Visual Gratitude: #9 Stretch Denim

This one has a story that goes along with it: About 4 years ago I took a yoga class from an instructor I had never taken class from. She was quite a powerful teacher. She was tall, skinny, and intimidated the shit out of me. I recall her encouraging her students to identify one thing that they're thankful for everyday. She then shared that on that particular day she was thankful for stretch denim. My first reactions: "Wait... What? Here I am thinking I'm grateful for my family, my friends, my health, etc. and this chick is thankful for stretch denim?! Aren't we in a yoga class? Shouldn't the material possessions be put aside?"

Fast forward a couple of years and this powerhouse of a teacher and I are teaching at the same studio. She is definitely fierce, but one hell of a person. Genuine through and through and doesn't pretend to be something she isn't. Yes her gratitude towards stretch denim took me by surprise on that one day, but let's be real, stretch denim is pretty amazing.

Our paths have taken us in different directions, but I hope that teacher realizes the impact she made on me, and I'm sure on her students and other fellow teachers. Yes we're yoga instructors, but we're also real people. No need to embrace the "Om Namah Shivaya" 24/7. The stretch denim moment was something that would take me years to understand, but now I fully embrace it. And as someone who lives in Spandex, on the rare occasion that I wear jeans, you better believe those jeans are at least 50% Spandex.