I have begun a single mandatory pose in every class I teach.  It is a moment of loving kindness, just a few breaths in the midst of practice, to thank ourselves, our bodies, our spirits for showing up on the mat.  Many of us spend time and energy critiquing our precious bodies and selves for not being quite what we think, hope, want them to be.  What if what we are right now, in this moment, is enough?  As I teach my students, I am so inspired by their practices, as they develop, as they keep coming back to the mat, and see beauty in every face, in every asana.  It is in this spirit of namaste, recognizing the light within, that I came to my first, and, likely only mandatory asana.  Somewhere in our time together, we will slow down, give ourselves a gentle hug, and say with ever increasing conviction....thank you.

Teaching yoga outside a studio offers wonderful ways to let go of habits and expectations.  Gone is the level floor, the access to props, control of the temperature of the space.  In return? The feel of the sun on my skin, the sounds of the birds and the water, the views of the lake, trees, and maybe even a sighting of a turtle or two.  Yoga at Emerald Lake this week brought more students, quite a bit more heat, and a chance to expand our yoga practices off the mat.