It felt great to be "back on the mat" last Tuesday to teach my first group yoga class in almost two years. I had a small but enthusiastic group, and I hope it will build from there. We practice again this coming Tuesday, May 31st, at the district office, from 4:45-6PM. Join us, if you are in the area!

I enjoyed an awesome class today at Soul of Yoga with instructor Jack Greene. He offers such a great combination of calming, spiritual insight and thorough physical practice. I always feel stronger and more knowledgeable when I leave his classes!

For Memorial Day this Monday, Soul of Yoga has cancelled all regular classes and is offering a "sampler." Check it out! From 8:30-12:30, you can take 40 minutes classes of all styles for free! I don't know the exact schedule, so it would be wise to call for details, but it sounds like a great way to start your day. I will try to get there myself!

The return of Yoga with Mary!

Beginning Tuesday, May 17, I will again be teaching yoga for, and practicing yoga with, my colleagues and friends in Carlsbad Unified School District! After a hiatus of almost two years as I adjusted to a new role within the district, involving a varied schedule and unfamiliar responsibilities as well as moving me away from a school site, the unknowns have become known and I can make some personal commitments. During that time, I was also figuring out the cause of my chronic wrist pain and allowing the injury to heal as thoroughly as it ever will. So I am ready now to trust my schedule, my energy level, and my body enough to commit to teaching yoga on a regular basis! I have missed it. I resumed my own practice some time ago, as soon as I was sure my wrist was sufficiently healed, and now I cannot wait to share the gifts of yoga with others! It is amazing how welcoming yoga can be, no matter how often I step away from it or for how long. My physical self - strength, flexibility, how my yoga pants fit - may not bounce immediately back, but the language and philosophy of yoga are as forgiving as an old friend. And the wonderful thing about yoga is that, at its heart, its all about breathing. As long as I breathe and allow my breathe to guide my practice, I'm back on the mat! I hope you will join me!

July 8 Evening Yoga in the Park - Hidden Canyon Park, Carlsbad

I hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th of July!  Feeling a bit bloated from too much food and drink? Need to cleanse and reinvigorate? Join me on Tuesday, July 8 for yoga in a refreshing outdoor setting! This will be the last scheduled session for a little while, as I will be on vacation the following week and may have family visiting after I return. So don't miss it!

We will meet at 6PM at Hidden Canyon Park in Carlsbad, 2685 Vancouver Street. The entrance to the people park (not dog park) is off of Carlsbad Village Drive, on Vancouver. If you park on Cbad Village, you can walk down the trail from the dog park, but it's a bit of a hike. There is a convenient parking lot on Vancouver.

Bring a blanket or towel (preferable over a traditional yoga mat) and a layer to put on as the evening cools. We will end by 7:15.

A $5 suggested donation* is welcome.

Please RSVP by leaving a COMMENT so I know to expect you - thanks!

“The sun shines down, and its image reflects in a thousand different pots filled with water. The reflections are many, but they are each reflecting the same sun. Similarly, when we come to know who we truly are, we will see ourselves in all people.” ~ Ammachi

*(All proceeds go towards paying for my continued yoga training and insurance coverage.)

July 1 Evening Yoga in the Park - Encinitas

Yoga in the Parks Summer Session continues to travel south, to Encinitas, on Tuesday, July 1 at 6PM at Viewpoint Park  at Cornish Drive & D Street (opposite the Encinitas County Library).  Take the stairs or pathway to the upper level of the park (where there truly is a view!). There is limited street parking plus parking in the library's lot. There are no public restrooms in the park but the library's restrooms are convenient.

Bring a blanket or towel (preferable over a traditional yoga mat) and a layer to put on as the evening cools. We will end by 7:15.

A $5 suggested donation* is welcome.

Please RSVP by leaving a COMMENT so I know to expect you - thanks!

“Healthy plants and trees yield abundant flowers and fruits. Similarly, from a healthy person, smiles and happiness shine forth like the rays of the sun.” 

~ B.K. S Iyengar

*(All proceeds go towards paying for my continued yoga training and insurance coverage.)

Happy Friday, everyone! Here in Yoga-land, Fridays can be a conundrum. On the one hand, the work week (for those not on summer break) is ending, and the sound of a cold adult beverage and some treat-worthy snacks (fried, sauced, or otherwise NOT sanctioned for the healthily-planned week-day meals) is tempting. On the other hand, unwinding with an outdoor activity, moving those limbs that have been sedentary all week, and breathing in not only the air but sunshine, sky, and freedom, sounds pretty inviting, too. So, which is it? Happy hour? Or a meditative walk on the beach?

If you are lucky, maybe it's both!

If time and weather permit, and the people in your life are open-minded, Fridays can offer the best of both worlds.  Consider this:  Happy hour at a beach-view venue, followed by a sunset walk on the beach. Or, a beach activity (volleyball, a jog, whatever) followed by a bite at a casual eatery where being attired in shorts and sweat doesn't matter. Even possibly a home-packed happy hour picnic, served at a favorite outdoor space (park, beach, hilltop with a view) and accompanied by Frisbee tossing, kite flying, or light yoga. Why not? Get creative, and see what makes you "Happy"!

Life is just too good during the summer to not enjoy it fully.  Me? After a bit of gardening (the tomatoes are going crazy!) and some backyard yoga, I'm planning to walk into the local town with my family and dine on some sushi and sake.

Looking forward to some good savasanah at the end of the night, too.

Enjoy your weekend, all! And remember to breathe.

(If you received this post as an email, you have successfully subscribed to my blog and will continue to receive emails whenever I post. You don't have to read them all - I'll never know.)

***LOCATION CHANGE for tonight***
We will meet at Hidden Canyon Park again, NOT Cadencia Park, at 6PM today.

Yoga in the Park moves slightly south next week, to Cadencia Park off of La Costa Avenue. We will begin at 6PM.  Bring a blanket or towel (preferable over a traditional yoga mat) and a layer to put on as the evening cools. We will end by 7:15.

A $5 suggested donation* is welcome.

Please RSVP by leaving a COMMENT so I know to expect you - thanks!  (Comments have now been "opened" so you don;t have to be a Google account holder.)

“All I’m saying is that to liberate the potential of your mind, body and soul, you must first expand your imagination. You see, things are always created twice: first in the workshop of the mind and then, and only then, in reality. I call this process ‘blueprinting’ because anything you create in your outer world began as a simple blueprint in your inner world.” 
~ Robin Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

*(All proceeds go towards paying for my continued yoga training and insurance coverage.)