the breath

This past Friday, Anita Courtney joined us for part of yoga teacher training. For an hour and a half she spoke and taught about pranayama (breathing techniques) with such enthusiasm, such passion. The breath is clearly "her thing". It was really quite refreshing. She presented the group with a bold statement, telling them that if there should be a tool for transformation, it would be the breath.

The breath. Such a simple yet profound and complex thing. Luckily for all of us, it occurs naturally, without putting any thought in it. We enter this world taking that lovely inhale and when it's our time to depart we finish with that one last exhale. In between are moments that take our breath away, moments of sheer joy, suspense, excitement and fear. All of those can be directly related to our breath and how it's affected. For those of us lucky enough to know the power of our breath we can tap into this. Tap into the breath and use it as a tool for transformation.

Take a deep inhale and fill your body with all things wonderful....exhale and let go of stress, tensions and worries. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

guest house

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

Some momentary awareness

comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes in,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

By a fave.....Rumi

I hope that these words of inspiration serve you as much as me.

Things are super busy around the land of Barefoot Works. Blog postings are more random, meals are irregular, and I'm lucky to spend an hour with Andy before crashing on the couch. I'm so very grateful that Andy and I had some time in DC, to play, to indulge, to reconnect, to have fun. Without fun getaways, I'd be a very sad, sad soul. I don't need a lot to make me happy. I don't care about expensive cars, fancy jewelry or the designer clothes. A week at the beach is like a rebirth for me.

PS - Bella, I get quotes and passages from all over the place. I have books of quotes and poetry and many of my yoga/meditation/spiritual books have beautiful words that inspire me to dig deeper to discover my true self.

iyengar

"Happy is the person who knows how to distinguish the real from the unreal, the eternal from the transient and the good from the pleasant by his discrimination and wisdom. Twice blessed is he who knows true love and can love all God's creatures. He who works selflessly for the welfare of others with love in his heart is thrice blessed. But the man who combines his mortal frame knowledge, love and selfless service is holy and becomes a place of pilgrimage, like the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Saraswati and Jamuna. Those who meet him become calm and purified."

-BKS Iyengar

yoga journal conference

Hey All! I'm freshly back from the yoga journal conference that was in San Francisco and it was ahhhmazing. I loved everything about it. Gosh, so much to tell about but that would be a book. Here are some notes that I took while in San Fran:

Shiva Rea: "Wink at the creative force as you move through life." That's what Shiva Rea said. I love the thought of this. The creative force in me, in you, the gal at Krogers, and even the sometimes scary security folks at the airport. Smile and wink at em' all. She also spoke about all the spontaneous movements that occur from the time we wake up till the time we go to bed. Think about it. How many times throughout your day does spontaneous movement just occur. Without you thinking about it or worrying. It's pretty cool when we can move with that "creative force" and sad when we feel self conscious about it. She advised that we all "receive instruction from the inside out."

Sharon Gannon - She's so humble and she's so childlike (even though she's 57). She's passionate about being an animal advocate and that always came through in her teachings. In speaking about being vegan she says "We cannot be free if we take that freedom from others." Later on during a panel discussion she said that "How we treat others will determine how others treat us. How others treat us will determine how we treat ourselves. How we see and treat ourselves will determine the type of life we life." Makes sense, huh?

Seane Corn....hmm, where do I start. I've always had a bit of a crush on her. Yes it's true. When I spotted her Friday night before the Michael Franti concert I felt like I little giddy girl. "Oh, there she is, there she is." You'd have thought I was at a Bon Jovi concert!" She proved to be as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I loved that she was humble, down to earth, inspiring, accepting and funny. She's a very small petite gal, but she has a powerful voice. She speaks with conviction and she speaks her truth. I attended two sessions with Seane, Yogini and Detox Flox. My plan in going to the conference was to study with people that I had the most interest in. Seane is the one that I will study more in depth with. I've already got a training with her scheduled into my planner for this May. She was phenomenal.

