I was trying my best to write not write my first post until I was physically in New York, but oh well. What better day to start than the summer solstice! 

Before I get too carried away, let me address “Sweating Grace & Gratitude.” I pondered the title of my new blog for a long time. The words “grace” and “gratitude” have become words I see, use, and practice daily in my life. What else do I do each day? Sweat. I love to sweat. Initially by running, and now also by doing yoga, crossfit/circuit training, cycling classes, and more. I am very fortunate to be able to find time in every day to exercise. Sometimes it may be 6AM half asleep, other times it may be 9PM when I wish I was already asleep. But the more I sweat daily the more my body needs it and reacts if it doesn’t happen. (Yes I do have off days too, especially when I’m running a lot, don’t worry.)

I chose not to incorporate New York into my blog title, but to express it with the header photo. If you ready my Teachers Who Run blog you will see that I have been a middle school teacher and runner in Charlotte, and I’m making a big city and career move to NYC. This is happening in 14 days. Wow, there it is. I am beyond excited about the new adventures that await me, the new fantastic people I will meet, the amazing lifestyle I will live, and of course the variety of ways and places I will sweat. I’m running the Marine Corps marathon in October, and can’t wait to get back into distance running in my new city. Central Park, runs along the rivers, NYRR group runs, I’m sure to become a “real” runner again.

So I am very carefully planning my last sweats here in Charlotte and giving MUCH grace and gratitude as I workout each day for this city and the friends I have made here. My life here the past five years has been perfect. I have loved it and will miss it. Tonight I attended the last half of mala at y2 yoga. So, it is a yogi tradition on the summer solstice to practice the mala. Mala is 108 sun salutations. If you know yoga, you know this is a LOT of yoga. Think, “chair pose, chaturunga, up dog, down dog, warrior one right side, chaturunga, up dog, down dog, warrior one left side, chaturunga, up dog, down dog, chair pose.” And that’s just one salutation. We did 54. It was hot, but it was candlelit and what the instructor called a “moving meditation.” It really was incredible. One of my best practices ever.

At the beginning of each class we are to set an intention for the class. Tonight I chose FEAR. This was perfect for me. I think it’s good to have fear and have nerves, if you look at it the right way. I’m certainly feeling this in my life right now, and as I honored fear tonight in my 54 salutations I felt I was also conquering fear. This is why I love yoga. That and the fact that the instructor played his guitar and sang for us during shavasana. 

So here it is. Sweating grace & gratitude. Nine more days in the QC and then off to my adventures in NYC, being gracious and thankful all along the way.

There are no photos of my practice tonight, but lululemon and the yoga world in New York held a summer solstice practice of their own right in Times Square. I just can’t wait to be a part of this!

Care of: lululemon new york city facebook page