Yoga at the Umbrella House

"This doesn't suck," I declared to my fellow yogis as we situated ourselves for our class at the iconic Umbrella House. The woman next to me agreed, although she didn't seem particularly impressed with my eloquence. Still, the observation seemed apt. It was a gorgeous morning, and I was poolside with my yoga mat at a gem of a home that personifies the Sarasota School of Architecture. 

In case you're not familiar with the Sarasota School of Architecture (also known as Sarasota Modern), here's a short primer. In the 19th century, advances in engineering allowed architects to move away from Gothic and Greek styles that were then the norm. The result was buildings filled with light and air like the Eiffel Tower and the Crystal Palace. At more or less the same time, Frank Lloyd Wright began his illustrious career building homes in an organic style. His houses seemed to grow out of the earth both stylistically and in the materials used. His Fallingwater might be the most well-known example. 

Moving ahead to the 1950s and '60s, Sarasota architects melded the international style's capitalization on engineering advances with the organic style's emphasis on the natural world.  This new style of building featured floor-to-ceiling windows to bring the outside in and large structural sunshades to keep the heat out. Much-required ventilation systems were hidden from view. Modern materials such as laminated wood and plastic were frequently incorporated into designs. Welcome to the Umbrella House. 

It was 1953 when developer Phillip Hiss hired Paul Rudolph to design a speculative concept home. Hiss envisioned the house as a prototype for a new neighborhood on Lido Shores and hoped something radical would lead to international attention. Hiss' dream of an entire neighborhood of Sarasota Mod homes didn't come true (although there are a few on the street on which the Umbrella House lives). The house did, however, garner the attention Hiss craved. In the first year, more than 25,000 people toured the Umbrella House. It was featured in numerous publications, including Architectural Digest, Art and Architecture and L'Architecture D'Aujourd'hui. Fifty years later, the ground-breaking design still stood out, and Architectural Digest named the Umbrella House one of "the most remarkable homes of the twentieth century." It remains a jewel in the Sarasota architectural landscape today. 

The "umbrella" that shades the 1300 square foot dwelling and the pool area was originally made from wood. In 1966, Hurricane Alma swept the umbrella away.  The house fell into disrepair, and it wasn't until 2015 that the home was fully restored with a new high tech umbrella in place. (While the new steel canopy is lovely, it is a bit dizzying to lie on the ground looking up at it.) 

The interior of the home is clean and spare and not to my taste in my least. But I can appreciate it for what it is. While small, every inch was carefully designed. For instance, the rectangular shapes protruding from the wall on the left are dressers that double as tables for lamps and tschotschkes. I asked the obvious question -- especially in the time of a pandemic -- "Where is the TV?" I was informed that all evidence of modern living had been removed for the week-end since the home was part of the annual Sarasota Modern tour.  In any event, the Umbrella House is not occupied full time. The owners live across the street, and it serves as a guest house for their visitors. Wow.  

Thanks to the Sarasota Architectural Foundation and Lynn Burgess of Yoga from the Heart for a memorable morning on my mat.  Namaste.  

Goat Yoga, Anyone?

My only apprehension about taking a goat yoga class was the smell. I've stopped to pet goats while cycling through Nova Scotia or visiting a farm to buy cheese and, well, they kind of stink. So I was envisioning taking a big inhale as I lifted my arms to the sky and choking a bit. Should I wear some Vicks Vaporub under my nose like cops do at crime scenes?

Happily, the goats brought in for the special class at Pineapple Yoga Studio were odor-free. I laid down my mat to stake out my space on the patio and hurried over to the large bucket to check out the baby goats. The little ones had been born just eight days earlier and were highly adorable.

As someone placed a baby in my arms, there was a chorus of "oh no's" and laughter. When I turned to see what the commotion was, I saw that a wandering goat had pooped and peed -- on my mat.  I clearly had been worried about the wrong thing.

This explains a lot. 

One of the yoga studio owners hurried over with a broom and swept up the poop pellets. Paper towels were used to sop up the liquid, which he assured me was "just water." He said something about goats expelling water rather than urine when they drink a lot too fast, but I wasn't buying it. I was happy I'd brought my (disposable) outdoor yoga mat for the session -- and that they had another mat I could use.

"This isn't as tasty as my usual grass."

Despite perfect weather and skilled instruction, it was a bit hard to focus on the poses with the goats roaming around the yogis. How could I not look when peals of laughter erupted across the patio? Or giggle when Claudia gave instructions not typically heard, like "Don't be alarmed if you feel a little hoof on your butt" or "Lower yourself down all the way to your mat--BUT ONLY IF IT'S CLEAN" or "Goats will be goats." And then there was the moment when I was in a high plank position and a baby goat scampered underneath me.

Yoga always makes me feel good, but this class brought my joy to a new level. In addition to the pure fun of the morning, the session was a fundraiser for Pineapple Yoga Studio's community programs. These projects include Juvenile Detention Yoga, Yoga for Sustainable Recovery from Addiction and Mindful Yoga for Parkinson's Disease. For more information about Pineapple Yoga Studio and its community programs, click here.

As for the goats, they came from Yolkers Wilde Dairy Goats. Glenna Roberts, one of the owners, told me she got her first goat when she was nine years old. She's lived on the property where the business is located for 31 years. Originally, they raised goats just for the fun of it. She was pleasantly surprised when she learned she could make a living out of her passion.

