I am enough ~ by Lauren Turnage

I noticed it yesterday on our hike.  There it was, my old enemy. 

“Do you want me to carry Bodhi?” 

“No, I like the extra weight,” Dusty says.

“Me too, but you don’t have cellulite to burn off your thighs like I do.” 

Then again this morning, “How is it that I’m getting fatter?” I asked out loud.  My mind starts to real…it’s been nearly 8 months since I’ve given birth and I feel like my body is regressing.  For the last 8 months I’ve had the uncanny ability to stand in front of the mirror and pick all of my bodily ‘imperfections’ apart from head to toe: the muffin top that lurks at the top of my jeans is beginning to resemble a muffin top with extra cream cheese frosting on top, my ‘bikini bottom’ (the crease between your ass and your thigh) is starting to frown downward like the sad and saggy cheeks on a mastiff, and now I have elephant knees!  When I was 15 and heard my mom and her cousin so affectionately name the extra skin/flesh that hangs off the inside of the knees I though to myself, “I’ll never have that!”  But here I am…with elephant knees!

When I hear my wiser self talk she offers me a greater perspective.  Your body is still in phenomenal shape after having a baby.   Your body is exactly where it needs to be in order to sustain the life of your child.  You look beautiful, brilliant and glowing.   You are perfect, exactly as you are.  And while I hear her, something prevents me from listening to her. 

Pregnancy gave me the greatest gift I could have ever thought possible, Bodhi Blaise.  But it also unlocked the jail cell where I was keeping my feelings of not being enough.  Not being perfect enough.  Not having the flawless, beautiful body (the definition of flawless I have created over years if poor body image). 

Now I have the opportunity to really explore the root of all this shit!  And possibly lock it up for good.   But most importantly, I have the opportunity to connect to my wiser self and start listening to her wisdom and trusting that I am enough just as I am. 

I’ve invited two of my favorite Forrest Yoga Master Teachers, Steve Emmerman and Talya Ring, to help me guide me through this deep journey of self-exploration. They will be in Denver, September 14-16, for the workshop Embodying Enoughness, right here at Root Yoga Center.

I invite you to join me next weekend, to explore what’s not serving you and to create a new life-affirming self-image.  Also, watch for my follow up post after the weekend.  We invite you to share what you’ll be working on during the weekend, and then what you’ve learned after as well!  

First Ever Wind Horse Forrest Yoga Gathering...in Colorado!

Wind Horse, a Forrest Yoga Gathering, took place in the beautiful setting of Snow Mountain Ranch, near Winter Park, CO. It was the very first Forrest only, yoga gathering and there were close to 300 people!

What a joy to see so many Colorado yogis and from Root especially, it was so wonderful to have you practicing with us, and representing Root Yoga Center! We were so honored and proud to be the main studio partner at the first ever Wind Horse...check out our booth, and we have new T-shirts, so come get one at your next class!

Ana Forrest and all of her incredible Forrest Yoga Guardians, including Colorado's own Jon Kolaska and Cheryl Deer, welcomed us with warm hearts and bright spirits, leading us in ceremony, song and dance before the yoga began...

 Our own miss Cheryl Deer and her glowing smile, in Hanumanasana!

The conference was filled with community, intensity, joy, laughter, and oh so much practice...6 hours of asana each day!

In addition to practicing with Ana and all of the Forrest Yoga Guardians, we were able to meet Native American Medicine chiefs, Alex Turtle and Chenoa Egawa, who gifted us with so much spiritual goodness, songs, stories and beauty. Having them there truly added a spiritual and magical component, as they brought healing to many people, they gifted Forrest Yoga with song and told many stories that had history, meaning and depth.

Of course, lets not forget about all the Forrest abs that were done over the course of 3 days...I think we all felt the burn!

To round out a beautiful weekend already, we were able to have a small fire outside with songs, stories, and a closing ceremony...A huge thank you to Ana Forrest and all at Mossy Knolls for making Wind Horse a reality, to our own Lauren Turnage for being the bridge between Forrest and the Colorado community, Cheryl Deer for being such an incredible yoga teacher and part of such a wonderful group of teachers, to all the Guardians who so lovingly taught classes and spoke truths, and gave us your energy.  What a beautiful experience. Aho!

For those of you who weren't able to make it this year, we hope to see you next year!

Yoga on the River - July 2012 to benefit Prana Fitness

Despite the stormy clouds, sprinkles of rain and wind, July's Yoga on the River was a huge success with over 70 people stepping on to their mats under the sky and practicing yoga to raise money for a good cause. Thank you to everyone who came out for the event! We raised over $600 for Prana Fitness through the yoga class, plus anything raised in the silent auction. You are officially doing good in your community, bringing health and fitness programs to those who don't have as much access as you do.  Thank you for your generosity and presence. Root Yoga and Prana Fitness are grateful for your contribution! Learn more about Prana Fitness here.

See below for a few photos of the event and to see more photos, visit the facebook album.

Next month is our last event in the series, and it will be one you don't want to miss! Friday August 31st, 7:00 pm - Class will be led by Root owners, Lauren Turnage and Dusty Shroyer, raising money for the Greenway Foundation, followed by food for purchase at Harvest Food Truck, a big party at Root Yoga with free drinks and a silent auction.

Click here to RSVP on Facebook. Click here for more details on the event.

