Spoiler Alert!!!

I am positively horrible when it comes to surprises.  As a kid I would open then rewrap all of my Christmas presents (not to mention act totally surprised on x-mas day).  If you tell me to keep a secret about a surprise for someone else I will literally have to cease communication with that person so I don't ruin their surprise, and nothing gets my attention like the caption "spoiler alert" even if I am not a fan of the story being spoiled.  So, when I thought of keeping the transformation of the new studio a secret, I should have known I was kidding myself.  My intentions were good, I swear!  I wanted to unveil the space in its total glory and spare you the gory details of renovation, but I just can't stand it any more.  Besides this renovation is no where near the telenovela standards of the renovation of the current building so here are some glimpses of the soon to be new Sanctuary....

This is what we started with.  Then in a single morning Ivor and Kelly made a huge difference:

They really did this then went to lunch.  I swear they are Jedi (nerd alert).  The force is strong with these two.  Next some walls came down, and now things are getting put together!  Oh yes, there will be yoga at the Seagle starting August 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just plain old tired.

What ever happened to the siesta?  You know, that completely civilized idea where you chill out for a couple of hours after lunch especially when it is stinkin hot out.  Well folks it IS stinkin hot, and even my dogs are smart enough to sprawl out on a cool floor until the sun drops so they can resume terrorizing the neighborhood.  However, a siesta is just not fitting into my ical and lately I feel lucky if I sleep at night.  So I am taking a stand, well maybe its actually a sit; no, no, I am going to take a lay down!  Oh yes I am.  

On the ical for this afternoon is my practice time and after a few salutations I am going to practice laying down.  There will be props and a babysitter to facilitate this 20 minutes of supine bliss, and I will not feel like less of a person for skipping the 50 chaturangas!  It won't be a full on siesta, but its what I've got and I am in no position to be picky.  I am not even going to bother clearing my mind or focusing on my breath since I am in no mood for enlightenment - I am just plain old tired. 

 I know that if I just take this 20 minutes I will be rested, happier, a better mom, teacher, wife (well we will see anyway), and the next time I feel overwhelmed and exhausted  instead of working on pressing through my big toe ball mount to activate my inner thighs maybe I will just lay down with out the high dramatics.

perspective.....

I have this amazing little child that has recently let me into her secret world where reality and imagination coexist peacefully.  She has always been great at stating the obvious, and getting her point across, but now her words just flutter out responding to context and whimsy as she moves through her day.  Spontaneous songs pop out (she likes the Kinks especially and can sing the chorus of "oh so fine" even though I can't remember the last time I played it for her), she has major discussions with her dolls about no hitting and listens to them as they explain their case, and apparently there are mysterious tickly snakes inhabiting our house that she is working on befriending (friendship was my suggestion because who wants a house full of neglected snakes). She has also figured out how to use the camera properly, and for me, her photos have information about her perspective that is priceless...

Here is one of me sewing.  She has informed me that my belly is humongous, and now I get it.

Apparently we have humongous stripes on the kitchen tablecloth as well, and the baseboards under the cupboards never got painted.

She can also finally see what everyone is up to, and I can finally see why hiding under the table is so appealing.

I love the earnestness of her photos, and her unfiltered honesty.  I also love that as a parent I get to do more learning than teaching.

Incidentally, she also did the art direction for the photo I took of her and her chicken, Sookie, at the top.  

ps. Nobel is doing a workshop downtown this weekend:

Yoga as Self-transformation

An Experiential Workshop with Nobel Ang, PhD

Where? 5.6.7.8 Dance Studio, in the Sun Center in Downtown Gainesville (a few doors away from Maude’s Classic Café)

When? 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday June 6^th 2009

Details of workshop: This is a multi-level workshop, suitable for both experienced yogis and those completely new to yoga. I will be suggesting various modifications to the postures that we will be doing. Please bring your own yoga mat.      

Workshop Fee: $45 per person, $20 for students. Payment is to be made at the beginning of the workshop in cash or local check made out to “Nobel Ang.” No credit cards accepted.

Surrender.....

Change happens.  There is just no escaping it, and when the change comes from loss I prefer to pull on a stiff upper lip and jive about cycles and new beginnings, clouds with silver linings - blah, blah, blah!!!  Then despite all that BS something deep inside me still clings to the past.  Its often not even the real past, just the rosy colored version of it.  I'm going into full disclosure here because I know we all tend to have the exact same "unique" experiences so I realize I'm not alone.  

This week presented me with the loss of two great men who impacted my life in profound ways and participated in creating the foundation of who I am, and how I move through this world.  They had both lived 90 years with some amazing and some completely average adventures.  They lived with joy and love, and even their deaths happened full of grace and beauty so when my clingy selfishness showed up monday morning I realized that they gave me one last gift.  By dying at almost the same time they took my ability to obsess and wallow in sadness away.  There was no way to focus on one person and the sadness I feel is so overwhelming that I am only left with the option to let them go.  To surrender.

My deepest love and thanks to my great teachers Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and my Uncle Jack Shine.  Because of you I will always have a yoga practice, and I will always plant fruit trees.  

