Batch of Sky Yoga

When I started teaching yoga virtually three years ago, I wasn't sure how many people would attend classes. Though 5:30 am works well for me, it seemed a hard sell. Surprisingly, Sunrise Yoga typically has the most attendees, and we have quite a dedicated sangha (community). We'd love to welcome you to it!

Maybe you don't like waking up early, and that's fine. But maybe you've noticed on days in which you do wake up early and move about that you feel like you already won the day. I personally love that feeling. I also love being able to watch the sun rise and experience the freshness of a new day and the opportunities it may offer. So that's why I offer this option to you.

Sunrise Yoga is usually held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:30 am AZ time. This Wednesday I have an early appointment, so I am unable to be there but Batch of Sky Yoga Members have access to replays of all classes and get to choose a favorite.

And if you live east of Arizona, it's not that early! 😄

Use the links below to sign up for classes or join the Batch of Sky Yoga Membership.

https://batch-of-sky-yoga.offeringtree.com/schedule

https://batch-of-sky-yoga.offeringtree.com/offering_packages

🌿 Yoga Enthusiast of the Month 🌿

The best part of my job is connecting with others. I've been introduced to so many remarkable human beings through teaching yoga, and they inspire me to be a better teacher and a better person. Each month, I share with you someone I'm grateful to have met.

I teach for several employers, one of which is Vitality in Motion. They offer seated yoga and dance classes to seniors in the Phoenix area, St. Louis, and Florida. I visit several assisted living and active adult communities for them every week, and one of my favorite class participants is Bill.

Bill's a thoughtful person and intentional with his words. He has a lot to say, and it's always interesting. As a Vietnam veteran who later helped construct the Alaskan pipeline, he has plenty of compelling and entertaining stories to share as we move through our yoga practices. Everything from how they'd shower in the rain in Vietnam to the gorgeous scenery and incredible wildlife (including bugs!) in Alaska. I strongly feel that our elders have so much to offer us. Beyond the anecdotes, they provide wisdom, advice, and ideas that enrich our own lives. If you're not tapping into this resource, you may be missing out. I'm grateful I get to spend time with so many of these folks.

Bill enjoys all the fitness classes his community offers because "variety is the spice of life!" What he likes most about yoga is how we move slowly. He especially appreciates that we exercise our eyes. Like most, he never purposefully exercised his eyes before and says he can tell an improvement in his vision after we do eye yoga.

Though I don't think yoga can fix vision problems, exercising our eye muscles can help them relax, which can relieve eye strain and support improved focus. Bill definitely takes the time to pause, consider, and understand the shifts that can come from a regular yoga practice. Be like Bill! 😍

Hard to believe, but 3 years ago I launched my website, pressed a button, and hosted my first live yoga class via Zoom. Now I typically host 6 classes a week from my yoga room.

🥳 If you've been here since the beginning, thanks for taking a chance on me.

🥳 If you're here now, I'm so glad you're part of this community.

🥳 If you haven't yet joined me virtually for at-home yoga practices, you're invited!

To celebrate Batch of Sky Yoga's 3rd birthday, I'm hosting a 30-minute yoga practice this Tuesday, June 2 at 11 am Arizona time on Zoom.

Join the festivities from wherever you'll be to feel alive and joyful!

Register for this class using the link below.

https://batch-of-sky-yoga.offeringtree.com/offerings/batch-of-sky-yoga-birthday-party

Live from White Oak, it's time for yoga!

I'm visiting family and friends this week and attending a big fundraiser tomorrow that benefits my brother and his family.❤️

No matter where I go, I always make time to practice. So join me from my parents' lovely living room early on Monday and Wednesday mornings and for the big birthday celebration on Tuesday at 11 am AZ!

No payment is required or expected to attend live Zoom classes. Register for classes using the link below.

https://batch-of-sky-yoga.offeringtree.com/schedule

Our family had a great time in Colorado. We attended the wedding of our dear friends' son and were happy to visit our daughter and son-in-law.

I sincerely appreciate those who mentioned that they missed receiving my newsletter last week; how grateful I am that you care enough to read what I share. 🥰

Thank you for your patience and understanding as everything seems to be happening at once, but after my trip to Pittsburgh this week, I anticipate a more consistent schedule for both classes and newsletters. And maybe even some extra fun bonus events!

🌿 Yoga Enthusiast of the Month 🌿

I met Chuck while teaching where he works (or worked as he's now retired, but his employer allows retirees to continue as members at their private gym). This 69 year-old devoted yogi and longtime martial arts student really knows how to pay attention and get the most from his yoga practice. Here he shares his thoughts about yoga in his own words:

"I attended my first yoga session about seven years ago, and I always look forward to my "magic carpet ride." I view my mat as a dedicated space to enjoy each yogic experience.

