Summer Yoga

It is hard to believe that it has been almost a week since the workshop and I am just now getting to this blog. In fact, I really did not want to write anything but Chris is essentially making me. And besides, I am waiting for the granola that I am making to be done, so here I am.

It is hot around here and I am getting into the swing of summer and all of the things that I love: Swimming holes, long days, eating straight from the garden, riding bikes, squirting kids with hoses and early morning practices.

Ah, that is a good one and I am really looking forward to tomorrow morning. 6:30 am. Can't wait actually. I am thinking that I want to unearth an old sequence that is standing poses and arm balances all intertwined. Sounds fun to me. I have also been thinking about asking the folks that come to practice to sit with a contemplation during the week and I will post about it here and this could also serve as a place for people share any reflections, insights and such. I have not quite gotten that together but the intention is definitely out there for me.

It came up because I began thinking about how potent a weekend workshop is and how when something comes up after such an experience it is of real value to contemplate it and even journal about it in order to aid in the digesting of the experience. I really think that it is sometimes even the seemingly unrelated stuff that presents itself following a workshop that might actually hold the most juice for us when we take a closer look and consider it through the lens of the Yoga.

I have heard a number of different things directly and indirectly about the varying experiences that people had over the weekend and afterward. I find this very exciting and am really wanting to support people in their individual processes as much as I can. It is my belief that any deep experience of the heart (even ones that we may not even see as such. But believe me when you are in a room with someone who has generated a lot of Shakti, you are going to be affected), is going to trigger all sorts of mechanisms in the mind as it tries to regain primary control.

This is interesting to me and always has been. It is how we begin to cultivate the witness and also how we generate a deeper capacity toward Satya within our very selves. I would love to hold the space for folks to journal about this, contemplate, reflect.

There is much more I could say about the weekend directly, but that will have to wait for another time. My granola is done. See you in the morning.

Solstice Weekend Workshop with Christina Sell

It is here folks. Really the yoga event of the year here in Viroqua. Really the yoga event of the year in Wisconsin in my opinion, but that is another story. We have a great and a varied group of people signed up for various sessions throughout the weekend. And, of course, it is not to late to register. Not at all.

I myself am very excited. In fact, I have seen a number of folks around town who appear to actually be vibrating with excitement. And not the ungrounded, up, outside of myself excitement at all. It is more along the lines of really knowing deeply that I and quite a number of my community members are going to be participating in a weekend experience that has the primary intent of connecting us each more deeply to our own greatness, our own potential and the grace that abides in each of our own hearts. That sounds like magic to me. And I know that I keep on saying how great that it is happening right here in our very own town, but it is and this is why. When you go away to a yoga workshop you have an experience that is deep and magical and trans formative on many levels. And then you go home and there can be a little bit of shock and let down that everything is exactly the same as how you left it. You had this experience out of the context of your everyday life and transforming your life to support such an experience can be hard to do once you are back in your life. You may feel at a real loss. (Not that going away for workshops or retreats are in any way bad. They are not. They are wonderful and something that I myself love and always look forward to. But there is always a great deal of reintegration involved upon return home). On the other hand, being IN the context of your own life and participating in something as potent as a weekend with a master yoga teacher is a real gift. Not just for all of the logistical reasons but really for the the fact that we get to really practice being our best selves and recognizing that in ourselves and one another in the the flow of our life. This is at the heart of cultivating a functional discipline toward our practice and in fostering sangha, when you are rolling out your mat next to the person whose house you bike by everyday.

So the weekend will be great. The longest days of the year are here and what better way to honor such fullness than 3 days of yoga. Can't wait.

wow what a week

And so it was. And so it is.

I have really been all over the place as this week started out a little bit backward around here. Chris was home Monday and Tuesday as I had some medical concerns that we had to address early in the week. And then was ordered to rest from said concerns and then Chris hit the road on Wednesday. Very odd for us.

I have recently started to take advantage of the light in the early morning to get up and enjoy some personal ritual. It has been awhile. It looks like this: wake up, neti, nasya, tea, meditation and then maybe a few poses before Maple inevitably comes padding out and we do all of her morning rituals. This has been great, save the fact that Maple is on to me and is waking up about 10 minutes earlier every day... The little rascal! Foiled!

But this is my theme right now. Do whatever I can, whenever I can, to attend to my well being. And even when it does not work out exactly like I had hoped, there is still just the beauty of maintaining that intention for myself. I am having some very interesting and seemingly powerful things up for myself lately: I have made a return to therapy after quite a few years, I have dove back in to my meditation practice, and I have started to look at some things in my life through new eyes, taking some bold steps toward allowing my own perspective of me to shift. Wow. So it is good. Ultimately good.

And I am gearing up for the workshop. I am so delighted to host Christina again. In one week. Believe it or not! We have a great group of people signed up and even more to come.

We will not be having class tomorrow as Chris is away. But Sunday is on. 6:30. It is amazing to do a full practice at that time of day. Perfect for summer.

Christina Sell's Workshop

OK. I am unable to put the pdf of the flyer for the workshop up on this site. bummer. So please contact me for any information and to register. 608-630-0228. Or scoopie7@yahoo.com. 2 weeks folks. 2 weeks.

Things are going well on the home front. The use of the early morning is becoming a reality. One that is working quite well for my family. Hoorah! So tomorrow we will be meeting for practice at 6:30am. Can't wait. Plan to work on lotus variations as well as sarvangasana to setubandasana. Sounds fun hunh?

The garden is going great guns which also makes me very happy. Eating Arugala and Salad greens now. Love it.

Hope everyone is well. See you in the am.