Accident?  Coincidence?  Destiny?  Fate?  All roads lead to Rome?  Chicken?  Egg?  Trees?  Forest?

A few weeks ago, I arrived at Studio Shakta for our 8:00am session of Yoga Teacher Training.  There was a hiccup in our schedule, which left us to entertain ourselves for a few hours.  I was hungry for an asana practice, and decided to take Candace Gossen’s Forest Yoga class in the studio room next to the teacher training room. 

Candace was gone that day, and had coordinated with Pat Thomas to teach the class.  Double bonus for me...as I was about to receive a yummy sequencing gift…and I was experiencing another new instructor to blog about and share with you.

Gifting!  Receiving!  Re-Gifting! 

Pat Thomas, a Forest Yoga Instructor…greets you with genuine love and kindness.  Pat exudes a spirit and teaching style that oozes “I am here to pass on the gifts of yoga!”

The sequence was grounding, challenging, and inspiring.  My favorite part of the sequence was a yummy poetic dance that we flowed through many times, each time providing deeper levels of rhythm and flow.  The dance is memorable…I have talked about it and practiced it many times since...and will re-gift in upcoming 2012 classes.

Hiccups are just gifts in disguise. 

Tis the season…Give!  Receive!  Re-Gift!

Pantanjali…told me…to tell you…"Caitlin Uzzell is a MUST in your weekly yoga practice!" Caitlin’s birthday is today and a palindrome…11-22-11

A few month ago, I was sitting in a yoga class next to a woman who I had never seen before…she was balanced, strong, and flexible…she was without a doubt a very advanced yoga practitioner!  At the end of class, she was super gracious with her words to me…

She:  “I enjoyed practicing next to you.” 

Me:  “Likewise! Are you a dancer?” 

She:  “Nope, a yoga teacher.”

Me:  “Ah, that explains it!  Where do you teach?”

She:  “New to town…”

We chatted for a brief moment, exchanged names, and into the world we went.  Then one day I saw her name on the schedule at www.StudioShakta.com.  “Yay…that’s the woman I met…but 6:00am is not in my vocabulary!”  So I put her in my “maybe one day” mental file! 

Then just last week, I was looking for a last minute solution to get my yoga fix, and was checking out a variety of yoga studio websites, and I found Caitlin’s name at www.BreatheDenver.com for a 7:15pm Yin Yang Yoga class!

Yes…PM registers in my brain and body!

She greeted me at the door just like we were old friends!  We had a couple of chuckles as we waited for the class to start.  We headed into the “womb” which is the yoga room downstairs at Breathe, below their spin-cycle area.

I have practiced many times before at Breathe, but this was my first experience with both Caitlin and Yin Yang!  The space was gorgeous with candle light only.  The music was tribal’esque and I continued to notice the sounds of a “rain stick”…which I have never let a rain stick go untouched when seeing them in stores or umbrella stands…have you?

Loving the visualization of how I will integrate a Rain Stick into my yoga classes…coming in 2012.  Loving how deeply wise and intelligent Caitlin is.  Loving that my adventure has landed me into a class that is totally outside my norm.

I know…I know…I know…you want me to explain what Yin Yang Yoga is!

 “Restorative for VATA and PITTA”  (restorative with a pinch of cayenne Caitlin)

Peeps…get out of the box…be adventurous with your practice…explore new teachers, studios, classes!

“Caitlin is your earthly source to attaining true inner liberation!”  – Pantanjali

www.FindingGraceYoga.com

My “one week yoga retreat to San Francisco” that manifested itself right here in Denver was a yummy gift from Root Yoga…a delicious adventure that opened my practice to a new studio and new instructors.

Rachel Ahalt was the grand finale of my free week at Root Yoga.  Rachel is “the girl next door” who will up-level your yoga practice in one session!  Pony tail, country music, athletic, strong, and a themed message of love.

Twisting, bending, strengthening, intensifying practice…that landed me in “surya yantrasana” = Sun Dial Pose.

