Greetings and March Salutations,

Hard to believe March 2010 is here along with some rain in our beloved desert and even a few spots of warming days.  Didn't we just welcome a new decade?

For YogaNow, March 1, 2010 marks the beginning of our tenth year together in downtown Albuquerque.  When I took the leap and open the studio doors on March 1, 2001, I had no idea what I was doing (and still most days don't) but I knew I had the vision and passion to somehow piece together a place where students of any ilk would be welcomed and feel safe and respected.  The mission statement written then, still speaks the vision:

Our mission is to create a welcoming and safe environment to learn and practice yoga in community.

We look for success, not just in terms of financial viability, but also in the quality of our services, the way we respect our students and teachers and the human spirit, and our overall commitment to the greater community.

We are dedicated to the belief that healing and transformation are possible for us all. Yoga is the ultimate playground – a place to explore our bodies, hearts and minds, to push and move our edges and especially, to have fun!

I am grateful to the teachers who facilitate classes at YogaNow, each bring their own vision and experienced truth to create an atmosphere of learning and love.  Thank you to the teachers and most especially thank you to YOU for coming to YogaNow month and after month, year after year, and then sometimes, taking time off and returning.

As you know the last few years I've been occupied with writing a book on yoga, an outgrowth of the YogaNow Teacher Training Apprentice Program called Vital Yoga:  A Sourcebook for Students and Teachers.  I created Prajna Publishing Company to allow me create the vision I held for this work: full of pictures and illustrations to make the teachings more accessible and informative and available to anyone who wants to learn more about yoga.  I've begun the process of promoting and selling the book; the kick off was the book signing/ workshop in January but if you missed that we have more scheduled in Albuquerque:

Please come if you can and spread the word if you are able.  I have a slide show and we do some yoga off the mat.  I also bring home made chai tea of course, the recipe from the book.

Last week I drove to Phoenix for a book signing at Changing Hands Bookstore and a webtv interview (The Author's Show http://theauthorsshow.com/).  Of course I went to a yoga class while I was in town and once again I was blown away by the generosity and warmth of yoga teachers...I took a class from Anne Marie at Yoga Nirvana in Tempe.  Not only was her class delightful and challenging but she was so warm and open.  When I asked for a good restaurant (fresh organic & vegetarian) she insisted on driving me there and showing me the spot, Pita Jungle, which in fact, was absolutely delicious.  She also clued me into a great local park Pagogo and even brought her husband to the book signing just a few hours later.  One of the many, myriad, and vast benefits of being a yogi, is being with other yogis, wherever you go.  Thank you, glorious world!

I took the scenic route on the way there and took the brief video and a pix:



Then on the way back I took the highway but did stop in Gallup just so I could see once again El Rancho, such a spot of the old west.  Here are few short videos of that:


May this spring of March renew you and bring joy to your heart. And may your travels bring you to YogaNow and your community who await you, with open arms.
namaste,
Meta.