It never seems to fail. No matter how much older and further away I get from the carefree summers of my youth, no matter how wet, cold, dreary or short that season Seattle calls “summer” actually is, I just can’t help but feel like summer is the time for loosening up boundaries and plunging feet first into uncharted experiences.

So when the opportunity to teach yoga outdoors at the Olympic Sculpture Park first presented itself, I jumped at the chance. As a yoga instructor, sculptural artist and lover of the outdoors, I was more then delighted to help bring these worlds together, but to be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect. Who would come? How many people would be there? Would they be able to see or hear? Would the practice be too hard? Too easy? Would they like me? Would the weather affect us?

Turns out the answers to all of these questions were easily defined within minutes of my first session. Who came? Everyone. We had families with children practicing on towels that had never done yoga before, older folks who felt some of the practice was clearly for the ‘younger people’, advanced practitioners who wanted full wheel every class, people from Seattle, Issaquah and even Maine and one or two people who just so happened to be walking in the park with no intention of stumbling into our yoga class that managed to do just that, anyway. Were they able to see or hear? Sometimes. Was the practice too hard or too easy? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Did the weather affect us? Certainly. Did they like me? I think so. Did any of it matter? Definitely. Regardless of who we were, where we came from and whether or not we intended to be there, regardless of whether we could see or hear, regardless of sun or cloud or rain, we were all there – I mean, really THERE. With the weather brushing against our skin, the smell of the ocean sailing through the air, the unevenness of the ground supporting our feet and with a peace and contentment that radiated beyond any confines of the moment, we practiced yoga.

Posted by: Jen Yaros

Jen also had the pleasure of talking with Akaash Saini from the Weekly Brew. Hear Jen speak more about her outdoor yoga experience and watch yoga in action at the Sculpture Park. To view the video, please follow this link: http://vimeo.com/14322339.

This Saturday, August 28th is the last Saturday to join us for Free Yoga at the Sculpture Park! Join us from 10:00am-11:00am (weather permitting).

Tomorrow I head out on vacation to the woods of upstate New York. I remember the first time my sisters and I joined my stepmother’s family at their Adirondack “camp” when I was 11. We flew from the hot stickiness of New Orleans summer to cool Brulington, Vermont, rode a ferry across Lake Champlain, drove 2 hours to Saranac Lake, and then tumbled for half an hour on a gravel road. That final road seemed endless, but thrilling. The familiar was gone, and we spent two weeks finding our way on this new turf, with evergreens rather than oaks, evenings spent on a porch rather than air conditioned living room, and cousins that said “wicked” instead of “y’all.” These summer trips to Saranac uncovered in me a love of the woods and led me to move to Vermont for college and then travel across the country to settle in Seattle.

The writer Rebecca Stolnit’s book “A Field Guide to Getting Lost” reminds me why many of us love to travel. She quotes the philosopher Meno: “How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you.” We find ourselves by getting lost. We find our roots by becoming uprooted.

Tomorrow I will tumble down that road with the same thrill. And I will smile deep within, knowing that these woods took me home, home to mySelf.

What path will you choose this month? How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you? Happy Trails!

Posted by: Anne Phyfe

8 Limbs is a big fan of The Samarya Center and their dedication to providing yoga and yoga therapy to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Located in Seattle’s central district, the Samarya Center is a 501 (c) non-profit organization that offers a variety of low cost yoga classes to their immediate community as well as to the greater community through our workshops, trainings and on-going yoga classes.

The Samarya Center is community-supported yoga, much like Seattle’s beloved community-supported radio. Since they started almost 10 years ago, Samarya Center has been 100% supported by donations and support from the community and through fund-raising events. This enables them to offer many free programs to marginalized and under served populations. In addition to their many on-going community programs, including the ground-breaking Bedside Yoga program for people who are seriously ill and dying, they have recently pioneered two new, innovative programs – one at Pike Medical Clinic, offering yoga for free to people with chronic pain (many of whom are homeless and/or drug addicted), and another at The Samarya Center, a free yoga class (with childcare) taught in Spanish for low income moms from the Latino community.

This Saturday, July 24, please come out to learn more about The Samarya Center, celebrate the radiance of all beings, the sun and community, and help them to reach their $10,000 goal to continue to provide and to grow their unique and desperately needed community programs. All the information you could possibly need can be found at: www.saluthon.org. Register today, or send in your tax-deductible donation of any amount!

Posted by: 8 Limbs

Happy belated summer solstice to you all! I hope you all have some amazing adventures, retreats, or garden projects to look forward to over the next few months! So far, this Seattle version of summer has been full of creativity, career insights, and change.

As far as career insights go, it’s time for me to take a break from my weekly routine teaching classes at 8 Limbs Yoga Centers and follow my inner muse and bliss to Austin, Texas, where I will live part-time for the fall and winter. I intend to take some time to connect with my practice, dreams, and open new possibilities for the next stage on my journey. This career break, also known as a “adult gap year” or “sabbatical,” is part of my commitment towards developing skills and gaining experiences outside of my work, or to “un-become” as Dr. Claudia Welch recently said in her lecture at 8 Limbs!

From October 2010 -April 2011, I will be reverse commuting from Austin to Seattle to co-direct the 8 Limbs Teachers’ Training, lead a Business of Yoga series, and host Seasonal Vinyasa workshops. When I’m not in Texas or Seattle, I will be looking forward to reconnecting with you all on retreat at Breitenbush Hot Springs, Esalen, Mexico, or Hawaii! I will continue to offer incredible retreats year round, to hold space for those of you also looking for ways to reconnect with your dreams, muse, and sense of well-being.

