditional orienteering “race within a race.” An hour later, as we plotted the checkpoints in our hotel room, we got a better sense of the scope of the difficulties ahead. Teams would have 10 hours to get as many of the section’s 23 checkpoints as they could amidst the crisscrossing trails, broad ridges, and little gullies that flank the land.

Our team captain Stephen Regenold, founder of GearJunkie.com, is an experienced orienteer, regularly competing (and occasionally winning) regional orienteering events. Unfortunately, Regenold had been unable to join the team for this race as our big annual “Treasure Hunt: Roanoke” event coincided with the CP Tracker race. Regenold’s absence left us still with a strong team, though as demonstrated in the video here, none of us are experts in the intricate skill of traditional orienteering.

In addition to our tough go with the orienteering, a major bike breakdown that cost us an hour in repair time, and a lack of food on the course (we ended up eating found gummy candies off the ground and a piece of hard corn on the cob!) added drama to the event. But in the end, Team GearJunkie/YogaSlackers was one of only eight teams (out of 70 total) to complete the entire course in Kentucky, putting us in 6th place for the nationally-attended event. Next time, we’ll make sure Regenold is leading the charge on the “O course,” and we plan to hone that discipline alone to broaden our quiver of skills. Oh, and we’ll bring more food next time so we don’t have to eat gummy chews dropped in the dirt!

For more blogs and videos on our team as well as great and honest reviews on gear we test please check out www.gearjunkie.com

First Official NYC Meeting of Slacker Stylz

2011-10-14T10:11:00.012-05:00

Yesterday was the first official slacker stylz meeting on Brooklyn Boulders turf where the regular YogaSlackers eLine set up was joined by the Gibbon line for some wild style tandem slacklining madness. I was joined by Gibbon team member Josh Greenwood for an epic 3hr slackline session where we shared tricks, styles and tips for all things yoga, jumping, turning and transitioning on the lines.

And it was a blast...

Not only did we learn a bunch about each others lines we found that the practice of switching back and forth was incredibly humbling...I could barely walk on the eLine after a jumping session on the Gibbon line which uses a ratchet device to tighten it so that it is more like a trampoline with tons of fun bounce to play with. And bouncing, just like learning to walk on the line for the first time, can get pretty addictive - I feel a bit like I got kicked in the stomach today and can't remember the last time my abs were so sore.

Josh also rocked out a bunch of yoga poses on the line learning our inversion and practicing boat pose variations until he stepped off also clenching his core muscles and stating that it was "so intense for your abs". Fortunately it took about 2 seconds recovery time before he was back up doing flips and drops that are surreal to watch in person.

As slacklining gains more and more popularity it is easy to look at other styles and question them. This happens far too much in the climbing world and Josh and I both agreed that it would be pretty cool if all slackers could continue to support each other and the unique styles that are forming and taking off in all sorts of innovative directions. We are both super psyched for the upcoming Slackline Series at Brooklyn Boulders starting this Sunday and now offering 7 different classes Sun-Tues. We look forward to sharing our unique styles with each other and with students as the sport develops and new slackers join the scene.

For Money or Mangoes…the slacker life

2011-09-26T19:46:00.001-05:00

mangoes fresh from the tree ~ nature's currency

For Money or Mangoes…

After a phenomenal summer of road trips, teacher trainings, festivals, surfing, climbing, biking, and recently returning from big walls in Yosemite and a YogaSlackers reunion in Estes Park, I can honestly say this has been one of the best seasons of my life.

El Cap Tower, Yosemite CA

The journey began in May with a cross-country road trip from NYC to California for the YogaSlackers first-ever teacher training. A bit of panic set in when I checked my bank account and saw that the balance was just under $300, hardly enough to cover gas even one way cross-country.

road trippin' ~ trust in the process that you will always arrive where you need to be (especially when lost)

But how, exactly, did it come to this? Well, if you’d like to wipe out your savings teaching yoga and have a phenomenal time in the process here’s the recipe:

First - go to the most expensive city in the world and teach, teach, teach.

The 2010 winter season took me to Tokyo, Japan for 3 months where I taught yoga, AcroYoga, and slacklining to many amazing students. I worked harder teaching than ever before and teaching in Tokyo proved to be one of the most transitional times in my life, introducing me to so many phenomenal people, devoted students and life long friends. Spending 3 months working in Japan I earned a decent living as teachers in Japan are regarded with great respect and professionalism and you are paid quite well for your trade. Only catch is that you get taxed on this income as if you earned it in the USA, something that I forgot in April 2011 when I, reluctantly, paid taxes for 2010.

first YogaSlackers slackline workshop in Japan (Gibbon approved)

Now ordinarily my bank account could come relatively close to accommodating the additional funds owed for taxes however I had spent the winter of 2011 living in Rincon, Puerto Rico surfing and teaching yoga for very little money and in many cases forms of food (like mangos) or services donated by students who were tight on funds.

