Cherry Blossom Yoga DC

Yesterday was the Cherry Blossom Yoga Festival in DC.  lululemon sponsors this amazing event – a free community yoga class right on the grass on the National Mall, in front of the Washington Monument.

It was an absolutely beautiful day – sunny and cool.  Perfect for a run.  Perfect for outdoor yoga with hundreds of other people.  I had never attended this event before but was so excited to go.  I love yoga but it’s been a long time since I’ve made it a regular part of my routine.  I miss it.  It was so nice to return to the mat yesterday.

We decided to make it a run club outing.  Several of us met up at the studio in Reston and carpooled to Rosslyn where we met another one of our runners.  Then we ran across the Key Bridge into Georgetown.

Katye running into DC

When we got to Georgetown (about  3/4 of a mile later) we stopped at the lululemon store there to meet up with the Georgetown run club, led by my fellow run ambassador (and also Fitfluential Ambassador!) Heather Calcote.  I had never met Heather in person before, so I was so excited to get to know her.  I’ve only recently discovered her blog (Dietician on the Run) and I’m really excited to plan more fun events and runs with her in the future.  Once we all gathered together Heather led us on a beautiful route along the Potomac and straight to the Mall.  It was a little less than 3 miles of running from there – so pretty.  A perfect warm up before yoga.

i love these ladies!!

The practice was led by the amazing Alison Adams – an incredibly beautiful and inspiring woman who I have come to really admire since meeting her this past fall when I joined the lululemon team of ambassadors at the Tysons Corner store.  Alison is a mother of two and she is so kind, so refreshing and so much fun.  It is pretty much impossible to not smile when you are around her!  I hadn’t yet had a chance to take one of her classes (she teaches at Down Dog Yoga) so I was really excited to have the opportunity. The vibe of the morning was so awesome – hundreds of people coming together on a beautiful day to celebrate community, life, love and our own place in this amazing world.

Alison guided us through the asanas with such a happy, grateful tone.  I can’t tell you how good it felt to share this connection with so many other people, practicing yoga in our Nation’s Capital.  I loved every minute of this special morning.

My body hadn’t moved this way in a while.  Wheel.  Pigeon (oh, how I love Pigeon!).  Warrior.  I felt strong and happy.  My body thanked me for the change in pace, for the change in scenery.

My feet were happy to have a little break, too.  The sunshine and fresh air on my skin simply felt amazing. 

happy feet

After about an hour of yoga we laced up our shoes and ran back to the car.  Just a little less than 7 miles done for the day and yoga smack dab in the middle.  This was my idea of the perfect morning.  Yoga is soooo good for the runner’s body.  I think I will be making more time for it.  Yesterday showed me how much I truly miss it.

Have you ever been to Cherry Blossom Yoga in DC?  Did you go yesterday?  Do you love yoga too?  What is your favorite posture?

Share this post

Hi, I'm Jess!

Thanks for visiting my blog! I’m a runner, a coach, and an artist whose work’s purpose is to celebrate and encourage others on the run. I started running over 20 years ago when I signed up for my first marathon, and since then it has become an integral part of me and how I live my life. Running changed me in ways I never could have imagined, and has continued to lead me down a path of personal and professional growth and self discovery. On this blog I love sharing stories about my journey, talking about the lessons I’ve learned along the way and connecting with all of you. Thank you for being here!

Custom Artwork

Personal Run Coaching

subscribe to get the free Strength guide

Thanks! Keep an eye on your inbox for updates.

Coaching inquiry