AN AUSPICIOUS OFFERING

Well, the long weekend was 'salve for the soul' for me. Glorious weather, beautiful views, wonderful coffee (see last post), and spending time with a great friend -- all things I can get in SLC, but being in Idaho and having them all happen in one day made it seem like a real "vacation".

As I drove out of my driveway in Idaho yesterday morning, to begin the drive home, I paused to look at our owl. This owl has been swooping over the roof at dusk each recent evening and spending the night in one of our aspens. I just discovered this, as I was leaving yesterday. Had seen the 'swooping', hadn't seen evidence of the overnight stays. Tried to take a pic with my phone, couldn't get it to work, almost gave up.

That is, UNTIL I took a closer look and noticed TWO OWLS sitting in the same tree watching me. Wow -- worth getting the 'real' camera out and saving this moment.

Two Owls in this photo -- just look for the 'blobs'.

This guy (or gal) was really giving me the "owl eyes".

My drive home was uneventful, except for the guy that drifted into my lane on a two-lane highway crossing the Snake River - a bit of an adrenaline rush. Fortunately he found his way back to his own side of the road before disaster could strike. Thank you, owls (or whoever).

Back in SLC, took a brief rest, then went to Pilates, then to the studio to teach my 4 pm YogaHour class. What fun -- 7 students! That's something of a record for this time slot at this studio. It was fun, I was a bit on fire after the long drive, and I think my teaching reflected it. For a watery-type person, I can still build a bit of a fire when needed.

While with Sundari over the weekend, I did get a review on my video between packing and running errands (she's moving - just from one house to another, same town). Let's just say I'm not sending my application in yet, but I feel so much better about my teaching after that review! And, she was kind enough to do it while under the gun to move. Thank you, friend.

Have a great day. It's raining here. Supposed to be cold, but it's still a bit warmer that we expected.

MULTIPLE COMMENTS

Wouldn't you know that the blog that receives multiple (2) comments (the most of any blog entry I've written), is one that talks about washing blankets! Not philosophy, not yoga asana, not working towards Certification, but blankets.

Mental note to self on blog writing -- keep it simple (just like our teaching, per John Friend).

I am looking out at the most glorious view of the Tetons as I write this entry, sipping a cup of coffee (why does coffee always taste best here?), and planning my morning. Just finished talking with Howard (my husband) who is in Salt Lake. He had been up here, but drove back yesterday. Since I didn't drive up til Saturday, I'm taking an extra couple days to enjoy.

Sounds like weather will be moving in tomorrow - as in, cold, windy and snowy(!?!). I'll be headed home.

Will walk the dogs, clean up a bit, then meeting with Sundari at her place. She's moving, so I hope I can be of some help and then we'll grab a bite of lunch.

Back to blankets -- notice how your car runs better after it gets washed? Well, my teaching on Saturday was fun, energetic, and inspired (if I do say so myself). I think it was the fact that I had cleaned the studio the afternoon before and the blankets were clean. Guess they were weighing heavy on my mind. Fun class -- we just did basic Level 1 movement. Hyperextending knees, minor hamstring pulls were in attendance. Did have a 13-year-old in attendance -- she had taken dance in her past, so was incredibly disciplined. I had a great time! I think they did too.

Enjoy your week,

CLEANING . . .

Who ever said the life of a yoga instructor and studio owner was glamorous? At one time, watching my instructors, I might have thought so. However, over the years, I've come to understand that this life is hard work and study, with lots of "don't take it personally" involved, and lots of "being on" (as in "on stage").

I am not complaining about anything in the first paragraph; because, even with the work of moving towards Certification, it still is rewarding and fun.

That is, however, until you find yourself scrubbing the toilets/sinks/floor, washing blankets, straightening props, vacuuming (or sweeping). Hard to keep the eye on the goal during these moments. I think I mentioned a meditative approach yesterday.

My task yesterday was to clean the studio, teach my class, do the blankets. During the morning, I got a "HELP!" call from a fellow instructor, needing a sub. So, between teaching & cleaning at my own studio, I drove to a corporate location and taught a class for her. Fun & nice group of people. Very pampered -- great fitness facility. Back to the task at hand.

