We arrived in Guatemala City together on a Friday night, worlds away from the cold March air in Seattle. Jenny Hayo had convinced me of the power of this remote location on an enormous lake beneath two towering volcanos. She had taken two previous groups to Lake Atitlan and was my tour guide en route to the retreat we were leading at Villa Sumaya.

In March 2010 I was ready for a vacation. 8 Limbs Phinney Ridge had opened the previous fall, after a complete built-out that had drained me on all accounts. I had concerns about teaching on a retreat when in need of one, but by the time I arrived on the dock of Villa Sumaya, the hours of travel without having to juggle work, care for my children, cooking, and the rest of it left me relaxed and ready to find the balance that one has to when leading a retreat – the give and take that we as yoga teachers are always dancing with.

Most of the group joining us had also spent the previous night in Antigua, the “old city” and former capitol of Guatemala, a beautiful cobblestone and bright walled town full of old-world charm, not unlike the French Quarter of New Orleans. Before meeting for a group van to the lake, many of us made out way to a local café for huevos and coffee and some last wi-fi coverage. We could see the surrounding volcanos from the streets, bougainvillea climbing out of the walled courtyards that lined the sidewalks. I left an out-of-reach outgoing message on my cell phone to enable me to fully unplug for the entire week and enjoyed a delicious breakfast, completed by fried plaintains.

By plane, taxi, van, and finally boat, we stepped off of our last leg of travel into a garden paradise with innumerable textures of growth and tile winding up the hill from the clear lake. After a tour we each settled into our rooms, all overlooking the lake and its counterpoints, the volcanos, which were more stunning than photographs can show. I was most taken by the gardens just below our rooms, complete with hammocks, wooden lounge chairs, and a covered area for those seeking shade.

Each morning we rose before dawn in silence, a couple of us tapping on one another’s doors to walk quietly to and from the lake for a wakeup plunge. AM practice led into breakfast, after which silence was broken and we all enjoyed time to explore the lake, read on the lawn, or nap. Some days were lazy, others included excursions to neighboring towns to better experience the rich Guatemalan culture and lovely people surrounding the lake. All of our transportation was by boat or foot, a welcome change for us urbanites. Every afternoon we would again gather in the yoga temple for lecture and practice on the Koshas, before dinners on the terrace, surrounded by flowers and vines.

By the end of the week I had shed every last stitch of stress and control. After a bodywork session in the “Buddha Hut” I experienced a deep emotional and physical release, one that lasted for days and ushered in my 40^th birthday with a new freedom and perspective.

For 2011 and now 2012 we asked Douglas Ridings to take over the reins, an opportunity for this experienced teacher to share his wealth of knowledge in a more intimate and leisurely environment. Douglas Ridings and longtime 8 Limbs instructor Dawn Jansen will welcome this year’s group to the March 10-17 retreat. They are excited to usher this year’s group into their own journey of exploration and reflection.

We have extended the early registration rate through January 5 to help encourage those considering taking the plunge. Take my word for it – this place is special. Check out the photos posted on the 8 Limbs Facebook page and plan your next vacation now! More info on the retreat at www.8limbsyoga.com.

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer

Thanksgiving, by definition, is a time to give thanks, to strengthen our “attitude of gratitude” towards the many blessings in our lives. Studies have shown that gratitude has a very strong link with mental health.  Not surprisingly, people who are grateful report higher levels of well being– more happiness and less stress and depression.

This Thanksgiving I will be teaching a benefit class at the Phinney Ridge 8 LImbs in honor of the Bailey-Boushay House.  The Bailey-Boushay House offers both end-of-life care and recuperative care for people with AIDS, cancer, ALS, and other acute illnesses.  I chose to support the Bailey-Boushay House partly because it is a wonderful place that does an amazing job, and also because it is one of my secret strategies for continuing to develop my own healthy levels of gratitude.

For almost 6 years now I have been a volunteer in the Bedside Yoga Program at the Bailey-Boushay House which was started by Molly Lannon-Kenny and Stephanie Sisson of the Samarya Center. Every week I get the opportunity to spend 2 hours with the residents there.

Sometimes we “just” sit.  Sometimes we practice mindful breathing or gentle movement. I seem to give a lot of foot rubs. We are instructed to be present with the residents.  We are not there to heal or to fix.  We are there to witness, to share, to exchange. To be of service in whatever way seems appropriate at any given time.

When Molly and Stephanie first approached me about joining their program I was very reluctant. I felt afraid. I felt under prepared. I told them I was too busy to volunteer. I told them that I was worried that I would get depressed being around dying people. They smiled at my concerns and kept on insisting that I was a perfect fit for their program. Finally after a couple of years I agreed to try it, just to get them to stop asking.

Of course, they were right.  It was perfect for me.  I had no idea that giving to others could feel so good! That was a big surprise. Instead of feeling depressed and depleted I feel fed and joyful from my time spent there.

