yoga—now more than ever
As I see the squirrels gathering nuts and scurrying about, I share their sense of urgency. My garden plot has been productive which means I'm busy in my kitchen preserving the harvest so this food can be enjoyed in the depths of winter. I'm also aware of what I've missed this summer—connecting with my friends and family. There's been a new urgency to meet with friends in the park for lunch or a walk before the weather turns and these types of physically distenced meetings become harder to arrange. And with fires across Oregon causing more than disruption for so many, I feel immensely grateful for the safety of my home. The continued turmoil of the past few months has increased my reliance on my practice; my practice feels stronger than it has in a long time. I need yoga to keep my spirits up, for physical movement and for the connection it gives me—connection to myself but also to others.
In my mind, we were supposed to be back to "normal" already. But the timeline keeps extending with additional obstacles. Like everyone else, I keep adapting as best I can; yoga practice has supported this adaptation. I feel like we all need yoga more than ever.
Jewel Yoga will begin the early fall term on September 13. This is also the first meeting of Ahimsa in Action—a series of conversations about race. I'll be holding space on Zoom for this five-week series. When Jewel Yoga shared its Black Lives Matter statement, I felt strongly that we needed to walk our talk and support each other in ways that help us examine and evolve our ideas about race. I hope you'll consider joining me for this series of conversations.
In addition to weekly classes, I'll continue teaching Quiet, Cool, and Calm—a one-hour restorative class aimed at quieting the mind, cooling down the body and restoring the feeling of calm that can lead to a good night's sleep. This class meets on alternate Wednesday evenings beginning September 16. In October, the Sarvangasana Essentials series will continue. If you have difficulty with shoulder stand, this three-class series will help!
For those of you who have been reluctant to continue your yoga studies online, I'll leave you with this comment from a student who participated in the Healthy Feet series: “I can’t even begin to tell you how delighted I am that I enrolled in your class. You have Zoom figured out so well, that it honestly feels like I’m there (right down to the corrections and suggestions!).”
September 11, 2020