Only two months to go!

The past year has been incredibly full. Full is good. Mostly good. I’m ready for a little break from everything that falls outside of that “mostly good” part. Two months from right now I will graduate from massage therapy school. And to celebrate I’m headed to:

Yoga Journal Conference: New York!

I’ve been to smaller yoga and meditation weekends and retreats over the years, but this is my first time going to one of the Yoga Journal conferences. The bigger yoga festivals and conferences always seem to fall when I’m busy with something else. I thought about Yoga Journal in New York last spring, but I had school and it was expensive and a million other reasons that always come up. I thought about going to Wanderlust in Vermont last year and then all of a sudden it had come and gone…

This time around I was determined to go. As much as my inclination is to keep doing, keep giving, keep working–recharging my own batteries enables me to be of greater benefit. And since I am going as press for elephant journal, I’m not just going for me, I’m also going for you!

I picked out the classes I want to take, looked into getting a room and started planning out the weekend. I started looking through Kasey Luber’s videos from last year’s conference. Started texting and emailing friends who live in the city to let them know I’ll be in town. Looked for some fun vegan places to eat near the hotel. I’m starting to feel like I’m gearing up for yoga summer camp!

Top 10 reasons I’m excited about YJ in NYC:

10. Yoga for a Broken Heart with Seane Corn. I am not one to idolize or celebritize yoga teachers. Or really anyone for that matter. But Seane Corn is definitely a hero to me. I feel like she embodies the ideal of living yogic principles “off the mat.” I am equal parts excited and nervous about taking this class. I absolutely need to take it.

9. Jennifer Cusano is coming with me and rooming with me at the conference. Guru and elephant slumber party in the Big Apple!

8. Mula Bandha Superflow with Sadie Nardini. Chances are if you decided to read this article you might have at least a vague idea about your mula bandha. (And chances are, you are trying to engage it right now.) But it’s one of those sort of mysterious “I think this is it? Is this it?” sort of things. I’m excited to tap into those mula bandha superpowers and see what happens.

7. New York + April = Awesome. Do I need to say more? Best time to be in the city. Winter is over, but it’s not too hot. Perfect.

6. Friday night “Get Your Dance On” kicked off with a yoga class by Elena Brower and Dana Flynn and then leading into trance dance party Shiva Rea style. Yeah, I could deal with that every Friday night for, you know, forever. Dancing is in my top five all-time favorite things to do. It’s a rare day that I don’t dance at least once–even if it’s only it the kitchen with my kids.

5. I am so excited for the Saturday morning Kundalini Sadhana at four a.m.! Haha! Nope. Even two hours later I would jump at it, but I think I’d have better luck staying up until four than getting up at four. I am looking forward to the morning mediation later on, or to bringing my regular morning shamatha practice into a quiet spot in Central Park.

4. Yoga & Chocolate with David Romanelli. Wow, that’s pretty self-explanatory too. Yoga, chocolate, super-fun and funny yoga teacher David “Yeah Dave” Romanelli…what’s not to love?

3. Surya Namaskar, the Full Spectrum of the Sun Salutation with Richard Freeman. Waylon raves about Richard Freeman, and after hearing him speak at last week’s Walk the Talk Show, I’m even more eager to learn from Richard and deepen my Sun Salutation practice.

2. Inviting Grace with Elena Brower. Elena Brower strikes me as someone who truly understands what it means to give and recieve grace–deep in her heart. When I read the description of using asana, breathing and meditation practice to “invite the highest manifestation of Grace into your practice,” I knew it was for me.

1. __________________________ Fill in the blank for me. There are a few other classes I’m taking, and I’m looking forward to seeing friends, meeting up with online friends and acquaintances in the yoga community–but what else do I need to get excited about here?

Have you been to a Yoga Journal Conference? What do I need to know? Tell this Yoga Journal virgin what to expect, pack, bring, leave at home. Any teachers I didn’t mention that would be on your “can’t miss” list? If you’re going this year, is it your first time? If you are a seasoned Yoga Journal Conference goer, what are you looking forward to this year?