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.

Summer Session: May 26 - July 4th -- 6 Weeks

Here we go again!  Summer Session May 26th - July 4th. 6 Great Weeks of Yoga going deeper into the Gunas, the 7 Chakras and into a related concept called the Prana Vayus as we progress through June.  I hope you will join me.

I'm making a slight adjustment to how I am pricing my classes that reflects the commitment and support of those who sign up for the whole session, which is really the backbone of my being able to offer 3 regular weekly classes.  The best price per class goes to those who sign up for the whole session (6 classes) at $9/class for a total of $54.  The next best price is $10/class for those who buy up to 5 classes good through 7/4 (paying in advance).  And finally, for those who spontaneously heed the last minute call to come to class -- the new price is $12 to drop-in.

I hope you'll join me! I am traveling to Chicago to study with my teacher the weekend of June 5-7 and am hoping to line up a substitute for the 6/6 Saturday class.  (Let me know if you want to come study with me and 2 other students that weekend with Rod Stryker -- see www. parayoga.com). Otherwise, I am around through July 4th.  After that I'll be back in DC (where I moved from 2 years ago) to visit family and friends for 2 weeks and then back to Viroqua for the rest of the summer -- perhaps a limited teaching schedule based on interest and then a full-fledged return to Yoga with more class times in the Fall.

Look forward to another great series of practices.

Blessings,

Kathy

Great Spring Session

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Spring Yoga Session.  It was a dynamic 2 months -- yes, 8 weeks, imagine that!  What a journey up through the chakras touching into the different energies that we encounter as we do asanas and breath work that attune us to each energy center.

Stability is KEY to asana practice.  Cultivating a connection to the steady center is a pre-requisite to going more deeply into practice.  Through the practice of yoga we expand our energy, our capacity, our power in the world.  If we are out of balance -- lacking in stability, the steady center -- and we activate more power, we'll be more powerfully out-of-balance.  Yikes. No thanks.  

So, from the outset and throughout the session we worked with a balancing steady breath, moved in concert with the breath, grew in relationship with the breath.  The breath is simply the gateway to mindfulness, to awareness, to center, to connection to source.  From this place of stability, the practice of yoga empowers us in our bodies and our minds -- building strength, vitality, flexibility and clarity.  

But despite steps to balance prana through mindful breathing, you still may have experienced in an energy center (a chakra) an inherent, long-standing lack of balance as we progressed through the session -- if an area was holding an imbalance, a lack of awareness, or a stuckness --  and we spent 90 minutes activating it, something was bound to release, move, shift.  Several times through the session, I noticed things happening in my life outside of class and sure enough I could relate them to what I was doing in my practice that paralleled our classes.  For instance, I survived the whole winter without a cough, but as we moved through 5th chakra and the energy around 6th (which are connected), a weakness presented itself physically in this area of speech, speaking truth, showing up in the world on my own terms -- areas I've struggled with for this whole lifetime.  I found myself speaking very frankly and somewhat unapologetically -- spontaneous, clear truths straight out of my inner world that I typically keep inside for the sake of diplomacy.  But especially during the 5th/6th chakra weeks, the clarity of the inside demanded a platform and to be heard.  Bringing power to these areas brought forth a break-through, more awareness -- even if the awareness slipped into an aggravating cough or in aggressive speech, both of which I would have preferred to skip, but I take as an indicator that there were deeper levels of clearing necessary to be more clear and balanced.  

Always pay attention to what's going on on the outside.  It reflects the inner world.  Be present to all the little nuggets and gems that revealed themselves to you through images, dreams, thoughts, and actions over the last 8 weeks.  Take some time to write them down.  

The whole practice of shining awareness to the energy centers is a mighty one that we'll continue as we step into the fire season of summer and the bright light of the crescendo to the Solstice.  I look forward to the continued journey.

Love,

Kathy

This Week (8): The Seventh Chakra, Sahasrara Chakra. The Crown Chakra, The Thousand Petal Lotus Chakra, Akaha - All Knowledge, Seat of Shiva

Location: Top of the Head, Space between the brain and the skull
Basic Right: The Right to Know
Bija Mantra: OM
Celestial Body: Uranus
Color: Violet
Developmentally: 12 & Up
Element: Thought
Goals: Wisdom, knowledge, spiritual connection
Guna: Beyond the Gunas - Transcendence of Time and Space
Major Psychological Life Area: Spirituality
Malfunction: Confusion, apathy, overly intellectual

Plane: Beyond mind, form, sense

Yoga Path:  Jnana Yoga

Yantra: White petals with golden tips

6th Chakra, Ajna Chakra

This Week (7): The Sixth Chakra, The Ajna Chakra. The Third Eye Chakra, The Perception & Command Chakra

Location: Behind Eyebrow Center in the Mid-brain
Basic Right: The Right to See
Bija Mantra: Hum Sa
Celestial Body: Neptune
Color: Indigo Blue
Developmentally: 7-12 Years
Element: Light
Goals: Psychic perception, imagination, ability to see patterns
Guna: Sattwa
Major Psychological Life Area: Imagination
Malfunction: Headaches, nightmares, hallucinations

Plane: Beyond mind, form, sense

Yoga Path:  Yantra Yoga

Yantra: White wings, a circle with  golden triangle

Ajna (Pronounced Ahg-knee-ya) Chakra is the home of your 3rd eye -- your inner sight, higher seeing.  This is how we clearly see the world and intuitively navigate it from connection to Brahma -- to source by cultivating a relationship to our higher Self through practices such as meditation.  Connection through meditation puts us in touch with possibility -- it is the realm where past, present and future all merge and anything is possible and all things can be imagined.  It is where we clearly perceive the world and also command our destiny in it through our capacity to project our consciousness into creation.

Ajna is the essence of sattwa -- of clarity and light.

We will build on last week's practice and focus on lateral poses (parsvakonasana and trikonasana with very bowed upper ribs and arm extended laterally); ardha matsyendrasana and bharadvajasana twists, back bends (supta virasana, up dog and pincha mayurasana; and extensions (baddha konasana, gomukhasana, virasana, tadaka mudra and maha mudra).  

Everything I said last week with sattwa is pertinent here, as well.

Be present with all that is coming up for you -- these chakra areas are opening and becoming more activated.  How is that manifesting for you?  Like me, you may find yourself being more direct, more forceful, more clear.  Just note the changes and reflect on them in the context of your practice.  These releases demonstrate your dominant guna and what practice you might need to do to move toward sattwa.

I look forward to seeing you this week and hearing your thoughts and reflections.

Love,

Kathy