I'm happy to be back here at the studio and ready to share some of the teachings I received with you in class! So, so nice to get away and focus solely on my yoga practice.

yoga teacher training

A circle. A bond. And books.

Eager yogini's. Open. Kind. Inquisitive. Ready to learn.

And a yoga teacher. Ready to teach. Ready to be taught.

grateful

I love this picture. Sadly, it's not one that I have taken (but boy I wish I had)! If you come to the studio you've probably seen it in fliers and maybe in an ad while flipping through a local publication. It sums up how I feel these days....joyous, excited and open to life. In a single word, I am grateful. I've been so super busy since the day after Andy and I got home for DC. Day after day, going, running, planning, prepping, pondering, teaching, practicing. It's a busy time. But I say it over and over again. When it's something that you Love (with a capital L) it's much different. So here's my "grateful" list....

Grateful for the intensity of the days.

Grateful to see people learning to teach yoga.

Grateful to have a husband that supports me in my sometimes crazed yoga life.

Grateful to go to San Francisco this weekend for a yoga conference. And that's it's actually "work".

Grateful to have support in other yoga teachers that are dear sweet souls and friends.

Grateful to share yoga with people for the first time ever.

Grateful for inspiring words and books.

Grateful for the simple pleasures like drinking coffee and writing in a journal.

Grateful to dream about faraway places like India. And know that the dream will turn into a reality.

Grateful to have dogs that greet me late in day with such big, great enthusiasm.

Grateful to know that there are others out there that care as much as I do about making a difference, living a life full of joy and passion.

What's on your grateful list?

yoga teacher training

Hi All! Blog postings have been a little scarce this week due to a busy, busy week. Our first ever sold out, 200 hour yoga teacher training begins tomorrow and I am soooo very excited! When I'm not teaching (or prepping to teach) I've been squaring away the final schedule, copying materials, typing out notes to present on everything from the history of yoga to observing your students while teaching, corresponding with the lovely yogini's signed up, shopping for materials and supplies, and planning some fun little details for our first weekend together. We'll meet Fridays from 5:30 pm till 9:30 pm and Saturdays from 9:00 am till 6:00 pm....every other weekend through the end of June. I plan to spend lots of time getting to know these gals and at some point you'll get a sampling of taking a yoga class from these gals!

Here is a great quote I've come across in planning for teacher training....

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants" - Sir Isaac Newton

It's a great reminder that all of us are where we are because there were people before us that forged the way, educating, inspiring and motivating us along on our chosen path.

what if

What if our religion was each other

If our practice was our life

If prayer, our words

What if the temple was the earth

If forests were our church

If holy water - the rivers, lakes, and oceans

What if mediation was our relationships

If the teacher was life

If wisdom was self-knowledge

If love was the center of our being.

Ganga White

yoga retreat in mexico

There is another article on MSN listing Maya Tulum Resort as one of the "Ten Can't Miss Spas" saying that Maya Tulum is "perfectly situated on Mexico's gorgeous, low-key Riviera Maya, about an hour south—and light-years away, atmospherically—from the nightlife hubbub of Cancun."

Seems like heavenly place is popping up everywhere and I find myself fighting the urge to count down the days when I'll be back leading our yoga retreat there. If you know anyone that might be interested in doing yoga on the beach of Mexico, please pass along this link. Gracias! Also, you can check out the links I've added to the right for additional details. I'm hoping to do a fun slideshow of last year's yoga retreat soon.

yoga books and burn

You know you have a lot of yoga books when:

*Your husband mistakenly "returns" a brand spankin' new yoga book to the library. His answer, "How was I to know? You buy yoga books, check them out from the library and borrow them from friends and they're scattered all over the house?" Oh, good point.

*Along those same lines....You have yoga books in your craft room, yoga room, office, living room, bedroom, bathroom and your box car. Oh wait, there's even a yoga book or two in the guest rooms, just in case our visitors want to do a little bit of yoga in the morning.

