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).

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

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

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

As a self-employed businesswoman, I have the great fortune to be able to travel when I wish. I have amazing managers and teachers at 8 Limbs who keep everything rolling smoothly along while I am gone. However, I still have plenty of work to do.

When I arrived in New Orleans on June 25, we had all been so relieved that I made it before Lulu arrived that I hadn’t really considered that she might not arrive til the end of my two week trip, making the purpose of my visit less “productive” (at least that’s how my mind saw it).

In my mind I felt regret for a few days: “why did I come so early? will I even be here when she goes into labor?” Then I realized that I am someone who is very good at working hard and being productive, and also very good at totally unplugging from work/phone/computer. What I found difficult, and what was making me anxious in the days leading up to my sister’s labor, was a challenge in balancing the two. I couldn’t be fully productive: I had my 4-year-old with me who missed her father and sister and was not going to let her mother out of her sight for long, I had internet issues, and I was needed as a birth doula and postpartum helper. But I also didn’t have the option to ignore my work responsibilities.

So I shifted my perspective. With the help of one of my mentors, Heidi, I saw the longer trip as an opportunity rather than a regret. And it made all the difference. Instead of feeling a dread of what I wasn’t getting to work on, I simply made time to work a little bit each day and prioritized. Then I enjoyed my time with family and helped my sister with her big transition to being a mommy.

Sweet Lulu arrived on July 2nd, smack in the middle of my visit. We think she’s the bees knees.

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer

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

When the fire and water element are out of balance, it creates a dosha called Pitta. In Sanskrit, dosha means, “that which spoils or causes decay” as they are not only the forces which produce and sustain the body in their normal condition but those which, when out of balance, serve to destroy it. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each element can help you make daily choices that reinforce health and wellness for the season. As my teacher Scott Blossom said, “It is important to work in a way that “feels right” but also consciously cultivates complementary traits, such as grounding and stillness for the air type, or coolness and relaxation for the fire type in order to strike a balance.”

To help create balance, consider one of the classic Ayurvedic sutras that says, “like increases like and opposites balance.” This ancient wisdom can be extremely helpful when creating your daily rituals around the seasons.

Asana Advice for the Pitta Season
• Let each asana practice be soft, intuitive, forgiving, creative, and emphasize surrendering in order to prevent overheating.
• Perform all asana or sports in a way that is non-competitive, nurturing, and playful! Practice vigorous sports or asana in the early morning.
• Incorporate counter-balancing postures for poses that create heat such as Sun Salutations, balance poses, strong backbends, etc.
• Practice with your eyes closed.
• Emphasize a cooling breathing pattering during practice where the exhalation is longer than inhalation. Holding the breath out after exhaling has a powerful effect to concentrate the mind, which stabilizes your agni, purified essence of fire.
• Practice shitali or left-nostril breathing after asana.
• Try the Metta, Loving Kindness meditation to release anger.

Summer Foods
• Never miss a meal, especially if you are have a Pitta constitution!
• Eat cooling, sweet, bitter and astringent foods (coconut, cucumber, watermelon, all the fresh fruit in season, steamed greens, multicolored salads, watercress, endives, mung beans, basmati rice) and avoid spicy and fried foods.
• Drink cumin, coriander, fennel and rose hot tea. Cilantro, cucumber, and mint are great additions to water for a refreshing beverage that will cool you down.
• Eat few dairy products and meats (unless you are doing intense physical activity)…they are too yang!
• If your digestive fire is weak, try this for a week or two until your digestive fire improves: Cook together equal parts of: brown rice, lentils, and sun flower seeds. Eat 1-2 cups daily for 2 weeks. This will also improve body heat.

Daily Routine
• Give yourself a full body massage before showering. Coconut oil is best.
• Enjoy the rose, sandalwood, jasmine or lavender essential oils to relax the senses.
• Wear light colored clothing, loose cotton, linen and silk (ex. White, blue, green) so air can circulate between your clothes and your skin.
• Do inside cooking early morning in the morning before it gets hot.
• Spend time in Nature, swim, retreat, and enjoy the moonlight.

Posted by: Melina Meza, BS Nutrition, 500-RYT
Melina has been exploring the art and science of yoga and nutrition for over 16 years. She combines her knowledge of Hatha Yoga, Ayurveda, whole foods nutrition, and healthy lifestyle promotion into a unique style called Seasonal Vinyasa.

What is Seasonal Vinyasa – Yoga for the Seasons?
Seasonal Vinyasa describes an artistic style of sequencing asana and seasonal daily rituals. The main inspiration for Seasonal Vinyasa comes from the Hatha Yoga and Ayurveda traditions, two complementary sciences that promote health in body, mind, and spirit. While inspiring the self-knowledge to adjust your day-to-day choices and align with what is occurring outside in nature, Seasonal Vinyasa emphasizes the teachings of the yogis—that there is no separation between humans and nature.

Join Melina for a Summer Seasonal Vinyasa Retreat, July 30 – August 2 at Breitenbush Hot Springs in Detroit, OR.

The title refers to the idea that there are times when the veil between the “real world” and what lies beyond (or within) thins. In the thin place, one can feel a direct experience of the expansive quality of spirit (my words), even if for a brief moment. Stories of faith from several voices were shared by one actor, taking on their personas (and many difficult accents) to paint a spectrum of diversity.

What most captured my attention was the physiology of spirituality. The main character Isaac struggles with seizures and hears the voices of the other characters in his head. His atheist uncle realizes that he can’t see patterns and connects this to his lack of belief in a God. He gets that he is not wired for faith, others in the play attest to being born for it.

As we wind come to the close of M(ay) is for Meditation, I wonder if any of you have been drawn into this practice of using concentration or reflection, and how it has affected you, your physiology, your personality. For me, meditation has been an amazing journey that It has prepared me to drop more and more of my patterns of thought and action and has provided me a road map to my thin place. What is your thin place?
Please send me your stories to annephyfe@8limbsyoga.com and let me know if I can post them here in June (they can be anonymous).

See below for my last M(ay) if for Meditation blog post, a practice from my teacher Rod Stryker called Stilling the Lake of the Mind. Try it for the month of June. And meet me at our own lake as we head into summer swimming time!

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer
P.S. Several members of the 8 Limbs community contributed to the production. Kudos to Etta Lilienthal for her stunning set design and Sonya Schneider, playwright.

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer

The interesting thing I noticed is that my blog post actually inspired a few 8 Limbs yoga instructors to recommit to a daily practice, so I am guessing a few of you took the challenge too! We’re not much of the cheerleading type of yoga studio, but we know how great it feels to make that commitment and follow through. So, hey, if you like, want to, you know, sort of, TRY IT!

Posted by: Anne Phyfe Palmer