I just LOVE our ambassadors. They are so sweet, fun and OMazing students on and off the mat. I love getting to know them on an even deeper level during their month and am blessed to have such a beautiful community of students.
Cindy Solomon was one of the ambassadors this past month and she did a rockstar job! Mom to two-year old Tyler, wife to adorable hubby Jared and an Ava Anderson representative, Cindy is all things adorable wrapped into one.
Oh, and did we mention she’s carrying Tyler’s little brother, due in November? Yeah, she looks that awesome!
1) How long have you been practicing yoga?
About 4 years.
2) How did you get into yoga and what made you stay?
I did private yoga sessions when I was going through the IVF process for the first time. I had heard that it was a great way to relax, and I certainly needed something to help me relax at that time! We mostly did restorative poses at that point, but I fell in love with the way that yoga helped me to trust and love my body again. After my son was born, I tried vinyasa and power yoga and fell in love with the way it strengthened my body and helped me recover from pregnancy, and I’ve been completely hooked ever since.
3) You’re a mom to a beautiful little boy and another on the way, how does yoga help you in the role of being an (omazing) mommy?
I have a completely different mindset than I did before I started yoga. Yoga teaches me to have patience with myself. It teaches me to breathe through the tough stuff. It teaches me that I don’t need to be perfect. It shows me that I’m “right where I’m supposed to be,” wherever that may be. It teaches me to live in the moment and enjoy every minute. It also gives me some time to myself for a few hours each week, which is really really important when most of your day revolves around taking care of the most important little person/people on earth. All of that together helps me to be a better mom!
4) Why do you practice at Barefoot?
Barefoot gives me the perfect balance of the physical practice and the spiritual practice. I feel fulfilled both physically and emotionally when I leave after class. The “vibe” there is so warm and welcoming and laid back—it’s a completely different environment than I’ve found at any other studio. It really feels like a little family.
5) What’s your favorite part of yoga class?
Setting intentions for the practice at the beginning of class is my favorite part of class. Over the past two years, I experienced 6 failed IVF cycles trying for a sibling for our son (the 7th finally worked). Each and every failure was so devastating. It felt like I would never recover and never be the same. But I would come to class afterwards and set my intention of “trust my body, trust the process” or “be grateful for what I do have” or “believe that everything will work out” or sometimes I would (and still do) even dedicate my practice to other women struggling through the process. It felt like a reset button, and gave me the mental strength to pick myself up and try again.
6) Any advice for new time moms who want to do yoga?
Make time for it. It’s ok to need “you” time. It’s ok to be away from your kids to do something for yourself. It’s not selfish—it’s human. As moms, often we try to be superheroes—doing everything for everyone. It feels almost wrong to drop everything to do something that isn’t for someone else. But in my experience, doing something for ourselves makes us more patient, kinder, gentler moms.
7) Tell us a fun fact about yourself
I ran my first half marathon last summer! I have always HATED running, but I decided to take a step outside of my comfort zone. We were on a break from IVF, so I decided to take the opportunity to train for a half marathon.
It felt like a crazy and unattainable goal when I first started training—it took a LONG time to break through the 3 mile barrier. But by the time the real training plan got underway, I had fallen in love with running! When I first started training my goal was just to finish. Towards the end of my training I decided to set my goal at finishing in under 2 hours. I ended up finishing in 1:55!!! It showed me that anything is achievable if I work at it.
I can’t wait to start running again after our second baby boy is born, and I even hope to run a full marathon at some point!
Thank you Cindy for joining us this month and being a Barefoot Yoga Shala Ambassador!! We love you tons.
Namaste
Jenny
**Interested in being an ambassador? Email Jenny for more information.**