Cold outside Warm in the studio

Cold up here in Wisconsin but the studio in my front yard is nice and warm with heat pulled from the ground 8 feet below with the help of a heat pump. thought you might like to see Karuna Yoga Studio. Just finished my fourth week of teaching my beginner class and am having a lot of fun, though the preparation takes some significant time and I see that that time relates directly with the class success. It was -17 degrees when we awoke yesterday, oh for the playa. Jessica, congrats on all of your success, hope your back is holding out.
I wanted to thank Eileen for her tattoo design recommendations and I have added an image of my first tattoo done last friday combining my 2 passions of yoga and bicycling. New experiences are a blast. Hope you all are collecting prana regularly and all my love to you all, anybody coming close to central wisconsin let me know we can do some angel wings together.
Shanti, Shanti, Peace, Namaste, John

Want to teach yoga in Bali?

Hi everyone!

In case my internet connection is not working later I want tell you now... Happy Chinese New Year!!!

I just thought I would pass this information on that I received through a friend. If anyone is interested in teaching yoga in Bali, they are looking for teachers all the time at Gaia-Oasis, a spirtual-retreat-resort. I believe the minimum is 4 weeks, but could be less. You teach one morning class and one evening class six days a week for free room and board. If you are interested contact Jaganath Hardy at Gaia-Oasis at yoga@gaia-oasis.com. There is also opportunity to offer any other services as well, such as massage therapy, pilates, etc.

It is wonderful to hear from all of you. I think of you and Nosara often. I am doing well here in Boise with lots and lots of snow! I am teaching four yoga classes a week which are incredible. I also have been blessed to work with several of my massage clients with yoga as well. It has truly been amazing to work with them on the table as well as on the mat. I am incredibly amazed at the ability to help someone not only by touch, but by seeing how they move, or don't move, and combining the two. I have had some amazing "break-throughs" so-to-speak already. :)

Summer, I have some sanskrit questions if you would be so kind as to send me an email at: jesspearl@hotmail.com

May everyone be blessed with joy and compassion for the chinese new year!

Namaste,

Jessica

Summer's sis

Hi Summer!

Tell your sister to call me at 284-442-6371:)
Love Dena

Sending love to all

Hola, and Happy New Years beautiful yoga family!

It's Dena here! I just signed up! AWESOME Jenny! Thank you so much girl for this blog. It gave me so much joy to read all that each of you shared since the return to the real world. I would like to figure out how to post pictures through the new posts? Jennie, do I have to email them to you separately? Let me know what your email addy is again, so I can email some surf shots of Cane Garden Bay where I live.

Lisa, how is your back. I have thought of you and seen your beautiful face in my mind so many times, i truly feel your presence, soul sister.. eileen, erin, get out of that cold, and into the tropics, there is loads of resort work, just google yoga spas in the carribean, you'll dial work if that is your destiny:) John, thanks soo much for the video! I LOVED it! What a beautiful radiant reminder of the essence of self we each discovered in Nosara. Lindsay, kick ass trip to Korea girl, thanks for sharing, Johnny, and Brent, how is your studio going? Your intention for this community is so beautiful. You are both such stars!

I'm havinig an interesting experience in the New Year. I've been working at Peter Island Resort(www.peterisland.com) as a massage therapist. It was lucritive and going well, as a subcontractor, allowing me much time to teach and practice yoga, surf and play. It afforded me to come to Costa Rica and take the course. Since my return, the holidays went off really well, and good flow island hopping and I even massaged Harrison Ford in Virgin Gorda twice. He had a bad ear infection, and after all of my earssues, I thought, "Poor Has Solo had to swim in poop again"!! Interesting. Harrison Ford rocks by the way, talk about charismatic prana.. whoosh!

