Sarah Rogers admits when she starts something, she can get just a little bit obsessed about it.
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Perhaps this isn’t such a bad thing when preparing her dance routine for the Stars of the Border Dance for Cancer gala night in May.
“Gees, I hope so because I need all the help I can get,” she said with a laugh.
But the Albury financial planner will have some extra family support as she takes to the dance floor because her teacher, Meegan Strauss, is also her cousin.
Each of them signed up separately for the fifth annual Cancer Council NSW fundraiser and didn’t realise the other was involved until the subject came up at a family barbecue.
They then asked organisers if they could be paired together, but didn’t know for sure until all 13 couples were announced.
“It will be fine,” Miss Rogers said before adding quickly, “I don’t know whether she’ll like me as much after she does this with me, trying to teach me how to dance.”
But her dance teacher has no concerns, given their allocated style is contemporary and Miss Rogers practises yoga.
“Most of the movements she does (already) and I give her a way to get in and out of it nicely and they complement each other, I think, well,” Miss Strauss said.
“It’s linking the moves and getting a nice flow.”
Miss Rogers said she turned to yoga initially as a way to treat a sports injury.
“But the other benefit I got out of it was the mental benefit like learning how to switch off and sleeping better and all this sort of stuff that I didn’t realise was so important until then,” she said. “From the stress of running a financial planning business, I was looking for something to level that out, I guess.
“So now I think yoga’s an integral part of my life to keep that balance; especially the busier you get, make sure you’re making time for you and looking after yourself.”
Her enthusiasm – see the opening sentence – led her to become a yoga teacher by night and also influenced her choice of event as she chases her Stars of the Border individual fundraising target.
A yoga and wellness festival at Albury Entertainment Centre on April 7 will offer a variety of sessions on topics such as partner and acro yoga, meditation, essential oil workshops, dance yoga, using crystals and sound meditation. Four musicians will provide live entertainment throughout and there will be stalls and a “chill-out” area where people can eat and relax.
Miss Rogers said the day involved a lot more than just yoga, with tickets available online.
“It doesn’t matter what you’re coming for, you’re going to walk away with something,” she said.
