Yoga Schedule: Week of 2.21

Yoga schedule this week

Wednesday 2.21 6:00 pm EST
Asana Charlestown
Link to Register

Let It Go
by Dana Faulds

Let go of the ways you thought life would unfold;
the holding of plans or dreams or expectations –
Let it all go.
Save your strength to swim with the tide.
The choice to fight what is here before you now
will only result in struggle, fear, and desperate attempts to flee
from the very energy you long for.
Let go.
Let it all go and flow
with the grace that washes through your days
whether you receive it gently
or with all your quills raised to defend against invaders.
Take this on faith;
the mind may never find the explanations that it seeks,
but you will move forward nonetheless.
Let go,
and the wave’s crest will carry you to unknown shores,
beyond your wildest dreams or destinations.
Let it all go
and find the place of rest and peace,
and certain transformation.

Yoga schedule week of 10.4

Hello friend,

What a wild week! Hope that you are taking time to care for yourself this weekend. This week we won't be coming together on Zoom because I'll be teaching in person yoga on Wednesday! Details below, hope to see you there :)

Danielle

Yoga schedule this week

Wednesday 10.7 5:30pm Outdoor Yoga Registration Link

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“Oftentimes when the world feels chaotic, we begin to feel as if it is somehow inappropriate to have Joy. Have your joy. Joy is a form of radical self-care. Joy energizes is to take on even the most difficult circumstances. When we have Joy, especially in the midst of challenging times, we are saying to the world ‘I will define the current state of the world around me instead of allowing it to define me.’ Today, regardless of what is happening, empower yourself by embracing joy.

By Cleo Wade”

Yoga schedule week of 9.13.2020

Hello friend,

Hope that you are well. I'm back from a restful vacation in Maine, and am excited to be back to teaching. Would love to see you this week!

DVG

Yoga schedule this week

Tuesday 9.15 8pm Zoom Yoga Registration Link

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“Small Kindnesses
by Danusha Laméris

I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”
when someone sneezes, a leftover
from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.
And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocery bag, someone else will help you
pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.
We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,
and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile
at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress
to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,
and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.
We have so little of each other, now. So far
from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.
What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these
fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,
have my seat,” “Go ahead — you first,” “I like your hat.””

Yoga Schedule 8.23.2020

Hello friend,

Hope that you had a great week! I will be going on vacation in early September, so this week will be the last class for a few weeks. I hope that having zoom yoga available this summer has been helpful for you - it has been a joy to practice with you!

Until next time,
DVG

Yoga schedule this week

Tuesday 8.25 8pm Zoom Yoga Registration Link

I highly recommend going to a goat yoga class! So much fun

“The Optimist Creed
By Christian D. Larson


Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

”

Yoga schedule 8.16

Hello friend,

Hope that you are well. Yoga will again be on Monday this week. We'll be focusing on breath and presence. Hope to see you there!

DVG

Yoga schedule this week

Monday 8.17 7pm Zoom Yoga Registration Link

"Let whatever you do today be enough. Let go of the judgement you have about what you should be or could be doing, and today, allow yourself to simply be. Comparing yourself and your journey may be habitual, but it gets you nowhere. It makes you feel worse and it keeps you stuck. So stop fixating on where everyone else is, and start giving yourself permission to be exactly where you are. Quiet the voice telling you to do more and be more, and trust that in this moment, who you are, where you are at, and what you are doing is enough. You will get to where you need to be in your own time. Until then, breathe. Breathe and be patient with yourself and your process. You are doing the best you can to cope and survive amid your struggles, and that’s all you can ask of yourself. It’s enough. You are enough."

By Daniell Loepke

Yoga schedule 8.9.2020

Hi friend,

Sending you a big hug. This week the schedule is adjusted because I am teaching in person yoga on Tuesday morning! As much as I love our zoom crew, I'm so excited for teaching in person. The class is intended for my rowing friends, but if you're able to get yourself up at 5:30 am you are more than welcome!!