The interesting part is that my work at Peter Island dried up due to another girl offering her services for 25% less than I do. I know my worth and cannot work for pennies, and would not work out commissionwise with my trade licence holder to do so, So I am praying and meditating to see now where this interesting change in events is leading now that my income does not meet the expensive living costs of a small offshore island. Does anyone know where to look for yoga jobs? Though I teach yoga three classes a week here (1 relaxation class, which is self awakening yoga, and two vinyasa flows), 1 core fusion(pilates yoga combo class), and 1 vinyasa class), it is barely paying the bills, though last monday I had 13 students!!! Woo Hoo!!!! I'm advertising, and trying to make of go of it here before throwing in the towel however.. I am thinking about offerening packages through the space I teach by going in with a few companies, offering the combination of scuba diving/sailing and yoga to the hotel guests at Nanny Cay where I work.. they're not retreats, but activity packages the hotel will be marketing, and Iwill be paid a certain percentage of the package. I will be teaching sunset and sunrise yoga classes to the people, and open the class to my regular students.. I am meditating and visualizing success every day, and so hum to keep the prana flowing and fear out of this equation. A part of me wants to run away, runfrom the sitaution, sometimes fear of failure comes up and my mother's words,

My yoga/surfinig/meditation practice holds me together now, as though I have all these creative ideas of how to solve my situation arise, A part of me feels achorless and directionless without a solid base income.. I am remembering Amba's words at this time, "It's rough in the beginning"... when we were speaking about sustaining yourself as a yoga teacher... but you don't give up on what you love", I remember her saying. I so resignated with her discourse on the element of passion. Passion is a powerful force.. I am going to teach a vinyasa full moon yoga class this week with all the love and passion my heart can muster. In my heart, i just know that if I stick with it, it's going to be great. It is so beautiful to share your practice with others. I will send my love and wishes for each of your success in the new year,
Love Dena

Dena ?

Hey Guys,
Does anyone know how to reach Dena?? My sister is heading to Tortola tomorrow and I really wanted her to try to connect with D. I think they would really hit it off. Anybody have an email or phone number for her that would be beautiful!!
Cheers and big love
X
Summer Forest

My Yogi Family.

I've been sitting on so many thoughts since we parted ways and I have realized that there is no way to communicate to a group of people how much you love them, how much they touched your heart without sharing the words. So here it is. I miss you guys. I'm burning in the fire right now. I wish I was sitting on the rancho floor so that a bunch of you could pile up on me for one of those life-changing group hugs. What happened to us there? Who did we become? Why us? God makes no mistakes right? Then truly we are blessed. Keep up the good work everyone on and off the mat. The friendship you showed was gorgeous. Perfect. This means you too (you know who you are!)
One love. Namaste. My people, I love you! I miss you!

Yoga Audition at local gym

Love and hugs to you all.
I miss you and am trying so hard to keep our memories fresh in my organism. I really mean that, I try to feel you all in all levels of my being. You all show up mostly in my emotional body. I so love our shared memories.
I want to tell you about my "audition." I went into our local Gold' Gym as they had a January special, New Year's Resolutions, you know. For $39 I could go to 4 or 5 yoga classes during the month and that seemed a reasonable price. Plus, I wanted to meet some yogis. It's possible that I might have missed one living in Elko.
So, I went to a 'Power' Yoga class. There were two people besides me in the class. I couldn't quite figure out who was who, like who was the instructor, as there are no introductions, no instructions, no welcome, no nothings. One of the women started motioning with her arms so I started following her movements. After a few minutes of arm waving and knee bending there was an unannounced switch in leadership and the other woman seemed to then be in charge. ? (I swear I didn't see any batton passed between them, but maybe there was. It turns out they were conduction a teacher training.) So, I shifted my focus to the other woman who then lead us through sun salutations for the next 30 minutes. The class ended with no wrap up or closure---the sun salutation just ended. She smiled and announced that the class was over. I made small talk and I told them that I had just gotten my teacher training and was wondering if they might need a substitute teacher. They were interested and told to come to the next day's class and I could "audition" to be a teacher.
I came the next morning and I learned what "audition" meant. It means teach the hour long class, the whole class, not just the warm-up or the cool down or a few sun salutions. (No batton pass for Lisa.) So, while I was getting my self situated I made mental plans to teach a Power yoga class to the five students assembled. I said a few things about myself and what I planned to do in the class. (I found out that one student had never done any yoga. Another student wouldn't to take her socks off.) After we did a few warm ups I said "Well, since this is a Power Yoga class let's get ready to sweat."and started removing a layer of clothing. I was then told that I could do anything I wanted. It said Power Yoga class on the schedual! Thinking on my feet I reorganized my thoughts from Power Yoga to "anything". AAAHHHH! I know that yoga makes you flexible but, that was pushing it!!! Watch out for the word 'audition' as it might mean more than 'Let me see your downward facing dog.'
I haven't decided if I will sub for them or not. It's a bit noisy with the racketball court and the child care center next door. They pay twenty dollars per class if there are at least two students in attendence. I would get $5 for a 'no-show' or one student but with gas at $3.30 a gallon I think I'd lose money. I drive a Prius hybrid but, since it's nearly a 40 mile round trip to the gym I don't know if will be worth the drive! Plus, I am still having trouble with the woman's passive-aggressive move having me teach the whole class for her with no headsup!!
Life in Elko, NV, =)
My four classes at the community college will be starting the 22nd and that will be enough for me. I will be teaching three beginner classes and one ongoing class. I am excited about these classes and have been reading lots and lots and making plans to make lesson plans. I can't seem to get any real lesson plans written out but have done lots of thinking about doing it!!
I hope that more people will write on our blot site. I love it!!
I've emailed Kate and it seems that she hasn't been able to do the blog thing. Maybe someone could help other people who aren't blogging on account it's a bit tough on us that aren't very computer smart. I would blog more often if it weren't that I have to re-learn every time I blog. I find it very intimidating. I hope to get better.

