{"id":14003,"date":"2023-05-10T16:43:28","date_gmt":"2023-05-10T16:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yogajournal.com\/?p=111105"},"modified":"2023-05-10T16:43:28","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T16:43:28","slug":"the-wine-writer-who-always-makes-time-for-her-yoga-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogacourseware.com\/index.php\/2023\/05\/10\/the-wine-writer-who-always-makes-time-for-her-yoga-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wine Writer Who Always Makes Time for Her Yoga Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In another life, Julia Coney<\/a> could be a travel agent. When we spoke, she was preparing for her upcoming trip to the Champagne region in France just days after returning from Rome. As a wine writer, educator, speaker, and consultant, as well as the founder of Black Wine Professionals<\/a>, Coney interacts with all aspects of the almost 340-billion-dollar wine industry<\/a>. She\u2019s busy. Yet despite her constant travel and engagements, she always makes time to turn to her mat, even if it\u2019s from her hotel room.<\/p>\n

Coney started practicing yoga in 2006, following the death of her brother. Instead of immediately putting her on antidepressants, her doctor suggested she try yoga to help her connect with and start to move through her grief. He urged her to find a teacher and a type of yoga that resonated with her.<\/p>\n

That was significant. As a runner and weight lifter, Coney expressed skepticism about whether this type of movement was right for her. \u201cYoga [seemed] calming, and I have a fiery personality,\u201d she says. \u201cI was just making all of these excuses.\u201d However, she agreed to at least try her doctor\u2019s advice and typed \u201chip yoga\u201d into Google. The results led her to Kimberly Wilson<\/a>, the owner of the now-closed Washington, DC-based studio Tranquil Space. Wilson\u2019s class wasn\u2019t the flow Coney was expecting. \u201cI remember thinking, \u2018Is she playing Eminem? Is she playing Coldplay? I know that\u2019s Lenny Kravitz in Savasana.’\u201d At the end of that first class with Wilson, Coney found herself in tears. That was the start of her yoga journey.<\/p>\n

Practicing Yoga While Traveling<\/h2>\n

Coney completed her 200-hour teacher training with Wilson, but it wasn\u2019t with the intention of teaching. Instead, she understood it as a spiritual study that would enable her to dive deeper into the non-asana (non-postural) aspects of yoga. The training also allowed Coney to continue her practice on the road. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of doing a yoga training,\u201d she says. \u201cYou teach yourself how to teach yoga for yourself. You know which poses are going to work, which side is tight in your body.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Coney travels, she still takes in-person classes. \u201cI go to more studios on the road,\u201d she says. \u201cI find the pockets of time.\u201d (Pro tip: Coney says she relies on the MindBody app, which makes it easy to find classes in different cities where you\u2019re unfamiliar with local studios.) This includes traveling abroad, where the class may not be taught in English<\/a>. \u201cI remember taking a class in Zurich, totally in German, but the teacher did the entire class in Sanskrit,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause I had been going to [yoga] so much, I knew most of the poses in Sanskrit.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she\u2019s not leading her own practice or attending a studio, she turns to Candace Cabrera Tavino\u2019s classes on Instagram<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Grounded in Routine<\/h2>\n

Coney\u2019s connection to her practice begins immediately when she wakes\u2014but not in the way you may think. In the mornings, she moves very slowly.<\/em> \u201cI do that on purpose,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce my body\u2019s up, everything races very fast.\u201d After sipping on hot water with lemon, she\u2019ll typically move into a slow yoga practice, although she  listens to her body. Some mornings, she may feel like moving her body more and will opt for a more active flow.<\/p>\n

She also turns to routine after long plane rides. Coney always bring a yoga blanket with her to use as the foundation for her practice. \u201cI lay it on the floor and do a complete vinyasa\u2014both sides\u2014to wake up,\u201d she says. Regardless of her plan for the day or her travel schedule, Coney says all she needs is 10 minutes of yoga and she\u2019s set.<\/p>\n

Connecting Yoga to Her Job<\/h2>\n

Yogic teachings and ideas show up for Coney in other ways, as well. \u201cI talk a lot about the intersection of racism in the wine industry and equality and DEI,\u201d she says. \u201cThe off-the-mat practice is understanding we\u2019re all flawed, in a lot of ways. I try to give myself grace and also to other people. There is grace for those who seek it.\u201d It\u2019s this principle, grace, that grounds Coney. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The power of the breath also plays a role in her constant steadiness. Oftentimes, she turns to simple (but critical) deep breathing exercises to calm and center herself. It\u2019s an understanding she hopes others realize as well. \u201cI think more people should think of yoga as a practice for life,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s so much you learn about yourself through a yoga practice\u2026I feel like when I do my practice, I give myself to myself before I give myself away.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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All she needs is 10 minutes. <\/p>\n

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