Unveiling Three New Yoga Projects

I am very happy to announce a few quite unique yoga-related developments in my world. These are projects that I have spun directly from the golden thread of my deepest self, and have been cultivating for some time. These special projects are now ripening and manifesting and I would like to share them with you!

First up, is a Prenatal Yoga Retreat called Circle of Life, Circle of Strength.

I will be teaming up with the talented Allison Distler to lead women, who are in a beautiful transitional time in their life, in a daily yoga and mindfulness practice, as well as facilitated writing and sharing circles. Time will be offered for quiet contemplation and creation time too.

Prenatal Retreat:
Circle of Life, Circle of Strength

Our intention is to offer space to relax and reflect on this special transition in your life; a weekend to honor the life-giving power and the baby growing within while communing with other women going through a similar process.

I can't tell you how excited I am to be a part of this three-day experience. Moving from maiden to mother, or transitioning from say, one to two children, is a major life change. I believe it is so important for women to take time out for themselves to contemplate these life changes and honor any feelings that may arise. I know this will be a fun and nourishing retreat.

I also love that the space is limited to a maximum of nine participants and that we will be all under one roof nestled in the forests of Indiana. If this retreat goes well, I hope to offer it on an annual or semi-annual basis!

2 -Tuning your Chakras with Yoga and Sound

Next up is a workshop I created to combine my love of asana-based yoga with my love of using sound to heal the body.  I will be leading this class on Saturday at Vibe Yoga Studio.

Years ago when I lived in Toronto, I took vocal toning classes where we held our voice on single vowels, or short combination of vowels in order to experience the healing vibration of sound on various parts of the body. There is no melody or harmony - just the sound of the vibrating breath.

The sound aspect of the class combined with the physical feeling of it sent me deep into that special place beyond space and time. I could feel the dense places in the body where the sound hit and didn't move through, but after a while directing the sound it would loosen up a bit. These classes made me realize how completely powerful sound vibrations are in cleansing and re-energizing the body.

This special Chakra Tuning class uses vocal toning, as well  is a journey through the chakras where will will be chanting the seed sounds of each chakra while poised in asanas. This will be the fifth time of offering this workshop and it gets better and better each time.

3 - Enchanted Yogi Kids

As I have mentioned previously, I am in the process of completing the Storytime Yoga teacher training. I sort of fell into the lap of this style of teaching yoga to children. I didn't really know much about it, but I was determined to learn how to teach it.

Dragon Mother Awakens, creation story by Sydney Solis
Illustration by Andras Balogh

It turns out, the process has sparked my own spiritual journey,  mostly by awakening and contemplating the power of story and myth in my own life.

I had no idea how powerful stories are for transporting you into the transcendence. It is a safe space for children to explore new ideas, new cultures, and use their imagination. The wisdom stories and myths that I will be telling are a guide to self -exploration and can be used as a life compass. It also teaches them valuable lessons such as that of compassion, honesty, and friendship.

The power of the Storytime Yoga method to grab children's attention and take them on a fun and engaging journey is amazing. I am now finally ready to try out my oral storytelling skills with children in my own area, combining the ancient art of storytelling with the healing practice of yoga.

My new kids yoga business is called Enchanted Yogis, (stay tuned for my new logo). First up, I will be teaching a monthly class a local studio, Vibe Yoga, as well offering three free classes at a local museum called, Mathers Museum of World Cultures.

Imagine telling stories sitting amongst caves, dinosaur bones, or African huts! Surely it will help inspire children's imaginations, but also hopefully inspire a life time interest and love of world cultures.

I am so grateful for the opportunity, and dare I say, the luxury of being allowed to create projects that truly resonate with my whole being. I feel lucky and blessed to be able to spend my energy of these three projects! That and my other ongoing pet project - this Domestic Yogi blog!

Namaste!