Reflections on a Great First Monday

We are really filling this new space with lots of good energy --- 10 people came out to Gayle's 12 Noon Nia class and we really got to rock out and groove to some great tunes and be in our bodies in a very fun way.  If you missed it, there's a second class this week on Wednesday afternoon at 3:15 for kids (7-11) and grown-ups from 4:30-5:30.  Nia is really fun and Gayle is a sweet teacher so it's well worth it!

And tonite, Jon Passi taught a cool class that reminded us of the whole point of yoga -- to remember that we're all One with readings by the great Eckhardt Tolle. 

Tomorrow morning, I teach for the first time in Room 203 and I have a great class session planned to convey the science of sequencing asana and incorporating it into our personal practice to bring steadiness and ease to our days.  The asanas you choose shape your energy -- just as food does, or friends do.  So, come out and explore this powerful ancient knowledge and integrate it into your life.  Tomorrow is Yoga 1/2 at 8:30 am for people ready to move beyond yoga basics that is the focus of Yoga I.

Also, tomorrow, check out Belly Dancing at 5:00 with Jess Leinberger and Tai Chi at 6:45 with Monte McPheron.  See you there!

Tapestry Yoga is Open for Business!

Today is the BIG Day and Tapestry Yoga Center opens its doors in just a few hours for Meg Newlin's Intermediate Led Practice at 7:00 am!  

The space is gorgeous -- it is arguably the nicest space in the Landmark thanks to the very hard work of my amazing husband, Matt Shortridge and much help from our friend, Jim Farrell.  Monica Woody and I picked out the colors and it has all come together to create a very lovely and inviting space.  I will post pictures very soon!  

All the props are unpacked and the floors are shiny -- just inviting you to roll out your mat or take your place to move in the room.  

Also tomorow, One Spirit Rising Interfaith group is meeting from 10:30 - Noon led by Diane Banner.  

Thanks to everyone for all their support and work in getting this place together.  It is very exciting and I look forward to welcoming you out to a week of free classes!  

Much love and many blessings.  May this endeavor be fruitful and touch the hearts of all who seek a connection to source.

Hari Om!

Kathy

Tapestry Yoga Center Website is Up and Running

Today is my birthday (celebrating 42 years!) and at 3:00 a.m. today my website went live on the world wide web --- www.tapestryyogacenter.com!  I just love the universe and how these things coincided.  Launching the Tapestry website (with an amazingly full and awesome schedule of classes and teachers) has been a lot like giving birth -- there have been days in the creation of the advertising that I've felt like I'm in "transition" the most intense and overwhelming phase of labor that immediately precedes pushing a baby out into the world -- if you've been through it, you will always remember it!  SO, it is with tremendous relief and a bit of bliss that today I am passing out brochures at the farmer's market and excitedly encouraging everyone to check out the website for a complete schedule of classes!

Just two weeks from tomorrow, FREE CLASS WEEK begins (Sept 20-26th) with Meg Newlin's Intermediate Led class on Sunday morning.  This week, the studio renovation phase is taking center-stage  with help tomorrow morning from Jim and Betsy Farrell (and any other volunteers).  There's much to clean and much to paint, so if you are inclined to do either one, I totally welcome your help--tomorrow or any other day this week.  Also, if you have any beautiful fabrics (including silks to cover the lights) or decorative items to offer to the space, they are also very welcome.  

Tell everyone you know to come check out what we're offering.  I have some great rack cards (brochures) -- 350 of them -- and could use help getting them into the hands of Viroquans.  My vision is 15 full classes the week of September 20th.

There are many people to thank for help so far -- Geri Shonka for design, Teo of Zumavi Design for the website (he's the one who was up at 3 am today), Anne O'Connor for editing help, Vicky Ramsay and Monica Woody for studio design and Dairyland Printing.  Thank you to my students who have supported this enterprise with their tremendous enthusiasm and also to my teachers, especially Suzie Hurley of Willow Street Yoga whose center is the template for TYC and also thanks to my spiritual guide, Yogarupa Rod Styker who ignited a spark within me to fulfill my dharma -- living purposefully, fearlessly and joyfully.  Truly this undertaking is fully supported and empowered by the teachings of the yoga tradition.

Fifteen days to lift-off!

Blessings!

Kathy

Fall Schedule Almost Here!

