Get thousands of people together for a weekend of yoga and music, and you'll feel a special kind of magic. I recently experienced this magic after spending five days in Lake Tahoe, CA at
Wanderlust Festival Squaw Valley. In between my daily yoga classes, I soaked up the sounds of laughter and music; I absorbed the visual maginificance of the moutains; I recognized and felt grateful for the clean, crisp air; and, while the sun was intense, I enjoyed the light it brought and the shadows it casted. At night, my friends and I would enjoy conversation, great food, music, laughter, each other. I was blissed out, loving every moment.
Then on Saturday, I went on a hike lead by
Katie Brauer. During the first part of the hike, Katie encouraged us to partner off with a stranger and exchange Wanderlust peak moments - moments where we felt a shift, an AH-HA! I enjoyed my partner and learned about his experience and his interests. We walked and talked for a while, then Katie told us to stop talking for the rest of the hike and walk in silence. The silence triggered a very strong shift inside me. Wanderlust has a constant buzzing of sound and noise - music, OMs, mantras, words. Experiencing the opposite of what was constant soothed a slight anxiousness I hadn't realized I was feeling. I realized in that moment how much I love the sound of silence.
After the hike, I re-entered the festival feeling more balanced and peaceful just by honoring that silence. Silence I didn't even know I needed. It's no surprise too much of anything, tilts the scale and can throw off our balance. Even too much fun at a yoga festival! I'm recognizing other ways to find balance:
If you say Yes all the time, try saying No.
If you exercising vigorously every day, try resting your body for a day.
If you work all the time, try playing for an hour or a weekend.
If music is always on, try driving home in silence.
If you always watch TV, try going for a walk.
If you only run, try
yoga or
Pilates.
If you only do yoga or Pilates, try running or walking.
If you always text, try calling a friend.
If you always read, try writing.
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