Thanks for YOTM at Blue Ridge Pastures

I want to thank Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy and all of you who came to Yoga on the Mountain last Sunday (May 26th) at Blue Ridge Pastures in Fairview, NC.  It was such a fantastically beautiful day.  Here are a bunch of pictures from the event taken by Chris Pappalardo (Thanks, Chris!). Keep checking in for more information about the next Yoga on the Mountain event. 

UPDATE: YOGA ON THE MOUNTAIN THIS SUNDAY!

Time to get our YOGA ADVENTURE ON!

Here's where:

I hope everyone is doing well and getting excited about Yoga on the Mountain this Sunday (May 26th) at 11 am! Plan to meet at Sherrils Inn. From there the group will carpool out to the trail head and begin the hike up the mountain. The hike is approximately 2-3 miles round-trip and has significant elevation gain on the way up. 

Please remember to bring plenty of water, a light lunch or snack, comfortable clothes, rain jacket, sunscreen, camera, a yoga mat, blanket or sheet to put under the mat, and a towel to put over the the mat if it's hot. The cost for the hike is as FREE for SAHC members and $10 for non-SAHC members. We will need a few four wheel drive vehicles to help carpool folks to the trail-head.
Directions and Carpool Information: 
There will be a carpool meeting at the Earth Fare parking lot at West Gate Shopping Center at 10:15 AM. If you would like to carpool please let Michelle know so that she will wait for you. Her email is michelle@appalachian.org.
To get to Sherril's Inn: hop on 240 East and take the US 74A exit. Head on US 74A for about 10 miles. Sherrill’s Inn is on the right just after you pass Sugar Hollow Lane (on your left). You will see a big white house and a sign for Sherrill’s Inn. Directly before Sherrill's Inn, you will see a big pasture where you can park. If you get lost or need to contact someone the morning of the hike call Michelle (if you're not on the email list and didn't get her cell number, message her now). Let me know if you have any questions or concerns in the meantime.

Looking forward to a great day on the mountain! Woot!

May Force

#Maytheforcebewithyogis challenge continues.  I failed at Day 22's Flying Lizard pose, but check out my friend and fellow teacher at One Center Yoga, Ryan Conrad, giving me some pointers:

Check out Ryan's Tuesday4-5:30 level 2-3 class at One Center and he might give you some pointers on the same pose, or check out his Sunday 10 am class.

Alex Moody of Align Yoga and Wellness and I worked on today's challenge, a handstand variation, at her new studio space at 59 Charlotte St.  The new space is inviting and open for booking private sessions, so sign up now!

Check out Alex's Yoga for Awesomeness 7pm Friday class at Asheville Yoga Center and I'm sure she'll throw in some handstand action for you.  :)

Bound Triangle

I've decided to join in on this yoga challenge popular on twitter: #maytheforcebewithyogis.  Today's challenge pose was bound triangle. 

Beach Bummin'

Krum and I are with some old friends at the Pappalardo beach house, the "Pappa's Pamlico Perch", this week.  While I miss my regular yoga class teaching schedule in Asheville, I'm having a blast soaking up some sun and playing in the surf with my pup and my sister.  

Camille Kingsolver will be subbing my class tomorrow, Friday May 17th at One Center Yoga 5-6 pm.  Go check her out she's an amazing teacher!

Here are some pics from today's bliss-filled vacation day with of course a little bit of beach time yoga-play:

Making Space

The "Sky" Room at One Center Yoga

I taught at the new additional yoga room at One Center Yoga tonight for the first time.  It's such a great space, so calming and welcoming.  Come check out a class there with me this week!  I teach Wednesday's 4-5:20, and Friday's 5-6:30.  Both classes are all levels.

Joy Dips Deeper

In keeping with the theme of transitions, my second twenty-ninth birthday was yesterday. 
I'm almost ready to call it my 30th. However, not the "dirty thirty" I kept being texted.  I think I'll call it my "purty thirty". 

It was an amazing day.  My boyfriend showered me with flora, records, and kisses.  Facebook made me realize that I have more friends than Mickey Mouse.  Shala Rain set the tone of the evening for me in her Hot Flow and Yin class at Asheville Yoga Center-- an evening of long exhales and pumped up smiles.  So many of those smiles and faces I love showed up for my birthday dinner at Wicked Weed.  I'm still glowing in gratitude for all these crazy awesome people that surround me.  

I ended the night at Club Metropolis, thanks to the news of a Daft Punk cover band.  We had to check it out, because, well, Daft Punk is amazing and there's nothing like a pretty light show to make you feel young again.  I also realized that there's nothing like a room full of big spun out eyes to make you happy your growing up a bit.

Blurry picture of the Daft Punk cover band, lights lights lights.

Daft Punk's song, "One More Time"  

Music's got me feelin' so free...

Upon realizing it was my 30th birthday, someone said to me yesterday, "Oh great! You're finally living your real life now.  Everything up until now has just been practice."  I laughed, but I do love the idea.  Perhaps looking back and seeing it all as practice can make me more forgiving of all the trials and mostly errors of my twenties.  

In any case, Purty Thirty has arrived and I'm embracing the opportunity for another trip around the sun--a sun just as bright and fascinating to me as in every year past.  That's my greatest comfort in aging so far--life never grows dull. Colors aren't dimmer through eyes a year older.  Love only grows stronger.  Joy only dips deeper into my soul with time.  

May we all continue to grow wiser with each passing day.  

YOGA HIKE w/ SAHC May 26th

Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.

-William Wordsworth

With all the transitions happening, and exams, and my big three-ohhh birthday coming up (May 2!), maybe it was a blessing in disguise for Yoga on the Mountain at Blue Ridge Pastures to be cancelled last weekend, April 28th, due to rain.  It would've been quite the muddy trek (although sometimes that can be fun too, check out this muddy picture of my sister at the recent "Rugged Maniac" race in Durham for example.

The event has been moved to May 26th, but will still be at Blue Ridge Pastures in Fairview. We will meet at 15 Clarke Rd. at 11:00 am.  It's Memorial Day weekend which I hope means even more people can sign up.  The facebook event page is HERE NOW.  Sign up there or email Rich Preyer at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy at rich@appalachian.org.  (Or just email me).  Rich will send out more specific directions as the time approaches.  In the meantime, start daydreaming about wildflowers, sunshine, and communing with nature.  

Blue Ridge Pastures in the Spring: photocred to Michelle Pugliese