Free yoga tomorrow

Lily says, 'Go try yoga or I will be angry.'

I may have mentioned a few times how in love I am with the Spokane Yoga Shala.

Tomorrow is their big grand opening. And that means a chance for you to check out the studio for free!

From their website:

Open House November 21st, 2009

Please join us this weekend! Help us celebrate our beautiful new Shala! Both classes are free. We will be offering special deals, and more.

Saturday Schedule:

• 7:30am: All Levels Ashtanga with Shelley Alkier
  
• 9:30 - 11:00am: All Levels Flow with Katie Gehn
  
• 9:00-12:00pm: Free Massage from Therapeutic School of Massage

'And you won't like me when I'm angry.'
(Actually, you'd probably love angry Lily.
She's freaking hilarious.)

The hubs and I will be at Katie's 9:30 am class. Let me know if you want to car pool from the valley!

Happy weekend,

Love, J

Hometown rant

Spokane is getting on my nerves today.

Reason #1: When I go to the store - any store - in this town and tell the checker (politely, I'm always very polite) that I don't want a bag for my purchase, I am almost always rewarded with a look that is part incredulous, part openly hostile. This happens even when I'm buying only one or two items. And 90% of the time, said snotty checker will try to talk me out of my decision.

Why do they care? What difference does it make? Is the checker who goes through the most bags rewarded with a bonus at the end of the month?

In other cities, this exchange has ended with the checker congratulating me on my commitment to the environment. I don't need such flattery, but it beats the crap out of having to explain myself to an eyes-narrowed, suspicious-of-my-motives employee at Yoke's.

Reason #2: Regina Spektor is playing at the Paramount next week. And the Paramount is not in Spokane.

This isn't me. It's some random, pretty photo from Spokane Yoga Shala's website.

Reason #3: The latest issue of Spokane's local magazine is full of 'Best of the City' lists. They have a yoga category. OZ Fitness is second. Yes, I am a yoga snob, but gym yoga is among the best this city has to offer? Really? I find that hard to believe. Plus they completely left out the Yoga Shala, which is unforgivable.

Reason #4: You need a car to get around in Spokane. Like, actually need one. I have tried so hard to understand the bus system here, and I cannot seem to master it. We've always been a one car family, but I can see the end of that era in the very near future and it really bums me out. Right now we're really 'one car' in name only, since I've been borrowing my step-dad's truck for months to get me to the store and such. I miss the Metro!

I think the honeymoon may be over and I'm going through a little bit of culture shock, being back in the 'burbs. I do appreciate its good aspects, but I keep noticing little things that didn't bother me when I lived here the first time around.

Time to go listen to some Regina on the iPod. If you're in Seattle, go see her for me. She's spectacular (or spek-tacular, rather).

Love, J

PS - This is another good Regina clip. It has her great singing AND encapsulates how I'm feeling about Spokane today. Plus, 'Weeds' is awesome.

October resolution

Six months ago, I was convinced that the second I finished the bar, my yoga practice would flourish. Once I no longer had homework to compete for my attentions, I reasoned, of course I would focus more completely on my practice. This has not been the case. It turns out that all of the fun, frivolous activities I now have to choose from are actually way more distracting than outlining and brief writing ever were.

I am still getting on the mat occasionally, but more often I succumb to the call of any/all of the following:

Art being made (or copied, rather, from a pretty piece I spotted in Auntie Mary's home).

Tomatoes waiting to be turned into chili.

Just the sweetest little crochet I've had my hands on in ages. Pattern here.
(Though I've simplified it lots to suit my appreciation for the straightforward.)

A lonely first chapter wishing I would write a second to keep it company.

Yes, I've read this almost every summer since I was 15, and no, I'm not exactly in its target demographic. But I love it, nonetheless.

I love all of these things and am so glad that I finally have time to spend with them. I mean seriously, I'm reading novels again. I was sure that day would never come. But I do miss my practice. So tomorrow, I begin with a renewed commitment. 31 straight days of time on my mat. A new season, a new start.


I am ready.

Love, J

Namaste, Guruji.

Sri Pattabhi Jois, the father and guru of Ashtanga yoga passed away last weekend at the wonderfully old age of 94. His teachings have been passed on to many, and the world was lucky to have him for so many years.

I was very fortunate to learn of the school of one of his top students just as I arrived in Seattle and began law school, almost three years ago now. David and Satya's "Ashtanga Yoga School" transformed my mind and body during my first two years in the city, and without it I am positive I would not be graduating next month. Law school challenged me in a most unpleasant way. I had expected it to be like running a marathon: painful, but in a satisfying, rewarding way. Instead it was more like being run over by a truck: just painful. And I would have given up.

But as I felt increasingly isolated from my study of the law, I was at the same time drawn into my Ashtanga practice. From Guru, through my instructors, I learned the joy of ritual and discipline. I learned to let go of the things I cannot control and to be grateful for my many, many blessings. Here's a very cheesy truth: yoga gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I'd be so ready to get to the studio and onto my mat that the desire would cut through my depression and propel me on my short walk there at 5:30 each morning. And then when my practice was finished and I was hot and sweaty and calm and poised, I'd think, "why not go learn about the law for a while?" School just seemed so harmless after pouring all of my concentration and effort into my breath and body for two hours. After the complete exertion of my practice, I didn't have the energy to maintain my anxiety about the rest of life.

AYS is gone now, and so is Guruji, but both have given me a taste of what I hope will be a lifelong habit of finding great joy in spending a couple hours each day appreciating my body and the world around it.

Namaste Guruji.

PS ~ I haven't gone yet, but this movie is in Seattle for a couple more days. I've heard amazing things, so go check it out if you get a chance. I'll see you there!

PPS ~ This is the school where I'm so excited to practice once we're back in Spokane (Mysore classes again!) but this is the one I've found in Ballard in the meantime, and it's very good too (but it's more Baptiste than Ashtanga, in case you're keeping track).