The importance of food, yoga, and community: fuel for your body, your soul, and your heart.

This Saturday evening, lululemon athletica Quarry Market in San Antonio, TX is hosting an outdoor yoga event in the park followed up by a flurry of local food trucks, cold brews, live music, and fun people.

The team at lululemon has done a fantastic job of pulling this event together. The park is beautiful and prime for a soul-searching yoga class. About half a dozen incredible yoga instructors from around the city will help lead the 200+ attendees of all ability and experience. In addition to the food trucks and live music, lululemon has asked little olโ€™ me to help with the hospitality.

Yep! Iโ€™ll be there with plenty of tasty treats to go around. Come say hi!

chalkboard sign that says "eat.drink.om." with the date 10.06.12 on it

a park with lots of green trees

While I canโ€™t possibly write down all the reasons why it is important to support, participate in, and encourage an event like this, I am going to give it a shot.

Here are my thoughts on the importance of food, yoga, and community:

FOOD

Food is the median of my life. I socialize over dinners, I explore cities through their restaurants, and I show my love and friendship by cooking tasty treats.

I broadcast healthy recipes to shed light on what real food looks and tastes like. My mission is to help reset the mold of โ€œheath food.โ€

Personal food is the best food. Momโ€™s home cooking, something you slaved over, or a dish that a chef poured him/herself into. Iโ€™ve found that food trucks, traditionally, serve small portions of extremely tasty, soul-filled, food. Their main purpose is to cook delicious food and find YOU so that you can enjoy it.

Explore! Try different foods and experiment in your kitchen. Challenge yourself to learn new ingredients and methods. Cook with your heart and eat what makes you feel amazing.

YOGA

One day I will share with you ALL the reasons why you should start, restart, or continue your yoga practice. For now, I will give you just a few:

1. Yoga helps condition you for ALL other fitness activities.

In CrossFit, my lifts keep getting heavier and my times faster. Itโ€™s true that excellent programming, great coaching, consistency, and drive to push harder are all reasons for my progress; but my secret is yoga. My flexibility and mental fortitude are a direct result of my practice. Yoga helps my CrossFit performance, while CrossFit creates more challenges for my yoga practice. Itโ€™s a beautiful relationship.

2. Yoga helps you find and stay in the present.

Mental fortitude, focus, concentration, and open-mindedness are all concepts that relate back to your ability find presence of mind. In yoga, you have to focus on your body, listen to it, and find a flow with the practice. Opening your mind only to the present allows you to concentrate and shut off your inner monologue. This tool, when sharpened, will help you greatly in all other facets of your life.

3. Yoga will help your flexibility and balance.

Prevent injury and improve range of motion. Your doctors and will love you for it.

4. Yoga is for everyone.

You do not have to have ANY experience to start. Yoga is a self-focused practice. Itโ€™s between you, your mat, and your will. Listen to your body and find what feels right. Never feel judged by others who have more experience than you. Free your mind and stay present.

5. Yoga is a WORK OUT.

Yep, I said it. I know there are a lot of people out there who knock yoga saying itโ€™s not a real workout, or that itโ€™s just a stretch. I recommend those people check out any Vinyasa, Power, Ashtanga, or even a Bikram yoga class. Most classes are 90 minutes of total body and mental engagement. You will break a sweat, work muscles you forgot about, and feel amazing.

COMMUNITY

A few years ago, I made the decision to take my life in a new direction. I started to dabble in multiple fitness routines and healthy eating. It wasnโ€™t until I became an educator for lululemon athletica that the way I saw and interacted with the world completely changed. I found my community.

I would not have had the guts to pursue Fed and Fit if it hadnโ€™t been for the incredible support, belief, and motivation bestowed by the team at lululemon.

The positive and affirming community was a breeding ground for exploring true potential.

I pushed my limits and learned the value of networking across many fitness medians. I learned that yogis, crossfitters, dancers, gym bunnies, runners, and others are all made up of the same thing. Theyโ€™re made up of will, passion, and a love for breaking a sweat.

How do you take a good athlete and make them great? Help them find a community.

Accountability, enthusiasm, and friendship are just a few of the perks that can come from your community.

While Iโ€™m no longer at lululemon as an educator, the team and driving principles of the incredible company continue to inspire me. lululemon is one of my, and can be yours, primary communities.

Find your fitness community and jump in with both feet.

If youโ€™re going to be in San Antonio this Saturday night, see with your own eyes, the power of the yoga (and food!) community.

a park with lots of green trees

I hope Iโ€™ve convinced you to either participate in this Saturdayโ€™s Eat. Drink. Om. or reach out to your local lululemon athletica about other upcoming events.

In the least, I hope I encouraged you to eat good foods, explore the possibilities of a yoga practice, and discover the life-changing potential of finding and engaging in an uplifting community.

Namaste.



About the Author

Cassy Joy Garcia, NC

Cassy Joy Garcia, a New York Times best-selling author, of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed & Fit.


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