This financial dilemma seems to be a scenario that many yoga teachers ultimately face- teach (a lot) for money and be able to pay your bills or teach to give back, live simply and see what manifests? Hopefully one day there will be a happy medium but in the meantime I constantly wonder: how necessary is money? In reality, it is just paper… and while there are many benefits to having it, is money a true necessity?

Because none of us made much money working in Rincon we all had a system of trading with each other for what we needed. From bodywork & yoga classes to food, clothes, surf board repairs and rides to the airport this community found a way to get by spending very little. In a way it was a simple practice of karma where whatever is given out is then returned in a new shape and form.

In Japan a similar financial exchange occurred as we all worked really hard, earned lots of money and then spent lots of money on the sheer act of living in Japan. Only trouble was that working all the time could get pretty exhausting and it was hard to find time to do the things you really wanted to do. While there was some work to be done in Rincon, it earned only enough money to get by in many circumstances and rather then working more to earn a couple extra bucks it made sense to just help each other out since we had plenty of free time, especially when there were no waves.

Because many of our friends in Rincon were tight on money, the “mango discount” was instated for my Sunday classes and workshops where locals could pay by donation or just bring a mango from one of the nearby trees in exchange for class. Of course all forms of food were included in this and as a result the class turned into a potluck afterwards with students bringing amazing food and even clothes to share and swap with each other after class.

Aloha Yoga post class clothing swap potlucks

The community of our little outdoor yoga studio grew and we started hanging out after class, surfing and cooking together in our spare time. It was a strong reminder that happiness remains in the simple stuff- the journey, the experience and the people we share it with. What’s truly valuable is very rarely justified by it’s worth in dollars (or yen) and sometimes the best form of payment is eating a whole bunch of mangoes with good friends… and thankfully, we don’t have to pay taxes on that.

Rincon, Puerto Rico ~ where sunset surf sessions are truly priceless

photo by Ben Fullerton / www.fullertonimages.com

And if you are wondering about that cross country road trip and how we covered gas costs… my friend Ryan (who was driving with me and also owns a design & silk screening studio in Rincon) and I designed a t-shirt to sell on our road trip at workshops and events where I was teaching. The YogaSlackers one love // one planet limited edition t-shirt sold enough to cover the cost of our gas cross-country and then we put extra funds into an account for the new 2011 YogaSlackers teacher trainees to help cover their gas money to go out and teach slackline workshops – keep an eye out for them, they are some of the most talented slackers we’ve ever seen!

one love // one planet shirt and some of our first supporters at the Surf Bar, Brooklyn NYC.

thanks to all who supported the cause

Hope you enjoy the journey and keeping slacking for mangoes and whatever else makes you happy...

-Adi

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

Not to suggest that you should completely ward off a source of financial income but if you want to teach for mangos and try the YogaSlacker’s guide to living on a budget here are some tips (Thanks to the YogaSlackers teacher training grads for their input):

* try to go a day without spending any money on food (advanced slackers - try a week or month). Use up food in your fridge / pantry and plan a potluck with friends for variety. If you live in a climate where you can grow your own food, compose a dish made entirely from local ingredients.

* go outside when you are looking to do something with your free time. Practice yoga in a park, go for a run or bike ride, slackline, surf, climb a tree (or rock face). Not only are most activities outdoors free of cost they are also usually beneficial to your health allowing you to be active, breathe fresh air and receive exposure to sunlight that helps combat depression and improve sleep.

· plan a clothing / gear swap with friends to clean out your closet of what you don’t need. This is always a great idea just to minimize the stuff you are holding on to as it will literally make you feel lighter to get rid of what you’re not using. These swaps yield unusual treasures that will hopefully also remind you of the person who gave them to you.

· *try to use human-powered transport as much as possible walk/run/bike/climbing up mountains to ski down for travel and avoid gas using cars (again outdoors/health theme)

· *get comfortable camping or build network of friends with couches when traveling…there are many tips on how to find great places to sleep for free on public lands, NFS, BLM, etc.

· *learn how to fix / repair things, sewing, bike, car repair/ maintenance, when many things break or wear out it is a particular part that needs replacing calling the manufacturer has led to me getting replacement parts sent to me for free.

Will pose for firewood...

2011-09-06T03:35:00.000-05:00

Winter is coming....

Chels shows off the woodcutting permit...she dressed to match!

The epitome of lumberjacks...

This fine Labor Day afternoon the smell of, well, labor was in the air...good old fashioned red-neck manual labor. It seemed a perfect chance to bust out our chainsaw, pull on the jeans, slip the old Toyota into 4-wheel drive, and head up into the forest and cut some firewood.