At the studio, I got the blankets loaded (36 blankets takes about 4-5 trips to safely make it up and down the stairs and into the car), found my stash of quarters, grabbed soap and softener, and off to the laundromat. Once there - another 4 trips to carry the load in and distribute it among the "super-duper, extra heavy duty washers", insert quarters (did I have enough? -- once I cashed in my $10 bill, I did). Then wait -- walk to the bank for more $$$ for the dryers, grab a sandwich, scarf down half of the sandwich, and back to the laundromat.

The washers had finished. Now, into the dryers (which weren't heavy duty) and would effectively hold 4-5 blankets each. Luckily it was a quiet day at the laundromat I chose - lots of "dryer availability". Load 'em up, insert quarters, wait. (Forgot to bring a book, darn! So, I watched activity around and in the laundromat.) Time ended, not quite dry, more quarters, more waiting.

Finally, done -- folding hot blankets is HOT work. I was sweating as I tried to remain meditative. Decided that the meditative part might have to happen next time.

So much for the laundromat saga -- why write this? Because I have to tell someone, and my husband just looks too distracted as I tell him -- therefore you're my captive audience. That is, if you made it past the first or second paragraph.

I asked a new student the other day (one who is participating in a local teacher training) about her training. All the while, I wondered: "why do all these people want to be yoga teachers?" I'm sure they would have lots of great, dharmic reasons to give you. None of those would include "so I can wash blankets". I'll let them find that out themselves -- but, remember, if you desire to own a studio -- remember my blanket washing saga, and find a willing volunteer.

I do love teaching and practicing yoga, it's the blankets that get me.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it! (Thanks, Cindy, for the line; and - by the way - my triceps hurt like heck. See you Tuesday for more.)

Enjoy your weekend,

7 YEARS

It is the season for anniversaries.

Not only wedding, but also studio -- 7 years ago, October 15, I purchased The Yoga Center. The studio is the oldest in the Salt Lake Valley (20 years in all). I am the third owner, I believe.

Anyway, got to plan some sort of celebration in October to acknowledge the event. Put the thinking cap on.

We will start a regular "open practice" in October (10/24, 2-4 p.m.) -- the first for our studio. Jen, a fellow Anusara-Inspired Instructor, will lead this first practice. I am sure it will be fun (I've attended another practice led by her -- and it was fun). We want all to participate, so don't worry about what you can or can't do; just bring your good intentions and your 'yoga thinking cap' - the one that smartly tells you what is appropriate for you and what isn't.

Lots going on this month and next -- studio planning, Dept. of Workforce issues, anniversary, empty instructor slots to fill, and I'm waiting for some feedback on the video (Sundari returned from Montana yesterday, and she's under a time commitment for moving -- so, who knows when it might get looked at; I'll just be patient). Thinking about all this makes my head spin a bit. Probably time to walk the dogs and let the spinning stop for a bit.

Teaching Gentle Yoga this morning, then cleaning the studio (?), then washing blankets at the Laundromat. There are 36 blankets, in all. I've tried doing it at home -- takes about 10 washing machine & drying cycles to do it all. That is not what I want to do -- so, off to the industrial size machines. What fun! But - recently - each time I pull a blanket out, I find long hairs (they're not mine). It's time, and approached with the appropriate attitude, it can be somewhat meditative. (I am really looking for the good here!)

Hope you have a good Friday,

27 YEARS

Today is my 27th wedding anniversary. It hardly seems so long, until I say or write "27 years". Wow, that is a LONG time with one person!

Of those 27 years, 11 have been done practicing yoga. All with his support and blessing. He got me started ("why don't you try yoga?") on this path and I will be forever grateful for that. And, he doesn't practice -- yet. He talks about it, has tried it with me, but hasn't quite gotten the bug yet. As I learned when I started - we can suggest, but it is ultimately up to the person to start and stick with it.

Yesterday went as planned -- some teaching, lots of errand running. Today - yoga with Wayne, Pilates with Cindy, and then YogaHour. This one-hour class is fun (I think I've said this before). Not a lot of pressure and a great group, albeit small.

Tonight is the last of my 3-class series called "BASICS". Attendees have all practiced yoga before, so we have been able to really focus on bringing more Anusara® into their practice. I saw such change last week; excited to see what tonight brings.