Hello Everyone,

I have been hard at work getting ready to launch the Tapestry Yoga Center in Room 203 of the Landmark Center -- a fantastic 924 sq ft space where I will offer 5 classes a week and 5 other teachers are joining me to offer classes of their own in Nia, Belly Dance, Tai Chi, Sivananda Yoga and a Vinyasa Yoga Class.  It is an exciting line-up and it almost ready to be published!   

It has been quite a summer full, Full, FULL of travel and visitors.  This all adds up to Vata challenges -- way too much movement, transition and change.  I have one more week of company hosting my very good friend, Felice, from Maryland and her two kids.  She'll be here just in time to help me get my new yoga studio cleaned and to begin the transformation of Room 203 a into a beautiful inviting space.  I am so looking forward to getting into the space which will be cleared out this Sunday, August 23rd and creating a yoga sanctuary not just for ME, but for everyone else who is also calling out for a yoga home to ground their practice and rhythmically move deep into understanding of Self and yogic philosophy.   

I welcome lots of help in getting this studio pulled together before Free Class Week the week of September 20th which is our grand opening.  There's much to clean, paint, build out and decorate.  If you feel inspired to volunteer in an effort to build this yoga community space, please email me.  My husband/carpenter/tech wizard, Matt is psyched to pitch in as is Vicky Ramsay, Sam Ramsay, Paul Fairchild and some friends from One Spirit Rising (which is going to start meeting in the space every other Sunday morning starting on 9/13).  Please join us :-).

I miss you all and so look forward to teaching again in one month.  I have been rebooting my personal practice (which tends to suffer when I'm on the road with my kids or have a house full of company which has been about 75% of this summer).  Thanks to Anne O'Connor for getting up at 6 am the last 5 days and practicing two hours together.  There's nothing like good company to inspire you to wake up with the birds to salute the sun.  Hari om.

Blessings!

Kathy

 

No Class 4th of July and New Studio Announcement

Hello everyone,
As I've announced in class, I am not teaching class this Saturday morning, July 4th.  For those of you who were planning on coming and are enrolled in the session -- will you please email me back to let me know you were counting on that class running as a make-up or your regular class?  I will put you down for a credit when I receive your email  I also cancelled class July 6th and have that as a credit for all of you enrolled in the Saturday class.   I appreciate your understanding and flexibility -- this family commitment arose after I scheduled the classes for the summer.

This marks the last of the scheduled summer classes and probably the last classes in the studio I have been renting from Carol Anne Kemen.

Starting in September, I am launching my own yoga studio on the second floor of the Landmark Center in room 203 which is easily twice as big as the space I have been teaching in. Beginning the week of September 20th, I expect to have a week of free classes offered by me and other local teachers to introduce a 12-week session of classes through December 19th.  It is an exciting light-filled space with great floors and tremendous potential.  I will be offering 5 classes and expanding my offerings to include a Beginner's Yoga I Class,  Yoga 2 (which will be like my current Tuesday and Saturday class with more focus on backbends and inversions which I will systematically teach), a Gentle/Therapeutics Class, and Yoga Nidra.  I also plan to offer some Saturday workshops to more deeply introduce meditation and pranayama as part of a complete yoga practice.  All my classes will have a 10-15 minute meditation/pranayama piece at the end so that the deeper essence of yoga is offered in every class.  To that end, I'll shorten the opening centering and get you moving within 5 minutes of the class start time.

I am eager to offer a deeper experiential range of yoga and opportunities to explore the full scope of yogic philosophy with more course offerings, workshops, and even a monthly book club.  This is a great time to suggest other class TIMES -- your suggestions, feedback, insights are all very welcome.  This past 8 months of teaching has been an extraordinary learning experience and I am always eager to improve your class experience.  If you feel inspired to feedback on the quality of your Tapestry Yoga experience with a quick email, I'd deeply appreciate it  - there's lots of room to improve and this would be a great time for me to hear it.

Other classes that will be offered in this space are Tai Chi, Nia, Yoga classes from other teachers and traditions and perhaps Akito, Belly Dance and African Dance -- I welcome teachers who are eager to teach -- pass the word.  I will be publishing a newsletter in August with the full class schedule, so any ideas should come forward in July/early August.  Please let me know if you have any class ideas.  I have a business model that is very teacher-friendly to attract a dynamic, talented teacher base.  Let me know if you want to teach something or have a suggestion of someone who might.