Chels (wo)mans the chainsaw

Some might thing that we only use our fancy ultralight, high-tech expedition gear when we are on a crazy race or adventure in parts unknown, but NO! - we use it to get down and dirty in the "front country" too.

The kit is simple. Prana Jeans (toughness you can move in), Ibex top (comfort, temperature regulation, and no stink), Specialized (biking/chainsaw gloves), Inov-8 (400gram leather goretex boots, lightest in the world!), Wigwam (anti blister socks), Mountain Hardwear (Chelsey's ice climbing gloves that have supreme dexterity and durability), Numa Sunglasses (ballistics grade eye and sun protection), Hydroflask (keeps our java hot and our coconut water cold), Java Juice (well the Java), and CocoHydro (the coconut water)....

prAna jeans, Ibex top, and Jason's Tricep

Just take a look at these amazing photos and you'll clearly see just how versatile our gear (and we) are. These are all realistic action shots, straight from the, well, action. In the end, we stacked nearly 1/2 cord of wood, and survived temperatures that nearly reached a scorching 90 degrees. If you are serious about looking good while you get serious work done, then I suggest you get on board and get your gear sorted out!

Who says bike gloves are only for bikes...?

Inov-8 shoes and Suunto watch help Dan bushwhack though the worksite...

Chels makes a cut while Jason braces the wood. He should really put on his protective Numa sunglasses!

GearJunkie Daniel hard at work

Chels is always ready with her Wenger "Mike Horn" knife

Hydration is SO important after such hard work...

prAna, Hydroflask, Inov-8, CocoHydro, Specialized, Wigwam, Mountain Hardwear, Ibex, Numa, Java Juice and more....

Come Race BaBAR in Bend- Our first 6 and 24 hour Adventure Race!!

2011-08-26T13:25:00.000-05:00

Yep- that is correct- Jason and I are teaming up with Glenn of Desert Dash to bring you BaBAR - the Best Around Bend Adventure Race!!

It takes place on the 1st of October, right here in our new home town! Come experience caving in lava tubes, running/trekking through the junipers, mountainbiking amazing single track and rafting down the Deschutes River! If you are doing the 24 hour race- you will get all of this plus amazing views of all the peaks around and amazing sea-kayking leg!!

Wether you have done 100's of AR races, or if this is your first ever... you will NOT be disappointed! Please check out the site: http://www.desertdash.com/BaBAR_6_and_24_hour_AR.php

Here is the most recent update:

Babar racer Update:

The snow is finally melting from high on the course, and we are looking forward to being able to test out the few missing pieces of the 24-hour race that we have not linked. Below is a basic overview of each course, as well as a bunch of answers to several of the questions we have received from interested racers.

6-hour “Sprint course”: This course is designed for beginner/intermediate racers. The expected finish time is between 5-6 hours with a cut-off at 8 hours. Below is the approximate breakdown of disciplines, and notes on each:

Trekking/Trail running: 5-8 miles total. Mostly trail.

Caving: just a little!

Paddling/Swimming: 2-3 miles whitewater/flatwater (up to class III). Any type of inflateable is suitable for this section. Racers will be able to portage the class III section if desired. Wetsuits/body armor is optional. Inflatable kayak rentals are available at: http://www.oregonrafting.com/index.cfm/pid/3/ouzel/raft/rentals
These boats are great for whitewater, and the rental is $30 – which includes helmet, PFD, paddle and pump! Call soon to make a reservation if you need it. 800-788-7238
Any other Packraft or tube or bodyboard is allowed, but remember that if you pop your boat you end up swimming down class III!

Mountain biking: 25 miles, mix of singletrack, fireroad, and some pavement. Bike rentals are available all over Bend, ranging from $25 (for decent front suspension bikes) to $45 (full suspension) to $60 (for high end FS). Three that we recommend are:
http://www.villagebikeandski.com/
http://www.hutchsbicycles.com/
http://webcyclery.com/

Some navigation is required, although much of the travel is on existing trails, forest service roads, etc – but basic map and compass skills will be required to decipher the best way to go.

Water: Water will not be available on the course (although there are lots of places to get it). Racers should plan on carrying enough water for 6 hours.

Schedule:
Fri: 6-8 PM early check in
Sat: 6-8 AM late check in and bike and packraft staging open
Sat: 9 AM: pre-race meeting and maps
Sat: 9:45 AM START
Sat: 3 PM first finisher expected
Sat 5:45 final cutoff

24 – hour race: A bit more hardcore aimed at experienced racers or those with a penchant for suffering. Expected finish times of 20 – 30 hours.

The above info for raft and bike rental applies to the 24 hour course as well. Included in the 24 hour race registration is the use of double kayaks for the longer flatwater/river section that is not part of the 6 hour race. Below are rough estimates of distances covered.

