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Friday, December 30, 2011

The Year of the Female Pelvis: 2011

The year 2011 was an awesome year of accomplishment. In the beginning of this year I was doing my research blog: mulabloga about mulabandha, the pelvis and related topics. I deepened my work with my pelvic floor yoga teacher/goddess: Leslie Howard. And this Fall I taught two successful and well-attended yoga and the pelvic floor workshops for women: Root Wisdom Yoga at Yogaview, and Pelvic Empowerment at Yoga Circle.

Model pelvis holding a celebration of flowers.
I received some beautiful feedback via social media:



And in 2012: the pelvis continues... Some projects are already in the works for this coming year!! I will tell you more as we go forward. I'm so excited!

Thank you!!

Happy 2012!!

Friday, December 23, 2011

The Meaning of Life... Seriously.


The meaning o' life
is a broad topic. If you
want to enlighten…

Go away! Don't want
that from you! If you want to
be a friend—coolness.

Don't have the patience
for a fatherly teacher,
but I like to laugh.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Ruby Room Love.

I Love the Ruby Room...

It is really no secret, but it is also not public enough yet... 

The above picture is a thoughtful gift from a friend who knows how much I like it. Can't wait to spend my gift card!

And it's really not a habit of mine to gush about a business (except occasionally about places where I work), but I am grateful for my experience this year at the Ruby Room. I don't have any official connection with them other than being a customer, but I do get a helpful discount on their services since I work next door to the spa at Yogaview on Division Street.

Paul

I first went in on a tip from a friend that Paul does awesome eyebrows. And he does. Over the course of months we moved step-by-step to a shape I really like. At first I was afraid to let someone in on my brows, but I did know that I  wanted some help with this (but not too thin...). Then, when Ruby Room had their "Spa Week" insane discounts I tried a facial with Paul. He is a master and a professional. I am always so impressed by his level of preparedness for his work. He just always seems ready for doing an awesome job. Extremely knowledgeable, super-sweet and fun, I totally trust Paul with my skin and eyebrows.
Thanks, Paul!!

Jenifer
During one of my visits, I noticed makeup in the store. I hadn't worn makeup for years! But I was looking to update my look, and learned from the desk staff that Jenifer is great with everyday makeup. And she is! I learned a lot from the session, and since I bought some make up the service was free! I am super-happy with what I bought, and months later I am still enjoying and wearing what I bought on that fun day!
Thanks, Jenifer!!

Melanie
I just always felt so good going in and out of the Ruby Room. And I became curious about their "Intuitive Readings". I heard someone say they were really good. It took me a while to get around to it, but I tried a session with Melanie, and she did not disappoint. Melanie is super-warm and knowledgeable on subjects related to moving one's life energies in an intended direction, and great at finding opportunities for healing. She offers great support in times of change and has good ideas about things. I believe that Melanie's guidance comes from a beautiful and good place. Thanks. Melanie!!

During the "Spa Week" discounts I also tried a massage at Ruby Room. I made the appointment with a therapist, and I thought I heard the name "Jane." I thought to myself, "Whew, a relief to have a female massage therapist." (You see, I had recently received a suspicious breast massage from a male therapist at another business, and I just didn't feel good about it. I don't think I gave permission for that...) 

James
Anyway, I arrived for my appointment and found that the massage therapist's name was actually "James." I'm glad it worked out that way, though, because if I would have heard the name correctly at first I would have not followed through with scheduling the session. (I was just a bit traumatized from the earlier experience that I had received somewhere else.) James is really sweet and easy to interact with, and he does a great job. I liked him from the start, and also told him about my discomfort over the strange breast massage, and he sort of joked about it and it was okay. I felt safe, and he was nice. I had a bizarre sense during the massage that his hands were very much like mine, meaning very perceptive and respectful. I do adjustments with my hands in my work as a yoga teacher, and have though a lot about touch. So I was impressed and fascinated with James...
Thanks, James!!

And thanks again to the Ruby Room for helping me to feel a bit more beautiful in 2011, 
both inside and out!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Women, let's be pelvic pioneers!




Join me on Sunday, December 11 for the workshop: Pelvic Empowerment.

In the region of the hips, pelvis, low belly, butt, low back and crotch it can seem a bit cloudy, as in the awareness is not clear.

Why do women tend to reject this awesome part of the body? If this seems like too strong of an assertion we might ask: might the awareness be better?

Could the lack of clarity be related to feelings of vulnerability, emotional pain, or trauma?

Well, on this coming Sunday at the Yoga Circle we are going to cover this topic and more…

I have found in my work with Leslie Howard that the first step is to just get to know the pelvis. In the workshop I will teach from my life sized model pelvis and helpful illustrations. We will also discover our own pelvises with some yoga poses along with safe, clear instruction about what we are doing.

Another layer of clarity comes as we uncover stories from our own lives that have defined the pelvis for us.

How does our culture define femininity? How does this affect how we feel about ourselves? Does this affect how we feel about our bodies?

This is a small peek into the realm of Pelvic Empowerment…

Anatomy/Actions/Relaxation Techniques/ Understanding Our Stories/ Living with strength and deep love for the whole body…

A celebration honoring the female pelvis! Yes!

And bring a friend/sister/mother/daughter/aunt/cousin/loved one!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, December 2, 2011

Way beyond women in yoga…




I'm realizing that there are "feminists" who like to blame other women for cultural imbalances… it's taken me a while to get it. (there is a source behind this revelation, but I think it was more of a trigger than one article to "call out," so I'm not naming it here…)

I believe that it's only in an atmosphere of mutuality of support and understanding that we might move to something greater. In striving to understand situations that baffle us from a mind that is seeing where the expression of person or situation could be coming from there is a possibility that we might see things differently (and heal).

I narrow my eyes at the whole "eww, look at her" critique. I'd like to say it makes me tired, but it actually makes me mad. (it could be because I have been at the "butt" of such criticism in the past…)

I'd like to see a world where we can look at one another openly, and appreciate what we see. I'm not suggesting that we "like" everything we see, but it could be helpful to consider how a given person or situation might be contributing to an understanding of reality that we are entertaining in any given moment. We can then more fully use our wisdom to make communication choices that will help instead of hurt each other.

Am I in dreamland?? (maybe just a little…) Competition seems to rule things right now. The pressure and illusionary need to be right or above others confuses our predicament.