Did you ever meet someone who acts as if their birthday should be declared a national holiday? That’s my daughter, and each year she'll spend months dreaming up party ideas. We’ve celebrated her birthday at the house playing party games, rented out the aquatic center for a swim party, hosted a cupcake baking party, pizza making party and even one to benefit Micah’s Backpack. She loves everything about her birthday and would stretch it to last the month if she could.
I'm not sure how, but this year she turned 14 and wanted to host an event that was unique and fun, with the sophistication a teen requires. I should mention it's possible this nonconformist child might have been born in the wrong era. She’d have made a heck of a flower child and loves both the fun aspects of the 1970s including the fashion, music, and pop culture, and the important issues brought to light at this time including equality and a call for world peace. She's kind and tries to be a thoughtful steward of the planet and all its inhabitants. She can't wait to be old enough to march in a civil rights protest and has a long list of issues she'll support. She wanted her party to be a reflection of all this.
A yoga party seemed the perfect fit, and she said she wanted to "embrace her inner hippie". Naturally, we called In Balance Yoga! We've both taken a few classes at IBY, who outgrew their location downtown and built a gorgeous new studio at 2018 North Main Street, Blacksburg. The studio features multiple rooms, ample parking and they offer 80+ classes each week including Hot, Flow, Yin, Restorative, Gentle Pool Hip-Hop yoga and more. They also have a new location in CRC!
In Balance Yoga provides a great deal of community service which resonates with my daughter and I. Helping others is important in our family, and the support IBY includes weekly Donations Classes for local charities and groups and ongoing support of the Homes of Hope orphanage in India. They even offer a free Community Class each weekend open to anyone. (Learn more about IBY’s charitable work HERE).
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She chose aerial yoga, where participants use aerial hammocks suspended from the ceiling. We planned a private class on a weekend afternoon, and the guests were so excited as each hammock was adjusted to their hip height. Our instructor Keala, was super knowledgable, patient and fun and everyone loved her. Aerial yoga uses a lot of upper body and core strength, and Keala showed us a few exercises to help strengthen the “playground muscles”. She led us through the class and offered many options for everyone in the room to have something to do the whole time. This was a great group of kids who were laughing and supporting one another as they were offered various modifications for each pose based on their comfort level and strength. They rocked it, and the entire class was able to do a variety of poses, and the majority were able to do an inversion and be upside down!
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Keala ended the class with a short meditation where many of the guests chose to hang in the silks like cocoons, and she told us they offer a class called Floating Meditation that participants find so relaxing, some have fallen asleep! You can even snuggle up in a blanket inside the hammock. It sounds like a dreamy 60-minute vacation, right?
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We wanted the friends to be able to visit and enjoy some birthday cake, and Tea & Jam Cafe provided the perfect location. It’s literally a walk across the parking lot to 1520 North Main Street. The decor is eclectic and welcoming with various seating options including cushions on platforms. The group took over the cafe's map area and my daughter was invited to choose the music playlist. She chose 70's rock, which seemed fitting, and the group began with a tea seminar. Owner Jack Howard taught us about tea and walked us through a tasting which included white, green, black, oolong and herbal teas.
Did you know all tea comes from the same plant? The elevation, soil, and other environmental factors make it taste different in various parts of the world.
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Our collective favorite tea was a white tea, followed by green jasmine.
The tea menu at Tea & Jam features dozens of teas and they are mindful of ethical trade and local sourcing. Most of the teas are purchased from independent growers and family farms. Jack is passionate about tea, healthy eating and lifestyle, and this is reflected on the menu. After our tea tasting, we enjoyed fresh veggies with hummus, roasted nuts, and assorted nut butter, fruit and jam on a surprisingly good gluten-free toast. The entire menu at Tea & Jam is vegan and gluten-free. They were kind enough to let us bring in a tie-dye cake, but they have partnerships with a local bakery who supplies the baked goods and offers cakes by special order.
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The cafe's playful atmosphere is conducive to creativity, and Tea & Jam hosts music and meditation events and is available to small groups such as book and writing groups. It proved to be the perfect space for this group, and they loved sipping tea comfortable sprawled out, and a few of them played some of the games available on a shelf filled with books and games for visitors to use.
It was a great party, all of it. It fit my daughter's personality and philosophy and she had the best time and loved it. She and her guests enjoyed trying something different and learning about both tea and yoga, and a few of them are making plans for a future yoga class followed by tea. From my perspective, it was one of the easiest parties we've ever hosted! I literally just showed up, only baking a cake because that's my tradition. It was such a positive experience, she's already wondering how she can possibly top this next year!
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If you're looking to embrace your inner hippie, or you just want to enjoy a fun healthy outing, consider In Balance Yoga and Tea & Jam Cafe. If you're looking to bring a group, aerial yoga classes are limited to 13 participants, and other types of yoga classes can accommodate larger groups.
Learn more about In Balance Yoga
Learn more about Tea & Jam Cafe
In Balance Yoga is a sponsor of NRV Macaroni Kid, but all opinions are my own and the party inspiration came from my tie-dye loving daughter.
| You Might Also Enjoy Reading: How To Brew The Perfect Cup Of Tea | How to Decide Which Type of Yoga Class Is For You |
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