Glenna favors Nubian goats, which are known for their long ears. Their farm is home to between 60-70 goats at any time, not counting the babies. They eat approximately two tons of feed/month. Sadly, the goats aren't regular participants in any yoga classes despite their clear aptitude.

Thanks to Pineapple Yoga Studio and Yolkers Wilde Dairy Goats for hands-down the most hilarious yoga class I've ever taken.

Hang and Gubal Concert by Matt Venuti

Matt Venuti on the hang

It's not often that you get the chance to attend a concert featuring two instruments that were "birthed" in the 21st century.  I'm not talking about household items such as brooms and garbage cans being repurposed to create music like in Stomp.  Nor am I talking about hearing an instrument in an unexpected context, as will happen next week when Robert Bonfiglio and his harmonica join the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.  I'm talking two instruments that first appeared on earth in the last 15 years -- the hang and the gubal.

When I opened this month's newsletter from the Yoga Sanctuary, I noticed that the studio was hosting a concert by Matt Venuti.  I clicked through to the video and listened to Venuti sing a lovely song while playing the hang.  In the midst of a busy season, a night of quiet music in an intimate setting sounded like just what the doctor ordered.

Hang at rest

The hang (pronounced "hung") is an instrument in the "idiophone class" (which, I have just learned, means that the sound is made through vibrations rather than through the use of strings or membranes).   It is similar to a drum, but the instrument's Swiss creators prefer to think of the instrument as being in a class of its own.  Each hang is hand crafted from two sheets of steel.  The top piece (referred to as the "ding") is hammered until the tone that the maker wants has been coaxed from the metal.  The trick then is to finish the rest of the instrument while retaining that tonality.  The bottom piece (the "gu") is smooth and has a rolled hole in the center. Because each instrument is made by hand, each has its own unique sound.  Venuti brought two of the UFO-looking instruments along for his concert, and I could hear a slight difference in their tenor.

Playing the hang involves a combination of caressing and beating on the instrument with your hands.  To "tune" the instrument, Venuti spun it around on his lap until his hands landed in the right place as he played. The hang can also be played standing on its side. To me, the sound is somewhat similar to that of a steel drum, but the context was so different from, say, listening to John Patti perform with Jim Morris that the analogy doesn't seem quite right.  (Click here to listen to the title track of Venuti's CD entitled "Rise.")

Venuti also played a few songs on his prototype of the gubal.  (The instrument is not being launched until May, and Venuti is the proud owner of the only gubal in the United States.)  The gubal looks even more like a spaceship than the hang, as it has a cylindrical piece that extends from the bottom that could serve as a cabin. The gubal has a rolled hole in the top of the instrument, and it has a deeper resonance than the hang.

In past years, Venuti's concerts were purely instrumental.  On this tour, he has added lyrics to his compositions.  He calls them sounds of life, loss, love, and surrender.  Venuti's wife passed away five years ago, and his language flows from his efforts to come to terms with that loss.  While the words don't specifically reference his wife, having that background added poignancy to songs with titles like "A Place to Breathe."   The lyrics were uniformly beautiful, and definitely enhanced the evening.

I left the concert feeling pensive rather than relaxed.  We live in an uncertain world.  The question is not whether we will suffer losses and difficulties, but how we will deal with those circumstances when they occur.   Venuti's music suggests approaching life with an open mind and an open heart.   Easier said than done, but it's a goal worth aspiring to.   

The Best of My "Best Of"

This is the second year that I've been invited to contribute to Florida Weekly's annual "Best Of" edition.  Last year it was kind of nerve-wracking.  I was new to the whole writing thing and definitely not used to putting together a piece (even a 75 word ditty) on any sort of deadline.  It was fun, though, and the day I put in my 2012 submissions, I started thinking about this year's edition.  Which of my blog experiences could be converted to a blurb?  Is this sign funny enough to warrant a mention?  How can I get a bit of press for the things I particularly love in the area?   The result was 17 entries in the 2013 edition!  Here are a few of my (unedited) favorites:

Best of Show:  Catherine Lucas learned about the Faces and Figures National Exhibit being hosted by the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda just one day before the submission deadline.  (Ironically, Catherine—who lives in Naples—heard about the show from a friend in Texas.)   Catherine quickly pulled together her online submission for “Prima Materia” and hit the “send” button.  Five weeks later, Catherine was at the VAC awards reception collecting her first place ribbon and check for $2000.    She gamely posed with her nude self-portrait for members of the press who wanted to protect their readers’ Victorian sensibilities.    

Best Place for One Stop Shopping (4549 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte):  Where else can you celebrate making bail by getting some tattoo art of that special someone and a body piercing to boot?  And people in Punta Gorda say it’s not worth making a trip over the bridge!       

Best Budding Yogi:  It’s no surprise that nine month old Maya Yonker came out of the womb doing yoga.  After all, mom Bonnie owns the Yoga Sanctuary in Punta Gorda and taught classes almost up to the day she gave birth.  While Maya’s showing great aptitude for lots of postures, her best one of all is “happy baby.” 

Best New Moniker (Punta Gorda Pathways):  Punta Gorda prides itself on its 15+ miles of bike and pedestrian trails that encircle the city.   But “Ring Around the City” just wasn’t doing its job as a name .  What ring?  What city?  And doesn’t it make you think of that ’70s TV commercial for Wisk?  So the City Council solicited ideas for a new name.   Suggestions included “Punta Gorda Invites You to Walk All Over Us,” “Trabue Trail,” and “K-MURT” (“MURT” is an acronym for multi-use recreational trail).  After much consideration, the Council settled on “Punta Gorda Pathways.”   Whatever you call it, this system of pathways is one thing that makes Punta Gorda such a special place.   

