My teaching schedule is a little lighter than usual, and this is partly because summer has descended upon us and the kids are out of school.  It is also because one of the studios in which I was teaching has closed its doors.  It was a surprise to all of us and an unfortunate turn of events but as yoga can so eloquently teach us (if we let it!), changes are great opportunities for growth and exploration.  I've seen many students moving on and doing just that, and I've been fortunate to stay in touch with them.  There will certainly be more opportunities for yoga in that community and I look forward to whatever arises.

I am enjoying my classes at New Thought Yoga in Apollo Beach, which is slowly blossoming into a great little community of its own.  2012 is also the year I dedicated myself to finishing my 500-hour training; I will officially "graduate" in September.  I have four courses left to take, all of which fall beween the last week of July and Labor Day weekend.  It's going to be a busy summer!

As I celebrated my tenth wedding anniversary this week, it ocurred to me that another important anniversary had also come to pass:  my ten year yoga anniversary.  I had no idea that September day when a friend called me at work and asked me to try a class with her that a new course was being set for my life that very moment. 

I read somewhere that we must look at our yoga practices in terms of decades...one decade is maybe spent getting comfortable with alignment and Sanskrit words, another decade is spent getting closer and closer to touching your toes, another is spent learning to not hate backbends or be afraid of inversions.  We are constantly growing and evolving on the yoga path, we can never know everything or do it all, and this is why it's such a rewarding practice.  There are always discoveries to be made, more to learn about our bodies and minds, more to learn about a pose even though you've done it countless times.  Our passion for practice waxes and wanes, we go through phases with it just as we do everything else.  Sometimes we're open to exploration and we feel strong and things seem to come "easy", yet sometimes we feel bored and frustrated and wonder if the magic is gone.  It's just like any other relationship:  it has its up and downs, its honeymoon phases and its eras of complacency.  And it takes WORK.

As I look back on my first yoga decade, I cherish the many amazing experiences and break-through moments I've had, as well as the incredible people I've met along the way.  I cherish the injuries and frustrating moments just as much!  I've really looked closely at my practice this week and I realize that with time and discipline I've worked through and overcome a lot of challenges.  I've accomplished poses I never thought I would, but I also know it's not about accomplishing the pose itself -- it's the journey involved in getting there that counts.  I look back and realize that my whole body is infinitely stronger than it was ten years ago, that my Downward Dog is safer than it was five years ago, that my quads are looser than they were three years ago, and that Camel is easier than it was last week.  And this is the magic of yoga, the unconditional aspect of it; it will always be there for us and give back to us, as long as we put something in. 

BKS Iyengar once said:  "Yoga is a light which once lit, will never dim.  The better your practice, the brighter the flame."  I'm eternally grateful that flame was lit in me ten years ago, and I look toward my second yoga decade with child-like wonder, excited for and open to what it holds in store for me. 

You never know, I might learn to like Chair Pose.

We are back from Croatia and although I'm still struggling with jet lag, I'm anxious to get back into my routine!  There weren't any yoga classes to be had where we were, but I did my best to stretch and do a few poses each day and I found out that yoga was actually everywhere.

Getting away was refreshing and rejuvenating; we all deserve the opportunity to relax and re-charge our batteries from time to time.  We are such a fast-paced, busy culture, constantly focused on the clock and the calendar.  Forgetting what day it is and going through an entire day without paying attention to time can be a little scary, but once you submerse yourself in it, you get used to it quite quickly! 

As we were staying with family, we were in a rather remote location devoid of crowds and tourist traps.  The air wasn't filled with honking and voices, but rather the sounds of birds singing, roosters crowing, wind rustling across the hillsides, church bells ringing, and waves lapping against the rocky shore.  I could walk down the street and enjoy wild blackberries, plums, figs, grapes, and olives.  I could swim in the cool, salty waters of the Adriatic and drift off to sleep in the sun.  It wasn't long before the absence of internet and cell phone access didn't bother me, and I didn't turn on a TV the entire time we were there (the five stations available weren't in English anyway!).  I became blissfully ignorant to politics and headlines and celebrity gossip.  My time there was all about being present and savoring each moment; it was quintessential yoga!

Despite the beauty of the Dalmatian coast, I was ready to come home and have returned with a renewed sense of appreciation for my country.  I was worried that the transition would be abrupt and shocking, going from one extreme to the other.  But not only did I learn a lot about my husband's family and their fascinating history and culture, I learned a lot about myself.  I was reminded that, just like yoga, it's all about balance.  I can't completely live without the internet or my cell phone or So You Think You Can Dance, but I can live with them a little less.  I can choose to get out and commune with nature rather than click on every headline Yahoo! or MSN have to offer (I know the housing market still stinks and who cares who Jon Gosselin is dating now anyway?).  I have the power to control how informationally and technologically saturated I am, and thus how stressed and busy and distracted I become.  There is a happy medium.  This trip gave me the opportunity to explore it and I hope that, whether through a vacation, your meditation/yoga pracitce or a favorite hobby, you get to explore yours too! 

I attended Tiffany's Yin Yoga class this evening and LOVED it!  My legs were a bit Jello-esque for a few hours, but in a totally good way.  I had an "A-ha!" moment in Frog pose where my hips were so warm and open that my chest just melted to the floor...that was a level of deepness in that particular pose I wouldn't have experienced otherwise, so I'm grateful for that.  I'm grateful to Tiffany for offering a wonderful practice like Yin at the studio and I'm going to be singing its praises to everyone I see.  Anyone can enjoy it, but for those of you who struggle with low back issues and chronically tight hips and legs, you should definitely check it out.

I think sometimes people think of Yin as that "slow" practice, that snooze-worthy restorative type class that's for beginners or older people.  Not so!  It's actually quite challenging because you hold the poses for longer periods of time.  Alignment isn't focused upon as heavily, it's more about just melting into 'shapes' and observing what arises.  Physically you are challenged to withstand longer holds and thus deeper poses, and mentally your Monkey Mind is more apt to play games.  So this is a great practice for everyone, especially those who find themselves constantly stressed and on-the-go. 

Tiffany will offer the class again in August and hopes to make it a regular fixture on the Serenity Stream schedule.  See you there!

Although to know me is to know I'm not super tech savvy, I finally decided to launch a personal website!  I figured it would be a great way to compile information that I'm asked for on a regular basis; a way for my friends and students to easily access information that we discuss in (and out of!) class.  It sort of feels like my little yoga 'hub', a place where I can bring it all together and keep myself and everyone else informed, in touch, and inspired! 

Going back to that tech savvy-ness thing, we'll be under construction and a little 'raw' here for a while.  I plan to add more and more as I'm able, including sequence suggestions, photos, and links to the resources I provide at workshops.  I encourage everyone to practice yoga all the time, so my communication with you is not limited to our time in class.  I love to hear your questions and feedback and am committed to helping you on your journey ANY time you need it.

Here's to the merge of yoga and technology...(wish me luck!)!