*When you have to buy the same yoga book that you already have.... somewhere, in one of those spaces mentioned above. Or your husband "returned" it to the library. ;-) Too many books, or not enough organization. You decide.

On a totally different note...I have my very first yoga wound. It's been around a little bit of time. Before Andy and I went to DC, I was practicing at the studio. I was in tripod headstand for about 25 loong, slow breaths when I decided to lower my knees down to arms to lift into crow. Well at that point my arms were well past the point of holding all my body weight. I lifted just a tiny bit into crow....then I crashed down, landing on my elbow, side of my face and somehow my right knee. I assessed myself happy that I felt fine. Later than day I noticed a burning sensation on my knee. I took a look and sure enough, I have sticky mat burn. I'm officially a yoga warrior now.

the trees and me

"When I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness.

I would almost say that they save me,

and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness,

and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly,

and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves,

and they call out, "stay awhile".

The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple" they say.

"and you too have come into this world to do this,

to go easy,

to be filled with light

and to shine.

-Mary Oliver

That was tonight's reading at the end of yin yoga. Isn't it beautiful?? Nature has a way like no other.

I'll be on channel 27 at noon tomorrow. Tune in to see me chatting it up about yoga. The lovely Sarah Frank will be with me showing a couple yoga poses.

thanks for a big, beautiful year

new year shui

The January edition of Redbook has a great article that included things you can do to make this your best year ever. Here are a few fun ones:

*Clean your entire house before New Year's Day. If you're like me and that's just way toooo much then concentrate on your kitchen, since this is a space that represents your health, happiness, and prosperity. Never, ever clean on New Year's Day itself as this is thought to "sweep" all the good luck and fortune headed your way. So quick, grab a mop and clean and get to scrubbin' the kitchen...you've got less than seven more hours before the new year!

*Don't' refer to anything in the past of New Year's Day itself. Think, speak, hope and dream only of those things you wish to bring into your life (similar to setting an intention like we do before yoga class ;-)

*Be extra mindful of the words you choose to use on New Year's Day. Try not to lose your temper, whine or curse. And what ever you do, please don't cry. Tradition says that crying on this day can trigger a whole year of bad, bad things. So please, not even any happy tears!

And these two were my faves:

*If you are at home at midnight when the year turns, open all doors and windows (I know it's cold, but only for a few moments) to let the previous years energies out and allow some new interesting ones to come in. As an added bonus, bang some pots and pans together making a general ruckus (and possibly waking neighbors). This is said to scare away and negativity headed your way.

*The very first words uttered to you when the year turns will have a HUGE impact on your fortune and the upcoming 12 months. So choose carefully who you'll be with at midnight tonight. Have them whisper, shout or sing some inspiring and uplifting words to you....think happiness, health, love, and prosperity.

You can find this and other good stuff in Make This Your Lucky Day.

And if you haven't heard, the New Year's Detox Flow workshop for tomorrow has been cancelled. Seems like you yogi's plan to watch football and sleep late. I'm planning to do a nice practice myself followed by setting intentions for the new year....not even gonna think about the past year tomorrow. Only looking forward to bigger, better, brighter, and more beautiful things. Have a joyous and safe New Year.

fate

As Andy and I drove to Washington DC last week, we drove past the exit for Gaithersburg, MD. I said to him, "If I'd gotten that job in Gaithersburg, I wonder if we'd still be there?"

When I finished graduate school at EKU, I was applying for jobs almost anywhere. I knew I wanted to work in city parks and recreation and I knew I'd probably have to leave the state to find a job doing what I wanted. Plus I was young, Andy and I were newly engaged, and I wanted to see what life would be like outside of Kentucky. The City of Gaithersburg was one of the places I interviewed, and as you can see I didn't get the job. Instead life took me to Pearland, TX a suburb of Houston. After staying in DC for the week I was sure that the DC would have been a much better fit for me. And had I gotten that job, chances are we'd still be there. Anyone that knows me knows how strongly I feel about the notion of "everything happens for a reason" and I'm always on the lookout for "signs" near and far. So of course, I feel blessed and lucky to have spent the time in TX that I did. It was afterall, where I found yoga....or where yoga found me. But as I look back I see all sorts of little signs that proved that yoga was on the horizon:

Little did I know that the little girl that loved watching gymnastics, using a tree limb as a pole to flip and turn on, and the one that loved to use an old couch to catapult herself through the air would one day be a yoga teacher.