For the complete 2013 Florida Weekly "Best Of" edition, you can click here and go to page 66.  http://charlotte.floridaweekly.com/news/2013-05-09/PDF/flip   For a "bonus" article, flip to page 36 for my repurposed blog entry on Solomon's Castle entitled "Exploring the Re-Purposeful Life of Solomon and his Castle."  (I have to admit that this was quite thrilling, especially with the teaser on the front page of the Arts section "Nanette Crist takes a tour of Solomon's Castle."   I know, my bar for being thrilled is set a little low, but I'll take it where I can get it!)  

Let me know if you come across something weird and wonderful that warrants mention in the 2014 "Best Of" edition.  I've already started my list!  

Being Thankful

I generally don't write about multiple outings to the same place or event.  There's way too much going on here for that!  But the Yoga Sanctuary's annual Being Thankful event at Worden Farm is just too special not to share.  And really, can we ever be too thankful for the abundance in our lives?

Yoga Sanctuary folks

The gang from the Yoga Sanctuary greeted Stephanie, Susan, and me as we pulled our mats from the car and got ourselves situated on the field.  It was a beautiful day after a morning that threatened some rain, and as we laid on our mats waiting for the class to start, the wind blew beautiful clouds across the sky.  I was in the zone before I uttered my first "om"!

I know I've said it before, but there's really nothing like doing yoga in the great outdoors.  Jen led us through a practice that left me feeling one with the world.  Her exhortation to root our feet took on a different meaning with the soil beneath them rather than a classroom floor.  The breeze came up on cue as we assumed tree pose, prompting her to tell us to experience the wind flowing through the branches of our trees.

Steph and I enjoying our tomatoes

After the practice, Eva Worden took us on an incredible tour of the farm, which is situated on 85 acres of land.  She talked about their vision of the farm as part of an ecosystem that includes the community of people who enjoy its harvest.  We picked cherry tomatoes off the vine and popped them into our mouths.  They were as sweet as candy.

Okra on the vine

 As we walked around some of the 20 fields, we learned that each bed has two to three cycles of crops each season.  We saw the greenhouses where little broccoli seeds are nurtured for about six weeks until they are hearty enough to be transplanted into the field.  We learned that okra is a high maintenance crop that has to be picked every two to three days.  We met one of the goats whose milk is made into cheese products that farm members have the opportunity to purchase. (Worden Farm is a co-op of sorts and its members can either go to the farm each week to select their produce or have a box of vegetables delivered to a central location and pick it up there.  Sadly, Worden Farm will not be operating its farmers' market at Fisherman's Village this year so Punta Gorda residents who want to enjoy the Farm's produce will have to become members.)

The event was a benefit for the Good Samaritans of Charlotte County, and I'd be remiss not to say a little bit about their mission.  The Good Samaritans provide emergency assistance to residents of Charlotte County who find themselves struggling as a result of a lay-off, an illness, or the high cost of prescription drugs.  The organization operates a food pantry five days a week (which, during the season, includes fresh vegetables from Worden Farm) and offers financial assistance with utilities.  Thanks to a new partnership with Kay's Kloset, the program now also provides clothing to those in need.  It's yet another example of the good work that people are doing in this community.

We left the Farm feeling good inside and out.  It was a great way to prepare ourselves not only for Thanksgiving but for the holiday season.  It's all too easy to get caught up in the parties and the presents and forget that what makes the holidays special is spending time with friends and family (even if there aren't any chestnuts roasting over an open fire).    May your holidays be merry and bright.    

Yoga Month Wrap-Up

I have a ritual at the end of every vacation.  I like to do a little recap and think about favorite moments, different experiences, and even things I wouldn't do again.   My time at the Yoga Sanctuary during National Yoga Month was like a vacation in many ways.   Being on my mat transports me to another place.  Over the course of the month, I took 23 classes and spent over 1500 minutes on my mat, so that's a lot of time away from the rest of my life.  (Yes, I counted.  Just because I'm doing a lot of yoga doesn't mean I've left all of my Type A personality traits behind!)   So here's my recap:

Variety is the Spice of Life:  I was already familiar with the mixed level, level II and ashtanga classes at the studio.  One of the great things about yoga month is that I explored some types of classes that I hadn't done before.  I had heard people talk about yin last year but never made it to a class.  This type of yoga is intended as a counter to some of the more strenuous practices as you hold poses for longer periods of time in order to release some of those screaming muscles.  When I left the class I was in a stupor similar to  how I feel after a good massage.  Add that one to my calendar in the future!  I also took a sunrise class one morning.  One big surprise was that there are actually a lot of people out and about in Punta Gorda at 6:45 in the morning!  The other surprise was that the class wasn't the equivalent of a gentle stretch.  While we started with some nice sun breaths, by the end of the class we were working and our muscles were definitely awake.  A lovely way to start the day.

Most Powerful Experience:  September 21st was the United Nations' International Day of Peace.   Jen led a chant for peace that day that consisted of chanting "om" 108 times followed by nine minutes of silence.  (In case you're wondering, she kept track of the number of "oms" using mala beads, which are the Hindu equivalent of a rosary.)   There are lots of reasons why you chant 108 times, but the coolest one is that the diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth, the distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the Sun's diameter, and the average distance from the Moon to the Earth is 108 times the Moon's diameter.  The energy in the room was almost tangible at the end of the chanting and I felt myself gravitating towards the center of the rough circle we were sitting in.   I know I sound like I've been drinking the kool-aid but it was really an amazing experience.

