Holiday Schedule and Winter Solstice Celebration

This Weekend: Friday/Saturday: normal; Sunday, December 24: 10 am class at both studios; CLOSED Christmas Day.
Next Weekend: Friday/Saturday: normal; Sunday, December 31: 10 am class at both studios; 4-6 pm Open-Level Vinyasa class taught by Beatriz at Wake Up Yoga West; CLOSED New Year's Day.

The end-of-the year holidays are upon us. Ready or not, the 10-day slide to the end of the year has begun. If your schedule is anything like mine, at this moment you simply cannot take the time to read even an enjoyable (if lengthy!) post. I shall spare you that for the moment, and inundate you with opportunities to deepen your own practice next week, when hopefully you will have more time to reflect and plan for the New Year.

In the meantime, this is just a gentle reminder that tomorrow evening, December 22, we are having a Winter Solstice Celebration and Grand Opening Party at Wake Up Yoga West, at 4916 Baltimore Avenue. The evening will begin with a free yoga class being taught by Beatriz at 5:30 pm. We shall learn exactly how many mats will fit in this beautiful and bright new space! After the class, sometime around 7:30 we'll have a vegetarian potluck offering (bring whatever you'd like to share). There will be live music: Thomas Flanagan on Sitar, accompanied by his friends (to be announced!) on Tabla and perhaps some other instruments. Mike Mergen, the beloved Jill Manning's husband, is showing some of his photographs from their 6-week trip to India, which will be for sale (last minute holiday gifts?), and 20% of the funds generated will be offered to Operation Shanti, a non-profit organization caring for the welfare for the street children of India. We will also have some copies for sale of the Sringara Rasa Flow Audio CD recently 'released' featuring Corina Benner (me!) and accompanied by Craig Ebner on sitar. Students have already expressed excitement to be able to pop in the CD to feel the warmth, energy and love that we all generate here, while moving and breathing and even sweating a bit. At least one student told me that's she's taking me with her to Las Vegas for the holidays... I've never been to Las Vegas, so I hope we all have a good time! The CD sells for $15, including tax.

We'd also like to create an 'altar of intention' as an opportunity for students to write down: 1.) what they'd like to create in the New Year; 2.) what in their lives needs more attention and more love in order to fully thrive; 3.) what in their lives they are willing and ready to let go of, to create the space for this new growth. After the party, we may take these intentions and offer them to a sacred fire (not in the yoga studio!).

In any case, if you have the time to bless the space with your energy, please join us. If your dance card is already full, enjoy yourself thoroughly, and if you feel so inspired, please send us your blessing on the waves of a kind thought. Have a beauty-full holiday!