Hi there, fellow yogi ~
I hope you have all that you need to stay cool this summer – a friend to vent to, some space to practice lunar moon salutations to calm the body, and a freezer to transform leftover smoothies into popsicles. If you’ve got all that but you still feel your pitta dosha (aka in Ayurveda, the part of you that is fiery, sometimes in a good and productive way….but also sometimes in an overly perfectionistic and demanding way) blazing through your body and threatening to burn down anything in its path, well, welcome to the club. Summer is high pitta time, and I’ve felt myself jumping to conclusions and simmering in anger and anxiety. To counteract this, I’m trying to notice and accept how I feel, turn the heat down by not taking myself too seriously, and practice cooling twists, heart-opening backbends, anger-releasing side bends. Jump-backs and hopping into handstands? Eh, maybe not until I have to wear layers outside again.
Other cool things:
- Extend Yoga yogis raised over $300 to support the Orlando victims fund at my Flow for Orlando class. Maha gratitude to you all & see you at 9:30 and noon on Monday, July 4th.
- Listen & Feel Heard - This Terry Gross interview with Tony Hale, who you may remember as Buster from Arrested Development. I found his story - of not feeling present during one of the most conventionally “successful” periods of his life, and recognizing that he needed to practice contentment where he was - real and refreshing. If you’ve never listened to Fresh Air with Terry Gross, what are you waiting for? Her voice is eerily similar to Tara Brach’s and she radiates warmth, curiosity, and wisdom. And if you’ve never gone to Tara Brach’s meditation class in Bethesda (or listened to her podcast)…it’s gonna be on break July 13-27, so go this week.
- Work-in with Yin - Remember how I had a lot of weekend classes subbed out over the last few months so I could marinate in Yael Flusberg’s Yin Yoga Teacher Training? Fantastic news – I’ll have a class dedicated to sharing all the juicy yin goodness with you starting July 13 at Blue Heron Wellness in Silver Spring. Practice runs Wednesdays from 1:30-2:45 p.m., as beloved yinster Machelle Lee (who is opening a yoga studio in New Brunswick) teaches her last regular class July 6. Thankfully, she’ll be back for workshops!
- Got an extra mat or spare props? I’m starting a new gentle yoga class for the seniors at So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E.)’s Kuehner House, and the yoga program could use your gently used yoga gear. If you’re coming to any of my public classes this month and have a spare mat, bring it, and I will give it a good home. If you’re a yoga teacher interested in assisting this class, or learning how to teach in this kind of environment, please contact me at emily.star.yoga@gmail.com. I’m familiar with the joys and challenges of teaching in supportive housing, and would love to help you share yoga in this way. If you are interested in off-the-mat service, also drop me a line – I’m still working on ways to bring yogis together through community service projects, and will have more to share soon.
- Last, but not least, a great way to decompress is to cut loose with music that's too groovy (read: umm, explicit/wordy/loud) for me to play during yoga. That’s right, it’s the Not Safe For Yoga (NSFY) July Playlist:
all love,
emily