Biggest Surprise:   Jen taught a mixed level class last week and told us to have bolsters at the ready.  I have always associated bolsters with chest opening postures (meaning that you're lying on the bolster for support).  VERY relaxing.  So you can imagine my surprise when we used the bolsters to position ourselves into supported split poses (which I don't think my body has done since I was a cheerleader in junior high).  Yes, I did feel that the next day (and this pose falls into the don't-need-to-do-that-one-again-for-awhile category)!

What I've Learned:  Although I love the physicality of ashtanga and the level II classes, I've come to a greater appreciation of the fact that there is a lot going on in even the simplest of yoga poses.  I've often thought of the analogy of  walking, chewing gum, patting your head, and rubbing your stomach all at the same time!  Take Mountain Pose (Tadasana) as an example.  If someone walked by the class and looked in, it would look a lot like people just standing upright with their arms by their sides. Au contraire! Your feet are together, your legs are firm, and your thighs are rolled inwards in order to create the base of the mountain.  Your spine is long and straight--no slouching in yoga class!   Your shoulder blades are drawn down and back (something I'm now able to feel).  Your arms are outstretched by your side.  Your gaze is towards the tip of your nose.  Oh, and don't forget to breathe!  It's no wonder that the outside world falls away when you're in your practice given everything you need to focus on.

My friend Bruce took a good long look at me the other day and said, "I'm trying to figure out if you've changed with all this yoga."  He is a funny guy and likes to throw comments out to get a reaction so I'm sure he wasn't serious.  And while I don't think I've changed as a result of all the yoga I've done over the past month, it's been great to have the time to get in touch with, well, a lot of things. Being at the studio so much has also deepened my sense of community there, making it an even more special place.   The trick, of course, will be not to slide back into my "I'll get to a yoga class when I can" attitude now that yoga month is over.   Which reminds me--it's time to get ready for class!

Yoga Challenge Midpoint

One thing I can say about myself is that I don't do things halfheartedly.  I am pleased to report that I am midway through the Yoga Sanctuary's 20 class challenge for National Yoga Month (well ahead of schedule).   At this rate, I might even get in some extra classes!  The studio has a chart with the challenge participants' names on it, and Anna puts little smiley face stickers next to our names to show how many classes we've taken.  It is amazing how much fun it is to watch those stickers accumulate (and it confirms the power of the sticker, which is a device I use for students at the Adult Learning Center who've done a good job on their work).      

Anne working with Barbara on her warrior II pose

I am immensely enjoying the frequency and variety of classes that I am taking. Last week I pulled a "double" one day--a very active ashtanga class followed by a meditation class, both taught by Anne Moore.  It was a wonderful morning.  One of the cool things about ashtanga is that the sequence of the class is the same universally.  I could be traveling in Japan or Argentina and not speak a word of the language and yet be able to participate in an ashtanga class.  That doesn't mean that instructors can't put their own twist on the practice.  Anne started last week's class by saying that we would be doing "pirate yoga".  Hmm.  It turns out that didn't mean that the chanting of "om" would be replaced by pirately "arrghs" (although I have to admit that I was tempted).  Instead, we were to think of our legs as hollow, with our breath starting at the tips of ours toes and coming up to fill our chests.  This visual actually worked for me, and I swear I could feel my breath flowing through my legs when I wasn't too busy thinking about all the other things I was supposed to be doing.

Heart chakra image

The meditation class was a great follow-up to the ashtanga practice.  I will admit that I was a bit surprised to see how many people there were in the class.  I had only taken a meditation class once before and, while I enjoyed it, I feel way too busy to take a class that doesn't burn any calories.  (That feeling is, of course, a sign that perhaps I should be embracing the opportunity to sit quietly and try and still my mind.)

We began the class by talking about the heart chakra, the symbol for which is coincidentally the logo for the Yoga Sanctuary.  The whole chakra thing is a bit mystical for me, but I enjoyed listening to the discussion and doing the heart opening poses before the actual meditation portion of the class.  One of the things I liked most about the class was Anne's incorporation of Tibetan bowls that she got from Robert Austin.  (See my post from December 4th if you don't know about his Tibetan and glass bowl concerts.  They are truly amazing.)  She talked about her experience shopping for the bowls and how Robert "played" different bowls on different parts of her body in order to determine which bowls were the right ones for her.  It turns out that the bowls choose their owner rather than the other way around. It's kind of like when you go to the pound thinking that you are in the market for a miniature poodle only to end up with a labrador retriever.  (If you haven't done the whole bowl thing, this must sound incredibly ridiculous and crystal-ly and you probably think we've all gone over the edge.   All I can say is that you should reserve your judgment until you've had a chance to experience a Tibetan bowl concert.  Then we can talk.)   Anyway, Anne played the bowls during our meditation and, as always, their sound took me to another place.  Towards the end of the class she made her way to each student, placed the bowl above his or her heart, and played it.  I could hear that the bowl in fact sounded different on different people.  When it was my turn, the vibration of the bowl resonated through my body.  It was an incredibly cool feeling.  At the end of the class I was relaxed and refreshed and ready to conquer the world (or at least the pile of papers on my desk).