Don't worry G'ma Barb & Abuela Irma I promise to continue to cling.

Spring Festival at the garden.......

Good food is a right!!!!!  Join us for some deliciousness, equanimity, and oh yeah, some yoga:

Spring Concert for the Co-op 
Saturday, April 25, 2:00 - 10:00 pm @ The Garden, 1006 NE 12th Ave.

Help us Celebrate Earth Day and the Bounties of Spring! Local music, food, beer, and businesses will be representing including Sanctuary!!! Come by and see our yoga demo. www.citizensco-op.com

Here comes summer....................

monday

5:30 to 6:45 pm / Hatha / Samantha / all levels

*7:00 to 8:15 pm / Beginning Yoga / Please pre register

tuesday

10:30 to noon / Gentle Yoga / Anisa / all levels

*5:30 to 6:45 pm / Iyengar Yoga  / Lia / Please pre register

*5:30 to 6:45 pm / Yin Yoga  / Melissa / Please pre register

7:00 to 8:15 pm / Ashtanga / Melissa / level 1

wednesday

10:00 to 11:15 am / Yin and Vinyasa /  Melissa / all levels

5:30 to 6:45 pm / YogaWorks / Susan / level 2

7:00 to 8:30 pm / Hatha Flow / Elisa / all levels

thursday

9:00 to 10:15 am / Hatha / Kim / all levels

10:30 to noon / Gentle Yoga / Anisa / all levels

5:30 to 6:45 pm / Hatha / Lisa / all levels

7:00 to 8:15 pm / Ashtanga / Nobel (may & june) Melissa (july & August) / level 1 - 2

friday

10:00 to 11:15 am / Hatha / Erin / all levels

community class $8

*4:00 to 5:15 pm / Pre natal Yoga / Ellie / Please pre register

6:00 to 7:30 pm / YogaWorks / Melissa / level 2

saturday

10:30 to noon / Hatha Flow / Betsy / all levels

sunday

*4:00 to 5:30 pm / Kundalini / Kim / Please pre register

6:00 to 7:15 pm / Heart Yoga / Susan / all levels

*series classes

Series Classes:

Beginning Yoga

Mon 7:00 - 8:15 pm  / May 4 - 18  /  June 8 - 22  /  July 13 - 27 / Aug 17-31 

3 classes for $33 pre registered or $38 day of 1st class

Beginning yoga is perfect for beginners and those who have not done yoga in a while.

 

Iyengar Yoga with Lia Coleman

Tues 5:30 – 6:45 pm  /  May 12 – June 16 / June 23 – July 28

6 classes for $72 pre registered or $82 day of 1st class

Iyengar Yoga uses props and focuses on alignment to help every practitioner achieve comfort and perfection in any pose.

 

Kundalini Yoga with Kim Holton

Sundays 4:00-5:30pm / 4 classes for $48 pre registered or $58 day of 1st class

May 10 – 31  / June 7 - 28

An uplifting blend of spiritual and physical practices, this yoga style incorporates movement, dynamic breathing techniques, 

meditation, and chanting.

 

 

Yin Yoga with Melissa Montilla

Tues 5:30 – 6:45 pm / August 4 – 25

4 classes for $48 pre registered or $58 day of 1st class

Explore a passive form of yoga that opens up connective tissue and energy channels through out the body for more flexibility and greater healing potential.

 

Prenatal Yoga

Fridays   4:00 to 5:15 pm  /  May 8 - 22 / June 5 - 19 / July 10 – 24  / Aug 14 - 28

3 classes  for $36 pre regis

tered or $46 day of 1st class 

Pregnancy is a time of great beauty and change, and yoga is an amazing way to connect with and support this natural process.  Prenatal Yoga at Sanctuary focuses on poses and breath work to support a mother’s body through pregnancy, labor, and the journey of motherhood.

Workshops:

Back bending workshop with Susan Perko

Saturday, May 23  2:00 - 5:00pm / $45 pre registered (or $55, day of class)

Back bends are a fun and energizing way to build strength and create flexibility in the spine. Come and enjoy an afternoon of alignment and opening with one of our senior teachers Susan Perko.  This workshop is for all levels.

 

Restorative yoga with Melissa Montilla

June 20 – 21

Saturday and Sunday 1:00 – 4:00pm / $85 (or $105, day of workshop)

Practice kindness toward yourself with a weekend of deep restorative yoga.  This workshop will explore the body mechanics of relaxation, creative use of props, and how to use restorative yoga in your practice and classes.

 Get out and do some yoga!!!!!!!

$1280

Yesterday we had a bit of a "barn raising" at Sanctuary, and well, we hit a nice solid chunk out of the mountain of money Peaceful Paths is going to need to rebuild.  A $1280 chunk to be exact, but there is still $98,720 to go.  It seems daunting, but now there are 5 figures to hurdle instead of 6.  Not to mention we just did 3 hours of yoga to get that far.  

A big thank you to everyone who participated, 

and if you missed it but still want to donate go to peacefulpaths.org

These are our people and they need us!!!!!