Wowzer…both sides of my body played nice and indulged me with experiencing this very intense pose.

One of the books I am reading for the Yoga Teacher Training is “The Trance of Scarcity” by Victoria Castle.  Yesterday, each member of our tribe picked a quote from the book…this one spoke to me:

“Here is the amazing truth: You don’t attract what you want, or even what you deserve…You attract what you expect.” – Victoria Castle

Yes, I find myself surprisingly thrilled when I accomplish new or challenging poses…yet I expect that my body knows how to follow the instructions of a guided sequence, and I expect that my body will perform the pose it has been prepared for.

Rachel has the confident voice and language that guides you through a challenging sequence and lands you gracefully into an intense pose.  She uses powerful words and cues to get you there.  She radiates the attitude of “You Can, You Will…You Did!”

Go rock out some yoga with Rachel Ahalt!

www.RootYogaCenter.com

Angels are amongst us!  Yes…its true, and I found one at Root Yoga.  However, there is a warning…never let the kind eyes and smile fool you…they will kick your ass every time!

Just saying it like it happened!  I arrived for a second adventure at Root Yoga, was greeted with angelic eyes, smile, and “hello” from Kate Drazner.  Being that it was Monday night, and I was just coming down from a 3-day-teacher-training-high, I was like “oh yeah…this is the girl for me!”

Less than 10-minutes into the sequence I said “Oh Krishna…she is Shannon in disguise…abort mission!”

Of course I stayed, endured, and laughed my way through the torture chamber.  Came out the other side asking for more! 

Put it together peeps…Aries+Fire+3^rd Born=

Kate truly is a Yoga Angel!  Talented beyond words…go see for yourself tonight at “Friday Night Yoga Club” at Kindness Yoga (Broadway).  The teacher is Julieta Claire, and the MUSIC is KATE DRAZNER & Dakini Ma.  www.FridayNightYogaClub.com

Angel, Earth Angel…will you please chant:  “Om Gam Ganapataye Namo Namah”

She did!  I’m still mesmerized!

Angel, Earth Angel…will you please cue me into new poses:  “Reverse Birds of Paradise”, “Twisted Pigeon”

She did!  I’m twisted to the twisted!

Hmmm…she must be VATA!  Tall, slender, Angelic, likes “bird” poses, sings like a bird!

www.KateDrazner.com

OH MY EVERYTHING!!!  What a night this was!  Not only did I get to hang out with 4 of my yogi family members from Shakta (Kelley, Roberto, Amy, Andrea)…I also got to reconnect with the Luminous Lisa Schlelein, discovered a yoga studio that is luxurious with colors/fabrics/amenities/service/community, was indulged with live music from Jim Beckwith, and to boot…I enjoyed great food/wine/conversation with Amy at CafeBar!

Lisa is genuinely luminous!  I loved her when I met her a few years ago, and I am deeply in love with her now!  Open-hearted is an understatement for this woman who any being can instantly feel a connection with.  Lisa is gifted with a style of speaking and teaching that is untouchable…and even if she said nothing, you would still feel completely illuminated being in the same room with her…heck, within 100 mile radius of her.  Yup…she is all that and a bag of chips!

Bhakti Yoga is a style of class that Roberto & Kelley claim to be their “favorite” class, and that is how this evening came to be on the line-up for my “weekly yoga adventure field trips.”  Gracias Gracias Gracias Senor Roberto and Senorita Kelley…eternamente agradecido que usted me regaló una noche inolvidable!

The Bhakti class is normally taught by Katrina Gustafson (owner/operator of Karma), but the stars were lined up for Lisa to be teaching that night.  I will definitely return to meet and experience the highly recommended Katrina, and to utilize the free class pass I have (new students…pay the $15 drop-in for your first class and receive a free class pass for your next visit).