Little did I know that the little girl from eastern Kentucky who dreamed of visiting beautiful places far and near, would one day teach yoga on the beach of Mexico and practice on the balcony of the Dominican Republic.

Little did I know that the girl who loved to study religion and philosophy in college would one day be intrigued by ancient yoga texts and yogic philosophy, and would one day share this information with others wanting to be a yoga teacher.

Little did I know that the girl who always chooses to see the good in people would one day finish all her yoga classes by saying "namaste",....meaning the light in me honors the light in you. Believing that ultimately we all are more alike than different.

Little did I know that the girl who loves the big questions of life, like "who am I really" and "what's my role on this earth" discovered a practice in which she can search and find those answers on a regular basis.

Little did I know that the girl that dreamed about getting away from Kentucky would find her way back to this beautiful state, dream of a space where people would join and share yoga, create that space, spend her days immersed in all things yoga....and continue to dream about all the possible places to share and experience the joys of yoga. Some things change, some things will always remain the same.

Funny how life has a way of coming full circle to the place that we're meant to be.

In the Yucatan: All Yoga, All the Time

A great article in today's New York Times about Maya Tulum! Check it out:

ON this stretch of beach at the ruffled edge of the Caribbean Sea, 80 miles south of Cancún, visitors speak a language all their own, the lingo of Iyengar, ashtanga and anusara yoga. They are comfortable with entreaties to ''leave your conditioned mind at the door'' or ''melt your boundaries.'' They can balance on one leg in the warrior three pose and do a headstand, and they aspire to a full lotus. When the bell rings for meditation, they sit upright for 20 minutes, intent on the sound of their breathing.

Always a counterculture haven, this six miles of rutted road, on the Yucatán Peninsula between the Maya ruins of Tulum and the 1.3 million-acre Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, has lately become Yoga Central for tourists eager to limber their bodies and quiet their minds -- and maybe also surf the waves, sunbathe topless and sample tropical concoctions like tequila and tamarind juice.

The epicenter of this yoga zone is a 25-acre beachfront resort called Maya Tulum, which has made itself the destination of choice for high-profile yoga teachers and their students by building state-of-the-art studios, auditioning massage therapists from around the world and organizing ecotourist excursions.

And in the last 18 months, almost every hotel in the area -- there are about 20 -- has taken note of Maya Tulum's success by building yoga halls, putting massage tables under coconut palms, hiring a Maya shaman to preside at a weekly sweat lodge or offering treatments with names like Mayan Clay Body Mask With Ocean Lagoon Watsu. At any one time, there are probably more than 300 people in the yoga zone, with scores of them doing things like trying to lift themselves cross-legged from the floor with just their hands in the scale pose.

At Maya Tulum and its imitators, visiting yoga students sleep in thatched-roof cabanas, without telephones or electricity and with plumbing so delicate it can't even handle toilet paper. There is no CNN or Weather Channel. The news on any given day is whether the mangoes are sweet and the fish running. The forecast comes from the color of the sky, the crest of the waves and the wind in the palm fronds.

Click here to finish reading the story....

Now reading about this little piece of paradise warms my heart on a chilly day like today. These cold winter months will be over before we know it and myself and some lucky yogi's will be doing yoga on the beach of sunny Mexico at a magical place called Maya Tulum. Care to join?

Check out the details here....

oh the fun

Andy and I are having a blast here in DC! Here are some of the highlights so far:

*Christmas at Arlington - I had never heard of the wreaths laid on the headstones at the cemetery. It was completely beautiful. We also witnessed a beautiful wreath ceremony at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We were at Arlington on Christmas Day and the day couldn't have been more perfect. Andy and I even had a mini picnic in the grass. The warm sunshine made that quite enjoyable.