Trekking: 15 - 25 miles
Whitewater: 2-3 miles
Flatwater/non-rapid river: 20 miles
Mt biking: 75-90 miles
caving: just a little

The 24 hour racers will have one remote transition area that they will visit twice. Each team will be allowed one transition bag which wil be moved to the TA from the start. Teams will visit this bag twice and be able to resupply on food, clothing, etc. Bags are limited to large duffels, approx 40 gallons or less. Teams wishing to bring their own paddles may have paddles sticking out of the bag.

Water will be available on the course at the remote TA location. There are many other sources of water along the course, but the TA is the only location it will be provided by the race staff.

Schedule: 24 hour race

Fri: 6-8 PM Racer Check in

Sat: 5:30 – 6 AM late check in
6 – 7 bike and packraft staging open (off Conklin Road in Bend)
7:45 pre-race meeting and maps hand out (Sun River Resort)
8:45 race start
Sun: 8 AM – first finishers expected
12 noon: awards
2 PM final cutoff

Another 2 months of Slacking....

2011-08-25T03:14:00.000-05:00

Chelsey satisfying her longline obsession in Vermont

Ok - an admission here. It is mostly my (Jason's) job to keep something exciting going up here once a week or so. And we certainly have something blogworthy at least every day in the YogaSlackers family (heck there are 30 of us now!), so why has is been 2 months?!? Crazy huh.

We've been redesigning the website, walking sickeningly long slack lines, growing the mini business, racing on the international stage, performing emergency (and frequent) surgery on the Peace Love Car, and just generally spreading the Slacker love as far afield as we can....

Chelsey and I have both aged a year, Dan and Sam survived a long teaching road trip together, and Prana still keeps us from having to run around naked.

But rather than go back and tell all the stories, I'll just post a few media tidbits from the recent days, and remind you that we are much more exciting in person, and with all our plans for this fall you SHOULD be able to get out to play with us somewhere nearby....

Listen to internet radio with Yoga In My School on Blog Talk Radio

So here is a live interview from this morning, and a video of the recent race in Idaho (watch it in HD)....I promise to put some provocative pictures of the PLC up once she gets out of the hospital.!

Wanderlust Adventures

2011-06-28T06:22:00.000-05:00

It has been a wild week to say the least. Somehow we all made it out to the east coast, to Statton Mt. Vermont for this year's Wanderlust Festival. Sam and Dan lost a transmission somewhere along the way in Texas, but the ingenious duo quickly started a "Save the Peace Love Car" campaign on Facebook and raised half the money needed for a new one. Jason and Chelsey got married in a cave by the Beaver, and got literally stuck together for 54 hours as part of the Global Glue Project.

Convoluted as it was, all roads led to Wanderlust - a magical festival of amazing music, yoga, and play. Much of our Slacker family and friends were able to come, as we were tasked with creating an Slacker/Acro playground in the middle of the Anusara Village.

Slackline rigging wizards, Sam and Dan worked their magic in creating a unique system of ground anchors that blended in almost perfectly to the surrounding landscaping, and even managed to set a waterline across the pond in front of the Krishna Cafe.

Not even the torrential rain that came and stayed for three days could dampen things. We took it all in stride, playing in the rain, conditioning in the mud, and taking full advantage of the slip-and-slide that John Friend himself suggested be set up.

We figured out a way to stay warm by using our trusty HydroFlask bottle to jam open the gate leading to the swanky hot tub.

The rain let up for good just as Michael Franti took the stage and played an amazing and uplifting concert. Shortly after the musical vibrations had ended, Chels was inventing new yoga asana as she twisted and arm-balanced her way to a hard fought second place in the Yoga Twister contest. We finished the final night with a desert an bodywork party at a huge condo that had been accommodated with 5 Bio-mats! Can't wait till next year!

And just for the record - 9 of us made it across the water line: Chelsey, Adi, Jason, Sam, Dan, Erica, Zach, Garret (of Barefoot Truth), and Brenden. AcroYogi's Jacob and Matt were pretty close so we'll be looking out for them next time!

Crazy Bug Incident

2011-06-17T04:14:00.000-05:00

It happened near the start on our 6 hour training ride. Before we'd even reached the singletrack. I'm not sure if it was the colors on my new Moots racing kit or the tiger stripes on my Ellsworth Evolve 29er, but it almost shut me down. For several minutes (before the video was taken) I tried to solve the problem to no avail. Blow as I might, the little sucker stayed put, squirming and crawling around. All in all it was a pretty unique problem and quite disconcerting.

Chels in heaven in her back yard

2011-06-15T16:05:00.001-05:00

A quick look at the long line in the bend backyard

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YogaSlackers take over prAna

2011-06-08T20:40:00.000-05:00

Once again we find ourselves trying to fall asleep in the prAna parking lot. I feel there is no better time or place to write this blog as just a few short weeks ago, this very building was our home/prison for a week.