It's great fun to explore different yoga classes during the challenge and find out what I've been missing out on.  This week I'm going to take my first "yin" class, which I think involves holding poses for extended periods of time.   I'm hoping to make the chant for peace the following week, during which participants will chant "om" 108 times followed by a  brief meditation.  And I'm going to try a tuning fork session, which I would describe to you if I had a clue what's involved.  All in all, it's shaping up to be quite a memorable month.  

   

Celebrating National Yoga Month with the Yoga Sanctuary

September has always been one of my favorite months.  I think it must relate to the whole back-to-school cycle.  Summer is over (even if it doesn't exactly feel like it); I've had some time to rejuvenate; and it's a perfect time to take a step back and set some new goals.   Enter the Yoga Sanctuary.  Last year I heard about the Yoga Sanctuary's challenge to take 20 classes during the month of September as a way to celebrate National Yoga Month.  The idea was intriguing to me, but I just couldn't quite figure out a way to fit it into my schedule.  This year I took the plunge, and I'm already glad that I did.

Instructor Jennifer French with
Bonnie Yonker

This year's challenge started a bit early with the Yoga Sanctuary's monthly community class on August 30th.  Bonnie Yonker, who owns the studio, has a true commitment to our community.  Each month, there's a donation only class that benefits a local non-profit.   Bonnie has taken this idea a step further, though, for National Yoga Month, with all proceeds from the challenge going to support the Peace River Wildlife Center.  Participants are encouraged to solicit pledges from their friends and families to raise money for the cause.  Instead of a walk-a-thon, it's a yoga-thon.  This is the third year that the Yoga Sanctuary has combined its yoga challenge with its support for the Center, with more than $5,000 having been raised for the Center's coffers in the last two years.

Dr. Robin Jenkins, a veterinarian who volunteers with PRWC, told us a bit about the Center before the class started.   The mission of the Center is to "treat and rehabilitate injured and orphaned native Florida wildlife...and, if possible, to return them to the wild".   The Center admits approximately 2,000 injured birds and other animals annually and is home to 200+ residents.  The Center relies on private donations--and the occasional grant--to fund its operations.  The cost of feeding the permanent residents alone is nearly $75,000 per year, so that's a lot of fundraising.   Dr. Jenkins knows that the best way to pull on people's heart strings--and get them to open their wallets--is to show them what they are supporting, so she brought along one of the Center's most recent admissions--a small screech owl.  He is unbelievably cute and fluffy.  When the little guy was brought to the Center, he was in a coma.  It's likely that he injured himself by flying into a car or building while diving for food.   Although he's now awake and has started flying around in his cage, he is very docile, and he probably won't ever be strong enough to be re-released into the wilds of Punta Gorda.  (In fact, he didn't make a peep during the entire class.)  Dr. Jenkins' pitch was successful, with over $600 in contributions being made that night.  An anonymous donor generously agreed to match the donations made at the kick-off class, so the Center now has an additional $1200 to support its operations.

My goal, of course, is to try and fit 20 classes into the month despite a couple of week-ends away and a fairly busy work schedule.  Today I took my fifth yoga class in as many days.  This once-a-week yogi is already enjoying having a more consistent yoga practice.   And I challenged myself further by going back to an ashtanga class after more than a year's absence.   Trust me when I say that I'm becoming reacquainted with some muscles that have been dormant too long.   More importantly, though, I love the way I feel when I practice.  The minute I sit down on my mat, I feel more centered and detached from the noise in my day-to-day life.  The trick, of course, is figuring out how to transfer that feeling to outside the studio.  Thanks to Bonnie and the Yoga Sanctuary for giving me the push I needed to explore the benefits of yoga more fully.  I'll report back as the month progresses.   Namaste.

Yoga Sanctuary Celebrates Earth Day

Yes, Anna is wearing a
jacket!  

Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with, and she made her presence known last Sunday during Punta Gorda's Earth Day celebration sponsored by the Yoga Sanctuary and Salon Blue.    It was so windy that I wasn't sure if the celebration to benefit the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center would come off or not.   But when I arrived at Gilchrist Park at 6 p.m. I found a small group of people talking with representatives of Worden Farm and other local vendors about "10 Ways to Go Green" and waiting for the sunset yoga class.    

As part of their Earth Day curriculum, students from Sallie Jones Elementary School had created works of Earth Day-themed works of art, and the "best of" were on display.  I talked with fourth grade artist Vanity Baughman about her painting of her future dog recycling a soda bottle (hint, hint, mom and dad), and it sounded like the kids had a good time learning about Earth Day in their classes.  

Mayor Bill Albers read Punta Gorda's Earth Day Proclamation, which highlighted the fact that Earth Day is the largest civic observance in the world.  (Over 1 billion people from more than 192 countries celebrated Earth Day this year!)  Monica from the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center told us a bit about their work and its focus on education.  It was hard to hear, but I think she said that the Center's programs serve over 30,000 people each year!  Then it was time for our yoga session.

As we laid out our mats, the waves (yes, actual waves) crashed over the sea wall, and the wind whipped through our hair.  Luckily, Bonnie had a mike so that we could hear her over the elements.  As we started our practice, she talked about the importance of Earth Day as a chance to honor what we have so it will be here for future generations.   (Bonnie and Terry are expecting their first child in June, so her words seemed particularly heartfelt.)   She encouraged us to feel--and hear--the elements:  the wind coming off the water, the warmth of the sun peeking through the clouds, the stability of the ground beneath our feet.  