It is such an honor to be with people who are facing the end of their lives. There is such beauty, such clarity, such bravery and grace that I see on a regular basis– amongst the residents, and also amongst the wonderful staff there. It is a special sort of person who is drawn to this kind of work. I am continually inspired and humbled.

I have regularly occurring exchanges with people I encounter that leave me forever changed, for the better. Over and over I am instructed in the lessons of gratitude–I am reminded to cherish this brief life I have, to celebrate good health, to appreciate the people that I love while we are all here together. And, most importantly, the residents I meet help to prepare me for that most important and inevitable lesson, that of loving and then letting go, of my loved ones and sooner or later of my own dear life.

This lesson has become incredibly valuable to me in the past year, as I practiced letting go of my stepfather, my best friend (who I’ve known since 5th grade), my beloved grandfather, and a dear yoga teacher (and a kitten). They all died very close together and in very different ways (sickness, car accident, old age). My weekly practice of volunteering at Bailey-Boushay has really helped me to be able to hold all of that pain and loss. All those years of loving and letting go again and again were the perfect training. I have been able to sit with the pain, to breathe into it instead of trying to squash it down. To feel that love, which is eternal, is on the other side of pain, and to remember that life and death are also two parts of a whole. We are more than this body, more than these emotions, sensations and thoughts.

I am grateful to all of my loved ones, past, present, and future, and I am looking forward to being able to celebrate Thanksgiving in such a deep and beautiful way with many of you.

Posted by: Tracy Hodgeman

Tracy will teach the Thanksgiving Day Benefit Class at 8 Limbs Phinney Ridge, 9:30 – 11:00am. For a listing of the classes at all four 8 Limbs locations click here. Join Tracy for her Yoga Nidra Yoga Bliss Workshop on November 12 at 8 Limbs West Seattle. This regular offering is also scheduled for February 11 and June 23.

8 Limbs has celebrated its Birthday, or Anniversary, on what seem to be auspicious years, such as the first few (wow, we made it!), the 5th, 8th (it had to happen), 10th and now its 15th year in operation. In the past we’ve held parties, “fashion” shows, or just sent out a “YAY” email, but this year we celebrated in many ways at once: daily specials, Tweeted milestones with old photos posted to Facebook, held benefit classes on October 13 that raised over $800 for local non-profits, and the finale Free Celebration class on Saturday, October 15th at the very first room 8 Limbs occupied, Surya at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill.

Dawn Jansen, who was on the very first 8 Limbs schedule, was slated to teach the 5pm class. With Dawn still recovering from the flu 8 Limbs Owner Anne Phyfe Palmer stepped in to teach a class about shakti, which means power or capacity, and how our yoga practice can help us to build shakti, enabling us to fulfill our own personal dharma, or purpose. It takes power AND capacity to make anything big happen, whether it’s starting and sustaining a business, or finishing a masters degree, or climbing a mountain!

The class was beautifully accompanied by Stephen Fandrich, who played enormous gongs and a xylophone to support the flow of the class. The music set the tone for a contemplative and relaxing practice. Stephen plays music every Wednesday for Douglas’ 5:45 Level II-III and 7:15 Level I classes. Check them out!

The grand finale was an Odissi Dance to Shiva by 8 Limbs instructor Douglas Ridings. Douglas, who has just been chosen to participate in a national Odissi performance, was in full dress and held everyone’s attention with his movements, expressions, and Shiva-like stomps.

Thanks to all of you who joined us to celebrate this momentous day!

Posted by: 8 Limbs

Ten years ago a friend turned me on to yoga at another studio. I got way into the asana practice but the woo-woo factor was a little much for my more practical sensibilities. So I started checking out other studios. Then I found 8 Limbs.

What I found there then is what I continue to find here now – a light-filled soulful space that seems to float over the city, and an inclusive, less dogmatic approach to the non-physical teachings. I immediately felt more comfortable and, because of this, less guarded and more open to instruction.

Since then I’ve developed personal connections to instructors and practitioners alike. Many of the teachers who taught me ten years ago – Douglas, Melina, Jenny, Anne Phyfe – still do today. That consistency and their depth of knowledge has not only helped me evolve my practice but also contributed to my sense of belonging to a community of fellow practitioners. And to a connection to something larger than myself.

Despite my initial skepticism, I have over the years absorbed much of the yogic philosophy, though admittedly I’d be hard pressed to name any of it in Sanskrit. But it comes through: I am more patient, more aware of the present, more mindful of others. In short, I am a better person than I was ten years ago.

For me that’s what the 8 Limbs community is ultimately all about. Through the practice of yoga we find own way, follow our own path and reach a fuller expression of ourselves. Seattle is lucky to have such a community. I know I am.

