YH March 2019 | Page 68

TRAVEL There are so many powerful components to yoga, but breath is wow. Q Why did you start 180 Retreats? small so that every person can get plenty of 1-1 attention from myself and our guides. On our Annapurna retreat in 2018, one participant wanted to quit on Day 4. He asked me about getting a donkey or a helicopter to fly him out. He had never walked so much and wasn’t someone who participated in fitness. His calves were aching and his mind was telling him he couldn’t do it. We came up with a plan so that he could leave for the trek early each day. One of our guides went with him about 45 minutes before the rest of the group set out each day. This left ample room for him to rest without falling behind. 66 www.yogicherald.com March 2019 And you know what? He finished the trek with a huge amount of confidence. After conquering himself, this year he’s returning to do Everest with us. The retreat is for empowering our best selves, or as we call it in the Everest Within Online Program, empowering the Everest Self, the one who is courageous enough to stand at the foot of the tallest mountain in the world. At 180 Retreats, we are passionate about empowering individuals to step into their true nature and to support others through acts of kindness and service. This year we’ve created one partial scholarship for our Everest retreat for a special woman who is empowering her community. A After over 10 years of success in corporate America, I felt my soul calling me to try something different. I felt so much uncertainty around what that was supposed to be and I searched far and wide for support to learn it. Eventually I came to realize that the work needed to be done within me. I put myself through the ringer of transformation, spending time in some really uncomfortable situations in places far, far outside of my comfort zone. I learned to shift my own mindset as well as tools to support myself in confronting situations. I’m a natural teacher, I had even spent several semesters teaching while in college and so as soon as I learn something that works for me, I turn it into something I can share with others. In my 180 I learned that 180s don’t need to be so “tough” in order for us to get it. I started 180 Retreats to help my fellow overachievers and dreamers in bringing about radically-aligned life changes with ease and support. We’re already so hard on ourselves - I wanted to create a map to alleviate harmful anxiety for those of us bold enough to want to live their best lives.