Yoga on the River - June 2012 - to Benefit the Chanda Plan Foundation

Thank you to everyone who came out to June's Yoga on the River event!  It was a huge success... we felt honored to have so many people come out from our community to donate to the Chanda Plan Foundation.  We counted 87 people and we raised close to $1000! Thank you to everyone who donated their time, energy and monty to make this event so successful.  Thank you Crystal Hinton for teaching such a beautiful heart opening class, to Cheryl Deer for all of the hands on assists, Roger Maxwell Pressman for his DJ skills, Chanda for your words, presence and inspiration.  ANd thank you to Paris on the Platte for the fabulous drink specials, we all have such a wonderful time after the event.  And of course, thank you to Commons Park West for allowing us the space to hold such an event under the summer skies and moonlight!  

A select few photos are below, but for the full gallery of photos from the event, visit the facebook gallery.

Also on facebook, is next month's event, click here to RSVP and visit our community events page for more details.

Handstands Deconstructed – Turn Your World Upside Down with Amy Baker

Handstand. Just the word, much less the pose, can elicit fear and anxiety for many yogis. Inversions can be scary, but just like all things in life, you must face your fears head on in order to grow and evolve as a person and most definitely as a yogi. Amy Baker and her partner Keri Bergeron have made a mission of just that with their innovative handstand workshops. The pair guides you through a progressive, intentional process that culminates all of the physical and energetic requirements to stand on your own two hands. We had a chance to sit down with Amy to find out just what these workshops (that will be hosted at Root Yoga Center in Denver) are all about.

What are the prerequisites? What if you have never done a handstand before?

Absolutely no prerequisites, just a promise to work hard and have a positive attitude…oh and an open mind. Our workshops are an invitation to bring curiosity to your practice and try something new, different or challenging.

What should I expect from the workshop? 

Expect to push the boundaries of what you think is possible. Expect to safely explore the unknown whether it is assisted at the wall or independently in the middle of the room. We will also practice getting out of the pose which is just as, if not more important than getting into the pose. We teach you tools to exit a handstand safely so you can feel safe and take care of yourself as you progress and grow with the pose.

What does breath and breath work have to do with handstands?

What we see physically is the architecture of getting into a handstand, but there is much more to it than that. Breath is a key component for it is truly about harnessing the energy. When we hold the breath it makes us feel heavy and we block energy flow. But when we take a deep breath into our being we are connected to our courage and it creates a sense of lightness and levity that helps us float into handstand with ease and grace.

Is there a secret to handstands?

There is definitely a method to the madness, but you have to come to the workshop to find out exactly what that is. I will say that our practice is ever compounding. So next time you are in a yoga class and the instructor says you have 30 seconds to invert, you will have the tools to do it. You know the process because you have done it over and over. It will be engrained in your body memory.

What about people that have fear of being upside down?

Inversions are accessible to everyone…even if you are afraid of them. We create a safe and non-judgmental space for you to explore and the concepts we teach are applicable regardless of where you practice on the inversion spectrum. You will definitely find a slice of courage to pack away in your yoga toolbox forever, guaranteed.

How would you describe your teaching style?

Keri and I both have a very non-dogmatic approach. We believe there are many paths to Mecca and are simply happy to share the path that has connected us to our community and lets us give back. It is an invitation to get really familiar with yourself, especially that very wise internal teacher that we all have within. My classes are vigorous physical with a focus on core strength, inverting, and pranayama – all with the goal of furthering your practice based on what is true for you. 

What role does humor play in your teaching?

Yoga doesn’t have to be so serious. There are moments when you have to concentrate and get in there, and there is a time for levity, time to be playful. I have always been sarcastic and a joker…it’s simply who I am.

Talk to me about co-teaching with Keri Bergeron

Keri is a dear friend and partner of mine in Evolve Yoga. We have co-taught countless inversion workshops so we create a synergy and flow in the room that is energizing and fun. We each bring something special and unique to the table which provides a richer, fuller and more complete experience for the participants. And the great thing about having two teachers in the workshop is we can truly cater to each student level and ability by modifying drills, poses, and such individually.  

Workshop Information

Handstand!? Me?

Sunday June 10th from 1-3:30 pm

Root Yoga Center in Denver, CO

$25 members, $30 non-members. Limited to 25 participants.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

“Amy & Keri utilized demonstrations, adjustments, partner work, props, and repetition to strip away negative tendencies and create many "aha" moments. Before you knew it, we were all standing on our hands, supporting each other (physically and emotionally), and exchanging ideas. Our quivering arms and abs were never so happy as when sweet Savasana washed over us. Amy's "no holds barred" approach and Keri's technical expertise provided an experience that will not soon be forgotten. I am ready for the next one!” Julie Myers

“The handstand workshop with Amy and Keri was amazing!! It was different than any other workshop I’d taken in that the whole goal was to incorporate multiple facets of yoga; breath work, mental focus, core work and alignment techniques culminating with us getting upside down confidently and safely. It was a perfectly sequenced, confidence building class that I would recommend to anyone! Loved every minute of it.” Sarah Weatherred 

“Amy and Keri know how to break down the hard parts of handstands into bite-size pieces. If you haven't experienced this duo, I highly recommend them. Whether it's a group drill or some one-on-one instruction, your feet will be flying high before you know it.” John Miskell