Hey there Booty Campers!As we're now officially offering free indoor yoga classes on Friday mornings, Kimae and I thought it was time that I "formally" introduce myself. So hello! My name is Jennifer (Jenn) Abel and I teach an all-levels yoga class in conjunction with Kimae's four days of hardcore outdoor play.
I am, first and foremost, a SWL Boot Camp participant. In May 2008, having just moved to Seattle from south India, I needed to jump-start my fitness level. I'd been living abroad for over a year, and let's just say that I might have enjoyed a bit too much rice and curry while away. I joined the 5:50am session (unable to believe I'd ever be able to get up that early!) and was amazed at how quickly I improved my physical fitness and overall health. But there were other benefits - I soon found a new strength in my seven-year-long yoga practice. I was a better "yogi" thanks to all that I was cultivating in boot camp. And my yoga practice was helping me to stretch out all of the muscle groups that Kimae's workouts target (hamstrings, hip flexors, shoulders, abs, quads, etc.) I've been teaching yoga since 2005, and together with my experiences at Booty Camp, I am able to truly realize both mind and body wellness!
So it wasn't too long before Kimae and I began to brainstorm about the idea of free yoga classes. We found a studio space in Wallingford where women can safely learn and practice yoga together. I craft the Friday classes around the work we do in camp (you'll see me there, sweating alongside of you, several days a week). If Kimae emphasizes core power in Week 1, you can bet we'll explore and compliment this power in our yoga class. Once we've built up serious stamina in Week 4, we'll challenge our bodies with a more vigorous yoga practice that builds on the previous sessions.
I'm incredibly excited to share yoga with my fellow Booty Campers. I think yoga is one of the most accessible ways to cultivate strength, flexibility and balance (all you need is your own body - although we'll play with props in class from time to time). I also try to remind people that, like Booty Camp, yoga can be playful - we're doing poses called "Downward Facing Dog" and "Cow Face" and "Camel" - how serious can it be? In fact, if you'd like to see one artist's rendition of yoga's sillier, imaginative side, check out Metamorphosis: An Artist Envisions the Asanas of Yoga. I wrote this book with Emanuele Scanziani, who creatively depicts some of the more popular yoga poses. We've included his vision of plank pose below, a move we do often in camp!
In any event, I can't wait to see you in the play, both out on Trail and down on our mats!Jenn
Great post thanks.
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