DVG

Yoga schedule this week

Monday 8.10 7pm Zoom Yoga Registration Link
Tuesday 8.11 530am Outdoor Yoga near the Charles River Canoe and Kayak Dock 

She Let Go
by Safire Rose

She let go.
She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.
She let go of the fear.
She let go of the judgments.
She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.
She let go of the committee of indecision within her.
She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.
Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.
She didn’t ask anyone for advice.
She didn’t read a book on how to let go.
She didn’t search the scriptures.
She just let go.
She let go of all of the memories that held her back.
She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.
She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.
She didn’t promise to let go.
She didn’t journal about it.
She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.
She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.
She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.
She just let go.
She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.
She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.
She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.
She didn’t call the prayer line.
She didn’t utter one word.
She just let go.
No one was around when it happened.
There was no applause or congratulations.
No one thanked her or praised her.
No one noticed a thing.
Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.
There was no effort.
There was no struggle.
It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad.
It was what it was, and it is just that.
In the space of letting go, she let it all be.
A small smile came over her face.
A light breeze blew through her.
And the sun and the moon shone forevermore…

Yoga schedule 6.29.2020

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend. Today I am reflecting on the layers of protection that we build for ourselves, like the Golden Buddha described below. How can we become more present and authentic?

Yoga schedule this week

Tuesday 6.30 Zoom Yoga Registration Link
Sunday 7.5 Restorative Zoom Yoga Registration Link

The Golden Buddha - Author Unknown

In 1957, a massive clay Buddha was being moved from one temple in Thailand to another.

It is believed to have been built between the 13th and 15th centuries. No one seemed to care much for this plain ten-foot-high statue. It was honored, of course, but it was seemingly like any other statue you may find of the Buddha.

Heavy rain fell the night before this Buddha was to be moved to its new home, soaking the statue. Then, as a crew worked to lift it, the Buddha slipped from the crane and dropped into the mud.

The statue’s fall had cracked the clay covering Buddha, revealing a shining gold light peeking out.

The monks and workers discovered that this Buddha wasn’t made from clay at all. For centuries, layers upon layers of clay and stucco had been protecting what lay beneath—a solid gold ten-foot-high Buddha.

This beautiful golden statue stayed hidden for over five hundred years.

The Buddha had been overlooked, discarded, and ignored. They assumed it was clay because clay was all they could see. But the clay was merely a veil, an outer layer protecting the true nature of this priceless Buddha.

No one knows the real reason for disguising the Golden Buddha. Historians believe that the statue was covered up just before the invasion of the Burmese in the mid-18th century. Over time the truth about the golden Buddha was forgotten—until a single crack revealed what was hiding underneath all along.

Imagine, just for a moment, that you are like this statue and there is a pure, golden Essence inside of you.

The Starfish Story

For the longest time, I resented the self care industry. I thought that it was selfish to take a bath when others were suffering. I thought that it was superficial. 

Overtime, I have come to agree with Audre Lorde that, "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." Taking action is important, showing up for others is invaluable. But if we don't show up for ourselves first, then we are actually putting a burden on those who we are trying to help. By filling our cup first, we're better able to show up to do the work. And the work matters more than ever right now.

- Danielle

Yoga schedule this week

Sunday 6.14 Zoom Restorative 5 pm Registration Link 
Tuesday 6.16 Zoom Yoga 8 pm Registration Link
Sunday 6.21 Zoom Restorative 5 pm Registration Link 
 

The Starfish Story
By City Year

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,

“Well, I made a difference to that one!”

The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and said. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved.

- adapted from the Star Thrower by Loren C. Eiseley

What if 2020 isn't cancelled?

I have had a hard time planning yoga classes this week. There's so much important work happening that I can't just ignore it. Do I focus on taking action? On presence? On faith? Everything felt so small and privileged. It's irresponsible for me to not see how lucky I am to be teaching yoga. There are people dying and there's important work to do, and I'm over here as a white girl teaching yoga? There's more I can, and should be doing. But, along with donating to BLM causes, signing petitions, and educating myself, I also have an opportunity to share the gift of yoga and presence, which are so needed right now. 

So, this week, we're focusing on loving-kindness. Not in a 'love and light' spiritual bypassing way, but truly taking responsibility for ourselves. Loving ourselves, sending love to those at the center of the hurt right now, and hopefully making the world a more loving, kind place. We can only help others if we heal ourselves first, and the world could use some more love right now. 

- Danielle

Yoga schedule this week

Sunday 6.7 Zoom Restorative Yoga 5 pm Link
Tuesday 6.9 Zoom Yoga Flow 8 pm Link 
Sunday 6.14 Zoom Restorative 5 pm Link 

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What if 2020 isn't cancelled?
By Leslie Dwight

What if 2020 isn't cancelled? 
What if 2020 is the year we've been waiting for? 
A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw - 
that it finally forces us to grow.
A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us from our ignorant slumber.
A year we finally accept the need for change.
Declare change. Work for change. Become the change. 
A year we finally band together, instead of
pushing each other further apart.

