In June I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica with high school students for 10 days. During these 10 days we traveled from San Jose to La Fortuna to Monteverde to the Pacific Coast to Sarchi to the Saraquipi River. I had no idea what to expect but was up for the adventure. Each day we embarked on explorations and adventures...visiting a coffee plantation, kayaking Lake Arenal, soaking in the hot springs of the Arenal Volcano, hiking the Santa Elena Cloud Forest, ziplining in the rainforest, white water rafting and much more! It was the most physically challenging trip I've ever experienced. Most of the time I had to push myself to overcome my fears... of heights, snakes and spiders! I had to push myself to hike uphill 500 more steps when my legs ached to the point I didn't think I could walk any further. When I had doubts, fears and hesitations I kept thinking "you can do this...this is yoga off the mat". Many of us practice yoga for its physical and mental benefits but yoga is more than a practice on your mat, its about taking what you learn on your mat off your mat. Yoga teaches us all of these sweet little lessons that we can apply to our daily life. If you learn to overcome your fear of doing a headstand, you can overcome any of your fears! If you can push yourself to get through a challenging power yoga class or hold a pose just a few seconds longer, you can do anything! Don't get stuck in your comfort zone. Take a new class. Meet a new teacher. Take more adventures! Meet new people! Try new foods! Live your yoga! Live your life! ...and don't forget to breathe!
-Jenny Dayton, yogi, teacher, foodie, animal lover, explorer
