So this year marked the 10th Sundalah Sunday in Townsville. A locally organised event filled with health, wisdom and inspiration for all ages. The day showcases some of our amazing yoga teachers, pilates instructors, meditation teachers and therapists who practice here in Townsville. There was over 30 classes, talks and workshops to choose from and each year it just gets better and better. The day is made possible with the support of over than 50 volunteers who give up their time to make the day run smoothly, safely and leaving everyone with a big smile at the end of the day. All the profits go to help raise funds for our local Not-For-Profit organisation – Yoga Tools for Schools Inc.
I love Sundalah Sunday and look forward to it every year. I leave feeling inspired, happy and grateful. There are so many great things about it and I thought I’d share with you my top 5..here we go:
1. I get to connect and be inspired by the local yoga community
The yoga community here in Townsville is something that I am yet to see anywhere else. When I travel to India and chat amongst my teacher friends from all over the world, they are amazed at the collaboration and support that the yoga studios and teachers provide for one another. It really is super special and demonstrates that the yoga community here is about what yoga is about and that’s union. I feel grateful for being part of this amazing community.
2. I get to take a class
I, like most yoga teachers really just love being a yoga student. Unfortunately we all teach at the same time so it’s difficult to get to a class. Sundalah Sunday gives me the chance to be a student – I love to sit up the back, blend into the crowd and soak up the yoga.
3. I get to hang out with my teachers and meet new ones
I try to connect with my teachers as often as possible but we all have a lot of our plates and are rarely all in the same place at the same time. All the Live and Breathe Yoga teachers volunteer at Sundalah Sunday so it’s a great opportunity for us to catch up and hang out. We are all really good friends and I think the world of these girls and when we get together there is always lots of belly laughs and hugs. We are always up to something and this year we had lots of fun in the lunch break playing around with our handstands. It was a challenge for us all to be ‘up’ at the same time and if we could just stop laughing for 30 seconds it may have been a little easier (but no where near as fun).
There are many new yoga teachers in Townsville every year so Sundalah Sunday is also a chance for me to meet some new teachers and help welcome them into our wonderful yoga community.
4. I get to hang out with my students
I love my students. They inspire me everyday and teach me so much. Sundalah Sunday offers me the chance to spend some quality time with my students and share the student experience with them. I love nothing more that pulling up my yoga mat next to a fellow Live and Breathe yogi and share the experience of yoga with them.
5. I get to relax and listen to live music
It’s tempting to just go to classes back to back as there is so many wonderful options on offer. But I always make sure that I spend some time just doing nothing and soaking up the vibes. Hanging out under the Family marquee listening to the live music while I enjoy a green juice is pure heaven. Our lives are so overly scheduled these days, it makes it hard to enjoy the moment, so I always make sure I schedule in some nothing time too.
Ok how do I stop at 5….
6. I get to teach to a whole new bunch of yogis
Like I said in number 4. I love my students but Sundalah Sunday gives me the chance to share my passion for ashtanga yoga with a whole new group of yogi’s. It’s sometimes a little scary teaching to a new group and I always wonder if people enjoy the class and take something useful away. This year I taught a workshop on all the things that have helped my backbends over the years and my aim was to help people fall in love with the backbend like I did. It was so great to have folk that I had never met before come up after class and say how much they enjoyed the class and how it really helped them. Sharing my passion with you is a pure joy.
But wait there’s more…
If you loved Sundalah Sunday then you will love Global Mala! It’s the annual international peace day celebration on the Strand. Townsville unites to promote peace and wellbeing in the community by leading 108 Sun Salutations overlooking the beautiful Cleveland Bay on the Picnic bay headland. There are options for everyone. You can even just sit and soak it all up! For more info and your tickets go here.
See you on the mat soon…
~Allison