I often wonder why it took me so long to find this "home." I primarily practice at my employer’s activity center and at Yoga in the Pines in Payson, AZ, and am fortunate to have excellent teachers guiding my journey. As I learn about the eight limbs of yoga, I realize that's a lifelong practice and an integral part of my being. As a black belt, my favorite asanas are the Virabhadrasana series—the Warriors. My interpretation of these poses draws on martial arts, where strength and power are transferred from the earth to the upper body through the alignment of the rear leg, while the forward leg provides agility and protection. This stance creates the foundation for the warrior within.

I appreciate when teachers explain the physical sensations of the postures to guide alignment and also incorporate yogic philosophy—bringing depth, insight, and growth to the asanas with the yamas, niyamas, prana, and meditation.

Furthermore, if we explore Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras during our practice then we can contemplate them for hours afterwards; there is truly always more to learn. Yoga is a lifelong event to be practiced and enjoyed, and we can take the benefits off our mat to spread goodness to everyone we meet and in everything we do."

Chuck really gets it, and I enjoy when he's there to laugh at my jokes, carry on post-class discussions, or share articles or YouTube videos with me that he finds helpful. I'm so glad he's part of our Batch of Sky Yoga community.

Last week in class, we explored the three gunas. Everything in the world (ourselves, our food, the seasons, animals, plants, situations, our relationships) contains all three of these qualities in shifting proportions. The three gunas are:

rajas - activity, stimulation, desire, restlessness, propulsion. Rajas is what drives change and transformation and helps us get things done.

tamas - inertia, heaviness, dullness, stagnation, resistance, confusion. Tamas provides stability and density and helps us rest and sleep.

sattva - harmony, balance, luminosity, clarity. Sattva allows us to know, see, and understand things as they truly are.

Each guna is equally important. When we feel too rajasic, we may burn out. If we feel too tamasic, we may veg out. Though the balance of sattva can mostly be wonderful, if we are always sattvic, the status quo is not disrupted and we stay in our comfort zone and never allow ourselves to grow.

A fundamental yogic principle is that "like attracts like, and opposites create balance." So when we're feeling too stressed or anxious, it can be helpful to slow down with some grounding practices and lengthen our exhales to find some peace through increasing tamas. And if we're feeling lethargic or lazy, inviting in more rajas by ramping it up with movement and pausing at the end of our inhales can shift us into a more energetic state.

Over time, we may find that using these tools can not only change our current state of being but they may also change our traits, allowing us to find our harmonious sattvic state more easily or more quickly.

This coming week, we'll get in tune with sattva and celebrate feelings of balance and clarity. Join me at LA Fitness on Monday at 9:45 am (Higley and the 202) and Tuesday at 11:00 am (AZ Ave and Ocotillo).

Additionally, our at-home yoga schedule is as follows, so please register for any and all classes you wish to attend so that the Zoom link arrives in your email inbox. Registration link:

https://batch-of-sky-yoga.offeringtree.com/schedule

After a long weekend in Monterey, California, I finally feel settled back at home and in my routine. It felt as though recovery was needed as that trip was intense in a few ways:

🌿 Driving 12 hours each way towing an Airstream travel trailer behind us

🌿 Spending 3 full days at Laguna Seca Raceway, commuting by bike from our campsite to the race venue over steep hills with punchy climbs

🌿 Supporting my husband as he raced the Sea Otter Classic Fuego XL mountain bike race (66 miles of trail riding with over 8000 feet of climbing)

We and our friends Liz and Lee were exhausted from our vacation and are considering lying on a beach in Hawaii for our next one. 😆

In all seriousness, it was a fabulously exciting few days of beautiful weather, gorgeous views, and an inordinate amount of physical activity.

Shortly after arriving, we pre-rode a portion of the Fuego XL course. It was more challenging than we all expected a course at sea level to be. Liz and I didn't make it up "Hurl Hill," and I think Brian began questioning his life choices right around this point. Just look at all those hills!

But Brian is stronger and fitter than we are, and he successfully completed his race in an impressive time of 6 hours and 17 minutes! He put in an awesome effort on race day after months of training. Isn't it wonderful to see someone you love realize a dream? We're so grateful we went to that night ride in August hosted by McDowell Mountain Cycles where Brian won this Sea Otter entry as a door prize. It was meant to be.

We did leave the race venue once to go out to dinner to celebrate my 50th birthday.

And here's our view from our campsite way up on the hill. I kinda miss it now, but it's good to be home. See you in yoga class.

https://batch-of-sky-yoga.offeringtree.com/schedule

Brian and I celebrated Earth Day with a gravel ride!

We heard the crunch of the dirt under our wheels, saw the water flowing through the canal, felt the warmth from the sun and the wind in our faces, and enjoyed all the open space around us.

I encourage you to get outside and be mindful of the 5 great elements and what they bring to your life.

🌏💧🔥💨🌌