Yoga At the Beach

Dear reader,

Just wanted to share with you something that I am really excited about!

As my title indicates, I have a new project underway: Yoga at the Beach. I decided to put my Yoga teaching career back on track this summer since I have the time and energy, and at the urging of my good friend, Loulou, I am teaching once a week at Centennial Beach in Barrie! She encouraged me to get started and I am so glad. Special shout out to you, Loulou, for kicking my behind and getting my 7am class started.

Basically, I made up a flier and a cost for four sessions, and handed them out where it made sense-- at work, to my ultimate Frisbee teammates, to some neighbours. And I posted them at my chiropractor's office, at the osteopath's, the grocery store and some coffee shops. It's been so much fun getting people's phone calls, and even more fun was going down to the beach yesterday at 6:30 am to meet my students.

I want you to know how beautiful the waterfront is at 6:30 am. It had been a long time since I pulled myself out of bed to go somewhere immediately-- so I started practicing these past few weeks, to prepare for yesterday's Yoga teaching appointment. I never would have known how amazing the beach is at that time if I hadn't been down-- and you won't either if you don't go. The sky is amazing, and the water is so calm. The world feels so quiet and untapped. You have no idea until you get yourself there-- and even if you have already done this, it is different every single time! Trust me.

The people that you see are enough to get you there! In Barrie, and I would imagine anywhere else, the eclectic group of individuals out is the stuff of a great movie or novel: Dedicated dog owners, giving their dogs such joy by the water as they (the human, although maybe also the dog????) mentally prepare for the day ahead. The serene meditators. The Mom and Daughter combos pumping their arms into power walk. The type A business man getting ready for his fall marathon. The deadlocked rock star on his Rollerblades stopping at the lake for a workout and some sunlight before going to bed and then waking up in time for the next night's (or is it day's?) gig. Pairs of friends who are out running, likely having success here at this hour because they promised each other to meet up and who could bail on a friend expecting you at 6:30 in the morning? The widow who can't sleep in anymore because the bed feels strange without him, and coming to the lake has been her new thing.

Anyhow, Yoga at the Beach is underway and it was the BEST thing to be able to say: "As you inhale, bend the knees and step the right foot away from the water". I had grown so used to saying "away from the mirror", which inevitably makes students check themselves out in the mirror for bodily imperfections. As my small class of students lay back in savasana (final relaxation), I felt such glee at what we had done.

Looking forward to next Wednesday. Local folks, hope you will join us! Wednesdays in July and August, 7am-8am, on Centennial Beach-- next to the Lifeguard chair closest to downtown Barrie. Bring your own mat and wear layers.

Namaste!

Salad Girl's tip of the post: You guessed it: Get out of bed and get outside! Next to the water is so powerful, but anywhere-- a forest, a cheerful neighbourhood, even meandering your downtown office building's blocks at an early morning hour can be amazing. You won't regret it.