You see, the YogaSalckers decided to go against our “slacker” name and host the first ever YogaSlackers teacher training, certifying 23 new teachers in the art of slacking, with a lot of yoga, acrobatics and slacklining mixed in.

This blog episode is not about the teacher training itself, you can read about that elsewhere. This story is about the week leading up to the training.

With only 10 days remaining before our teacher training was to begin Sam and Dan figured it was a good time to start creating the manual that the training would be based around.

The problem: We get distracted very easily!

The solution: Lock ourselves in a room until the manual was done.

But where?

The answer: prAna’s founder, Beaver, agreed to let us use the conference room for the week. He had no idea what he’d gotten himself (or his staff) into. The following video gives you a little taste of the 120 hours we spent locked up in the office:

Thankfully, Jason and Chelsey were able to find their way to prAna, covered in poison oak from that weekend’s adventure race, and help finish the manual.

We took the next day off to recover, both mentally and physically, and then headed out to the retreat center to get everything set up. The ten-day training was full of good people, fun moments, plenty of adventure, and-thanks to our week stay at prAna-an amazing manual.

First Ever YogaSlackers Teacher Training: 23 New Jedi Ninja Warriors Ready to Unleash the Force…

2011-06-06T13:42:00.033-05:00

Some thought it could never be done. Others questioned what we would teach and why? But despite the non-believers, YogaSlackers went forth and delivered the first ever official teacher training, probably one of the most vigorous and diversified out there, with great success. This marked the first time that all of the original YogaSlackers from across the country were in attendance to share their stories, skills and craziness in the same place and same time and witness the transformation of the next generation of slackers into jedi ninja warriors of balance, acro and adventure skills. And get ready… as the next generation of YS teachers are fierce, super fierce!

The 10 day training offered students a vigorous schedule of yoga, slacklining, daily conditioning (Harder, Faster, Stronger anyone?), advanced acrobatics drills and partner work. With our friend Stacey holding it down in the kitchen and offering super nutritious meals and snacks we were all able to go strong through the 15 hr days of training, conditioning and practice teaching, oh yeah, and doing a 7 hour adventure race including mountain biking, trekking and rappelling through a really fun course taking us to Mexico and back. The adventure race experience was offered about half way through (when most trainings probably would have offered a rest day) and everyone rocked it- perhaps in part due to the 40 minutes of hardcore YogaSlackers unique conditioning circuits every day indoors and on the slacklines.

One of the greatest parts of the location at Liberty Advance (a super awesome and creative retreat center located in the desert just an hour outside of San Diego) was the freedom to build and develop the ultimate slackline experience.

We set up over 15 locations for daily practice slacklining and practice teaching as well as a rodeo line - a super slack slackline that dips down in the middle creating a ton of swing back and forth, a 60 ft long line, 170 ft super long line and probably everyone’s favorite- the water line set up across the Liberty Advance pool (see video below).

Through daily practice on these various lines the YogaSlackers teachers developed some of the most well rounded slackline skills and abilities of anyone we know. With advanced acrobatic conditioning drills, calibrations and flows in the afternoon the teachers worked with each other to push their abilities in basing, flying and communication as they developed muscles unique to balance and co-ordination so as to also parallel the work done on the line.

There was also an arts & crafts portion of the training composed of making outfits out of a slackline keeping in mind the YogaSlackers motto "it's not a thong" as a key element to the design process.

Thankfully the hot tub (with optional late night sing alongs) eased tired muscles, as did the spontaneous dance parties, late night movie sessions with “slacker stack” cuddling as everyone piled on the floor and couches under whatever yoga props we could find. Some of us displayed true slacker form and continued to sleep on the floor all through the night until the next morning and it’s good to know that the essential slacker skill of floor crashing resonates well with the group.

As I look back on the training it is definitely with a bit of sadness that it is all over. Watching these students transform into super strong ambassadors of slack I realize how privileged YogaSlackers is to have these 23 rock stars going back into the “real” world to share the practice along side us. We started teaching yoga on the slackline simply because we found it super fun (and super addictive)…I don’t think any of us imagined it would come to this and this teacher training surpassed our wildest dreams. The experience of meeting and working with everyone is worth more than words and the memories will stay strong for generations to come. We wish them all well and look forward to spreading the slackage to new heights in the upcoming months and years.

May you go forth and prosper in the name of slack!

-Adi & and the YS crew: Jason, Sam, Chelsey, Dan, Paige, Paul

And BIG THANKS to our amazing sponsors for supplying product (especially caffeinated and high energy product!) to keep the students and teachers going through the 10 days…big ups to:

Raw Revolution, Steaz, Sambazon, Power to Go, U Hydration & nuun, Java Juice, coco hydro, tarma, hydroflask, Ellsworth bikes (for bringing out super sick mountain bikes for students to demo on the adventure race course) and prAna- a company that believed in YogaSlackers from the very start and supported the journey even when it was just a dream…thanks for helping us to make it an ever changing awesome reality!