There's much to say on all this.  I will be taking my certification exam in Para Yoga in August and September to complete and integrate my 8-years of study with my guru, Yogarupa Rod Stryker.  This is an intense  3 week take home exam -- open book -- but it involves about 30 books and notes from 17 trainings.  It is like completing a master's degree and will be a powerful way to integrate my understanding and practice and promises to take my teaching to a whole new level.

There is a lot to do to transform one of these Landmark rooms into a space clean and energetically clear for yoga -- your talents and suggestion; artistry and vision are all very welcome. I'll begin the lease September 1 and will be focused on renovating the space for 3 solid weeks. If you want to help out -- please let me know.

Enjoy the rest of your summer -- i look forward to seeing you in September.  I may offer a class or two just to keep people moving yoga-wise.  If I do, I'll send out a general announcement and will also post occasionally here on my blog.

Blessings to you all and thank you all for supporting this endeavor -- truly it is my soul's path and there is nothing more joyous than lining up with one's dharma.  And there is no being a 'yoga teacher' without yoga students.  So, I extend my most heartfelt gratitude to each of you.
Namaste,
Kathy

Great Weekend in Chicago

WOW!  Just came back from a really extraordinary weekend with my guru, Yogarupa Rod Stryker.  I have been studying with Rod since February 2002 when my son Truman was one-year old -- I first went to one of his workshops because my local yoga teacher, Suzie Hurley, strongly suggested that those of us starting her teacher training should take advantage of his coming through our area.  My first weekend was overwhelming, but deeply touching.  I wish in hindsight that I had actually had more experience in yoga before I took his class -- I was new enough to it that I just figured his workshop was just what all weekend workshops felt like -- deep, powerful, multi-faceted journeys to deep meditation.  It was the first time I had ever meditated and it was brilliant.  This past weekend -- my 17th Rod Stryker Workshop - was brilliant, too.

I could write a 10 page blog on my whole life since and how connected it is to my study with this master-teacher.  Tonite my primary goal is to prepare for class tomorrow, so I better not start writing that history right now.  But, I can't resist taking a few minutes to share highlights from this past weekend.

I put the word out in my classes and to just about anyone else I encountered in my life who might be interested that I was traveling to Chicago June 5-7 for a weekend workshop in Hinsdale with Rod -- want to come?  Right away, Anne O'Connor volunteered to drive (she's a mighty driver) -- this is her second Stryker workshop having gone up to Minneapolis for a weekend workshop in March where we had a great time.  And two others signed up --inspired to explore the deeper teachings of yoga that Rod masterfully teaches -- Geri Shonka and Jessica Hooper.  So, four of us headed off to Chicago at 8 am on Friday for a classic women's away weekend road trip -- complete with a very long stop at Whole Paycheck -- I mean Whole Foods in Madison.  

There's so much to say -- it was silly, warm, interesting, honest and deeply reflective conversation.  It was a total act of courage and faith for Geri and Jessica to commit to so much time with a new teacher.  And truly, the practices and the science of Tantra Yoga touched our hearts and opened us to a great remembrance of our source.  

I feel inspired to share more of the practices and teachings I have learned from Rod and am in the midst of moving closer to completing his teacher training program -- I have several book reports to complete and soon I will sit for a 15-day honor system take home exam to integrate all of my studies with him over the last 8 years.   It's my hope to be recognized officially as one of his initiated dedicated teachers within this year.  

Truly, yoga touches my heart and gives me a direct experience of the divine in my life in meditation and through every encounter.   I am more inspired than ever and eager to share this powerful science of going inside to know our fullest capacity for joy and expression.  

No Class This Saturday June 6th

Class this Saturday, June 6th is cancelled so that I can attend a weekend workshop in Chicago with my teacher, Yogarupa Rod Stryker.  I had hoped to find a sub for this class, but that proved harder than I expected.  I also simply forgot to let you know last week of my plans and held out hope all week of finding a substitute.  Alas, I am on the eve of my trip spreading the word and sincerely hoping no one arrives at the doors to room 105 early on Saturday to a note on the door saying "Class is Cancelled".

Apologies for the last minute notice.  I look forward to coming back renewed and energized and will be in class on Tuesday.  All other classes this session through July 4th are scheduled to run with me teaching them as scheduled.

Thanks for your understanding.