Live Your Yoga

in the zone, yo.

While digging out a site for a new garden bed, I was playing around with balances on my shovel. I’m fairly light weight. So when I dig the shovel into the dirt I have to put my whole body into it to really make a dent. When I do that, one foot first then the other, I’m essentially balancing my whole body weight on the rim of the shovel.

I dance with it sometimes, swaying here and there. It’s a laugh if you were to see me.

So anyway, my daughter came out with the cell phone and grabbed a couple of shots of my shovel yoga.

Tree pose was not super difficult, putting my weight slightly towards one side of the body rather than directly in the center. But Dancer, well that was another story and will definitely need more practice. Couldn’t quite balance enough to take the leg any higher.

It was fun though.

Happy gardening.

care to dance, anyone?

I just taught my last class at Om and Garden… unbeknownst to us all when we began our practice this afternoon.

During Savasana I received a message from Kim telling me that the closing ceremony would be Monday night. As I sat there in quiet meditation, evening out my breath to that of my students, I grew profoundly grateful. I could not think of a more lovely group of women to share this with than those that lay before me now…

At closing prayer, I told them the news and how happy I was to know them. I know that they’ll come to my classes elsewhere. But there was something about the space we shared and the energy we created at Om and Garden. I’ll miss it. And I know they’ll miss it too.

To those students and friends, old and new, that shared your time, energy and love at that studio: Thank you so much for allowing me the grace of your spirits. I am honored by each one of you.

With the deepest gratitude, }♥{

~Brandi

Seane Corn Vinyasa Flow

(*click on the link above to be directed to the video inspiration for this post)

Seane Corn

Yoga as prayer and an offering to the Divine… she speaks from my own heart.

This is what yoga is to me. My way of communion. My connection to Spirit. When I am lost in my practice, listening to the sound of the ocean deep within my breath, it is then that I feel most connected to Spirit.

When I study with Shiva, she often brings me to my prayer. There is something beautifully inspiring about a teacher that can lead you into your own body, and into your heart.

I’ve never studied with Seane Corn personally, but I like what I see and what I read. I’d like to one day. But even if that chance never comes, I believe we’re on the same path. Yoga is magic. Try it. You’ll see.

•*¨*•♥•*¨*•

Sitting on my back porch. The sun is shining for what feels like the first time today. I was feeling a lot better yesterday, so much so that I think I over did it a bit. Therefore the morning brought me more mucous and a headache to seal the deal.

I taught 2 classes. The first was a gentle reminder that it’s hard to talk for an hour straight when you’ve been sick for days on end. I ended up having to leave the room for savasana because I thought I might go into a coughing fit and ruin the relaxation experience

The second was a little smoother. One of my favorite students was there. Yes, I have favorites~ but I do not play favorites. She is just the most lovely of creatures and her presence makes me smile every time. She and her partner in crime, which was absent today, are both shiny; the two of them bring joy to my heart.

I have a design commission to complete for Custom Made Fairytale. The wedding’s in June and that’s been weighing in on me a bit. It’s hard to be motivated when I’m sick. Plus, I want to be in the right spirits when I’m working on her dress. Energy transmutes.

•*¨*•♥•*¨*•

Good Goddess, this tree on my back porch is gorgeous. I don’t love her so much when I’m picking up spoiled crab apples in late Summer (she and I had a talk about this yesterday), but oh~ how I love her right now. She is the Sacred Yoni Tree. She has 3 perfect slits in the roundness of her trunk. It’s odd. But perfect. And she has always brought to mind for me the sacred feminine. I guess I should keep that in mind come late Summer as a reminder that we all fall down and get bruised sometimes… but we can still make the sweetest jam.

•*¨*•♥•*¨*•

Sacred Yoni Tree

♥

Magic is everywhere.

Like right here in this bowl of soup, for example. Not the best photo, mind you, but that’s what happens from a camera phone.

Quite a random turn of events getting sick, but nevertheless, the crud this way came.

So my darling husband stewed together his own brand of magic into a magnificent healing punch! for my immune system. Yes, it’s the gobs of onions, garlic, and ginger… among other things. But mostly, it’s the LOVE that went into the process.

So while the husband and the child are out feasting on Italian food for the mother in law’s birthday, I am home, snuggled in my grandma’s afghan, watching Practical Magic, and getting loved up with my love soup. ♥

Somehow I have come down with a cold. Ugh. It was quite bizarre. I came home from work yesterday feeling fine, with the exception of being a little dehydrated. I ate some food and went to the back porch to sit in my rocker. My husband was pounding away on our earth ship (greenhouse) tires. I was sitting there, and all of a sudden I felt myself dozing off. My head got heavy and my throat started aching.

I went inside and laid down for maybe 40 minutes or so, but had to sub a class for a friend that I’d already committed myself to. So I made some slippery elm tea with chamomile and rose petals, and went on my way. I got through the class okay. Do you ever just go into ‘work’ mode? That’s where I was. I slept heavy, but I can still breathe through my nose so I slept decently. When I woke this morning, however, I hardly had a voice. I knew I could make more tea and go into work mode again. But my husband and I both agreed that showing up in this state was not showing up. And if I’m contagious, I don’t want to inflict that on my students.

So I had to cancel my a.m. class and get a sub for my noon. I still had to work at the boutique tonight, no way I could get out of that one, it being a new job and all. I am so thankful for the morning and early afternoon of rest though. It was necessary.

honey lemon throat coat, tissues, and my pen...

I had two phenomenal classes on Friday. Different venues, different students, different atmospheres. Both however, had amazing energy! Jai! I was so elevated from those classes. The experience and sacred sharing that can happen during yoga is endless.

It’s the energy of my students and the energy we build together. They are wonderful. We do not just share as teacher/student and the practice of asana. We share life. We share precious moments of intimacy. We share the blessing of simply being together.

I end every class with a message of gratitude for my students. And I mean it deeply every time.