They say a picture paints a thousand words. That may be true but sometimes even a picture doesn’t tell the whole story.
Since the day we started out here at Gym+Coffee, we have wanted to be involved in the adventures of our community. It is the reason we started Hoodies in the Wild. With every item purchased from our store we send a message to Make Life Richer and share the adventures with us by photo. Our community duly delivered. Each week we get sent in so many great photos from people sharing their awesome experiences with us.
We absolutely love it but sometimes our inquisitive minds want to go even deeper. If the person was running a race, we want to know the reason why. If they were trying something completely new, we want to know how they found it. If the photo came in from a foreign trip, our mind wanders. Was it simply a trip abroad or was there some deeper reasoning behind it? So, finally, we decided to ask questions and find out the stories behind the photos.
To kick off our feature of Hoodies in the Wild, we have the Bali Balance.
This photo was sent to us in December by @suzanne_choi86. It was taken as Mt Argung erupted in Bali, Indonesia. A really incredible image. Suzanne was there in her Red Fleck Lite Hoodie to see it all happen. We caught up with Suzanne, who works in Accounting and Tax in Dublin, to find out what brought her to Bali. Her story really inspired us.
“Well, I had been working for quite a while and wanted to take a short break to go travelling.” Suzanne’s short break was actually a pretty adventurous six weeks. She is passionate about Yoga and wanted to take her practice to the next level by heading to one of the homelands of Yoga. “I didn’t really have any intention of becoming an instructor. I just thought the course would be good for my own training.”
Suzanne considered going to India but on the recommendation of one of her instructors at YogaHub, she decided to head to Bali. This was a decision she did not regret. “The place I went to was like the Mecca for Yoga in Indonesia. I did a 200 hour course at the Akasha Academy and it was unbelievable. There was lots of yoga, stunning scenery and great food. The course had such a positive impact on me. It even lead me to try a more vegetarian based diet which I still follow today.”
Suzanne has since returned to work in Dublin and is feeling better than ever. Since returning from Bali, she has started teaching Yoga on the side. She works alongside Zendesk in Dublin, where she teaches as part of an 8 week wellness course. She also teaches 1-on-1 and has a studio space in Tipperary where she teaches scheduled events every other weekend. You can find out more about what Suzanne does on her Facebook page @YunSanYoga or Instagram @Suzanne_choi86.
What we love about Suzanne’s story is the balance and the “+” behind it all. Obviously, at Gym+Coffee that ‘+’ is very important to us. It’s not about choosing between one thing or another, it’s about combining the two. This could be in not having to choose between socializing and staying healthy. Instead, going for an activity with friends. It is using that ‘+’ to fit more into the day.
In Suzanne’s case it wasn’t about quitting her job and becoming a full-time Yogi. It was about combining the two. Sometimes we think that the only way to make a change is to do something drastic. In reality, maintaining balance is what is most important. That balance has really stood to her. “I think it is important to have balance. Yoga and meditation help to give you perspective. Balancing work-life with doing something else that you love is very important. It is something I would definitely recommend to everyone.”
Thanks very much to Suzanne for chatting with us. True to form we caught up with her on the phone, just as she was leaving work and heading to Yoga. That’s the Bali Balance.
If you like this format please let us know. Also, if you have a story behind your Hoodie in the Wild image and would like to share it, we would love to hear from you.
