Blog: All Mom Wants for Christmas is Yoga and Passes to The Yoga Journal Conference in NYC

Kristen Kemp blogs about her Christmas wish:

Or maybe I should say that all this mom wants for Christmas is yoga. But it’s true for more than just me. People in our area are obsessed with this ancient-slash-modern practice that moves our bodies and shifts our minds. I mean, we have 10 studios and counting plus our own lululemon. And somehow still, my husband keeps saying I’m difficult to buy for, and he doesn’t know what to get me. Honey, if you’re reading this, yoga would be totally cool. I’d like passes for classes, special workshops and gift certificates for clothes.

But being the good wife that I am, I will tell him about a super special surprise that will make any yogi take a huge Lion’s Breath:

We dream of going to The Yoga Journal Live Conference in New York City from April 24 through 28. This event ain’t cheap ($195 to $225 for one super fun day–more for more days), so a gift like this would be a real treat. What could be better than sneaking away to the city for to take classes from today’s rock stars of yoga? Buying a busy parent some alone time doing the thing he/she loves will always be the perfect present.

I tried to explain what’s so special about The Yoga Journal Conference in NYC to my husband: Imagine you had the chance to play football (his favorite sport) with the NFL’s top athletes. That’s kind of what it’s like for a yogi at this conference. We get to take classes and learn from the country’s best teachers, people we adore like Seane Corne, Kathryn Budig, Shiva Rea, Rodney Yee and so many more.

I know how great the conference is because I whipped out my credit card and went to the one in Hollywood, Florida, in November. I did a two-day anatomy intensive with Jason Crandell where I learned that “all of your body parts work better than your ego thinks they do.” I did some crazy cool arm balances for the first time (that’s me in the photo) with Kathryn Budig who said, “Arm balances are magical and empowering. When a pose is ready to give itself to you, it will. Drop your story right now and say to yourself, ‘I got this.” Then I spent some time with New York’s own incredibly loving Cyndi Lee, founder of Om Yoga. She spent several hours teaching us how to be kinder to others and ourselves. “How can we take better care of other people?” she asked. “Start by taking care of yourself.” I ran up to her and gave her a hug afterward.

All three of these teachers will be there in April. So will Dharma Mittri, Sadi Nardini and Sianna Sherman. Really, if you know a yogi, this would be the ultimate gift.

April seems far away, but you have to register for this event early because the most popular classes always sell out. This is definitely what I’m asking for.

Need other yoga ideas? Hit up the local yoga studios for gift certificates–most are offering specials and discounts this month. If you know her favorite local instructor, contact her/him and ask how much privates cost (usually $75 to $125). When it come to the yogi in your life, you really can’t go wrong with the gift of yoga.

Catch Kristen Kemp’s classes at The Montclair YMCA on Sundays at 8 a.m. She also teaches Yoga With Weights at Garden State Yoga Bloomfield on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. And she subs just about everywhere.