My practice was quite different from the outdoor yoga experience in November at Worden Farm, which was calm and relaxing.  The wind was so strong that I actually had to work to hold even the most basic mountain pose (for non-yogis, in this pose you are basically just standing upright!)   When we did our tree poses (where you place the sole of one foot against your calf or your thigh), there's no doubt that we more closely resembled saplings than sturdy old oak trees.  Even with the slightly challenging conditions, it was pretty magical to look up at the sky and the sun and the clouds as we made our way through our practice, and a perfect way to celebrate Earth Day.  Namaste.      

Crystal and Tibetan Bowl Concert: A Sound Massage

I spent Thanksgiving some years back in Sedona, Arizona and, while it was incredibly beautiful and the hiking was great, it was a bit "crystal-ly" for my taste. So you might be surprised to hear that I was excited about spending an evening at the Yoga Sanctuary listening to Robert Austin play his "healing" bowls. But with my "changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes," I couldn't resist checking out his performance with its promise of an experience of "a deep state of relaxation, mental clarity and restored energy."

When I arrived at the Yoga Sanctuary, it felt like a cross between a yoga session and a slumber party. Most people were sitting or lying on yoga mats with bolsters, blankets, and pillows (some of which had been brought from home!)

Austin was set up at the front of the room with his bowls, a Buddha and some candles, and his mother Jennie was seated at a xylophone off to the side. Austin, a retired corporate chef who turned in his mixing bowls for healing bowls, began the evening with a short talk about the "language of the bowls." The concert would start with the crystal bowls, which emit a "high, angelic vibration" that is used to clear the negative energy in the room. He would then move on to the Tibetan bowls, which are the healers. He explained that Tibetan bowls can be placed on and around your body and be played to return your body to a state of harmony. The harmonic tones of the bowls are apparently stronger than any pain that the body can hold onto. Austin interjected humor into the description of what the evening held for us so I didn't feel too much like I had somehow stumbled into the twilight zone. He then dimmed the lights and encouraged us to get into comfortable positions so we could let the bowls perform their magic.

I'll admit to a healthy dose of skepticism, but I laid down on my mat and tried to open myself up for the experience. When Austin started playing, I can only describe the sounds as ethereal and shimmering. Austin primarily used cushioned mallets of different sizes to strike and stroke the bowls but he also used a bow (like what is used to play the violin) and his own voice. (I generally liked the chanting but when he "sang" in a low voice directly into a Tibetan bowl the sound was a bit creepy.)

He also incorporated little cymbals and what looked to be Native American rainsticks (the sound of which was incredibly relaxing.) Mom Jennie periodically played her xylophone.

For the first few minutes, I kept peeking to see how he was creating this music. I then gave up on this and tried to just relax. It seemed like only a few minutes had passed when he told us that he was going to finish the concert with a "healing bowl ceremony." I felt physically unable to open my eyes so I can't report on what this involved.

Once most of the audience was back in an upright position, Austin asked for a guinea pig. Nobody put up their hand (probably because that would have required too much energy!) so he pointed to me and asked if I had any lingering discomfort in my body. I didn't want to admit that I hadn't been able to quiet the "monkey chatter" in my head, so I said that my shoulders were still tight. He came over with a large bowl and asked if he could put it on my head. (He commented that it would look pretty hilarious and that it was too bad nobody had an iPhone, at which point Bonnie whipped hers out to snap a couple of shots.)

The bowl was very heavy, and he stroked it with a mallet and gently hit it a few times. I could feel the vibrations run through my entire body. Once he removed the bowl, he asked me if I felt better and I literally could not put a sentence together. My shoulders still felt a bit tight, but my mind had been emptied of all its noise. He did a couple of other demonstrations of using the bowls to alleviate pain and, with that, the evening was over.

It's hard to describe how relaxed and peaceful I felt the rest of the evening. It was the feeling you get when you have a really, really good massage and you slither off the massage table in a noodle-like state. You can check out a short performance by Austin on YouTube by googling "Robert Austin Crystal Bowl Sound Healer." (It has now been bookmarked as one of my favorites!) All I can say is that I left feeling that I had been on a magical, mystery tour. Not a bad way to feel going into the hectic holiday season!

Being Thankful

Economic conditions have resulted in retailers rushing headlong into the holiday season. Everyone seems to be getting in on the act. Stores are sporting their holiday decorations and playing Christmas songs to get shoppers in the spirit. The streets of downtown Punta Gorda are decked out with snowflakes and garland. Even the Salvation Army is joining in, with representatives ringing bells and manning the familiar red kettles seeking donations. Happily, the Yoga Sanctuary and Worden Farm gave me the opportunity to take a step back and reflect on the things in my life to be thankful for at their fourth annual Being Thankful event to benefit the Good Samaritans of Charlotte County.

Stephanie and I arrived at Worden Farm on Sunday afternoon not knowing exactly what to expect. We were greeted by Bonnie and Anna, made our contribution for the Good Samaritans and rolled out our yoga mats in the field. There was a wide assortment of people there, some of whom I recognized from classes at the Yoga Sanctuary but many of whom--like the mother with an infant in her lap--were just there for the event. Dianne Munson, Executive Director of the Good Samaritans, told us a bit about the mission of the Good Samaritans, which is to provide emergency assistance for Charlotte County residents through financial aid and contributions from their food pantry. With the plight of those less fortunate in our minds, Bonnie asked us to set an intention for our practice, thinking about the things in our lives that we are grateful for, and led us through an hour of gentle yoga.

