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Southeast Yoga Conference Wrap-Up by, Nicole Jurovics

Hoo Boy.  It happened again.  The Southeast Yoga Conference came and went and when the high tide recedes I find myself wading through some intense emotions. I could easily turn this into a syrupy Hallmark-style summary of my experience, and I would mean every word, but I’ll try to express myself more specifically.

This one weekend requires a tremendous amount of planning and Melissa Katz and I work steadily throughout the year to bring it to fruition. We go through growing pains and distracting frustrations, mainly brought on by technological hiccups, but the bulk of our energy is pure excitement as we place pieces of next year’s puzzle carefully into place.

Nicole and Mellisa

Nicole Jurovics, Natasha Rizopoulus, and Milissa Katz

We can only hope that the teachers we invite to the SEYC will be of as much interest to our attendees as they are to us. We can only hope that our Sponsors and Vendors make productive connections within the Marketplace and ultimately feel their participation was worthwhile all the way around. We can only hope that the attendees enjoy and learn from the Presenters, gaining information that resonates with their bodies and their minds and leaves them feeling more connected to their yoga practice and to their community. We can only hope though. We cannot control anything once we’ve put the pieces in place. Gina Minyard commented that I looked “so calm” during the weekend and I suppose this is why; I can only be there to point people toward their workshop room or share conversation or help Vendors load-in. I cannot control any truly impactful part of the experience, I can only hope.  In this moment I’m smiling as I realize that Asha Patel chose to gift me a Sanskrit necklace from her beautiful collection, she chose the Asha necklace, and Asha of course means “Hope.”  Well played, Asha.

Asha Patel Designs

Asha Patel Designs

I believe that for any yoga studio owner, yoga teacher, specialized academic (such as Marcy Braverman Goldstein from Sanskrit Revolution), special-event organizer, certified-anything, there exists a conflicting goal; one the one hand, we choose to put our energy into this area that we genuinely believe can be of service to people, and on the other hand, we really, really, really, really want people, lots of people, to trust us and pay for this service. Gah! How Awkward! Well, I think the only choice is to make awkward your friend. Embrace the Awkward. Melissa and I want to grow this event slowly and steadily, which means our expenses will increase at the same rate. We will not raise the cost of the SEYC dramatically, certainly nowhere near the cost of other weekend-long yoga conference or festivals, so our only hope (there it is again) is that more and more people will attend each year.  We, and all of the aforementioned certified teachers and business owners, can only put “it” out there and hope the integrity of our efforts speaks for themselves.

Sanskrit revolution

Marcy Braverman Goldstein from Sanskrit Revolution

 

I saw the faces of our community this weekend and I am more energized than ever to support all of you, as teachers and students, specialists and academics, and most certainly wearers of multiple hats including corporate worker, parent, caregiver, commuter, and all around exhausted adult. We can grow together. We can learn together. We can lift each other up through our shared successes and through our difficult experiences.  We really can. We already do. And having a community that does this is like waking up with a million bucks in the bank, or so I imagine.

Rutu

Rutu Chaudhari

THANK YOU to all the Attendees, the Sponsors, the Presenters, the Volunteers (I am bowing now), and the well-wishers who could not make it this year. Each year flies faster than the one before, so we will see each other soon. I know I’ll see many of you at upcoming classes, music events, workshops, and coffee shops well before next year’s SEYC, but if it is a full year between sightings, I hope you continue to find and celebrate the connection to self and to your own community.  I’ll be over here practicing my awkward embrace.

Kia Miller

Kia Miller

Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band Bhakti Yoga

Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band Bhakti Yoga

For more photos of the conference click here.

 

20131010-224419.jpgNicole Jurovics tries very hard to be the person her yoga mat thinks she is. Her fragmented life include titles such as wife, mom, yoga teacher (at Decatur Yoga & Pilates and Yoga Samadhi), Southeast Yoga Conference Co-Director, artist manager, booking agent, smart-ass, sushi-lover, tree-climber, and hammock tester. She knows who you are and thinks you’re awesome.

7 Responses to “Southeast Yoga Conference Wrap-Up by, Nicole Jurovics”

  1. Amber Barry says:

    I am amazed by how profoundly this event affects me, every single year! Thank you for all that you and Melissa do to create opportunities for our community to practice together, with so many inspiring yogis and yoginis. It is very much needed and appreciated in the community, and I am grateful for your leadership and commitment to the SEYC!

  2. Wonderful weekend full of such great energy! Loved it and can’t wait until next year!

  3. Isabelle says:

    Thank you so much for another year of community building & binding! It was an honor to teach again at the conference & also participate. Agreed with Gina Minyard, both you & Melissa were cool as cucumbers & it was felt throughout the weekend. Can’t wait for next year! xx

  4. Jackie Pressley says:

    I only made it on Sunday, but next year I hope to go the entire weekend. I took Kia Miller’s Radiant Body – Kundalini Rising, Sean Johnson Bhaki on the Mat and Marti Yura Relax, Release and Renew! I really enjoyed all of the workshops and seeing everyone really happy and enjoying their SE Conference!

  5. A truly wonderful weekend. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this amazing experience. Loved being a sponsor and looking forward to next year.

  6. Gina Minyard says:

    I was fully warmed and inspired by the presenters and the community that gathered for the SEYC. Thank you so, so much.

  7. Matt Porter says:

    Thanks for a great weekend. I took the Art of Sequencing with Natasha as well as the Ten Commandments of the Yamas and Niyamas with Isabelle and loved both. Already looking forward to next year. Thanks again.

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