Karma, the studio, is D-Licious!  Serious Yumm-O to the Yum!  The décor is rich and luxurious.  When you walk in the front door, you will be mesmerized at the community meditation room.  There are so many wonderful things to say about the design and setup of this studio…that it requires an article of its own…so just go check it out for yourself, and be prepared for a major “WOW Factor!”

www.karmayogacenter.com

Loving the Abundance of Tribe and Love!

Invigorating scents coming from Savory Spice is literally the first thing I notice when I open the loft style door leading to my mini San Francisco getaway right here in Denver!

Root Yoga Center...the studio is gorgeous:  green walls, huge windows, plants, old radiators, brick, hardwood, delicious smells, inspiring photos…the architecture and vibe truly felt like I was inside a San Francisco yoga studio!

Located on Platte Street along with REI, Vitamin Cottage, Mona’s, Savory Spice…the river, park, bridges are all right there along with too many to list…restaurants, bars, shops, etc!  Super hip neighborhood!

The infamous Cheryl Deer checked me in.  It had been almost two years since I last saw her and took her class at a different studio.  I was so excited to take class with her again and receive her teachings. 

BONUS...the website on that morning said “first class is free”…when I got there, Cheryl indulged me with the current information of “first week is free!”  (the website now reflects FREE WEEK…so get there, be there, practice there, extend your yoga family there).

Cheryl is one of my favorite, most gifted, most talented yoga teachers!  She is sweet, loving, funny, and generous!

Root has 35 classes each week on their current schedule, open 7 days a week.  In addition to Cheryl, I have also been taught by Michelle Weldon and Emily Moore (at other studios) whom you will find on the Root schedule, and they too are absolutely fantastic.

This week I plan to utilize the remainder of my free-week at Root by experiencing 3 new teachers…Kate Drazner, Rachel Ahalt, and Sarah Weight.

Thank you Cheryl Deer and Root Yoga Center for gifting me with what truly feels like a “one week yoga retreat to San Francisco!”

5:55am…alarm #1 on the cell phone goes off to the ring-tone of “arabesque”…I naturally click snooze, knowing that I will fall back asleep…“broadway” set on alarm #2 and #3 will get my bahante jazzed up and out of bed by 6:20 at the latest.

Laughter Fact #1…this silly ritual is 20 years old

My life has been rearranged over the years to avoid such silliness…but on occasion I do set the alarm.  Tuesday was such an occasion.  I set the alarm to make sure I didn’t miss the highly anticipated 8:00am Laughing Yoga at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Laughter Fact #2…drinking coffee and brushing teeth takes me 2 hours

Highly anticipated for a few reasons:  A. If you know me at all, you can imagine the look on my face when I found out there was such a thing as Laughing Yoga.  B. The night before this adventure, I was at City O’ City with a group of yogi friends, whom brought me to tears just talking about what might actually shake down on this adventure.

Laughter Fact #3…in 1997, a boyfriend took me golfing for the first time, he kept saying “stop laughing!”…golf and boyfriend still remain in 1997!

Gwenny “Granny G”, my neighbor, had accepted my public invitation to travel with me to Laughing Yoga where we would meet fellow yogi and Teacher Trainee, Cori, for this week’s yoga field trip.  Granny G drove us in her hybrid car, parked in the underground lot at the gardens, made our way to the lobby, and started chatting it up with other laughing vets and virgins. 

Laughter Fact #4…”Granny G” is married to “The D Man”…I have a “Baby Daddy”

Deb Whittaker, Laughing Yoga Instructor, arrives and leads us into the room while laughing.  I have no idea what she is laughing about, but follow her like any well behaved black sheep would.  Deb explains the sign-in process, to consult your doctor first if you have any ailing concerns, and then lists all the potential health hazards we are about to be confronted with.

Laughter Fact #5…the list is long and requires a liability-waiver form signature

Laughing is an understatement for this one hour journey!  Let’s be real people…belly busting roars, gut gashing giggles, super squealing screams…plus jibber-jabber, elevator ride, cowboys, drunks, theatrical runway, Princess Di….much more that I cannot recall, but insist that you go and find out for yourself!

