Thank you for showing up! We’ve been back in the studio for 6 months navigating masks, sanitizers, shots, Zoom and we’ve done it. 

I’m making my Thanksgiving trip to be with my girls and their families for the first time in over 2 years. I’m excited and also recognize it’s a lot of family/people under one roof for almost a week. A test for my yogic principles!!

In classes the past months we’ve been tracing the beginnings of the Indian culture and its development of a philosophy and teachings that can still be used as a guide to living today.

The Yoga Sutras have come out of these early explorations and observations of the world around us and the world within. The Sutras give us the 8 limbs of Yoga. The first limb is the 5 Yamas which are concerned with our relationships with others. Family is always the best testing ground if choosing to test where you are and how you have evolved. 

The first Yama is Ahimsa, non-harm, non-violence which starts with respect for others and not harming in our words and behavior in all our relationships.

Bramacharya, the fourth Yama, is self control in thoughts, words and behavior. This is a helpful guiding principle during a holiday time that is a sensual feast of food and interactions with others.

I feel so appreciative of our yoga community and how we’ve managed the last year and 9 months to hold our practices together. This continuity of what goes on in our yoga practices and in the studio has buoyed me through my life and all the challenges we all face at times in our lives. That is the gift and beauty of a yoga practice: there is a constant that we can go to that is always there. Everyone showing up and practicing and learning together has been that for me.

I recognize how each person shows up to practice for themself and I also see and feel how beautifully each person relates to the other with respect and goodwill. It is a wonderful yoga family!!

To be continued!! All my love,

Lou