crater lake yoga

Susan Cox and me in Reverse Warrior

I do yoga just about everywhere I go. Over the weekend, I was camping at Crater Lake when I met this super sweet travel nurse from Asheville, NC. She commented on my pigeon pose, so I asked her if she'd like to join me and she did! Her name was Susan Cox and she had a fun and warm spirit. I love to inspire others through yoga!

monday

This week's class schedule:

• Tuesday, 8/31: McLoughlin Super Sport 24, 5:30pm
• Wednesday, 9/1: Murray Scholls 24, 5:45am & McLoughlin Super Sport 24, 7:30pm
• Friday, 9/3: Murray Scholls 24, 5:45am & McLoughlin Super Sport 24, 5:30pm

Last week was my last week teaching the Friday noon class at McLoughlin Super Sport, and this will be my last week teaching the Friday 5:30pm class there. So sorry to have to let those classes go! I was only subbing, so they were never mine to begin with, but I felt a great connection with all of you who practiced with me during those times and look forward to seeing you in some of my other classes. 

I spent the weekend camping with friends in Crater Lake National Park. I've got some great photos and stories coming very soon!

Namaste!
Tami

wednesday

How To Make A Beautiful Life.

Love yourself.
Make peace with who you are and where you are at this moment in time.

Listen to your heart.
If you can't hear what it's saying in this noisy world, MAKE TIME for yourself.
Enjoy your own company.
Let your mind wander among the stars.

Try. Take chances.
Make mistakes. Life can be messy and confusing at times, but it's also full of surprises.
The next rock in your path might be a stepping-stone.

Be happy.
When you don't have what you want, want what you have.
MAKE DO.
That's a well kept secret of contentment.

There aren't any shortcuts to tomorrow.
You have to make your own way.
To know where you're going is only part of it.
You need to know where you've been, too. And if you ever get lost, don't worry.
The people you love will find you.
Count on it.

Life isn't days and years. It's about what you do with time.
And all the goodness and grace that's inside you.

Make a beautiful life....
The kind of life you deserve.

This poem was on the card my father gave me for my nineteenth birthday. I found it to be incredibly beautiful and it really resonated with me at the time. I was in college, and feeling pretty out of touch with myself. I don't always save cards, but I did save this one. I tucked it away in a box somewhere and eventually forgot about it. A few years later when I was 22, I took a restorative yoga workshop with Arlene Bjork at Grace Yoga in Richmond. It was a blissful two hour practice. At the end of class, Arlene read this poem. Again, I loved it so much, but (silly me) I didn't recognize it. I asked her after class where it came from, and she told me that it came from a birthday card she'd bought for her daughter. I didn't remember that I, too, had received this lovely birthday card until months later when I was sorting through my things just before my big cross-country move. I opened a box and there it was- complete with a hand written note from my dad. It now hangs on my bedroom wall right next to my bed. 

This poem found its way into my life two different times when I seemed to need it most. Are there any quotes, words, poems or stories that really resonate with you? If you're interested in sharing, I would love to hear them!

sunday

Julia & Tami in warrior one

As we were taking this photo, a man walked by and smiled at our little impromptu yoga session on Mississippi Avenue. We're spreading the love! I'm telling you, folks- yoga can be done anytime, anyplace, no fancy clothes, mat or studio needed! We have so many parks and beautiful outdoor areas here in Portland, so why not grab a friend and take your practice outside?

Next week's class schedule:

• Monday, 8/23: McLoughlin Super Sport 24, 7:30pm
• Tuesday, 8/24: McLoughlin Super Sport 24, 5:30pm
• Wednesday, 8/25: Murray Scholls 24, 5:45am & McLoughlin Super Sport 24, 7:30pm
• Friday, 8/27: Murray Scholls 24, 5:45am & McLoughlin Super Sport 24, 12:00pm* & 5:30pm

*This will be my last week teaching the Friday noon class at McLoughlin Super Sport.

fish bowl

If you've practiced with me recently, you may have heard me talk about the fish bowl. It's a pretty interesting little analogy, but I find it helpful (especially when practicing any variation of warrior).

It's quite simple. Let me explain:
Your pelvic area is shaped like a bowl. Imagine that you could fill it with water and place an adorable little goldfish in there (like the one pictured above, let's call him Merv). In poses like warrior two or mountain, we sometimes have a tendency to stick our tailbones out, giving Merv the opportunity to spill out onto the floor. If we tuck our tailbones under and lift our frontal hip points, Merv is safe (and more importantly, we are in proper alignment).

So there you have it. Next time you're practicing with me and I ask that you tuck your tail bone under, I hope you will remember this story and smile.

Have a wonderful weekend! It's a beautiful day for some outdoor yoga!

Namaste :)

friday

Today's playlist:

• Thievery Corporation- Until The Morning
• Zero 7- Destiny
• Broken Bells- The High Road
• Broken Bells- October
• Thievery Corporation- Lebanese Blonde
• Telepopmusik- Breathe
• Suzzanne Vega- Tom's Diner
• The Album Leaf- Perro
• Sigur Ros- Flugufrelsarinn
• Ryan Adams- Night Birds
• MC Yogi (ft. Sharon Gannon)- Krishna Dub
• Plastic Nebraska- (unknown)
• Willie Nelson- Hallelujah

thursday

Good evening, yogis! Tonight is a good night. I am currently working on a couple of new playlists for class, and am very happy to announce that starting Saturday, September 11 I will be teaching the 7:00 am yoga class at Hollywood 24 Hour Fitness.

I hope to see you at one of my three classes tomorrow:

• Murray Scholls 24 Hour Fitness 5:45 am
• McLoughlin Super Sport 24 Hour Fitness 12:00 pm
• McLoughlin Super Sport 24 Hour Fitness 5:30 pm

"By the practice of meditation, you will find that you are carrying within your heart a portable paradise."
-Paramahansa Yogananda