The Experience, Reimagined
Hello there!
When I last wrote to you all, I shared that I have been in a state of growth that has taken me away from writing on a regular basis.
You all know that part of the growth state has been building out a big, new practice space at our Westlake location (which will hopefully be opening in the next couple of weeks), but we have also been reimagining The Inner Bliss Experience and growing this offering in many ways that I am excited to share with you here!
The Experience will celebrate a 15 year birthday this coming February! Offering The Experience over these past 15 years almost 50 times has been a source of fuel for my soul. I believe in these 7 practices and the way they work together, with every fiber of my being.
Over the years, the student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! I have heard so many stories of students making life changing realizations as they engaged these 7 practices. As with most things in life, the stories are the compelling force of The Experience! When we witness others growing and changing, it inspires us to do the same.
While I’m grateful for all of the goodness The Experience has been, I felt called to make some shifts in the spirit of The Experience. To hold onto the essence of self-inquiry, but to grow the focus of yoga and body listening alongside encouraging more flexibility and freedom with the unprocessed food practice. I felt called to move away from rules and move towards curiosity, away from restrictions and towards inquisitiveness, away from the idea of doing it all and towards the spirit of simply giving new habits a try!
I had a female student tell me once that for years, she had been drinking a couple glasses of wine each night as a way to relax. She had a feeling that the wine was causing her problems with sleep issues, depression, weight gain and sluggishness. But it wasn’t until she did The Experience and got on her mat every day for 10 days and replaced the wine with herbal tea each night, that she began to feel her body changing, literally overnight. Within 10 days, she began sleeping well, her energy was the highest it had been in a decade and she felt lighter and brighter. The framework of The Experience gave her the direction and incentive to make a change she knew intuitively would help her feel better. The regular yoga practice helped her feel her body breathing and moving each day, feeling better and better. She told me after The Experience ended she would join us for all of them moving forward and she has joined for many of them! She is so in tune with her body and listening to it, her body has become her true north.
Other stories I have heard over the years include a student who shared with me that the practice of Giving each day gave her so much joy! She looked forward each day as she determined how she would make someone’s day with a little give:) I have also had many students share that they had no idea how good they could feel just getting on their mat daily - even if it was just for a few minutes. I have heard stories from students that once they began using mantras in their day to day life, they were seeing changes happen so effortlessly in the way they saw the world around them.
These stories and many others, have inspired me look at what works within the 7 practices and what could work better. I have realized that for many, some of the 7 practices seem daunting and maybe even impossible - creating a roadblock to even trying it.
We wanted to create an open invitation to simply get on your mat each day, listen to your body and try some new and fun ways to elevate your mind and spirit! Envision taking a look at the 7 practices and determining what changes you want to make? For example, maybe you really want to see how you feel practicing yoga daily but you are not as interested in practicing mantras. Maybe you need some encouragement to drink more water or you simply want help starting a meditation practice. Whatever you are feeling called to work on, join us and go at your own pace!
The Experience for All will still include the 7 practices offered in the spirit of investigation and fun, including: Yoga, Body Listening, Meditation, Giving, Eat, Drink, Mantra!
Formerly, we all had the exact same goals for the 10 days. Now, you can choose your own, especially for the EAT practice. If you want to stick to unprocessed foods, you'll feel great. If that sounds too daunting, choose a more realistic goal. It's important to meet yourself where you are!
I would love to hear your thoughts on the reimagined Experience! And I hope you can join us in January!!
Big love,
Tammy