2020 isn't cancelled, but rather
the most important year of them all. 

How to breathe when you want to give up

What a week this has been. We have been reminded, yet again, of the inequities in our world. It is heavy, it is sad, it is overwhelming. It would be easy to turn our heads and think that it's too hard. But it's a privilege to look away.
Our neighbors, friends and loved ones deserve more than that. So, this week, we're learning to sit with the hurt and do the small actions that we can to use our privilege for good. By not looking away, by donating to justice organizations, by having brave conversations.
I'm adding a restorative class this week and am sending you love. 

Yoga schedule this week

Tuesday 6.2 Zoom Yoga Flow 8 pm Link 
Sunday 6.7 Zoom Restorative Yoga 5 pm Link

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How to breathe when you want to give up
by Cleo Wade

Today I am breathing through fatigue, fear and  feeling overwhelmed. 
I breathe because when I breathe, I am reminded that I am alive. 
I am reminded that to be able to fill my body with air means that I have the ability to keep going. 
I am reminded that my time on earth may be short, but it can be powerful if I dedicate it to love and fairness. 
When I breathe, I am reminded of Mary Oliver when she wrote: “tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” 
So I breathe. And I let my breath turn into a smile that says back to her: “as much as I can.” 

Last day of exploration

Today is my last day of freedom in San Francisco. I don’t leave for a few weeks but will need to pack and have family in town, so it was my last day of exploration.  

It is amazing to reflect on how much my time in California has shaped me. Before coming here I was reliant on others. Now I am so independent that I prefer having time to myself. I had more fun exploring on my own terms than the energy it would have required to coordinate with others. And because of that I was able to go to three museums today. 

Not only did I finally experience the wonders of the Museum of Ice Cream, I also saw the Cable Car museum and the fortune cookie factory. All in less than two hours. 

Creating The Age of Aquarius

I love this TED Talk about how we are in the Age of Aquarius. We no longer need to compete against each other so much. There is space for collaboration and hope. And that brings me so much hope.

Having faith in love

I’m tired of living in a fear mindset. For my adult life I have been trying to control everything. I have thought that I can only succeed by accomplishing more on my to do list and putting myself in the right places. My faith in fear has made me accomplish so much but it stifles me. I have to make myself small to fit into situations. I never do the creative things that I care about because I think I don’t have time, because personal development is always the last thing on the to do list. This weekend I paid my taxes and did laundry, but I didn’t go to yoga or blog. And then I went to bed in a bad mood because I didn’t do anything to fill myself, I just did what I needed to do.

But I’m realizing that there’s a better way. By instead having faith in fear, I can have faith in love. I can have faith in the flow of the universe. I don’t need to beat myself up in order to be successful. I can live in the flow. It doesn’t have to be so hard.

I’m still figuring out what this means in a daily practice, but just the thought makes me feel like there’s a weight lifting off of my shoulders. Which means I’m going in the right direction.

Now, my daily question is “How can I live in love today?” instead of “What do I need to accomplish in order to stay afloat?”

Quiet Power

My word of the year is quiet power. The ability to be fully present and sovereign but not competitive. Power with, not power over. Even though I know that this is the next lesson that I need to learn, I’m struggling on how to get there.

My habit, and much of western society’s default, is a masculine energy that power is finite and needs to be controlled. But it feels out of alignment for me. I’m constantly feeling like I’m forcing interactions and that I am forcing myself into a mold. I don’t want to overpower others. I have seen the wonder that comes from true teamwork and empowerment. 

I believe that there has to be a better way. There is a way to be gentle but firm. There is a way to collaborate and live in flow.  

I just finished a book on Shakti Power, the belief in the power of female energy. In the book it described that the first step of building a feminine power is embodiment. The ability to be fully present and confident in your worth. I see masculine power as insecure. It comes from a place of “I must prove myself” not a confidence from within.  

So my work right now is to tap into my inner sovereignty. Because I can’t be powerful and gentle if I don’t first build the power from within. By learning how to be embodied and confident, I am learning how to be authentic in my power. 

Japan Day 5

On our last morning in Japan, we went on a walk in the neighborhood near our hotel. We stumbled by the Rokkakudo Temple which was one of my favorite of the full trip. The temple is said to have been started by Prince Shotoku and is linked to Ikenobo, the Japanese tradition of flower arranging. The temple had a surprising number of buildings, and I loved the swans in the pond in the rear. 

