Swan River Yoga

Swipe to learn about Yoga Nidra 🌌✨

Join Laura Cherry for a healing session of Yoga Nidra
This Friday, May 1st
6:30-7:30 pm

May we rest and heal 🙏

We’re holding space all weekend with classes to breathe, move, and reset—
then gently transitioning into Ash Wednesday with practices for reflection and renewal.
Swipe for our Mardi Gras weekend classes + Ash Wednesday schedule at Swan River 🦢🩵

February Focus of the Month, written by Lynn Lalka:

The second Yama, or ethical restraint, is Satya, or truthfulness. The practice of Satya calls upon us to speak, think, and act in a truthful manner. And on its face, this may seem like a rather straightforward directive. We are told from a very young age to “always tell the truth.” And this is something our young brains can usually comprehend to some extent - only say things that are true and do not lie. But what even is the truth?

Things can quickly begin to get muddy. As a second grader, when we are asked who threw the ball over the fence of the playground, we may say we don’t know, even though we do know that it was our best friend Tommy that threw the ball. When we are late to a meeting with our boss as an adult, we may say, “The traffic was awful!” when truly we just left our house too late. We often begin to justify untruths - If I tell on Tommy, he’ll get in trouble! If I tell my boss I didn’t manage my time correctly, they’ll think less of me and it will affect my job!

I think it can be pretty easy to start living a life that isn’t fully truthful. Our awareness is so often pulled to things outside of ourselves - outside obligations and expectations, jobs, caring for others, staying sane in afternoon traffic. The list goes on and on. “Where our awareness goes, our energy flows.” And sometimes this may mean that when we finally do stop and pause, we feel like we’re in a Talking Heads song - “How did I get here?” We may get to a place where we don’t even know we are being untrue to ourselves, because we are so disconnected from our Self that we don’t know what the truth is anymore.

Read the full write-up online — link in bio 🦢✨

Meet our teachers ✨
Each of these humans brings their own medicine, wisdom, and rhythm into the space.
Swipe through to learn their classes and when you can practice with them 🤍

Meet our teachers ✨
Each of these humans brings their own medicine, wisdom, and rhythm into the space.
Swipe through to learn who they are and when you can practice with them 🤍

Looking for a simple way to bring the teachings of yoga off the mat and into your everyday life? 📖✨

Join Keith Porteous-Meade for a playful and transformative practice called The 6X a Day Book—a daily reflection that turns ordinary moments into meaningful actions. With just a notebook, a pen, and a willingness to be curious, you’ll learn how to live the dharma throughout your day. No deep prior study required—we’ll cover the teachings together.

Through a mix of in-person learning and an online platform, we’ll explore practices like protecting life, rejoicing in others’ happiness, and using our words to bring people together. These gatherings are known for being both deeply insightful and genuinely fun—and have been part of Swan River’s community life since 2012.

Investment: $45
Includes the in-class workshop on Friday, January 9th, 1:30-2:30pm, access to our online platform, as well as optional Friday gatherings (1:30–2:30pm) throughout the rest of the month.

We’d love to welcome you into this shared space ❤️🦢🙏

Our focus of the month, written by Keith Porteous-Meade:

The first step of yoga is ahimsa, which means non-harming. Why does the path begin here? As Lama Marut said, “The order of the limbs is not an accident... a life without spiritual discipline is just going to be repeated suffering.”

We begin by noticing how we may contribute to harm in the world, whether intentionally or not. This is not about blame or guilt. It is about awareness, so we can make skillful choices. Ahimsa helps us align our actions with what we truly want: peace, harmony, and connection, rather than continually participating in cycles of suffering.

In yoga, actions include not only what we do, but also what we say and think. This is a tall order! How do we practice non-harming honestly without pretending to be other than we truly are? The answer is simple: step by step, day by day. As a Japanese haiku says, “O snail, climb Mount Fuji, but slowly, slowly!”

Recently, I received a teaching on ahimsa while waiting in line at the farmers’ market. Ready with my reusable bags (basic ahimsa), I became impatient about the wait (not ahimsa), and then judgmental about those around me (definitely not ahimsa). Then the woman in front of me said something kind and appreciative about being there. Her sincerity shifted my mood instantly.

The Yoga Sutras say that when someone is firmly established in ahimsa, hostility naturally falls away in their presence (YS 2.35). Sometimes, one kind expression can feel like a superpower. This is why we are drawn to wise teachers and kind companions: their presence reminds us of our own goodness and our connection to something larger than ourselves, instead of being mired in a me vs. the world mindset.

Read the full write-up online — link in bio.

✨ A wondrous holiday class special ✨
8 classes for $88
(Purchase by 12/31 · Use by 3/30)

Plus our upcoming Holiday Events & Classes, including:
• Christmas Day Swan Align
• Restorative Yoga w/ Hot Stones & Sound Bath
• New Year’s Eve Swan Flow
• NYE Full Moon Astrology Journaling Sound Bath
• New Year’s Day Flow & Sound

Give the gift of the space to breathe in peace and stay in the heart this holiday season😌

Join us for Swansgiving: a Thanksgiving morning sliding-scale, benefit yoga class!

Thursday, November 27th
9:30-10:45 am
Sliding scale: $10, $15, $20

All proceeds benefit YEAH!YOGA, a non-profit dedicated to sharing the tools of yoga and meditation with youth invoked with or impacted by the carceral system in the Greater New Orleans area.

This open-level class will be colead by Swan River teachers: Adrienne Edson, Angela Bergeron, Joy Meade, Kate Aitken, Kathleen Barry, and Lynn Lalka.

Let us be together to practice yoga, raise money for a great cause, and give thanks 🌽 🌎 🌌🙏

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