YogaSlackers - slacking for a better world

Photo credits: Sam Salwei / YogaSlackers, Ryan Martin, Ariel Mihic, Laura Miles, Ron Avitzur

Before there was YogaSlackers

2011-06-01T01:24:00.000-05:00

As the first ever YogaSlacker's teacher training comes to a close (we miss everyone already!), Sam and I have been reminiscing about the long time coming that these last ten days have been. YogaSlackers started on the floor of a climbing gym in North Dakota, with two dirtbag climbers and the friends that they trained with late into the night. If you watch closely you can spot early images of the Peace Love Car, and even the "Duck Car" (pre PLC). There is also archival footage of our earliest days on the line, when nylon was all we knew, and we started experimenting with slack-asana. I hope that this will buy me a bit of time as I sort through the amazing images and video of the last ten days, and scratch my head wondering just how we were able to attract 23 of the most amazing slackline yogis I've ever seen....

As I watched people from all across the country walking long lines, water lines, rodeo lines, and doing amazing asana throughout it was hard to imagine that there ever was a time before yogaslackers....

Extreme North Dakota Adventure Race

2011-05-06T22:56:00.000-05:00

I've been up in North Dakota for the last few days helping set up for the spring 6 hour race. The race starts this Sunday (what better way to celebrate mother's day than get all dirty!) and Chelsey is racing with an all girls team (Team Kali), that includes my twin brother's wife Tammy. It has been hard not to give hints about the course....but here is a quick preview of what she and the others have to look forward to!

Teacher Training Looms

2011-05-02T17:59:00.000-05:00

In less than 3 weeks, a huge shift in YogaSlackers will begin as 25 new slackers gather in the desert east of San Diego to begin the first (and maybe last) YogaSlacker's Teacher Training. Six years ago when this whole thing started, this moment was not even on the radar. We had no idea what we were doing, let alone how to teach it. Essentially we had an inkling that we could somehow put off real jobs for a bit longer if we really embraced the "slacker life".

And now here we are, with a small business, and a growing family. It feels good. It feels scary. I am not sure what the future holds, and those closest to the center all have slightly different ideas of how to proceed.

I had a few friends visit me this weekend that I had not seen since college 15 year ago. We had a great time, telling old stories, exploring caves, and basically making 15 years of separation vanish in an instant. At one point, Peter said to me, "You are the only one from college that I know that actually actualized what they said they were going to do...sticking to your unknown path of adventure and passion."

Jason "actualized?"

It was amazing to hear this coming from someone who'd been out of my life for so much time, and only recently caught a bit up to date via facebook. The idea that I was living actualized had never really occurred to me, after all, in my mind I am simply living. Living on my own terms certainly, but I don't know if I'd ever really considered living on anyone else's. Peter seemed to think that most people do.

In may ways, perhaps, that is what being a YogaSlacker is about. Living on your own terms - whatever they may be. After all, life (and other people) would tend to suggest that balancing on a 1" piece of dynamic string is not very useful, let alone even possible.

So as we find ourselves on the verge of sending 25 new slackers out into the world to share these crazy possibilities, I can't help but be excited. I have no idea where this is going, but after taking a moment to see all of this through Peter's eyes (a outside perspective), I am pretty sure that it is going well...

So here is a lighthearted teaser, of a skill that the Teacher Training will not include...

Kiwi Kepler Time-Lapse video

2011-04-07T04:12:00.000-05:00

Our stay in NEw Zealand ended today, with a long flight back from Queenstown via Aukland, and then Los Angeles and finally Portland. We were lucky enough to be some of the first to try Air New Zealand's Economy Sky Couch - basically the seats turn into a mini semi-cramped couch. Wouldn't be much good for the likes of teammate Daniel (6'2"), but for Chelsey and I it was quite nice.

Good thing too, as our legs were sore and ankles a bit swollen from the 40 mile run that we completed only 12 hours before getting to the airport. Sometimes we don't really think through our plans....

The run however was marvelous, and I put together a short time lapse video of sorts, to highlight all the amazing scenery we traveled through. Enjoy.

Too many Missions

2011-03-31T20:52:00.000-05:00

"Missions" - thats what they call it in New Zealand whenever you have big plans in the outdoors, or really anywhere for that matter. Chelsey and I have been over here in New Zealand for nearly two weeks, and already completed two - the Dusky Mission, and the Mitre Peak Mission. Tonight we start a mission to introduce these keen Kiwis to the arts of Slackline and AcroYoga in a 3-day retreat. The day that ends, we'll head off on our last mission - a one day run of the 67 km Kepler Track. But for now, in our brief opportunity to be connected via the internet, we wanted to post a quick photo essay of the two incredible journeys we've had thus far. So I present a teaser video from the Dusky Mission (a six-day out and back on the roughest track in NZ, which included first packraft descents of the Spey and Seaforth rivers), photos from the Mitre Mission (a 14 hour push to climb and descend New Zealand's most photographed summit, Milford Sound's Mitre peak). The sandfly bites are still healing....

