On December 5, 2022, Rocky sent an email to the DCI Yogis participating in the 1000 Day Yoga Challenge. In part, it read: “Week 143 Days 994 – 1000! Congratulations DCI Yogis! We did it. March 15, 2020 to December 10, 2022. One Thousand Days! We have all been on a very unique and memorable journey. Thank you. Sat Nam. ❤️🙏 Rocky” — What follows below, is a response from Anne-Lindsay.
I guess these words below might sum it up well for many but certainly NOT FOR US!
1,000 lessons have passed and one could use many of the words below to describe our experience but there are more.
For our group, we have had the extraordinary privilege of being centered on our mats, surrounded and supported by our community, led by our friend, counselor, colleague, and spiritual caretaker during our ups and downs, and roundabouts.
We centered ourselves on the mat, took our breaths, we wiggled and danced, downward dog, upward sun, side to side no need to run. We stretched to the East and rolled down to the West. Our yoga greetings went global as the clock ticked from California to Connecticut to London to Madrid. The sunshine tracked us far and wide and in our yoga community the sun never set.
We centered ourselves on the mat, took our breaths, we wiggled and danced, downward dog, upward sun, side to side no need to run. We stretched to the East and rolled down to the West. Our yoga greetings went global as the clock ticked from California to Connecticut to London to Madrid. The sunshine tracked us far and wide and in our yoga community the sun never set.
At the heart was our ROCK. Our steadfast guru who generously offered his lessons, consistent with his thoughtful instruction, his plan immaculately in place each and every day. His chapel was a place to calm the mind, center the spirit and take support when needed through life’s losses and gains.
Whether in transit from the North to the South coast, up and down the African continent, not to mention throwing in a bit of Istanbul for good measure, he never skipped out on us. Never. We might have but Rocky never did.
Our attendance ebbed and flowed but we always came back. Our community was too strong to let anyone go their own way.
Well, now we shout a LOUD and GRATEFUL thank you to Rocky our guiding star who challenged and inspired us for a remarkable 1,000 days.
Today it will not be good-bye it will only be good day.
Anne-Lindsay Makepeace (December 10th, 2022)
A Note From Rocky: Anne-Lindsay, thank you for giving voice to what many of us may be feeling as we reached our 1000-day goal and now living with the results. We sometimes have to give space…let something go to fully embody the benefits of a specific endeavor with connections with a supportive group. For me, I experienced a “wholeness” as we climbed the 1000-day yoga challenge. I miss you all very much. Stay tuned. After Stanford DCI winter quarter I imagine something will emerge to bring our virtual community back together. Thank you again Anne-Lindsay for your gift of writing as you practiced on your mat from Palo Alto to Sagaponack, NY to London. Thank you and Sat Nam. ~ Rocky
