<\/p>\n

The Problem<\/strong><\/p>\n

After two years of living in Boulder, it\u2019s easy (albeit somewhat embarrassing) to see how much I\u2019ve imbibed in the Republic\u2019s Kool-Aid.<\/p>\n

Within a month of being in Colorado<\/a>, I realized that I have nowhere near enough gear. Upon arrival, I immediately bought a road bike. I\u2019ve been a proud owner of not one, but two Epic Vail ski passes. Furthermore, without proper camping gear, my social life would be nonexistent. I added a tent, a sleeping bag and a sleeping pad to my quiver of supplies.<\/p>\n

I readily extol the virtues of Subarus, Birkenstocks, Australian Shepherds, kale and legalized marijuana to anyone who will listen.<\/p>\n

Fueled by the plethora of Boulder-based startups and PhD candidates meandering about on Pearl St., I\u2019ve also adopted a restless spirit of entrepreneurial distress. More than once I\u2019ve woken up in a cold sweat, heart beating hard, wondering why I haven\u2019t launched my own company yet, written a book or attained a degree in optical engineering.<\/p>\n

Do you want to know my deep, dark secret? I feel a nagging pressure to be outstandingly amazing. It\u2019s difficult to shake the feeling that there\u2019s always something better \u2014 something more intelligent, more philanthropic \u2014 that I should be working towards. Along with the camping supplies, the Subaru and the bike, my dear Boulder has made me so friggin\u2019 anxious about an unwittingly wasted potential.<\/p>\n

The Result<\/strong><\/p>\n

So in true Boulderite fashion, I recently quit my gym and joined a yoga studio.<\/p>\n

I had taken yoga before to get in shape \u2014 little else worked my arms and legs so hard. And being more flexible is beneficial for running, hiking, biking, etc . . . But after two months of taking yoga classes almost every day, something odd happened: I felt a shift. I didn\u2019t just understand what my yoga teachers were saying during asanas, I embodied it. For example, chanting \u201com\u201d at the beginning of class is no longer an embarrassing cliche that I try to avoid, but a grand, unifying gesture that severs the outside material world from the inner one \u2014 the world on my mat and the world inside me.<\/p>\n

Practicing yoga helps me realize something higher that I have always known was there, but never had the avenue to access. I’m not talking about God. I’m talking about a deeper way of communicating with myself and with the natural world. (Oh my, if that sentence wasn’t forged by the mind of a hippie . . .)<\/p>\n

Now I can\u2019t get enough of yoga.<\/p>\n

Next week, I plan to hone my new-found yogic zeal by attending the Wanderlust Festival<\/a>, taking place at Copper Mountain. I\u2019ll relax, I\u2019ll meditate, I\u2019ll hike, I\u2019ll dance to music, and obviously I\u2019ll take lots of yoga classes with names like \u201cGroundation: You Have Arrived,\u201d \u201cChakras In Action,\u201d and curiously, \u201cSlackline Yoga.\u201d<\/p>\n

There, I\u2019ll report on what I see, what I eat, what I feel, what I hear and what I learn, even if my only revelation is that I\u2019ll never be able to do yoga on a slackline, let alone stand on one. Check back soon for my reports.<\/p>\n

[Photo by Lulu Lemon\/Flickr<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n

By Jenna Blumenfeld<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jenna Blumenfeld, (Jenna Ogden Blumenfeld when she’s in really big trouble) hails from the wee state of Connecticut. Although her childhood dream of becoming a bug doctor — with a specialization in ladybugs — has gone unfulfilled, she is content writing about travel, cuisine and culture. A vegetarian, she currently resides in the food hub of Boulder, Colorado. Read more of her food-centric writing at <\/em>NewHope360.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Problem After two years of living in Boulder, it\u2019s easy (albeit somewhat embarrassing) to see how much I\u2019ve imbibed in the Republic\u2019s Kool-Aid. Within a month of being in Colorado, I realized that I have nowhere near enough gear. Upon arrival, I immediately bought a road bike. I\u2019ve been a proud owner of not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":20176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2562,2575,2747],"tags":[77,76,2279,777,3040,761],"yoast_head":"\n