To enhance the final note of this chapter at 8 Limbs Yoga Centers, I hope to see you in class before I leave. July will be my last full month of teaching in Seattle. However, I will be teaching August 2-4 and August 16-20. I want to thank you all for being part of my journey; your support is invaluable to my growth. Newsletters and blogs will continue while I am away from my regular schedule, so please keep in touch via my website or other social media outlets.

Posted by: Melina Meza
Photo: Jeremy Allyn

When I came out 10 years ago, one of my mother’s biggest fears was that I would be living in a world of injustice and like any mother, she was afraid of how people would treat me. While it hasn’t always been easy, I found that part of what drew me to yoga was the level of acceptance I found in teachers and in the community. No matter where you were in your life or in your practice, yoga met you there.

Every time I step onto my mat, I feel as though I have the opportunity to shed the shell of my identity. As we begin class, we all simply become practitioners of yoga, here to explore the dance of yoga together. It’s not about who we are outside of class: our job, our culture, our identity—we are all here to explore our internal energetic world to see what unfolds and to ultimately realize that in reality we are all the same. As Desikachar once said: “Yoga exists in the world because everything is linked.” The more I practice the more I see myself connected to all those around me. Their struggles are my struggles and we become beautiful mirrors for one another. With this awareness of interconnectedness, it becomes impossible for me to judge anyone for who they are.

In very different ways, both my yoga community and my queer community have helped me to embrace who I am and love the differences I see reflected back in others. My hope is that each time I teach, my students have that same experience I have had so many times “its okay to be wherever you are and we are all there together.”

In celebration of Pride, 8 Limbs will be hosting a benefit class the Friday June 25th. The benefit will support our Capitol Hill neighbor, Gay City Health Project (www.gaycity.org), and all donations made during that class will directly support the organization. In addition, Kaladi Brother’s Coffee and Macrina Bakery have been kind enough to donate coffee and pastries for a post class brunch! The class is an All Levels Flow from 9:30am- to 10:45am. Suggested donation is the 8 Limbs drop-in rate of $16, but I encourage you to give whatever you can.

Come celebrate Pride with me and both of my families!

Posted by: Megan Costello

A recent trip to Egypt and the holidays have helped to remind me to daily practice the act of Gratitude:
To enjoy the rainy days in Seattle when water is more expensive than gasoline or requires a two-hour walk in both directions.
To be able to practice Yoga in America in the middle of the week when so many others around the world are simply trying to stay alive.
To choose organic foods when so many people in our country and around the world are starving.
To have a yoga community that encourages and supports the growth of individuals. May we use that support and compassion to find our dharma to improve the world around us.
To count every blessing large and small and always maintain an attitude of gratitude.
As we recognize all we have, we acknowledge all we have to to give. Never for any minute shall we take are lives and opportunities for granted. We are truly blessed. To count these blessings would be a mathematical feat.

Posted by: Marni Yamada

We have a full lineup of Benefit Classes this Thanksgiving to raise funds for local non-profits, all in need of our support. Come join your local studio community on Thanksgiving Day to get grounded in gratitude and your yoga practice.

Capitol Hill: 12:15 – 1:30pm with Paul Millage for Yoga Behind Bars
Phinney Ridge: 9:30 – 11:00am with Chiara Guerrieri for Solid Ground
Wedgwood: 9:30 – 11:00am with Dawn Jansen for Northwest Harvest
West Seattle: 9:00 – 10:30am with Greg Owens for Union Gospel Mission

Cost is sliding scale, suggested donation $20
(memberships and class cards not valid)

Cash and checks directly to non-profit only.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are happy to report that we now have an opening date for 8 Limbs Phinney Ridge. On Saturday, November 21 classes will commence in our beautiful new space, designed by 8 Limbs instructor and interior designer Jenny Hayo.
Come join us on opening weekend and plan to attend our Open House on Friday, December 4th, 4:00 – 8:15pm, featuring free yoga classes and music with Gina Salá. Opening details, class schedule, and list of instructors can be viewed at the Phinney Ridge webpage.

When I first moved to Seattle, I lived on Phinney Ridge in a basement apartment in The Buggé, next to the famous Mae’s Phinney Ridge Café. After growing up in a completely flat city, I loved being able to see two different mountain ranges from this perch between Ballard and Greenlake.
I opened the first 8 Limbs from that little basement apartment in 1996. I was 26 and had a crazy idea that yoga was something people would flock to if we made it accessible and welcoming. It’s been a wonderful 13 years of yoga with thousands of wonderful people. We celebrate 10 years at Wedgwood and 5 years at West Seattle in the next year, and are starting our 8th year of Teacher Training in October (come join us!).
The nature of who I am likes to create and grow, and in May I found myself drawn back to Phinney Ridge on a suggestion to open another 8 Limbs. I am pleased to announce that after a long search, we have just signed a lease to open 8 Limbs Phinney Ridge at 6801 Greenwood Ave North. Our plan is to open in October. Please spread the news to your friends in the Northwest corner of town. We need your help to get the word out! We also need a new manager and yoga advisors (front desk staff). If you are interested in either position email info@8limbsyoga.com for a job description (manager job closes Friday, 8.7.09).
8 Limbs is and will continue to be a group of Seattle neighborhood studios committed to teaching the 8 limbs of yoga in an accessible and inclusive atmosphere. We are proud to be family owned, and strive to create a learning environment for our staff, teachers, and students. Thanks for supporting us in our mission!

Posted by:
Anne Phyfe

P.S. Check out the write-up that appeared yesterday on www.phinneywood.com!