It was an incredible and truly special experience to practice yoga in a field. Sun salutations and the tree pose took on a whole new meaning as the breeze flowed over our bodies and the sun shone down on us. Bonnie's instructions throughout the practice incorporated our beautiful setting as she asked us to "feel the warmth of gratitude in our hearts" and to "shift our gaze up to the ceiling--oops--the sky!" At one point I was startled to see that a grasshopper had jumped onto my mat. As I said, it was a practice unlike any other I've experienced!

After our yoga, Alissa gave us some background on Worden Farm before leading us to a freshly tilled area where we planted ace red beet seeds that, when harvested, will be donated to the Good Samaritans. Stephanie ended up planting next to Dianne Munson, who told her a bit more about the Good Samaritans program and how no food donations go to waste.

Once vegetables get too soft to give to clients, they are fed to animals. (I think I heard her say they're fed to hogs, but I was eavesdropping so I'm not quite sure where these hogs live!) Again, it was a very special experience.

I left the Farm feeling calm, rejuvenated and thankful for the many good things in my life. Hopefully I will be able to retain these feelings as we move past Thanksgiving into the chaos of the Christmas season. Happy holidays!

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, but the parent of all others.
--Cicero

Instruments of Torture????

Chester, Nova Scotia has a population of approximately 1000 people during the winter and 2000 people during the summer.  There's a reason why the population doubles during the summer--it is an incredible place that we CFAs (Come From Aways) have nicknamed "Camp Chester."  The area offers almost any type of physical activity that you can think of.  If you like to be on the water, you can spend time on the beautiful Mahone Bay. If you like to golf, there's a gorgeous golf course with water views on at least two thirds of the holes.  There's great biking (if you're into hills), hiking, and pretty much any other athletic activity that you can think of.  (For the year-round residents, there is even curling during the winter months!)  A couple of years ago, Chester's offerings were expanded to include Iyengar style yoga classes when instructor Leigh Milne moved to town.

Leigh is a very serious instructor, having spent several months in India taking classes from Mr. Iyengar and his family.  For her, yoga really is a way of life, not just a work out.  We start each class with a call and response chant of the Invocation to Patanjali.  (I am sad to say that my Sanskrit has not improved much over time.)   We then read from the Yoga Sutras, a text that is broken into four chapters that show the way to yogic enlightenment: samadhi (a blissful state), sadhana (discipline), vibhuti (power) and kavalya (liberation).  (I actually didn't know this until now!  In case you were wondering, our discussion does not extend to the kama sutra, although that text also finds its roots in Indian Hindu writings.)   We discuss the reading, which sometimes resonates with me and sometimes seems a bit abstract.  Then it's on to the practice. 

Iyengar yoga is all about the form.  You work very hard at getting into the correct posture (or your approximately thereof) and then hold it for what seems to be an interminable length of time.  I almost always come out of her class with an awareness of muscles that I never knew existed!  I  feel very centered, however, having left everything from my life outside of the studio behind for the time that I'm there.

Last year, I arrived to find that Leigh had put ropes up on the walls (which, at first glance, looked a bit like instruments of torture).  I was intrigued but somewhat apprehensive. How would they be incorporated into our practice?  Would I be able to do the asanas (poses) that relied on use of the ropes?   I now always feel a bit deprived if I don't get some rope time in each session!  In my first class this summer, we used the ropes for the pose that Leigh is demonstrating here.  It's a bit hard to tell but you actually hang from the ropes with your hands resting on the ground lightly.  Pretty cool!  Getting out of the posture was a bit more challenging, and I can only say that I'm glad I don't have a video! 

Having the opportunity to take yoga classes has rounded out the Camp Chester experience for me (and I think it helps my golf game to boot, with its emphasis on posture and twisting poses).   The trick now is to try and bring some of that zen attitude into the rest of my life!  Signing off from Camp Chester....

Dragon Boat Racing with the Shanti Dragons

The Shanti Dragons post-race

A few weeks ago, I started seeing some publicity about "War on the Peace River," a Dragon Boat Festival that was going to be held in April.  I had absolutely no idea what a dragon boat festival was, but it sounded exotic and intriguing.  One morning before my Ashtanga class, I was asked if I'd be interested in participating in the Yoga Sanctuary's team in the Festival.   The basics were explained to me:  dragon boats are a type of boat that is raced by a 20 person team, no experience was required and it would just be a fun race that would last about two minutes.  Sounded pretty harmless to me, and I'm all about trying new experiences, so I signed on.  Little did I know what I was getting myself into! 

After committing to being on the team, I received a practice schedule--we would have three one hour sessions on the water to learn the strokes and sort it out.  I missed the first outing so I felt a bit behind when I arrived for the second team practice.   The rest of the crew had already practiced the starting sequence (five "long, hard" strokes, five faster, five faster still, then stroke, stroke, stroke) and knew the commands, which were reviewed by our drill master steerer.    All I can say is that rowing is seriously hard work.  My heart periodically felt like it might beat right out of my chest and I lost the ability to count strokes out loud somewhere around the one minute mark.  I had learned that we would have at least two races on the day of the Festival, three if we were competitive--I couldn't believe that we were going to have to do this multiple times in one day!  By the end of the practice, I was wet and exhausted and a bit stressed out.

To those of you who know me, it won't come as a surprise to hear that I didn't play any team sports when I was growing up.  The closest I came was being on a relay team when I ran track in junior high.   (In the interest of full disclosure, I joined the team in hopes of impressing a boy.  I don't expect that my skinned knees and elbows ended up being all that impressive.)    And I have to say that I didn't think about the implications of dragon boat racing being a team sport when I signed up to row with the Yoga Sanctuary team.  It wasn't until the morning of the Festival that I realized that if I ended up out of sync, it would affect the whole team's performance.  Yikes!