Then, Thursday night classes will become an experiment -- hopefully, a different specific topic each week, taught by one of the faculty (but, not the same teacher each week). I think hearing different voices is wonderful and enriching to my practice; not so for many students. They have their favorite and they stick to it. So, this is an experiment -- both in whether the instructors will participate and whether the students will come.

Enjoy your Thursday, got to get on with my day ---

DISCOVERED A NEW RESOURCE ...

Poking around on the Anusara® website this morning. Noticed a new feature -- in small print at the bottom of the home page, a button titled "Forum".

Check it out -- many opportunities to ask questions about Anusara® in general; asana; therapeutics; and events! A great resource that will offer us lots of opportunities to ask questions, receive feedback, provide input in response someone else's "Forum" comment, or simply introduce ourselves. Nice.

Thinking about my day -- Wednesday mornings are my Gentle Yoga morning. A core group of 9+ people, ranging in age from 50-86, with a wide range of physical issues (simply stiff to some pretty major stuff). I love this group - love teaching them - love watching them move - love their spirit - love the way this class expands my teaching.

Then, more mundane stuff -- pick up the vacuum, drop off the snowblower (brrr!) No snow yet, but we live in an area that gets hit pretty hard. This year we will be prepared and that machine WILL start.

Then on to the Jail - class with the ladies. I'm still not quite used to teaching women prisoners (instead of the men). Different dynamics as a group - more chatty, not quite as attentive, more complaining. But, once I get their attention, they all work hard and they all celebrate their accomplishments; attributes I enjoy seeing happen. Maybe my resistance is just that -- I have to work harder, as well.

From there to a haircut -- shorter hair makes me look younger (at least that's what people tell me). So, it keeps getting shorter and shorter. Shorter hair makes coloring it less appealing (it grows out too fast). So, I've decided to forego the color; go grey!

Enjoy Wednesday,

TAUGHT A PRIVATE

For some good reason, I have had a number of people call recently looking for private yoga sessions. For the most part, these are students looking for a refresher, or a preview of a yoga practice. They would rather start public classes with a bit of yoga knowledge (or a reminder) -- not a bad idea, in some cases. Or, these students have some physical issue that needs individual attention and advice, as in 'what do I do with this when I get into a class?'.

Two couples come to mind as I write this.

Couple #1 is athletic and has recently spent time with fellow athletes in their sport of choice. Many of these fellow athletes are practicing yoga and couple #1 can see increased flexibility in their friends. They want some of that. One partner is already pretty flexible; both are strong. Their sport requires strong arms and the other partner is very developed through the shoulders, to the point of shoulders pulling to the front plane of the body.

I worked a bit on the shoulders in their first class, trying not to obsess about shoulders back (realizing that tight muscles might not let the shoulders move back right away). In session two, both looked good. And, as I examined the tight-shouldered half of this couple, he looked different. A bit of quizzing revealed that he had been doing some 'homework' -- working to move the shoulders into a safer, more aligned position. Wow! Rarely do I see people who listen, absorb and incorporate an instruction after their FIRST session. Nice feeling.

Couple #2 is a bit older, stiffer, and plagued by some shoulder and wrist issues. More of a challenge to work with the wrist, describing some modifications that will help her enjoy her yoga without worrying about the wrist. He has a sore shoulder, you could see it each time he took the arm overhead by the grimace on his face. "It's a good hurt", they said. No hurt is a "good hurt" in my book.

So, we spent time exploring ways that each can enjoy their practice without 'hurting' - even in a good way. Fists in some cases for her; 'unfurling the arm', rather than taking a straight arm overhead for him.

FYI, 'unfurling' in my yoga lingo, means bending the arm that you will take overhead (hand of that arm close to the ear, elbow tight to the body). Then, with a 'dramatic fluorish', the student opens the heart and unfurls (or, unbends the elbow and extends the arm straight as they take it up (as in trichonasana), or take it at an angle (as in parsvokonasana). Clear as mud, right?

No matter, both left happy with the modifications I suggested and both felt better.

What is remarkable about these two couples is that each arrived with a goal and each is leaving with methods to accomplish the goals, very mindful and dedicated, especially as they keep working.

For me, it is extremely rewarding to see people go from grimacing (or slouching) to feeling better and standing tall.

Enjoy your day,