This past Sunday was my first Wanderlust event that I was fortunate to attend with a couple of my fitness girlfriends.  I’ve truly been blessed this year to meet so many new fitness minded people, so when asked if I wanted to attend the mindful triathlon, I naturally jumped upon the opportunity.  

The morning started with a 5k breezy, heart pumping run on the sand at the beach.  Nothing can compare to breathing in the fresh ocean air, having the sun shining upon your face, and wind blowing through your hair. The weather was almost too perfect and you can feel the excitement shared in the air.  I would have to admit that this is by far, my favorite 5k to date.

After completing a sweaty morning run, we headed up onto Santa Monica Pier for a group vinyasa dance flow.   I’ve always practice yoga in a small group setting or by myself, so flowing with hundreds of other yoginis who shared the same passion and love for yoga was an amazing new experience.  We connected, laughed and after a few sun salutations everyone gathered toward the stage and jumped and danced to the music to continue the electrifying energy that we experienced after the run.  Once the dancing stopped, we slowly walked back to our yoga mats and progressed through the final phase of the flow, preparing ourselves into Savasana.  It was the perfect transition to the meditation portion of our mindful triathlon.

To be truthful, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the meditation portion of the triathlon.  The thought of sitting still for thirty minutes made me feel uncomfortable due to the hot blazing sun and I believe many people left after the yoga flow for that reason.  However, I’m extremely grateful that I stayed for the remaining portion of the series, as it ended up being my absolute favorite out of the three.  It opened my eyes to the beauty of meditation and my heart to the practice.  It was a pleasant surprise and has truly inspired me to further and develop a more mindful practice; in my daily life, yoga journey and sparked a curiosity to develop a more meaningful discipline in meditation.  Thank you Wanderlust for creating a beautiful event to congregate like minded people to celebrate love, peace, and happiness using our mind, body, and soul.  It was the perfect end to my weekend.