Upcoming Events

June 26th
COMFORTABLE BACKBENDS
Therapeutic Yoga Workshop

The Yoga Workshop
2020 21st Street, Boulder
2-3:45pm
Drop in for $14 or use punch card

http://www.yogaworkshop.com/

Yoga & Art: Empower & Refresh

With De West & Sue Hammond-West

Humans are designed to

be a force of nature, empowered,

to enjoy the senses, to be fulfilled with ease.

This workshop focuses on refreshing our empowerment.

Yoga stimulates the sensibilities, awakens our nervous system, refreshes our minds, calms.

The practice of art heightens our ability to see our essential inner lives. From painting quietly, healing images emerge and our self unfolds empowered anew.



August 2, Saturday, 9-5

August 3, Sunday, 9-5

Naropa, Nalanda Campus, Boulder, CO $195/$50 deposit
Only room for 15 students, NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED-WE WILL MENTOR YOU WHERE YOU ARE
register early to secure your spot!
Email De at dewestyoga@yahoo.com

Current Teaching Schedule

Tuesday: 9:30-11:00am Prenatal/Postparum
The Yoga Workshop

Thursday: 5:30-7:15pm
Level 1, Form & Foundation
The Yoga Workshop

Friday: 8:50-10:20am
Beginning Yoga Class
North Boulder Recreation Center
Child Care Available

Saturday: 4:00-5:15pm
Mixed Levels, Vinyasa
The Yoga Workshop

Sunday : 7:30-9:15am
Level 2, Form & Foundation
The Yoga Workshop

Using a Water Bottle?

The other day, I did it, the full primary series. It has a been a long while since I pulled out the water bottle to spray my legs to get my arms through my lotus posture and roll my body back and forth around in a circle (garbha pindasana). But my intention was to stay focused, breathe and do the whole primary series. All the jump backs, all the chakarasana's, even setu bandasana. I felt cleansed afterward. I felt sore afterward. I felt like I could do anything afterward.

Even though it was FAR from "perfect" in form, I felt a calm come over me.

Breathe and move......Vinyasa yoga!

Distracting?

Okay, this photo is of when I was pregnant over a year ago, but it is the only one I have on file of me all propped up. For those of you who come to my public classes you know I love to use props. Not just to use them, but to teach something of value. For this same reason I love to practice with them. They are my teacher.

This morning, after 5 days of the stomach virus, I got a chance to go to the studio and practice. I went to The Yoga Workshop, my second home, and did morning "mysore" practice. "Mysore" refers to a place in Southern India and to a specific sequence of poses done in a room with a teacher who assists you through out your practice. You go at your own pace so everyone in the room is at a different part of the sequence.

I start with the sunsalutes, all the standing sequence.........then I start to think about my twisting workshop this Sat. and do some exploratory positions on the wall. Then I pull out the HUGE backbender and do a few poses there to open my spine and hips. Then I decide I better not use all my energy before 9 am, I still have the whole day with my toddler! So I do a long shoulderstand with the chair, strap and bolster and a reclining pose to open the lungs and rest the legs (supta virasana) on the heart bench. ( a cool wood structure that opens the chest) Then relaxation pose.(corpse) on the heart bench also.

Okay, now the point. I am thinking afterwards that my practice with the props may be distracting to others. (Very few props are used in the Ashtanga practice. But, I think again, wouldn't someone with stinky feet or a loud breath also be distracting? Can't we just practice and trust that the teacher and the student will make the right choices in the moment to support that student?

Seva and the Stomach Flu

It started on Friday. Anahata came down with a stomach virus. Lots of bodily fluids. You don't even think about how gross it is. You clean it up and serve. Wow, no one mentioned this part when I was pregnant or loving up my newborn. But, here it is!

Saturday morning I am not feeling so well. I stay in bed in the morning and by noon, I am emptied of all of my fluids. Anahata is still sick and will pretty much only ingest breast milk. So I do what any mother would do and has done, serve.

Saturday night Stephen comes down with it. He spends most of Sunday resting. Anahata is still sick but picking up a bit of steam.

Monday we lay low. Anahata is still sick but eating a little and I re-schedule my Tuesday morning but keep my plans to go to a yoga class for the evening.

Tuesday starts out good but after Anahata's nap more fluids are flying. I am still not 100% and I cancel my Tue. eve plans go for a walk with my sweet daughter. I wipe her forehead and do another load of laundry. This is hard work this mothering job!

So, send a lot of love your mothers way this weekend. We don't even realize how much they have served us and how much they love us that they would do anything for us!

Happy Mother's Day!