Can an advertising intern do yoga? We set the challenge to find out.
I've been thrilled to have an intern help me out this summer with campaign planning to get ready for the Feelix Yoga Strap launch.
There was just one thing that gave me pause when she applied.
She'd never done yoga...
How was she going to understand this weird sub-culture that she would be dreaming up ideas for? A space that I'm now so firmly entrenched in that I can no longer tell where the yoga stops and the rest of the world begins. To put it in context and to indirectly share my age, I've been practising almost as long as she's been alive...
The following is an account from first time yogi, potential future copywriter and star intern Kyra Silos.
I don't know why I thought that yoga's frequent cameos in pop culture would prepare me for 30 minute beginner Yoga with Kassandra.
Being raised by film and television, my Primary (School) friends and I would often practice the familiar tree pose during breaks, the purpose being to prove who had the best balance.
If memory serves me right, I usually won, but today I was as stable as a standing passenger on a packed bus. cough-bus-replacements-cough.
Unpredictable. Messy. All over the place.
But did I lose footing?
Absolutely. N-Right.
Despite this downfall (see what I did there), there was so much to enjoy from this initial trial: An easy to follow pace, clear directions, and I had enough time to fix my pose and before toppling over like a domino, those thirty minutes felt like ten. I found it almost comical when Ms Kassandra prompted viewers to avoid curling their toes.
I didn't have to look down to know - They were curled.
During the sessions, I found the contradictory physical states of my body really interesting. In a sense, I felt relaxed, but on the other hand, my body was reacting as if I'd just finished some quick cardio. Like, hello?? Increased heart rate yet steady breathing and an aura of calm?
Gosh, if it wasn't already more apparent that I'm a newbie, there you go!
It wasn't until I tried Jennalea's Vinyasa flow yoga that my thoughts became flooded. Looking through my archive, we have things like... 'What the hell did I get myself into,' 'How did she move like that??', 'OH NO I'm about tO fALL-' and 'Wait, what did she just say?'
If I could animatedly express my emotions, there would be question marks appearing all around my head.
I kinda just lay there, a bit frustrated and catching my breath, deciding this was the right time for a phone break.
An intriguing way to complete an internship, but as a junior creative in advertising, sometimes you just need spontaneous activities like these. To force yourself to step away from work and take a break.
We should encourage a more frequent focus on ourselves and refresh the mind - a crucial part of the creative process and maintaining a work/life balance.
It's been a while since I was last on the mat, just as Kassandra said, letting myself be heavy (and possibly sleepy) with savasana. My favourite part of today. Now that I've had my first official go at yoga, I have to say I enjoyed every bit of each class. It's something I definitely want to poke a little more fun at, so maybe you just might find me taking regular lessons at my nearest studio.
Consider me a yogi in the making.
I wonder what eight year old me thinks about my attempt? Probably embarrassed but amused. Maybe could even do a better job than me now!