Back in 2021 I went to my second ever C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) and learned that Star Wars-themed yoga was being offered on the show floor. I knew I had to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the 45 minute experience. The next two years went by without any yoga, but this year the family friendly activity was back…and it was a bit more advanced.
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Our session was led by Jillian Pain (@jillian_pain) who is an independent registered yoga instructor. She focused more on the meditation and spiritual side of yoga and told us that yoga and Star Wars are one in the same. Just like the Force is all around us and consists of Light and Dark, so too could we celebrate the Light within us, while also embracing our Dark Side. In yoga there’s a lot of balancing going on as you practice being strong in your body, but calm in your breath and mind. So the philosophy of Star Wars lore definitely feels like the perfect companion to yoga.
The class I took in 2021 was led by Justine Mastin of Blue Box Counseling & Wellness and was more of a story adventure, going through major beats of the original trilogy. It was also mostly a standing yoga session and I was expecting the same this year. Jillian however had her practice set up more on intention and referred to most positions as asanas (literally “pose”) that were dedicated to characters from the franchise. Some of the positions included:
- Skywalker: Mountain Pose
- Darth Vader: Arms at sides with palms facing out
- Luggabeast: Table top Cat/Cow
- Downward Facing Wookiee: Down Dog
- Imperial Walker: Forward Fold
- Obi-Wan: Warrior 2
- Jyn Erso: Extended Side Angle
- Grogu: Child’s Pose
- TIE Fighter: Bow Pose
- Millennium Falcon: Eagle Pose
- Yoda: Sit Cross Legged
If you are familiar with yoga, then you know that we were on the floor, on our bellies, and on hands and knees; which isn’t exactly comfortable on a cement floor. But no one seemed to mind, and while this was definitely more advanced than the last time, it was less accessible. Everyone was able to modify to what best suited them and one participant even used a chair for some of the more challenging poses.
As one does in yoga, we stretched out both the left and right sides of our bodies as we learned and repeated all of the poses. Jillian then took us through a bit of flowing sequence though it was not a full vinyasa. I was a little bummed, because vinyasa is my favorite type of yoga but also relieved because I didn’t have a mat and we were practicing on a cement surface!
At the end of the session, we returned to a seated position (Yoda) for a minute of meditation and to be present in our bodies (and maybe even the Force?!), followed by a “Leia” (lay-a) savasana lying on our backs, arms at our sides and palms facing up. Finally it was back to seated with our hands at heart center to properly close out our practice.
Chewbacca stopped by for a minute!
This whole experience was completely different from what I was expecting and one that I wish could be done properly in a yoga studio. I would have loved for this to be a full vinyasa practice. That said, I’m not complaining and I know there are limitations to what can be offered on a noisy show floor. Overall, I appreciate that free yoga of any kind is being offered to guests at C2E2 and I really like breaking up my usual practice with the fun element of Star Wars.
I hope that Jillian and yoga will return to C2E2 next year so that more fans can experience this mindful exercise for their bodies and souls. Until next time, May the Force be with You!
C2E2 is taking place at McCormick Place in Chicago from April 26-28, 2024. Follow our C2E2 tag page for more news and updates!