Alice- when are you coming through Nevada? Hope you will call me. 775-753-6836 or 775-934-5798
Jennie - I'll keep trying.
Julie- I'll keep trying.

Keep blogging I love reading about your lives.
Love to you all.
Namaste,
Lisa

2008 Smiles and Laughs

Hi Everybody!

I really enjoy reading everyone's posts here. On the days when there is a new post, it really makes me smile. Yet, I don't seem real apt to make a post of my own. It's a little strange going from our time together in Nosara, integrating back in to the "other life" (albeit slowly and with fits for me), and feeling so far away and so disconnected from everyone. If anyone feels similar to that, know that I'm right there with you.

My Life Update:
Work:
I tried to quit my job. You'd think that that would be as easy as saying "I quit!" However, that only works when you're 15. It gets increasingly complicated with each job after that. As it stands now, saying "I quit!" got me a sabbatical (unpaid except when they need me to consult) and a promotion. I'm not reporting that while doing the "look how cool I am!" dance or anything of the sort. I'm conveying how convoluted things are in the "other world". Part of me wants to run naked and screaming from the building and flail in the street: "No! No, no, no, no, no! I want my freedom!" The other part of me is watching the events unfold and doing so with a certain degree of detachment. I'm certainly unsure about a lot of things. Nothing is black and white; cut and dry; good and evil; right and wrong. There is an endless amount of gray in the world, and I have the hardest time trying to separate out the shades of gray and figure out which shade is right FOR ME.

Then, the work saga continued. Based on a really bizarre set of events, it appears that if I work some of my famous work magic, I will be able to get my former colleague back on my team and allocate myself another position that won't begin until January 2009. The translation to that bizarre situation is that I can go on my OZ/NZ trip; take 6 months off in Italy scoping my life's goal of a yoga studio there; and walk back in to a position here in Germany in January 2009. All of that and getting my former colleague back on the team to run things while I'm gone. (This is all very possible in this moment, though none of it is a sure thing.)

Again, I want to run naked and screaming into the street. Then, there is the other side of things that makes me really perplexed with the universe. Is the Ancient One fucking with me? Or is the universe handing me an incredible gift? I have no idea. For now I'm marching forward, closing down my life in Germany, and trying to get things together for my time off. In December of 2008, I'll decide what it is I'm willing to do in January 2009. That sounds sort of like a plan.

Yoga:
I've been teaching a few classes and truly (from the heart) loving it. I've taught a few Friday night Ashtanga Primary Series classes at a studio in Heidelberg. Last Saturday I taught a Vinyasa Flow at that same studio. I'll teach that Vinyasa Flow class again in a few hours.

