I was in Lenox, MD for the past two days for a yoga shoot…my first formal yoga shoot! I can hang w/ the heavy hitters now and claim my yogi title confidently! Some things that stood out about this gig:
Behind-the-scenes!
Opportunity: grab every one! I learned of this shoot through a Crunch Gym email network of instructors and answered it just days before leaving for Nepal with the realization that I wouldn’t be able to attend the casting, but with the hopes that my photos could still make an impact. Come to find out, a week before my return, still Nepal-side, I receive an email inviting me to shoot w/ them! They wanted to direct book me! Yay! Of course, I was interested and two weeks after returning, I find myself in one of the most reknown yoga centers in the picturesque Berkshires, striking yoga poses for Kripalu paraphernalia!
cute sign at cafe!
Divine Appointments: believe in them! At 10pm on Monday night, soon after arriving at Kripalu, I am standing at the elevator which will take me to my room, when I feel an uncanny recognition for the man standing next to me. I say to him, cautiously, “You look familiar….” And (thank goodness), he echoes the sentiment. Within a minute, we realize that we had met at CanDo, a gym near my home and that we had discussed private spin instruction for him. He had even given me a ride to the city once, as I worked there and he owned a restaurant there! And here we are, standing in a darkened hallway of a tucked-away yoga retreat 4 hours into the countryside! “What in the world was he doing here!?,” was my first and most insistent question. He was “retreating,” as is the desire of many there. We caught up and I realize that this could not have been a coincidence. God wants me to reach this man somehow and make something happen. This is the second time this has happened this month with someone and I believe that it is an indicator that greater plans are at work and I get to be a part of them!
Scrutinizing myself!
Kripalu (yoga/wellness centers): They exist! If you’re like me, you may have formed some sort of preconceived notion of yoga/wellness centers as being super healing-centric, overrun w/ modern-day monks, militant in their control, etc. Well, it’s not entirely inaccurate! My first exposure to this place was that my accommodation was back-to-basics in an almost dormitory setup, complete with a community bathroom! And I noticed that the few people that I passed in the hallways made no attempt to interact. The next morning, I started the day with a SILENT breakfast! I noticed a lot of “mindful eating” and “meditating over the food.” And as I read Kripalu’s paraphernalia, the general message was always of centering, alignment, self-awareness, healing, harmony, self-inquiry, etc, etc. And in speaking with people, I realized that many spent months here on a path of “self-inquiry!” It was wild!
Kripalu silent breakfast!
Kripalu lunch!
Kripalu nutrition: Whole Foods on steroids! The one thing I could get used to about Kripalu was the food! Most places have healthy options. Here, healthy is the only option! Breakfast was amazing, boasting Indian kichari (a dish made of mung beans, basmati rice, and Indian spices!) poached eggs over leeks!, baked grapefruit (w/ clover honey and cinnamon!), organic peach soy yogurt w/ toppings options such as raisin sauce!, gluten-free bread with peanut butter made from dry-roasted peanuts w/ skins!, and a selection of teas that would make any tea-lover swoon! What a treat! And lunch was no step down! We’re talking generous turkey burgers, portabella mushroom burgers, tempeh, roasted veggies galore, Indian dal soup, a basics bar, a sandwich bar, a salad bar w/ greens that I hardly ever see! In order to try everything (the only option, really), I had to make a wrap to go! I felt like I had a free ticket at Whole Foods. A very good thing!
cast and crew!
Relationships: make them! One of the reasons that I’ve been enjoying my shoots more lately is because of the relationships that have been formed from them. I used to shy away from being too social during shoots, fearing that it was not the “kosher” thing to be the Chatty Cathy! Well, either it started been accepted or I stopped caring because I’m all over everyone at every shoot now! When I leave every shoot, I want people to know that they can continue to connect w/ me via social media, at my spin classes, at my workshops, at my runs, at church, etc, etc. I’ve picked up some very important relationships from shoots, personal and professional, that have gone on to reap valuable harvests! I believe in the philosophy that “Strangers are friends that you just haven’t made yet” and try to operate with this open mindset rather than burying my nose in a book or my laptop or my Ipod (a common sight on sets.) God also has designed for us to be rivers through which he can flow through to bless others as well, and so I believe this goes hand-in-hand!
Yoga: do it, love it! I have been doing yoga for years now and yesterday I was in good company for a yoga lover: amongst a shoot full of yoga teachers. I was honored to be the only one from a modeling background as opposed to a yoga background! Our shoot was essentially a verrrry long yoga class! We were led through poses, we “ohhhhmmmed,” we were talked through meditations…it was all very peaceful and dare I say, centering!? I was reconnected with my enjoyment for yoga, (especially with the fit bodies around me as testament to its benefits!) and I’m definitely going to make time in my schedule for more yoga in addition to a retreat back to Kripalu!
To see all the behind-the-scenes pics, check out the Gallery!