Laughter Fact #6…hold the “joker-smile” for 18 seconds and you will literally be baked/stoned all day

Deb is one of many Laughing Yoga instructors in Denver, so you can easily find a time and location that works for you.  I personally recommend you bring lots of friends, family, neighbors, even strangers.  Share the power of laughter!  A level of laughter that can heal individuals and communities!

Laughter Fact #7…”Laughter Yoga with the Baked Kitchen”…is patent pending

Check it out…Get Baked!

www.LaughterYoga.org

www.DenverLaughs.com

www.BotanicGardens.org

Janet Casson & Pearl Street Yoga

Excited for the adventure to begin, I left the house with plenty of time to accommodate traffic and parking.  The drive was fast and easy which gifted me time to fall in love all over again with South Pearl Street’s ambiance, shops, and restaurants.  I rode the strip a few times and realized that the abundance of things to do and see was building a level of excitement not conducive to driving, so time to park.

Parking was a cinch in the lot right outside Pearl Street Yoga’s front door.  Grabbed all the necessities…mat, money, water…and headed into the studio.  Being greeted with a friendly hello and the smell of a soft incense was welcome enough for me, but the welcome wagon at Pearl Street Yoga goes above and beyond...they literally give you the gift of yoga…your first class is FREE!  This was such a delightful surprise, as I had checked out their website for prices and came prepared to pay a $15 drop-in.

Sitting in the office area of the studio to fill out the usual form allowed me a mini meet-n-greet with the instructor, Janet Casson, as she checked in all the arriving students.  Her smooth and loving energy transferred to me instantly.  My brain was creating a list of peeps to be grateful to for telling me about this studio…Tracey, Amy, Ann!   I could have sat there forever enjoying the best decorated yoga office ever, and the consistent flow of students beaming with genuine positive energy.

Me to Myself…”What is this place, who are these people, how have I never been here before?”

Amy had arrived, witnessed the enjoyment I receive just from being around cool cats, hugged me, and said “give me your mat!”  Thank you Amy for grabbing my mat, placing it next to yours, and setting me up with the best spot in the house. 

Shuffling from the office to my mat, I received a personal greeting from the studio owner, Barbara “Babs”, who had already pre-greeted me through facebook after hearing about my adventure.  It was awesome meeting the woman who not only created this studio, but this same woman pre-planned dinner for her family by having a stew on the stove and a timer set to go off every 15 minutes so her daughter remembered to stir it…so she too could practice with this unforgettable tribe!

Me to Myself…”Don’t ever tell Baby-Daddy that women like her still exist…you will get booted!”

Janet pulls the tribe into a unified rhythm by getting our breath and bodies flowing.   The sequence continues to build and evolve… warmer, warmer, hotter, yummier!  I’m totally into this…but still somehow my brain wandered into decorating la-la land…

Me to Myself…”What a clever way to have mirrors in a yoga studio, by hanging semi-sheer curtains in front of them to look like windows, yet have the option of actual mirrors when needed.”

Yeah…did you not get the geeky part from last week?

Janet reignites my focus with a partner exercise inside her sequence.   I partnered with the wicked cool cat next to me (not Amy, the other one whose name I don’t recall) and integrated the strap prop with downward dog to accomplish the pose at a degree of floating.

The sequencing journey continues with preparatory postures leading up and into Hand Stand! 

My yoga adventure concludes on this evening with legs-up-the-wall.  My conversation with Janet concludes with knowledge that she teaches Children’s Music and her man is a Sommelier!

Me to Myself…”Sista from another Mista!”

Find your way to Janet Casson:

Yoga Teacher   www.JanetCasson.com

Kids Music   www.RockyMtnAardvarks.com

Find your way to Pearl Street Yoga  www.PearlStreetYoga.com

Last week I announced my newest adventure was to experience a new yoga instructor every week and then blog about it.  This was shared on facebook while asking for direction on how to get the party started from my yogi family.  Super-duper-shout-outs to Tali and Nora for recommending Chris Muchow at Amala Yoga Community for my first yoga field trip.  Hugs to Laurie for linking me to this blog site.

