Thanks Lululemon and the cheerleading team for never picking me

There's no awards for being the best yoga teacher...in fact that's not even a thing. It's impossible to be number one at something that's a constant practice. However, I once believed that the highest honor that could be bestowed upon any yoga teacher was being a Lululemon Ambassador.

You see I, like most people just getting started in the yoga world, once had no idea what Lulu was. I would see people in class with tight fitting spandex clothing all with the same inconspicuous logo on the back or pant leg and wonder, "what the heck is that company?" I wore yoga pants from target and old navy and pretty much any tank top I could find. I'm sure on more than one occasion I wore leggings that were see thru. Fashion, in the sense of working out eluded me because I had always just thought of gym clothing as something you sweat in not something nice. Imagine my sticker shock when I went into Lulu for the first time and saw the prices. My mom bought me my first pair of leg warmers from there that I begged for which were somewhere in the ballpark of $32. My mother in-law bought me my first top, which I'm also sure I hinted I wanted, for around $50. My husband purchased my first pair of black leggings for me which hovered around $100 and I swore was the only thing I wanted for my birthday. It wasn't much of a collection but it was a start.

remy leggins from prAna- $85 for the best butt of your life

When I became a teacher I saw other teachers becoming Lululemon Ambassadors and I thought that was what I wanted. I didn't know why I wanted it, it just seemed awesome to have a clothing company tell you that you were great. They show up to your class and make a big deal of asking you one day and then you get to teach in store here and there. I went to a few of their vino and vinyasa events which were always packed but to me didn't seem any better than the experience I had at my home studio. Why would people come and practice yoga in a clothing store sandwiched next to dressing rooms and clothing racks? Oh yes, because it's free.

I realized however, that's not who I am. I'm not Lulu material because I'm just not that type of girl. In jr. high and high school I tried out for cheerleading and dance team every year and never made it...not once. I finally, at the urging of a teacher, applied to work on the school newspaper. I showed up to school one day to a big sign on my locker welcoming me to the team of writers. It was one of the happiest days of my life to finally be acknowledged for a talent I had all along.

in Angelica duster and prism capris

Enter prAna into my life. I was connected with the manager of prAna through one of my retreat attendees and it was an instant fit. prAna makes clothing that isn't just for yoga but for hiking, rock climbing, traveling and living a well-rounded sustainable life. Rachael and I met for coffee and could have talked all day about our lives and goals and adventures. She brought me on to teach Barre in store and gifted me with some amazing pieces to start my prAna addiction  collection. Everyone who works in the store is friendly and carefree and the students come eager to work and learn. More than just the clothing or teaching, it feels like a place I can call home and the mantra of the company aligns with my values and goals. One look at the website or in store and the girls aren't standing around looking perfect with yoga mats, they are climbing rocks and surfing and living life on the edge. I even found out Shiva Rea, my sister soulmate yoga idol is an ambassador for them. It's a match made in heaven.

wearing the vinyasa hoodie

The reason I was never chosen to be an ambassador for another company wasn't because I wasn't good enough like I always thought...it was because something out there better was waiting for me. Just as with anything in life, if an opportunity hasn't happened yet it's probably because another is in the cards for you.

I started leading yoga and hiking retreats because no one else was doing them and no one else ever asked me to lead a retreat with them before. Had I been asked before I may have never started Yogi Magee Expeditions and built the business I have today that only continues to grow. Yoga teachers in Denver are a dime a dozen and prAna wasn't looking for someone ordinary they were looking for someone like me who sought adventure and was combining passions in a way no one else was. All along I thought I had to be someone else to get where I wanted to be and all I really needed to be was myself.

featuring the misty top

Had I been a cheerleader maybe I never would have nurtured my love of writing and become a Journalism major. Maybe I wouldn't have this blog you're reading now or become a part of the Denver Metro Mom's Blog. I can say to everyone out there that has a dream or goal to keep pursuing what inspires you. Follow what you are good at and instead of wishing you would get asked to participate get off the sidelines of life and jump in the game. I promise those around you will take notice. If I had never had the dream to take people glamping then yoga and yurts wouldn't have happened and I wouldn't have met the amazing women that are in my life today. Don't wait for opportunities to come go out and make them for yourself.

"Accept everything about yourself - I mean everything. You are you and that is the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets." - Kissinger

keeping warm in my halle pants and diva jacket!