I was honored that Tracee Stanley allowed me to shoot a sequence of images of her practicing SUP yoga for EpicEveryDay.  Tracee is an inspiration to everyone she comes in contact with.  For some of us a handstand on a paddle board is Epic.  For Tracee it’s her baseline yoga practice.  She is EpicEveryDay.  If you live in the LA area and have not attending her yoga classes or retreats you are missing out!  To find Tracee visit her website.

After the shoot she wrote posted this following on the NEXT by Athena website:

Posted on May 7, 2012 by NEXT

When I was asked by the creator of Epic Everyday to paddle for a photo shoot for his website, I was honored. Robert Murray has created an amazing venue for people to realize their dreams. His website, Epic Everyday, offers a $2000 prize for an essay contest describing a dream epic adventure.

I was very disappointed when I woke up the morning of the shoot and discovered that it was foggy and windy. I was all ready to experience an amazing day and get some great photos — but the universe was not conspiring to fit into my idea of perfect weather. It is said that the definition of stress is when your version of reality is different than that of actual reality. So how do we flip a less than “perfect” reality into something that is epic? The answer is gratitude.

Offering gratitude for all the things we appreciate and are thankful for in life offers a softening within, allowing us to enjoy the present moment.  And it is in the present moment where everything is perfect. There are no worries about the future, no regrets about the past — only what is.

We had a fun day at our photo shoot because we were able to let go of our expectations. The fog apparently provided the perfect diffused lighting and the wind died down to a light breeze that kept me cool while doing some of the more difficult poses.  We had a blast and it was the perfect day after all.