I got to Laishley Park around 8:30 and about an hour later made my way with the rest of the Shanti Dragons to the holding area to queue up for our first race.  I was in the second row (the "stroke" section) so I only had to watch the woman sitting in front of me to keep on pace.  We were racing against three other boats in our heat, including what turned out to be the winning boat from the Punta Gorda Club (which, I will note, had 12 men on it compared to the four men on our team).  The team was a bundle of nerves as we paddled our way out to the starting line.  We had been admonished to "keep our heads in the boat" and not worry about what the other teams were doing or listen to any of the ambient noise.  After we had lined up for the start, the horn blew and we were off.  I didn't look up the entire race but could hear the team beside us counting and it sounded like they were a bit behind us.  It felt like we were in sync and moving through the water well but it was hard to tell.   We were edged out in the last 50 meters by the Punta Gorda Club but we felt good about the race, especially when we found out that our time was a very respectable 1:58:13.

I'd by lying if I said that my competitive instincts didn't kick in at that point.  We had had no idea if we would be a fast team or just be able to make it across the finish line.  We were in a tough division (Fitness and Health) and ended up coming in third out of seven teams based on our time in the first race.  Overall, though, we had come in fourth out of the 25 community boats so all we had to do was kick it up a notch and we felt that we might have a chance at winning.

There was a lot of time before the second race--I'm talking three hours of time to just sit around and think about our next performance.  The boats that we had raced against in the first heat had been randomly assigned.  In the second race, we would be going against boats whose times were comparable to ours--one that had a faster time and one with a slower time as it turned out.  We rationalized that it would be good to have a boat slightly ahead of us so that we would push ourselves to overtake them.  When we were up, we paddled out to the start, conserving a bit more energy than we had the first time.  We got a poor start but had a strong finish.  We came in third in our heat and came off the boat feeling somewhat dejected.  When we learned we had shaved four seconds off our time in the first heat, though, we got pumped up.  Our captain told us she was sure that we would be fast enough to qualify for at least the consolation round (which would be the community boats with the fourth-sixth fastest cumulative times).

We did end up competing in the consolation round, and finished up our efforts with a fifth place finish overall.   The whole thing was an experience unlike any I've ever had before.  You could feel the comaraderie of our team develop over the course of the practices and even over the course of race day.   We felt a real sense of accomplishment at the end of each race, knowing that we had stayed more or less in sync and looked pretty darn good out there.  A big thanks goes out to the Draggin' Dragons, the local dragon boat club that got the Festival on the calendar and taught all the teams the ins and outs of dragon boat racing, with special thanks to Lynda, our team captain, and Cathy, our steerer extraordinaire.  There's no doubt that the Shanti Dragons will be a force to be reckoned with next year!

Take a Vinyasa

I've been practicing yoga the past couple of years and find it both a good work-out and very centering.  (One definition of yoga is actually "controlling the mind" so this makes sense.)  So I was very excited to check out the Yoga Sanctuary in Punta Gorda--with a name like that, how could I go wrong?  Just to backtrack a bit, in Chester, my yoga instructor teaches in the Iyengar method, which focuses on holding postures for a period of time so that you can really get into the pose.  In NJ, I enjoyed flow classes, which had a nice pace and involved some inversions (head stands, head stands and backbends).   I actually learned how to do a free standing head stand, which was quite satisfying!  The class that I seem to have become a regular at here is yet another type of yoga--Ashtanga.

It was with some trepidation that I went to my first class.  I was told just to follow along as best as I could, which I did for the next 90 minutes.  Each class starts by singing a chant in Sanskrit.  (In Chester, we do call and response so you at least have some idea what it's supposed to sound like.  Here most of the students actually have the chant memorized but I follow along on a laminated sheet.)   The class then goes into a series of "asanas" or postures, starting with five sets of each of the Sun Salutations.  According to one website, "In Hindu mythology, the sun god is worshiped as a symbol of health and immortal life.  The Sun Salutation gives reverence to the internal sun as well as to the external sun, the creative life force of the universe..."  Pretty powerful stuff.

Chataranga--I'm sure I look just like this!

After saluting the sun, we move on to the rest of the asanas.  I don't think I can even aspire to doing the poses to their full degree in the time I have left on this planet--my shoulders and hips just aren't that flexible--but the instructor gives modifications that are more or less manageable.  As you become more familiar with the poses, you can begin to pay attention to your breath and use it in the proper way (again, something I aspire to).  At the end of many poses, the instructor says, "Take a vinyasa."  This is your cue to go through a routine that includes "chataranga," a modification of a plank, followed by upward and downward dog positions.  At the end of the class, I feel like I've had a good work-out (having done more than 50 "chatarangas," you do feel it!) and I'm ready to face the world.

One cool thing about an Ashtanga practice is that it's the same the world around.  There are a couple of different "routines" (for lack of a better word) but the one we do here is the most common practice.   I was looking on the web at yoga classes in Nova Scotia yesterday and noticed that a woman I've taken a few classes with in a nearby community teaches an Ashtanga class one night a week.  Her studio is in a boat house extended over Mahone Bay and is an amazing place to do yoga.  It has been added to my "to do" list of things for the summer--yet another reason to look forward to getting back to Chester!

Namaste!