I was approached by a group of women who work on one of the local military bases who wanted to know if I would be willing to teach a Beginner class at they gym on the military base a few nights a week. Absolutely I am willing. I've attempted to make contact with the coordinator of the gym to see if I can get that off the ground. I'm sure that there is a complicated set of bureaucratic rules and liability issues. However, I may get it to work. I'll keep you updated.
When I was approached by that group of women, it did make me think of Amba. I was remembering how she shared with us the story of when she was first trying to organize yoga travel to Costa Rica that the participants always were very overweight women and that there were many challenges associated with that. This group of women is the same. I think of the challenge of sharing yoga with that group.

This also came up in a different way last Saturday when I was teaching the Vinyasa Flow at the studio. There were 6 students - 2 were highly advanced, 2 were intermediate, and 2 were beginners who were on a yoga mat for the first time in their lives. I admit to having had a great deal of difficulty in trying to reach all 6. I didn't take any pause during the class, as I just kept flowing in my groove. I tried to show variations in all key poses and just tried to send out positive, loving energy to everyone. However, I had a lot of reflection after the class on how to share yoga with such a mixed audience. That was not an easy situation. I thought that the beginner male was going to crack his skull open on the floor (he was determined to try postures that his body wasn't up for). Then, I was questioning whether or not I should attempt full expressions of postures or take a beginner variation as an example. I noticed that when I would take a beginner variation, so would everyone else in the class. Really I still cannot figure out entirely how to resolve this situation.

Perhaps that is a topic for all of us to explore here.

So far I'm just trying to focus on teaching from my heart.

That's all from me for now.

EILEEN: Thank you SO MUCH for sending me photos! That so made my day. Actually, it still is making my week.

PAUL: Thank you also for the photo of us! I'm sorry that I haven't written you back yet. Life (see above) has been a bit complicated, and I'm not sure where my head is exactly.

LISA: I will call you later today!

If anybody here is in touch with any of the folks who have yet to sign up here (see list on the right side), please encourage them to sign in. I'd really love to have us all here together. I kind of have this sadness in me that people are missing.

I send love to you all. Please stay in touch.

Namaste,
Jennie

New Year Greetings!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a great start to 2008.

John, thank you so much for posting the movie. I didn't think it was possible to miss Costa Rica more, but I kind of want to jump into some of those pictures.

The first couple weeks of 2008 have been great. My only complaint is that my yoga practice has been almost nonexistent. My travel schedule is somewhat to blame (currently in DC and heading to Nevada), but mostly I have my own stupidity to blame. A few days after Christmas I was a couple of cocktails deep when I decided it would be a great idea to have a wrestling match with my friend's puppy (70 lbs boxer). Although this was fun and I'm proud to report that I won, I also found out that this is an excellent way to throw out your back. Apparently, all that jazz about lifting with your knees is actually good advice. Thanks to Don movement inquiries I think my pride is hurt more than my back. I keep thinking that this wouldn't have happened when I was 20. Boo-who. Poor me! :-)

Missing and thinking of you all.

Love,
Alice

Happy New Year!

Hey Everyone!

Happy New Year! John, thank you for the great slide show. It is wonderful. I think of everyone often and hope to reconnect at some point. Teaching yoga is going well. I am teaching at two different studios and volunteering at the Juvenile Detention Center, which I am enjoying the most. I wish you all a wonderful 2008, and I hope this year brings even more joy and happiness into your life! :)

Live...Laugh...Love...Let go....

Jessica

Great memories

What an awesome slide show! A nice jog down memory lane. Thanks so much John for taking the time to put that together. It's always a joy to see the smiles on everybody's faces. I hope all of you had a fullfilling holiday. Best wishes to all and know that each and every one of you are implanted deeply in my heart.

Peace,
Johnny

Finally the movie!

Happy New Year

Thanx for the good wishes, Jennie. Yes I put the show up in the AM, about 35 pieces a number from Nosara. I have been a printing framing fool over the last two weeks. Also busy putting the finishing touches on the yoga studio, which looks and feels great, Susi did a great job and the energy is fabulous helped along by the surround sound and ten windows. I have a formal opening on friday for the photogs and start my beginner class next wednesday with a sampler this thursday that Susi and I are doing together. Have been working on some partner yoga and enjoying that. Hope all is well with you all, though I know reality is much closer at home than in the jungle. I do find myself lost in my pictures of the beach and all you guys a lot and it provides wonderful energy. Love to you all in this new year. John