HEALTH & WELLNESS: SEEKING DISCOMFORT

WORDS: KIMORA BROCK

From our effervescent health and wellness columnist Kimora Brock comes a meditation on using uncomfortable situations as an opportunity to grow and gain knowledge.

This summer I traveled to the breathtaking Bovorets in Bulgaria to be a yoga model for Udaya Yoga's online classes. It was one of the most eye opening experiences of my life. Every day we filmed around six hours of yoga videos. The classes ranged from beginner vinyasa flows to advanced high-intensity interval training and various hourlong meditations. You can only imagine what being in the root chakra of the world surrounded by clean air, dense forests, tall mountains and high vibrational people will do for the spirit. I made so many great friends, and had so many stimulating and loving conversations. But of course, when achieving new heights in life, you will always be tested. My experience in Bulgaria was filled with many lessons on cross-cultural communication and learning to thrive in unfamiliar situations.

After the filming was done, a group of friends and I headed off on a road trip to Greece for some R&R after a busy work week. On the trip, I celebrated my one-year anniversary of moving to Los Angeles. When I reflect on the past year, I could not even have imagined that I would have road tripped to Greece with new friends and my favorite yoga teacher. I have learned so much since I moved to L.A. about myself and the needs of others.

I was challenged by this trip. Not only physically (we were doing 6+ courses of yoga a day!) but also mentally and spiritually. Navigating friendships emerged as a major test. I definitely experienced a lot of relationship stress with my friend. There were times when we didn’t know how to communicate with each other so we just didn’t talk at all. Silence can be bliss, but it can also be excruciatingly painful when there is something important that needs to be said. The stress of our strained relationship coupled with the influence of other women’s moon cycles brought mine 2 weeks early. I woke up in the middle of the night with an emergency and tried to ask the hotel manager for feminine products. Alas, the hotel manager was male and did not speak an ounce of English so I had to get Google translate how to say "FEMININE PRODUCT for MOON CYCLE?” Luckily, the female manager overheard and brought some out for me. Needless to say, I learned that all kinds of communication is key!

A particularly painful moment happened when we were driving back to Bulgaria from Greece and saw an 18 Wheeler engulfed in flames on the opposite side of the road. It was like one of the stories you see in the news. The fire was so big that while passing by the scene I could feel the heat on my face. At that moment, I immediately began to cry. I didn’t know if anyone was hurt, but it awakened me to how easily and how quickly life can be taken from you. With that experience I had a clear message that life on this planet is no joke. One must be diligent about seeking knowledge and an understanding of themselves and the world around them. Pursue your passions! Follow your dreams! Selflessly be of service to others! Because otherwise, what is it all for? With life, there is no "end goal." I believe the purpose of this life is to continue to push your awesome limits so that you will always be your best self and of service to others. Many of our conversations on the trip were centered around this idea. We talked about growing our abilities and practicing the principles of healthy living and agreed that although embodying our values can be hard work, the reward is immense.

Love and light,

Kimora