SUMMER 2008

 "to learn to leave my stress at the office."

· Beginner Series
· Bootcamp and 40 Days
· July 4th Schedule
·Angela's Column - by Samantha

MORE PHOTOS OF BABY MCGILL

ON OUR SCHEDULE PAGE
 

Ashlie and baby Henry

 

The McGills celebrating their new

family member

 
 

Sam & Sarah at Level Two training -
Montana, June 2008

Sam's accommodations in Montana

Have you wanted to learn more about power yoga but are scared to try a regular class? Join us starting Tuesday, July 8th for a 4 week, 8 class beginner series and learn the fundamentals of our Power Flow practice. Learn with other beginners and gain a solid foundation that will help you feel comfortable in any of our regular classes. The series meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8pm. This series is popular and will sell out so sign up today!

July 8 - 31                                                                          
Tuesdays and Thursdays  8-9:15pm                                                                        
                                                                                                               
MORE INFO & REGISTRATION
 

We save the dates for weddings, parties and important events in our lives.  It's time to Save the Dates that will help you make positive changes in your life!!  Our second All Day Bootcamp is on Saturday, September 13th and our fourth 40 Days to Personal Revolution Program starts in October.  Registration is open and already filling up!!


BOOTCAMP INFO & REGISTRATION

40 DAYS INFO & REGISTRATION

• Thursday: 5pm with Sam
• Friday: 10am with Angela (90min)
• Saturday: 10am with Sam (90min)
• Sunday: 4pm with Angela (90min) Assisted by Donna

 All other classes canceled.

YS ONLINE SCHEDULE
 

YOU ARE NOT ALONE by Samantha Mabry

The words above could either refer to the title of a cheesy mid-90s pop song or to my experience in a Lakota Sioux sweat lodge during my recent teacher training in Montana. For this, my first ever YS column, I feel as if speaking to the latter would be more appropriate.

Fifteen yogis stood shivering outside of a modest hut constructed of tree branches and blankets on a quiet, cold afternoon after a winter storm. Lillian and Hilary, the two Native American women who were going to lead the ceremony, told us that a summer snowstorm meant that the spirits were more receptive and that the prayers were more likely to be answered. I am not typically a religious person, but I found their words comforting, and I hoped, that if not mine, then someone’s prayers would be answered that day. Right before ducking though the opening to the lodge, Hilary winked at me and said, “Remember, if you get too hot, it just means you’re not praying hard enough.”

Sitting cross-legged on the ground inside the lodge it was so dark that the only thing visible was the red of the smoldering rocks. As Lillian sprinkled water over the rocks, the air became denser, and the heat became overpowering. I turned my focus to two things: the breath laboring to flow in and out of my mouth and the chanting that was completely unfamiliar yet immensely powerful. Emotions started to come up. A man next to me was sobbing. My own throat felt like it was closing up, and I was having trouble breathing in the burning air. We interlaced our hands to offer each other silent support. A couple of women across the glowing stones from me were started to cry and held one another. We all, however, made the choice to stay in the lodge, to breath deeply, to chant, and to find comfort in each other’s breath, strength and spirit. Lillian asked us to put our hands out, palms facing the center of the circle, to send and receive each other’s energy. Soon, something shifted. Our prayers got louder and clearer, and the initial sounds of fear and strife shifted into chants of joy and power.

Once, towards the end of the ceremony, we were asked to go outside. Some people waded a few steps into the nearby lake for a sip of water, while others stood near the lodge and watched the steam rise off bodies. One of the Baptiste assistants, Duncan, came up, put his arm around me and said, “I’m so glad I’m sharing this experience with you.” Up until that point in the week, Duncan and I had not really exchanged many words with one another (he had his job to do; I was focused on myself and what I was supposed to be learning), but in that instant I felt a massive amount of gratitude towards not just him, but all fifteen of us in the sweat lodge, all those involved that week with the teacher training, all the people of Montana, and all the people in life, past, present, and future. I was (and still am) in complete awe of the connections that we can form when we just sit, hold space for one another, and allow the universe to take its course.

In the sweat lodge there was a palpable energy of love, support, and the freedom to let go. Perhaps this power came from the fifteen people in the lodge, or perhaps it came from spirits. In actuality, it doesn’t really matter. I do think, however, that we should realize that we do not have to participate in a ceremony in a sweat lodge on a freezing cold day in Montana to experience this kind of potent energy. We can find it in the yoga room, when we realize that our power extends far beyond the surface area of our mats. Once we find it in the yoga room, it is then our duty to take our practice and light into the world and share it with everyone, from loved ones to strangers, because they all need our energy, they all need our breath, and they all need our support. We are not alone, and we do not need to be afraid when life gets tangled or situations become tense. Instead, we can remember to breathe in the strength of others and trust that the universe will support us; we can remember that when we shine our light into the world, that light will reflect even brighter on us.

Samantha Mabry