This is what shook down on Thursday…

Arriving for the 5:30 class with Chris Muchow at Amala Yoga Community, I easily found a parking spot thanks to their website that offered parking options in the neighborhood.   The beyond amazing smells coming from the bakery below this yoga studio led me right to the corner of 13^th & Sherman.   Tempted to stay on the street level  eating baked goods and people watching, a yogic whisper said “get your bahante to class!”

Officiallly at the door of 1280 Sherman Street, I buzzed #206, since my butler and their doorman were both at City O’ City.  Climbed the stairs, turned a few corners, saw a cute boy in the hallway..

Cute Boy:  “Are you here for…?”

Me:  “Yoga”

Cute Boy:  “Great” (pointing to the room)

Me:  “I’m Shirlene”

Cute Boy:  “I’m Chris”

Whisper:  “Don’t act surprised, you know the cuties are always Taken! Gay! Or your yoga teacher!”

Focusing back on my field trip, I get undressed in the hallway and enter the yoga studio with mat/water/$12, sign some waiver form that only Krishna knows what it says, placed my mat near the window overlooking 13^th, and began admiring the décor of yummy curtains and perfect shade of yellow walls.  Decorating is always a distraction!

Nora sat next to me and indulged me with a few minutes of pre-class-chat!  My eyes zoned in on her oober cool earth friendly glass water container!  Many times over the next 90 minutes my brain pondered water containers!  The Geek who lives inside my head is always a distraction!

Chris began the class.  You know in an instant the world is a better place because this man who radiates a genuine sweet soul has chosen to teach and share yoga.  He opens by sharing a holiday that lights so many candles, a satellite view of India is breath taking!  My mind has wandered again, wondering how many years/books/classes will it take for me to feel like a knowledgeable yogi.  Wanting it all right NOW is always a distraction.

The class progressed with a challenging sequence that kept the whisper saying “this guy is kicking your bahante!”  Down Dog truly is a “resting” pose!  I was totally digging this teacher, the studio, the peeps, the décor, and the urban hum through the windows and floor boards!  Loving it so much, it dawned on me that there was no competing music in the room.   Normally, I love and maybe even expect the teacher to inspire me with a playlist they spent days cultivating.  On this adventure…I was deeply happy with the music that just was!

Chris’s sequence prepared us for a few ultra challenges, of which two ended up being easier for me to maneuver than ever before.  Nora helped me put words to this…”Chris is a Master Cue Giver!”

urdhva-dhanurasana / chakra-asana / wheel / raised bow

suptavīrāsana / reclined hero

The sequence was coming to a close, and śavāsana was approaching.  We were in seated meditation, which is where I chose to stay and continue inhaling the luxury of this adventure.  All six senses were beyond nirvana.

Gift yourself with this experience:  Chris Muchow, Amala Yoga Community, 1280 Sherman Street #206, www.amalacommunity.org, $12 drop-in.

Abundance, Love, Tribe!

5:30pm tonight kicks off my newest adventure..."Experience a new yoga instructor every week!"  Tonight's adventure is a double-decker, as the instructor AND studio are both new to me:  Chris Muchow at Amala Yoga in Denver.

This adventure is tied to another exciting journey that begins on Friday, Yoga Teacher Training at Studio Shakta in Denver.

Shakta is my second home.  I practice there many times a week and LOVE every instructor on the schedule.  The seed was planted recently to explore five instructors at other studios, but why stop at 5.  My life schedule over the next 3 months provides me the opportunity to check out new instructors on a weekly basis.

The invitiation is open to all.  Join me at Shakta.  Join me on my weekly field trips. 

Send me invites to join you at a yoga class in Denver Metro!

Spread the invites far and wide!  The yogi community is the greatest family ever!