Going Off The Grid - Part I

So I mentioned in my very first blog here (7 Things You Probably Don't Know About Me) that I am a Certified Yoga Instructor (CYT500). I finished my advanced training last November, but at the time we had a few participants who needed to wrap up some of their credit hours, so we had to hold off on our official graduation (which, honestly, was fine with me because around that time of year, the Holidays tend to suck up all of my time, focus, and energy). It was decided, then, that as part of our final rites of passage, our graduation would be held during the course of a Yoga & Natural Living Roots Retreat happening this coming weekend (March 16-18) hosted by my Yoga Alma Mater - Regenerative Living School.

Sounds great, right?

Yeah... Here's my thing with that...

I have never - in my entire life - gone camping. Ever. Not even a little bit. Not even for a few hours in the back yard with friends and a makeshift tent. And the levels of outdoor living I'm about to experience aren't even CLOSE to the typical version of modern camping we're used to... (I would imagine. Shit, I don't know! I have nothing to compare it to but what I've seen and been told!)

Basically I'm not talking about the cushy, light version of camping I could probably agree to under the right circumstances (i.e. drunkenness). I'm talking outdoor kitchen, outdoor shower (with the option to use the river...!!!), and outdoor composting toilets. Maybe these things are not as out of the ordinary to some of you, but they are foreign concepts to me that I fully understand and support in THEORY, but have never had to experience myself.

Needless to say I'm nervous as shit.

I'm not going to call myself prissy (though I am SURE some of my friends would), but I have a very interesting relationship with Nature and dirt. I love to enjoy them for measured amounts of time that end with me coming back to my climate controlled home - hot running water and fluffy bed included. I enjoy my comforts, Fam. And while I can certainly live without them, and have honestly scaled back a LOT since starting my personal journey with Yoga, doing THIS much scaling back all at once is not a decision I would come to on my own.

I have to say, though, as nervous as I am, there's a small part of me that is getting excited too. My Guru, Tara Rawson, and her co-facilitators have a ton of really cool activities and events planned for us - Bonfires, Plant Walks, Permaculture Workshops, Drum Circles and more. There are going to be gardens and fruit trees, we have vegan meals planned, and of course, I'll be there with some of the friends and family I've made since starting my training at the end of 2016.

It's going to be quite the experience for me, Fam, but I'm here for it in spite of my trepidation. I'm going in full force, eyes, heart, and mind wide open. And while I'm not too keen on sleeping outside in the woods at night, or attempting to bathe in a river (I can't even... Not yet, anyway!), I'm sure this will be an enriching experience for me with a great chance for personal growth - and I'm all about growing, learning and evolving.

Let's just hope I survive the weekend!

· Om Shanti · xx · EnerJi

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