On September 14, 2013 ladies of the Jackson community came together for the SheJumps into Paddleboarding and Yoga event at a beautiful beach on Lower Slide Lake. With the fall colors illuminating the backdrop and the sun peaking from behind the clouds, both participants and event volunteers spent a leisurely day enjoying one another’s company, partaking in yoga and getting out on paddleboards.
After introductions and receiving sweet trucker hats donated by Recollect Threads, yoga instructor Jackie Baxa got the event started with a morning yoga session on the beach, which us SheJumps gals had all to ourselves! Jackie, who instructs at local studio and event partner Akasha Yoga, led a simultaneously challenging and relaxing yoga session that lasted over an hour. As she patiently guided us through poses, Jackie provided great feedback and individual pointers for participants that they could take forth with them as they continued to practice yoga, both within formal classes and on their own.
After concluding the session, a delicious lunch provided by the Jackson Whole Grocer was devoured, and then, ignoring the childhood rules of waiting 30-minutes before swimming after you eat, we hopped on paddleboards provided by our other event partner, Rendezvous River Sports. While a few of us had dabbled in paddleboarding prior to the event, most had not been on a board before, adding some eager excitement to the event! After getting the kinks worked out however, we cruised right out onto Slide Lake, which, much like our home-base beach, we had all to ourselves! While we fooled around a bit with the boards and what we could do on them—which was pushed farther than most by Jackie, who took her yoga skills to the paddleboard—it was largely a really relaxing afternoon of paddling around and bonding with other women in the group. Indeed, though some women did not know each other prior to the event, that did not stop all in the group from sharing their lives with others—our passions, our achievements, challenges we face, downfalls we possess. Adhering to the non-competitive spirit of the event, the paddleboarding aspect of the event provided a safe place for us to open up and support each other, truly falling in line with the SheJumps drive to empower women through outdoor activities.
In concluding our event, participants and volunteers were given goody bags to complement their Recollect hats that included Vapor water bottles, Kate’s Bars, SJ stickers and a free class at Akasha (where most of us are hoping to come together soon in one of Jackie’s classes!). Overall, the event was a success, providing each participant with support and what they needed to move forth in their life endeavors!
In concluding, I would like to give a huge shout-out to Akasha Yoga, Jackie Baxa, Rendezvous River Sports, the Jackson Whole Grocer, Recollect Threads, our talented photographer Hilary Byrne and the awesome ladies running SheJumps and supporting Ambassadors like me—thank you!!
–Carisa Barnett, SheJumps Isis Ambassador
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