Congratulations on 15 years of building community in Seattle.

Posted by: Dennis Montgomery

I was practicing with a teacher who moved over to 8 Limbs not long after the studio opened. When she moved out of the state shortly thereafter I stayed because the original studio is a great fall season space with the trees at the second floor windows. Over the years I have practiced with a few people trying not to jump around too much because I need a few classes with a teacher before I really started to see where they are coming from and how the practice can teach me.

Early years were very much about the physical practice and what I asana I could achieve. Maybe not the best attitude but attention to strength and alignment has helped me through a few small injuries. Thanks to Melina I even (just once) was able put my legs behind my head in tortoise pose. After taking the teacher training I realized it was about the small adjustments for me. By listening to how my body feels and where I am crunching up I have been able to get deeper in many asanas now where as I could not a few years ago.
This goes to my everyday life too. Listening to all that goes around me at home and work I have seen myself occasionally sorting through the different possibilities presented in a breath or two without jumping on to the one that may move me ahead but at a cost versus what is really a better way to move forward for me and those around me. I know I can make ice cubes, but if it is really that important to my mom that they be made with hot water, I can go back and change all the trays without feeling like cold water ice cubes are a mistake. For this I have Melina, Anne Phyfe, Douglas, Troy, Jenny and Jen to thank.

Posted by: Susan Fore

I moved to Seattle in August of 2006 and in September I found what was to become my yoga home at 8 Limbs. My first class was with Jenny and the detail of her instruction was nothing like I had experienced before. As I attended more classes with different teachers at 8 limbs I discovered this was a common thread and I signed up for a monthly membership which has graduated into an annual one.

I want to be able to practice yoga for the rest of my life and I really appreciate the expertise of the teachers at 8 Limbs. I am continually challenged by the them and continue to grow in my practice both physically and mentally. My mat is my sanctuary and that sanctuary rests very happily and comfortably at 8 Limbs.

Happy 15 year anniversary and heartfelt thanks to Anne Phyfe, Jenny, Andreas, Douglas, Dawn, Jamie, and from the past, Greg, Maygan and Troy for the inspiration and guidance with my practice and increasing love of yoga.

Namaste and Sláinte, Tom

In 1996, I took the Intro Series at 8 Limbs. I remember enjoying it, but it did not stick. 10 years later a voice spoke to me, and told me it was time to try the Intro Series again. I was led this time by Jenny Hayo, and amazingly it stuck. I soon learned there was much more to yoga than just movement. Doshas and Chakras and Sutras, oh my!

One of the first things that resonated for me in my practice I learned from Jenny, it was to be “honest with my practice”. With that information, I soon no longer worried about how my practice compared to my neighbor’s. If I’m falling all over the place, or am unable to get into a particular pose, no biggie.

As I let go into MY asana practice, things began to change for me. There was no need to feel intimidated in a yoga class. As I applied this idea to the rest of my life, I started seeing with new eyes. As I learned more about my body and mind through yoga, I began to wake up to MYSELF.

I have come to love the unfolding of each yoga class I take. Once in a while things will click in magical ways, and you can feel that something unexplainably moving has been shared in class. Some days it’s like it’s all brand new and I’ve never practiced yoga before, and other days I feel like the most bad ass yogi that has ever dropped into Ahdo Mukha Savansana.

With the confidence I have gained from my practice at 8 Limbs, I can show up at any yoga class anywhere and feel comfortable knowing that I have an established practice. As the river of life continues its mysterious flow, and I accept the inevitability of change, I feel beyond blessed to have such an amazing practice as yoga to support me in my quest for growth and self transformation. It truly all is yoga.

Posted by: Rob Nyberg

My first home in Seattle was an apartment right across the street from 8 Limbs Yoga Center on Capitol Hill. With the location being super convenient, I signed up for a membership. Right from the start, the sweetness of 8 Limbs drew me in- from walking up the narrow, red-carpeted staircase to the boutique, to the friendliness of the staff as I signed in, and of course, to the magic plant and light-filled energy of the Surya Room. After a few wonderful classes with different teachers, I began to feel excited to come back each day to go a little bit deeper. This feeling continued for years and still lives inside of me every time I step through the doors to walk up the staircase.

Because of the range of levels and teaching styles, I have always felt a sense of spaciousness for my yoga practice to grow and to be supported by an 8 Limbs teacher wherever I am at in the journey. In Surya and Chandra, I received teachings of both the basics of yoga in my first Intro class and years later, the 200-hour Teacher Training Certification. I have always felt that the diversity of teaching styles at 8 Limbs creates a very open, well-rounded student. I feel honored and grateful to now be teaching classes at 8 Limbs to such lovely people in a space that is filled with life force and sweetness.

8 Limbs has always been a home away from home for me. That’s what drew me here, and that’s what keeps me here.

Thank you Anne Phyfe. Happy 15th Anniversary!!