Our final stop was a store that sells beautiful Buddhist prayer beads. I chose a beautiful blue and white bracelet as a final keepsake of this trip. The elderly man in the lowest photo is the one who made my bracelet.  

Japan Day 4

On the fourth day, I woke up feeling so much more rested. We met up with our guide, and took a train to the suburbs to see the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The earliest structures of the shrine were built in 711, and the gates climb up the Inari Mountain. I remembered seeing the shrine in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha, and loved the orange color. Interestingly, each of the gates is sponsored by a company or family, and is a surprisingly sustainable financial model. 

After walking through the shrine, we walked through several neighborhoods, including finding a store selling the cutest cookies.  

In the evening, we went to the Gion District to go Geisha Spotting. There is a house where all of the geishas and maikos visit at the start of their evening, so by standing on one corner we were able to see many of them. Maikos start their training to become geishas at 15 years old, and undergo years of training on dance, playing music and entertainment. There is a western misconception that geishas are a form of prostitution but it is truly an entertainment profession. 

Japan Day 3

On the third day in Japan, the jet lag hit me like a ton of bricks. I wanted to see so many things, but I couldn’t get my body to move. I had to work really hard to forgive myself for missing out - I had traveled so long that it was frustrating to need to rest. But I knew that I had to listen to my body to prevent getting sick. I ended up staying in bed for almost 24 hours before I felt like myself again. And even though it meant that I missed out on seeing a bamboo forest, it also meant that I could care for myself. And that’s all that really matters. 

Japan Day 2

On our second day in Japan we had the benefit of a tour guide through my mom’s travel agent, Audley Travel. Our guide Duncan was able to take us to so many interesting places and traveling was so much more smooth without having to figure out where we were going. Duncan met us at our hotel at 9:30 and immediately we walked around the neighborhood. He brought us to a broom store that was founded in 1818. The store has been owned by the same family for the full time, and had the most impressive handmade brooms and brushes that I had ever seen. 

We then walked to the Yasmin Konpiragu Shrine, a shrine for creating and breaking relationships. Each person takes a piece of paper and writes what they are trying to release on one side and their future state on the other. All then stand in line to greet the shrine. Each person crawls through the shrine twice to bring a new way of being.  

We then took a cab to see the Yasaka Pagoda and walked through Ninenzaka Street. Ninenzaka Street is a traditional pedestrian free street with souvenir stores. I enjoyed imagining what Japan looked like before the invention of electricity and cars, and was especially amused by the signs for Starbucks. 

We then walked to the Grand Gate Chionin Temple. This temple is famous for scenes for the movie The Last Samurai.  

We ended the day in Teramichi Street, the indoor shopping center near our hotel. We found yet another shrine, and a hundreds year old stationary store. We then went back to the hotel to rest before dinner. 

Japan Day 1

This week, I traveled to Japan to meet my mom for a week long vacation in Kyoto. My mom was in the midst of an epic travel circling the globe, and I met her for her last international country. It was my first time flying internationally by myself and the furthest I have ever traveled. And, now that I have traveled so far, I am hooked. 

After 24 hours of connecting flights, I made it to the hotel and went straight to bed.  

The next morning, we took a bus to the northern suburbs to find Kinkaku-Ji, the Golden Pavilion. The Golden Pavilion dates back to 1397 but was burned and destroyed several times. The current structure was built in 1955 and is coated in gold leaf. It truly took my breath away when I first saw it and loved the surrounding grounds. 

After exploring the Golden Pavilion, we walked ten minutes down the street to the Ryoan-Ji. Ryoan-Ji is a zen temple with a beautiful rock garden. There are a total of fifteen stones in the garden, but the viewer can only see fourteen at once. 

Our final exploration of the day was the Ninnaji Temple further down the road. The temple was founded in AD 888 and is a Buddhist head temple. The temple grounds were filled with impressive buildings, including a Five story pagoda. I could not photograph my favorite building, which was a room with hundreds of golden dieties. I won’t forget the peace of the room anytime soon. 

A weekend of magic

This weekend, I visited two of my yoga friends in Denver for a weekend of snow adventures and deep connections. The three of us met at Soul Camp, and have become close friends since.

It was so restorative to spend time with people who truly saw me. For the entire weekend we had true connection, and had conversations about our hopes and dreams and fears. It made me realize how powerful friendships can be when you give space for vulnerability.

I have often read that the best way to crush burnout is to fill your life with more moments of joy, and it is so true. Even though I was sleep deprived, I was so much more energized at work today. By spending time doing what brings me joy and filling me up, I was able to give so much more.