Mitre Peak at 8am, packraft used for 4 km crossing

A moment of reflection before the unrelenting steep

finally out of the trees at 900 meters (3000 ft)

right at home on a granite perch

No camera trickery here - this was the angle of much of the turf we had to climb!

summit - wishing for Star Trek transporter capabilities

partners in crime

Dougie (little yellow dot!) reflecting on the tops - before the descent

clouds moving in from the ocean

The dank jungle during the 1700 meter (5600 ft) descent

Highlights of the Patagonian Expedition Race - With videos from behind the scenes of Team Gear Junkie!

2011-03-17T14:12:00.000-05:00

In a race like the Wenger Patagonian Expedition, it is extremely hard to explain the intensity, the beauty, the suffering and the all around rawness to a person. This year, Stepjan, the infamous race director made a race course far harder than previous years. He warned us best he could, but even he couldn't explain what we were about to do. Stepjan predicted that only 3 teams would finish the entire course. In the end, no teams finished the entire course. After some alterations to the race course due to some (now regretful) decisions made by Team Adidas, Team Gear Junkie, and the French and The Croats- we finished in our respectful places, with Team Adidas in 1st, Team Gear Junkie in 2nd, and the French coming in 3rd.

The last thing I told Stepjan before I left the closing ceremony is "Please keep it wild and insanely hard" that is what keeps people coming back. It's a race that is like a skeleton in your closet - we've done it twice now - and each time encountered challenges that we never imagined possible - and not just physical. The emotional obstacles that we came up against were often even greater. And in the end, we have yet to complete a full course as imagined by Stepjan. I'll spend the next year in anticipation of our return, not so much in a desire to win the 2012 race (although we'll certainly try), but to enter the crucible (Patagonia has become one for me) and see how I emerge the other side.

This year the race had some amazing volunteers, photographers, videoagraphers and logistics people in the office and out on the course. The amount of updates, posts and tweets had people on the edge of their seats- including my Dad, a construction worker in Alaska who was checking the updates every hour at one point. People who didn't really understand why or what adventure racing is were able to follow us and join us in the excitement of it all. We were further blessed to have our friends and fellow Slackers, Sam Salwei and Paul Cassedy selected as part of the media crew. Knowing that they were out in that same wilderness, trudging around with cameras in that inhospitable and unmatched beauty. We expected to see them as we forced our way out of every brush choked gully - cameras rolling amid whoops of encouragement.

Unfortunately the journalists and photographers couldn't always be with us out there in the wild, unmerciful terrain (we actually spent days with no contact with anyone). However, we brought a camera just for this reason. Below, we take you behind the scenes - where you can get a little taste of what our personal journey was like.

A few of my favorite moments from the race-

Floating down the river on our ultra light Therma Rest Neo Air - it was worth almost freezing to death later on..
Watching Dan - the best bushwhacker in the whole entire world wrestle and often win the battle against the "death star" bushes.
Going up and over a mountain pass, where there was no bushwhacking- only solid, sticky rock (thank you Inov-8!!) and then Running into cp 8 (the check point before the last kayak) finding out that we gained 5 hours on the Brits! - Thanks to Jason's awesome navigation!
every time I opened up Alpine Aire... my tummy and taste buds were always thanking me.
watching Jason run with Stephens bike over his shoulder across the finish line- (there is never a dull moment with us)
My conversations with Stephen - who seemed off in another dimension starting on day 2 of the race.
Our inventiveness and over all sense of adventure and ability to laugh and help each other out when things got down right bad as a team.

We are already planning for our trip back to the end of the world... we've heard that it is going to be even harder than this year!!

Patagonian Adventure continues for Sam and Paul

2011-02-24T13:17:00.002-06:00

Best coffee in town

Sam here,

The Wegner Patagonia Adventure Race finished 7 days ago with team Gear Junkie/YogaSlackers taking a respective 2 nd place finish. Our support bag that was only suppose to be at PC 11 is still sitting on top of a mountain @ PC 10!!!

Paul and I have been sitting in Punta Arenas for 5 days waiting for the race staff to find us a boat to take us close to PC 10, so we can hike in. We are not complaining too much YET. Our predicament has scored us a sweet room at Oro Fueguino for 3 days, with a great breakfast of peach yogurt, corn flakes, cake, cookies and coffee everyday. However we are now sleeping on the office floor, which is more our speed anyway.

