This is the sixth in our ongoing series celebrating our happy customers. This week we’re highlighting Debbie Beauchene, who’s both a yogi AND a Ragnar Relay runner AND she’s the first to own one of our new Ragnar mats! (In this case, the super-fun Ragnar I Can. I Will. End of Story. mat!)
She’s also a personal friend of mine from my university days, and for the past three years has held the position of Volunteer Coordinator for the Ragnar Relay Series. When she first heard about our growing Big Raven Yoga mat business, she approached us to see whether I’d be willing to teach yoga as a recovery technique to their 3000(!) runners at this weekend’s Ragnar Great Midwest event in Wisconsin. I immediately said yes, even before I had any idea how I was going to pull this off. Obviously this WON’T be a typical yoga practice, since it will be outdoors, in an open-air tent, and being taught to batches of runners as they finish their relay legs, with hundreds upon hundreds of runners cycling in and out of the recovery tents! Whew!
Out of this was born a beautiful partnership between Big Raven Yoga and the Ragnar Relay Series. Our team of extremely talented and creative designers put digital pen to digital paper and set about designing a set of eight (8!) Ragnar-exclusive recovery yoga mats. In the space of only two (2!) weeks we went from the germ of an idea to actual yoga mats — an unheard-of turnaround time in our industry! We were so excited to get them done that we skipped our usual full-sized paper test prints and went straight to expensive suede yoga mats so we can show them off this weekend in Racine and Madison. Skipping the test print was was a bit risky for us, but they turned out GREAT! They look good on the screen, but they look AMAZING in person! Thank you so much, Debbie, for inviting us into your world!
QTell us a little bit about yourself. What keeps you busy off the mat?
AI’m an empty-nester of 3 amazing offspring who grew me out of my first career of home education. My husband and I share life, and too often our bed, with an 85-pound lab mix. I work remotely for an event company based in Utah and have the privilege to engage with community groups throughout the country as I coordinate the staffing for our events. I love helping to create opportunities for others to pursue what they’ve been called to be or do — either as an individual or as an organization.
QWhat kind of asanas do you practice?
AMy practice is connected to running, so I focus on my hips, knees, hamstrings and quads — all those muscles that fatigue after a long run.
Recovery from racing is the primary role, but yoga has also been about self-care of the mind and body beyond the focused purpose of race recovery.
QHow long have you been a yogi?
AI’ve been practicing yoga as long as I’ve been running. I come back to my mat after every run!
QWhat role does yoga play in your life?
ARecovery from racing is the primary role, but yoga has also been about self-care of the mind and body beyond the focused purpose of race recovery.
QDo you have a favorite pose?
APigeon pose has always been my go-to for the purpose of recovery. Child’s pose — can I live in child’s pose?!
Shavasana — more then once have I come to tears.
QHave you ever had a “yoga moment”, something that happened during practice that you didn’t expect? That made you laugh, brought you joy, made you cry?
AShavasana — more then once have I come to tears. Always tied to periods of external stress.
QIs there a pose that used to be a “pillar pose” — one that you were working toward — that is now accessible to you?
AI haven’t practiced yoga consistently enough to create that intention.
QWhen you placed your order with Big Raven Yoga, what made you choose I Can. I Will. End of Story.?
A You picked it out, Joleen!
QDo you have your eyes fixed on any other Big Raven designs? If so, which one(s) and why?
AAll of them ;-)
QDo people ask you about your mat?
ANot yet; no one else has seen it!
Thank you SO much, Debbie — we really appreciate you taking a few minutes out of your day to answer our questions, and we love seeing you on our brand-new Ragnar mat!
Debbie has our new (like, REALLY new!) I Can. I Will. End of Story. Ragnar recovery yoga mat. YOU should have one too, or any of our other fine Ragnar mats!