meet tracy

name: Tracy Keough
role at lululemon: Area Community Manager, North U.S.
current hometown: Vancouver
random fact: I grew up in Newfoundland.
what did you learn this week? Breathe, respond, don't react. Listen to what is in your heart.
a word that describes your 40-day experience so far: Deep inquiry

this week i learned...

I have been excited about this week since the 40 Days program began. Equanimity has been something that I have been striving to understand since I first practiced with Baron 3 years ago. He spoke to equanimity in class that day. I remember so clearly wondering the meaning of the word and his statements stayed with me long after that all-day immersion:

Can you simply be in this pose and face it as it comes? Be with whatever comes up, feel it and simply be with it, no reaction.

As we held the pose further, Baron said: notice how you are reacting to this pose. Where else in your life does this come up? How is who you are on your mat showing up in your life?

Uuuuh, do you mean the fact I am cursing you in my head right now dying to come out of this pose?!

Tracy Dhanurasana-ing at last week's Yoga Journal Conference in San Francisco

three years later

I took this week on with a curious mind and open heart. I faced myself head on and had conversations that were tough and pushed me outside of my comfort zone. There were tears, moments of wanting to run and through it all I stayed with myself, understanding that this is true growth – this is equanimity. After all this time, it finally landed for me that equanimity is being in the eye of the storm, the middle of all the reactions and feelings and working with whatever comes up, what REALLY comes up -- tears, fear, fight, flight -- and breath by breath, being with it.

Then, Saturday morning I woke up to this quote staring straight at me:

"The longest road you will ever have to walk is from your head to your heart" ~ Chief Phil Lane Jr.

And it all came together for me. Equanimity is living what is in your heart - your absolute truth - and having the courage to trust. To be with it. It is uncomfortable to say what really needs to be said, revealing who I TRULY am, in my heart, from a deep place of knowing. It's scary, yet freeing all at the same time.

Truth. Trust. Love. That is what I learned this week. Thank you Baron.