Pauls favorite activity LOGGING tapes

The race has also covered our meals at a variety of local restaurants which has been a great way to experience the town.

The people down here have been really friendly. We have seen break dancers holding one arm handstands and hopping...amazing, there were some parkor kids practicing on the beach, we met a local climber and slackliner, there was even a guy playing the accordion.

Other key experiences:

1.Kissing the toe of the large bronze statue in the town square. (Suppose to insure a return trip to Punta Arenas)

2.Having 8 stray dogs follow us for 3 blocks.

3.Going for frequent 8 mile runs up and down the beach. (We got kicked out of the 11 story Casino because we were running up and down the stairs)

our first meal in Patagonia

I am mentioning all these crazy events because they might not have happened if the race officials had not mistakenly helicoptered our RED PACIFIC OUTDOORS GOBI 85L bag up to remote pc 10. So bottom line our bag has been sitting in the open, on top of a mountain in the middle of southern Patagonia wilderness full of expensive electronic equipment for what will be atleast 10 days by the time we get to it. We are counting on Pacific Outdoors amazing products to keep our gear safe.

Our Red bag is still missing :)

This has been a true test of patience and poise. Paul and I have felt very angry and annoyed at times because we are attached to our PLAN to climb for 10 days in Argentina and Chile. Everyday our bag sits is one less day of climbing.

I think it would be best to let go of the climbing and focus on the fun things in PA as we wait. (I will need help convincing Paul:)

SO...

Here is the plan for the rescue mission.

1. Take day trip to antartica (score)(weather permitting, we have been waiting 2 days now)
2. Paddeling across the Straight of Magellan

3. Day trip to the Southern most tip of South America (4 hours away)

4. Slackline around town

5. Daily runs down the beach

This leaves us with less then 5 days to climb... please send us encouraging thoughts to help us keep the awesome reality of our situation in perspective.

Hotel Hain, Our first home in Patagonia

Chip & Laura's Intermediate AcroYoga Workshop

2011-02-16T16:41:00.001-06:00

Laura here-This last Sunday when Chip and I taught an intermediate AcroYoga workshop, we had a super strong group, and it was such a pleasure to teach folks from Tucson, Phoenix, and even San Diego! It was so neat to see the whole flow come together and started out with me and Chip just playing around and putting together a flow that we could up level and down level. Lots of the moves were inspired by our many teachers, and some Chip and I came up with from just playing around. Next, we wanted to get it on video to entice folks to come to the workshop. On a hike with Chip and my cutest stepson Kai, we ran into a local bird watcher and nature enthusiast, Jose, and she told us about this amazing place to go see tens of thousands of cranes this time of year. We hopped in our car the very next day, and drove 1 and a half hours east to the White Water Draw. We got there at seriously the perfect time and perfect day to get an amazing background for our video. After seeing what we captured, we just had to name the flow after it, hence, the "Sandhill Crane Flow". What you couldn't tell in the video, was that there is a very crucial point during the flow, in which you HAVE to "ca-caw" like a crane (right before sitting up into shins)...it's very crucial, or have I mentioned that already:) So ya, here's the video from that day:

Handstand block made by Chip!

The day of the workshop was really exciting for us. We had a great group, and everyone really put their effort into working hard, staying attentive, and keeping everyone safe. It was also really neat to see that pretty much everyone arrived with an AcroYoga partner. It sure made making the groups easy...and I suppose it just makes sense since having a regular partner can be really beneficial as you dive deeper into the practice. So we had all our introductions and got right into warming up with yoga flow and abdominal exercises Chip is now famous for:). After going over all different types of strength training elements, we set up different stations with 2 people at each- one coaching, and one doing the exercise. We'd give each person 20 seconds per interval, so there'd be very quick sprints of exercise, followed by rest. It was so nice that Chip built us two beautiful sets of red wood handstand blocks because we were able to add hand to hand training to the circuit.

Lindsey & Will coming into shins

Astara & Nick in floating camel

I just love how the whole room lights up during strength training circuits and everyone is pumped to begin learning the flow. We got right into it by teaching the flow piece by piece with lots of up leveling and down leveling. Everyone was honest in their own assessment of what would be best for them, and there was a lot of encouragement to try real hard at whatever it was they were doing. The day was a real success and concluded in putting the whole flow together with whatever energy people had left.

And here's the whole flow Chip & I presented at the end of the day:

We're now figuring out when to get the next intermediate workshop up on our calendar- so stay tuned for more fun-ola, and you can always check in with us @ chipandlaura.com. We're hoping that setting up these intermediate workshops will bring even more folks out to Jason & Chelsey's advanced workshops...so if you're ready and have all the pre-req's in the bag for this Mar.4-6 in Tucson, AZ, sign up at: http://yogaflowtucson.com/advancedacro/

The whole crew:)

Catch ya later!

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