Posted by: Megan Kroh, 8 Limbs instructor – Monday and Wednesday 6:30am @ 8 Limbs Capitol Hill

As we lead up to the 8 Limbs 15 Year Anniversary in October, we’ll be sharing stories that make up the fabric of 8 Limbs from myself (the founder), 8 Limbs staff, and of course yoga practitioners that have come to 8 Limbs over the years. If you have a story to share, send it to me at annephyfe@8limbsyoga.com with 8 Limbs Story in the subject line. I can’t promise we’ll share them all, but I can promise I will read each and every one. I love a good story. For now, here’s the story of My Yoga Teacher(s).

I found my first yoga teacher through my African dance teacher. The practices Kathleen led were so incredibly difficult, and so deeply spiritual that I was soon hooked and devoted. After a few years I yearned for a teacher who was able to link this ancient practice with our modern understanding of psychology and offer me insight into the workings of my mind. For a long time I was without one teacher. I studied with many amazing yoga masters and devoured and digested their teachings, especially those in the Krishnamacharya linegage. Some fed me as a teacher, others as a student.

In 1999 I was intrigued by a workshop on the chakras and the subtle body with Shari Friedrichsen, a teacher from Portland. I felt curiously drawn to the content. After just a few hours I knew that she was the teacher for me. I asked and she fortunately accepted. I followed Shari to Portland for classes, studied with her when she visited Seattle, and called on the phone when I needed guidance. At the time Shari had been taking a break from having a formal yoga teacher after learning from greats like BKS Iyengar and Angela Famer and had studied on her own for more than five years. I could feel the authenticity of her teaching. It so clearly came from deep exploration rather than regurgitation. It also helped me to sift through what I had been learning with others and clarify what my own special gifts as a teacher were. She helped me to become my own teacher.

In 2004 I came upon my other teacher in much the same way. I signed up for a 6-day conference in Olympia and chose Rod Stryker as my main track to learn about Tantra, the Gunas, and the Koshas without having met him or read anything by or about him. I felt immediately connected to a very deep well of knowledge and knew that something beyond that was also being transmitted.

Here I had two amazing teachers as resources and guides to my studies, one that nourished my emotional, intuitive, and female side and the other who helped me tap into discerning power and my more male attributes.
As it turned out, by cosmic chance the two of them had come to study with the very same teacher, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, head of The Himalayan Institute. The teachings from the Tantric tradition are vast and limitless. I am continually amazed at their relevance as I “study up” to teach the Intro to Rod’s weekend to our 500-hour Teacher Training Participants. I feel very fortunate to have this deep well to draw from in my teaching and personal life. What I have learned from both of them has been so nourishing and supportive of a balanced and mindful life.

I invite all of you to join me next weekend, October 7-9, for a weekend of Yoga with Rod Stryker at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill. These classes are accessible to practitioners of all levels as they go beyond asana (posture) and deep into practices and teachings that can immediately enhance your life. Don’t miss it. Really.

Rod will also give a short talk and sign copies of his new book The Four Desires (Random House) on Saturday, October 8, 5-6pm at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill (free event).

Interested to hear more about having/finding a teacher? Check out The Guru Question or Mariana Caplan’s Insights at the Edge podcast

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer

8 Limbs started on a road trip to Idaho with the question: “if you could start a business, any business, right now, what would it be?” My immediate answer, without having ever considered it, was “a yoga studio.” From that moment, the idea percolated and brought forth the vision for an inclusive and welcoming home for yoga in Seattle. I spent most of my free time in 1996 bringing the vision into reality, and with the help of many friends, we cleaned, painted, and decorated the Surya studio the entire month of September to open on October 15, 1996.
It’s now been fifteen years since that first 7am class on a decidedly crisp fall morning. At 8 Limbs remain committed to our original mission, though we have grown and evolved with many different teachers, students, managers, and desk staff.

To celebrate, 8 Limbs Capitol Hill received a lovely facelift this summer. Both Chandra and Surya studios have new lighting, fans, and a fresh coat of paint. Thanks to our designer Jenny Hayo, 8 Limbs instructor since 1999, the look is clean, modern, and cozy. We hope you’ll come check the spaces out soon. They are ready to hold the space for 15 more years of your practice.

We have chosen to celebrate 15 years with a walk through our history from 1996 through 2011. From October 1st through 15th we will commemorate the milestones of 8 Limbs and offer a special each day.

Mark your calendars now for our October 13th benefit classes at all four 8 Limbs and our 15th Anniversary Celebration Class on October 15th at 5pm taught by Dawn to Stephen Fandrich’s live music and preceded by a dance performance by Douglas Ridings.

Thanks to all of you who have walked in the doors of 8 Limbs over the last 15 years. You have made 8 Limbs what it is today.

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer