{"id":2450849,"date":"2019-11-07T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-07T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=315590"},"modified":"2019-11-07T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T22:00:00","slug":"inhale-peace-exhale-tensioninside-aspen-shaktis-30-day-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/inhale-peace-exhale-tensioninside-aspen-shaktis-30-day-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Inhale Peace, Exhale TensionInside Aspen Shakti\u2019s 30-day Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Byron Lindenau, center, expresses herself in a Camatkarasana, or Wild Thing, along with the rest of the 9 a.m. Aspen Shakti Vinyasa Flow class at the studio on Saturday, October 26, 2019. Lindenau is participating in Shakti\u2019s 30-day challenge. The challenge requires attendees to participate in 30 classes between October 21 and November 19. The yogis must also bring two new people to class and make a post on social media to receive a year membership to the studio. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong>
Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

My mat rolls out evenly on the hard-word floor. The fresh scent of sandalwood incense fills the room. Class is especially full today and I find myself appreciating the ambience of it all. As I nestle in, lying flat on my back, I notice the light fixtures reflecting shadows of exquisite shapes on the ceiling. I gaze to the right, where twinkling lights cascade down the mirrored wall. In the corner, an altar sits open with crystals, white sage and candles. Heat waves linger from the class before. It\u2019s day 18 of the challenge and I am exhausted.<\/p>\n

For the past three years, Aspen Shakti has united the local community by conducting a 30-day yoga challenge. Essentially, if participants attend 30 yoga classes in 30 days, they receive a free yearlong membership. This year, 160 people are taking part \u2014 the largest number of participants since the challenge started.<\/p>\n

Light chatter is hushed to silence as our instructor walks to the front of the room \u2014 commanding our attention with her gentle yet strong presence. The serenity she exudes brings us to an awareness of our breath. \u201cCome into stillness,\u201d she beckons. We begin our practice with mudra \u2014 hands pressed together at heart level. Collectively, we bowed our heads and our teacher advised each of us to set an intention for the evening\u2019s class.<\/p>\n

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Yogis practice during the 9 a.m. Aspen Shakti Vinyasa Flow class at the studio on Saturday, October 26, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong>
Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

I find myself immersed in the simplicity of the inhale and exhale. We are encouraged to match our breath to our movement and when it becomes time to move, we transition on our mats into various postures designed to harmonize both body and mind. This subtle meditation within the movements makes me appreciate why people all over the world are so drawn to this practice.<\/p>\n

Moving from a standing to an inverted pose, I find myself struggling to find balance. \u201cPerfection is merely imitation,\u201d my teacher says, noticing my stumble. As I pull myself into alignment, I realize how this practice has influenced me, both in and out of the studio. The words of affirmation echoed throughout class each day have shaped my mindset and evoked positivity.<\/p>\n

Honestly, I was hesitant at first to commit to this challenge. Thirty classes in 30 days is a big-time commitment and I wasn\u2019t sure my schedule would allow for it. To be perfectly frank, I have never done anything like this ever before. Yoga has always come in and out of my life, but I have never pursued it this consistently. Despite my fear and hesitation, I knew deep down it was time to set some goals and make a positive change in my life. Not to mention, ski season is right around the corner and getting in shape is definitely an added bonus.<\/p>\n

The offseason can potentially be a very dark time of year. With less light and colder temperatures, it\u2019s easy to feel the seasonal depression. However, the act of gathering with a community of people every day for 30 consecutive days is inspiring. Some people go to therapy, some go to church, others may go bar-hopping, but this particular tribe goes to yoga. Everyone recharges in their own way, and yoga is definitely mine.<\/p>\n

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Leah Fielding, right, bows her head at the beginning of the 9 a.m. Aspen Shakti Vinyasa Flow class at the studio on Saturday, October 26, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong>
Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Out of curiosity, I poke my head up from child\u2019s pose and scan the room. After a quick glance, I spot my hair stylist, another columnist, my dear friend\u2019s mother, a local librarian, my old boss and one of the clerks from City Market. It\u2019s quite remarkable that we are all here right now in the same space, doing the exact same movements. In this moment, I truly felt connected to my community. I hear the teacher\u2019s calm voice in the distance. \u201cTake this feeling, this love, this light that you\u2019ve experienced tonight and blanket the town with the positive energy that you\u2019re feeling right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The practice is so much more than a workout for me \u2014 it\u2019s a discipline that teaches me to be calm and to breathe through life\u2019s difficult moments. I have found no greater practice than this \u2014 to simply find the calm. Alas, one final bow signifies the end of class. \u201cThe light in me bows to the light in you. In sharing these things, we are united, we are the same, we are one,\u201d my teacher whispers. \u201cNamaste.\u201d<\/p>\n

via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Byron Lindenau, center, expresses herself in a Camatkarasana, or Wild Thing, along with the rest of the 9 a.m. Aspen Shakti Vinyasa Flow class at the studio on Saturday, October 26, 2019. Lindenau is participating in Shakti\u2019s 30-day challenge. The challenge requires attendees to participate in 30 classes between October 21 and November 19. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2450849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 07:57:12","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley's Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2450849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2450849\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2450849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2450849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2450849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}