DDPYoga Retreat 2013 recap, my personal journey

So I have waited to do a full recap of the DDPYoga retreat intentionally.  As I did a video update already.  This may end up being a bit more personal... So bear with me as I have no idea where this will go, as I don't go back and edit after I write, it just comes from my heart.

This was my FIRST DDPYoga retreat, and it could not have come at a better time.  As you may already know I lost my buddy Sipe the Sunday before the trip.  And I believe that was how it was meant to be.  Sipe made it thru the campaign we set up "Be the ONE", and we raised some money and brought awareness to canine lymphoma, and helped out our friends at Middle TN Boxer Rescue.  But that didn't make it any easier.  But don't let me get to far off track, as I have already written about Sipe in the "Starting to breathe again" blog entry.

I left out for the retreat on Wednesday July 10th.  Sure I was a bit apprehensive about going with everything that had just happened, but I knew I had been looking forward to this for way to long, and I knew that I needed this, but I did not realize just how much, and how much of an effect it would truly have on me.

My brother went with me as well, but we ended up taking different flights out due to scheduling, but that may have been a good thing, as I needed a little space.  My thoughts were all over the place... but one thought I had and I knew what I had to do... be social, as I wasn't feeling very social after everything.  But I knew I would have to push the urge to hide myself away during this trip, as that would not help me at all.  It's my life, and this was one of the times when I had to deal with the 10% of life.

On the way to Mexico I meet a fellow DDPYoga peep, and we flew together from Houston to Cancun, and that help as we chatted the whole way down.  Once we got our transfer and we made our way to the resort (El Dorado) I thought of my days traveling to different countries when I was in the Navy, and again gained appreciation for what we have at home. 

Arrived at the resort and OMG... it was gorgeous.  Got checked in and it all began.  Took a lil nap,  mentally I was wiped out, and then went down to the beach and there everyone was for our first workout.  Everyone that we chat with daily on line, and some folks that I have meet before were there.  It was like going to a family reunion.  Even meeting people you have never meet before.  As DDP had told me when I first started:

 "one thing I will say for DDPYOGA is we have the BEST support team in the world at teamddpyoga.com they are there to support and encourage you along your journey to OWN YOUR LIFE. you do not just purchase another product, you become part of our FAMILY"  -DDPYoga

I have experience this before at the workshops and on line, but this was so much bigger.  We did our first workout on the beach, and the setting could not be more peaceful and warm. The first workout was just a lil warm up to what was to come, but it was phenomenal. 

The night was just getting started as we meet up later then for a few beverages, and had a chance to get to know each other off the mat.  And I have to say we all clean up pretty good!  Then we would move on to our Welcome dinner, and this was a all DDPYoga dinner, and just a taste of what to come.  The food there was fantastic, oh and GF free.

So the fun was just getting started as we were starting to experience the retreat.  Some had been before and there were many, as myself, this was their first time.  But no matter we were ready to have fun.

Let the workouts begin... We had 2 days of 2 a days.  A 2 hr workout in the morning and then another 2 hr workout in the afternoon. But there would still be plenty of time for other stuff.  

Everyone in the workouts were at different levels.  Some had just started DDPYoga, and some were 3+ years into it.  But it did not matter, as we were all in it together.  The energy in our "DDPYoga studio" (which by the way was the nite club in the evenings) was amazing!!!  You could feel it running thru the whole room. We had so much encouragement and energy flowing you could not help but to smile as you had sweat dripping all over your mat.

There were so many accomplishment made by so many during this trip, not only physical but emotionally as well.  For me this was just what I needed and it came just at the right time.  A lil bragging, I was able to straighten my leg for the first time EVER (while holding my foot). and then I turned that into a full "Flying V" straight leg.  I was in shock when it happened I screamed out during the workout, and then that evening as we went back to DDP's pool to relax, I could not stop doing it.  So ok.. here was my after workout story...

After the workout we were walking down to DDP's pool and I was walking with a couple of the guys, and I was not in a hurry at all, just taking in the ocean air and thinking about life, and the accomplishment I had just done.  I stopped on the way, on the path just to see if I could do it again... and poof... I did it.  Then I looked and the guys were way down the path ahead of me.  No worries, I was going to get there eventually, I was not in a hurry at all.  Then I got to the pool and I could not stop, I was in the pool that evening and I keep doing it, why??? Because I could and I was still in shock that I was able to do it.  But that is just part of the power of the DDPYoga family and the energy.

So we would have the final 2 workouts one on Saturday and then one on Sunday.  But we also had an amazing cooking demonstration put on by Chef Bill (Stacey Morris's husband), and Sam Smith, along with Mike Mullins.  And more DDPYoga family time away from the mat.  The food was great, and it was all GF.  And there were beverages available but more importantly we had more time to mingle and chat.

Have I mentioned how amazing the DDPYoga family is?  Well I won't mention any names as I don't want to leave anyone out.  But everyone is always so supportive.  Not just with DDPYoga questions but for each other.  Everyone genuinely cares.  You would think with a group this big (there was 80+) there would be some sort of drama.  Well if there was, I never saw it.  I made so many new friends from around the world on this trip I really hope to see them again before the next retreat.  We had people there from around the world.  From the UK, Australia, South America, Canada, and from all over the US, and I'm sure other places as well.  Did I get a chance to chat with everyone? unfortunately no.  But I tried to chat with as many as possible.  But there is always the DDPYoga Retreat 2014.  And I will be back again.

So let me wrap this up... The last morning, I woke up super early (5:30am), don't know why really, but I knew the night before that I wanted to walk the property in the morning just to take it all in one last time and maybe take a few "pretty pics".  Well I went on my "walk about" and it was so peaceful.  I had no intention to do a video, but something came over me to do one.  So I found a spot and recorded "DDPYogaretreat 2013 thoughts from Don".  I brought it home, and thought about editing it, or not even posting it.  But then I thought, no this is real, and I would let it be, as it is.

We all started to leave El Dorado and the DDPYoga retreat a couple at a time.  The time seemed to come too soon, but we all had a fantastic time together.  For me this was so much more than just a DDPYoga retreat, it was a time for me to step out of my world and regain my footing, and begin to breathe deep again.  My brother was on the retreat with me, and it was good to have him there, but we did our own thing as well while we were there.   But after everything it was good to have him there, as I know he needed a break from life as well.

The DDPYoga Retreat 2013 was so much more than I could have ever expected when I first decided to go, after a lil prodding from a friend, C.A. THANK YOU.  I decided that I was going to do this just after I started DDPYoga way back in September 2012, which was 85 lbs ago.  Am I where I want to be yet, No, I don't think I will ever be "done".  Life does not have finish lines in the middle, but it does have moments and events you can mark down as "Special" along the way.  This was one of those Special ones.  But there were so many lil special moments all wrapped up in this one trip for me.  From the people, workouts, quiet time, healing time, and the family time.

Life is always changing, it is up to us to choose what we will do with it.  We are given what we need when we need it.  But we are also given opportunities along the way, and it is up to us to make the most of them.  As DDP and others have said... "Live life at 90%, Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you React, Adapt, Take action, and Breathe thru it." 

We all have so much potential in us, it is up to us to make the most of it.  No one person or one event can change you, but they are all part of who you are.  Never stop reaching to be the best you can be!

So until the DDPYoga Retreat 2014, where I WILL do "Black Crow kick out" and "Wrap and burn", enjoy where you are and NEVER Give Up.  We all can do so much more, we just have to choose to do it.