Wednesday, November 22, 2006

An Invitation (Or Two!)

On this Thanksgiving weekend, as each of us contemplates how to most effectively and efficiently 'get it all done' in order to arrive at the table surrounded by loved ones to give thanks, I wanted to share with you a musing offered by a dear friend and yoga student & teacher. Many of you know Julio Kuperman, a true renaissance man with a love of language that rivals (compliments?) my own. He shared with me a pondering on the root meanings of many familiar languages words for 'thank you.' In German, the way one offers gratitude is by saying "Danke," which Julio suggests come from a root meaning of "Thinking." In Spanish, "Gracias" stems from the root of "Grace." And in French, "Merci" has a root in "Mercy." So as you contemplate gratitude, and the richness that one experiences while being filled with gratitude, perhaps you, too, can spend the day "Thinking with Grace and Mercy." Thank you, Julio, for this very sweet lesson.

With that in mind, I want to personally invite you to not one, but two Wake Up Yoga events in December (with two studios, I don't want either to feel neglected!):j

On Saturday, December 9 from 7:30 - 9:30 pm at Wake Up Yoga in Fairmount (2329 Parrish Street) we're having a Pre-Holiday Celebration and CD Release Party!!! I'm really excited about the celebration, and rather nervous about the CD release! It is a Sringara Rasa Flow class, with me teaching and my friend Craig Ebner accompanying on Sitar. If the universe conspires with the duplicating company and UPS, we should have the shipment by December 6 or 7... just in time to pop open some champagne and toast the amazing team of professionals who made the cd possible, and the wonderful students who share their practice here at Wake Up Yoga; you truly are my greatest inspiration! This event will feature Craig on the sitar, and hors d'oeuvres by the Super Spectacular Amazing Earth Mama Marla Wilner of Food Practice. There will be some bubbly (avec et sans alcohol!) and, of course, the CDs will be for sale. Dress for fun... and it is fun to see your yoga buddies in 'real clothes.' We'll have a Barefoot Ball!!! Please plan to come... I do hope to see you there!

And Friday, December 22, from 7:30 - 10 pm, we'll be celebrating the Winter Solstice as well as having a Grand Opening Celebration for Wake Up Yoga West (4916 Baltimore Avenue)! Thomas Flanagan will play the sitar (perhaps with some friends accompanying), and this party will be a vegetarian potluck (bring anything you'd like to share!). Also, Jill Manning and her husband Mike will be recently returned from their trip to India, and Mike (a professional photographer) will be showing many of his photos. We will build an altar of intention for the year ahead, possibly join our voices for some sacred chanting, share some food, and raise a glass to toast each other, friendship, love and life. Please share your own vibrant energy with the burgeoning studio and bless the space with your presence! This is likely to be a very popular night for holiday parties; I hope you'll put Wake Up Yoga West on your Party Train!

Please know that your children are always welcome at Wake Up Yoga parties, and we love it when you bring friends!

Also, be sure to check our Workshops Page for information about upcoming events: The Yoga Playground: Family Yoga in West Philly; Brand New Beginner's Series in Fairmount and West Philly; a once-a-month Sunday Ashtanga Primary Series Tune-Up Class (2 1/2 hours!) with Heather Marie; Prenatal & Mommy and Me yoga classes... and more!

In the meantime, continue to count your blessings, remembering to be grateful for your own sweet self and all you do for those you love and the communities you serve!

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Thanksgiving!

On the morning of this festive holiday, we will offer our normal $5 vinyasa flow class (clear out some space for the big feast and prepare to enjoy time with your family!). The evening classes will not happen. My question is this: Friday. Are you planning/hoping to come to class this day? Please let me know. Thanks!

Oh, and Wake Up Yoga West has softly opened... students have been to every scheduled class so far! We're working out the kinks... hoping to have the credit card machine functioning soon, and work out the class card system. If you have a class card at Wake Up Yoga Fairmount, and would like to use it at both locations, please ask a teacher to transfer your classes to a punch card that you take with you. Or, you could have a class card at each location on file. We will have a Grand Opening Celebration soon! In the meantime, keep coming to class (at both studios!), tell your friends ... together we're building a community that spans many generations, cultures, socio-econonomic strata ... finding peace, compassion and joy, and feeling really good in the process. Yoga Rocks!!!

Friday, November 03, 2006

WUY West Opening Monday!

Just a reminder: tonight is our once-a-month Buddhism Dharma Talk with Michael Carroll, from 7:30 — 9 pm. There is a $10 suggested donation; if that's too much for you right now, please make us an offer! Tonight's topic: Karma in Everyday Life - Understanding the Vision of the Boddhsattva. Intriguing!!! Don't miss this one!

Also, Once-a-Month Saturday Yin Yoga is being cancelled for now, which means we are NOT having the class tomorrow. This offering hasn't been well attended, and it seems unfair to ask a teacher to be here if students aren't going to be! If this news is devastating to you, please email me at: Corina@WakeUpYoga.com to let me know. With enough interest, we may look into beginning this offering again in a pre-registration format to gauge interest. In any case, it's supposed to be a beautiful weekend, so drink it up! Remember Kate is here Saturday morning at 8 am, Biz is here at 10 am, and Sunday morning we've got Nicole at 10 am, and Tina at 5:30 pm. Get Your Breath On!!!

And now, I am so pleased and delighted to announce the official soft opening of Wake Up Yoga West, Monday, November 6. Hurray! Thank you to everyone who pitched in, offered to help, and/or wrote an email or left a phone message voicing your support. Just wait 'till you see the space!!! It has great Bhava (mood/vibe) ... the walls are the same golden color you've come to call home here in Fairmount, and there is this interesting loft with a railing at the back that feels almost like a castle or something equally theatrical (in a very non-distracting sort of way). A beautiful sign is being built and we'll soon have the logo on the gorgeous display windows. There's also another display being created which, hopefully, will convey the spirit and joy that we intend to spread in West Philly. Still picking up the last of the immediately necessary supplies and figuring out how the systems will work ... but this is just the placing of the last pieces into the puzzle. Anyway, please plan to come practice with us next week! For the opening schedule, click here!

Boy it has been a whirlwind: running the one studio and teaching, while working to get the next one up and running. A labor of love for sure, and when you walk in those doors I hope you'll agree it has all been worth it!