*The Lincoln Memorial - There was something very moving about climbing all those stairs and then all of a sudden coming upon a big, beautiful and thought provoking memorial. I was so excited to see him, I kept asking Andy on the way up "Where is he? Where is he?" The suspense was killing me! And the fog was crazy, you literally couldn't see him till you got all the way to the top.

*Walking the streets around Dupont Circle. I visited some great little shops like Beadazzled, Proper Topper and Kramer Books. We also ate at many yummy restaurants and picked up some of the best sugar cookies I've ever had from Marvelous Market.

*Attending Christmas Mass at St. Matthews Cathedral. We could see it from our hotel Topaz and it was the most beautiful church I've seen. It was also the site of John F. Kennedy's funeral.

*Shopping at Lululemon. It was a dose of yoga clothing heaven. After about an hour and a half later I walked away with two awesome pairs of yoga pants (and a husband that was oh so ready to move on). I would repay Andy later when I endure 2.5 hours of hockey at a Washington Capitals game. Give and take right? But we did finish the night at a fabulous Mexican restaurant, Rosa Mexacano.

Tomorrow will be my fun day to go and take random pictures and visit some yoga studio. Should be a great last day here in DC! I'll be ready to come home and get back to Barefoot Works. :-)

merry christmas

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." -Norman Vincent Peale

dc day 2

Andy and I have had two full days here in DC and I must admit that I really may need a vacation after returning! I told him earlier, "This is an exhausting vacation!" I think we've walked this whole city...three times! I've been doing a little bit of yoga in the mornings before leaving for the day's adventures and practicing with Rodney Yee on The Yoga Channel when we get back. But for some reason the same show keeps playing over and over. And even I am growing weary of Rodney Yee and his pretty pony tail. :-0

Andy has a mental list of all the places we must see and the things we must do. Most of those things are visiting memorials and museums. I, on the other hand want to wander the side streets of Dupont Circle, take pictures of pretty doors and unique windows, look inside the windows and ponder who lives there, do some yoga, shop at lululemon, sip coffee and browse in fun books stores. Luckily, we've compromised and it looks like Thursday may be our day to part ways and do some solo exploration.

Mostly I feel extremely lucky to be here, to be healthy and to be happy. Could there be much more to wish for this Christmas? Peace and happiness to each of you tonight, tomorrow, through the rest of the year and on to 2008.

Namaste,

Sharon

white house yogini

day five to do good

Today's do go deed is pretty cool and since I'm married to a teacher, I thought it to be an excellent way to give back this holiday season. Go the "adopt a classroom" and you can choose almost any school you'd like to donate money to. Teachers spend an average of $1,200 of their own money each year for classroom supplies (that's a lot of $). You can donate as little as $25, specify which school and even which teacher you want the money to go to. All contributions are tax deductible, so why not give a little to a school that you attended? And how many of us can bring to mind one or two teachers that made such an impact on our life and helped in some small or large way to become the person we are today? I know I can easily recall a couple that I still carry around in my heart and in my head.

I'm always reminded to the goodness in people during the holiday season. Sure traffic and stores can be a bit crazy (and I remind myself to put on my "patient pants") and you get the occasional person totally lacking in the holiday spirit....but for the most part people are doing great fun things like gathering, celebrating, baking, crafting, chatting, sharing, decorating, and passing on the holiday cheer. And many of us find our own unique ways to "do good", to give back, and life the spirits of others.

Wouldn't life be worth the living
Wouldn't dreams be coming true
If we kept the Christmas spirit
All the whole year through?~Author Unknown

Andy and I will be leaving tomorrow for DC for our very own Christmas getaway (big smile and arms waving excitedly)! All the gifts have been shipped, we've seen our families and friends, now we're getting the heck outta town. I hope that each of you have a beautiful holiday. :-)