I just sent out an email announcing the Fall Immersion!  I am super excited about it.  I realize the turnaround time is tight and that finances right now might be tight, so talk with me if you need to.  I really have designed this Immersion with intention of making it possible for people who work and have families to dive deeper into their practice.   I know it won't work for everyone, but I think it will be fun to carve out one night a week to study and learn and then spend the rest of the week applying the principles in our lives and coming back together the next week to step into another layer of understanding on our mats and then apply ourselves off our mats.


I am super excited and hope you join me in this great journey of yoga.
Be sure to email me if you have questions at prescottyoga@yahoo.com

Aligning heart and Nature.
Much Love,
Rachel
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(This blog post was published in April 2011 - just now being posted here)
Aligning Your Heart with Nature
So much of my love of Anusara Yoga comes from it's connection to the principles of nature.  It makes sense that we celebrate the diversity of it's magic every time we roll out our mat.  The pulsation of our breath, the beating of our heart and the expansion and contraction of our muscles are a few ways we are constantly aligning with nature.  

The changing of the seasons is such a beautiful reminder of the diverse, ever changing and transforming qualities of nature. That which was dormant during the winter comes to life in the spring - what magic!  The lilacs in my yard are budding, longing to be fragrant flowers, the apple tree is in full bloom with the yearning to yield fruit and the morning sun is up earlier and earlier every day with the enticing invitation to be up creating, moving and enjoying the day.

During the transition between spring and summer, it's a great time to cleanse.  Clean out your closet, file that stack of paperwork in your office, vacuum out your car, pump up the tires on that bike you haven't been on since the first snow, eat less, drink more water, do yoga - sounds like a good recipe to me.  I spent March organizing my office, reconstructing my kitchen and tapping into the creative energy of the longer days.  I will cleanse again in May as a way of recharging my body, mind and spirit and clearing more space for creativity, inspiration and the enjoyment of summer fun. 

If you are interested in learning more about incorporating cleansing principles into your life, check out Cate Stillman's website www.yogahealer.com .  Cate is Certified Anusara Yoga Instructor and Ayurvedic Practitioner based in Driggs, Idaho.  Check out her site and read her blog - I think you'll like it!

What do you long for in your life? What are the obstacles for you to live your life more fully?  As we plant our gardens and the seeds of deep intention may we rise up together as a community and be nourished by the fruits of our practice. Join me this Spring/Summer as we clear away that which no longer serves us.   

Join me on your mat to align your heart with nature.
Happy Earth Day!
Much love,
Rachel
prescottyoga@yahoo.com
www.prescottyoga.com

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This year I am committed to continuing the conversation regarding the ways we want to show up in the world based on our own personal longings to be true to our hearts desire.  When we move from the deepest parts of ourselves - our heart; a foundation is set in a way that invites energy to flow from this beautiful place of truth.  These are the resolutions of the new year that are sustainable - the ones that come from a sense of a deep power of the resolute.   No matter what the outcome, the intention and vision is set in the light of the heart and we return to that deep intention over and over and over again on this path of practice.  I also experience this same truth in my asana practice.  We are ALWAYS returning to the Universal Principles of Alignment and refining our form and actions from this most basic yet sophisticated set of biomechanical principles.  These principles return us over and over again to the basics.  The basics are the foundation, the heart in our asana, they are what allow us to optimally align with the ever present flow of energy.  When we line up with that energy in connection with our deepest desires we experience such exquisite freedom.  

How does our inner desire relate to how we actually act and react on a daily basis to the trials and tribulations of the relative world?  If you are anything like me there are days the inner world of the heart and the host of outer worldly responsibilities of family, friends, and work (to name a few)  merge seamlessly.  There are many others when the experience I have is completely fragmented - my inner longing to be connected to my heart and how I am acting on the surface seem waver and are disconnected.  Our practices of asana, meditation, and chanting assist us in  living from the place of connection.

This year as a community I am interested in all of us going deeper, cultivating an inner strength and simultaneous sweetness that advances us on this path of practice.  Let's create an environment where we all move to the next level in our practice.  By practice, I mean engaging more deeply in the Universal Principles of Alignment, articulating and refining our physical bodies in the form and action that then supports us in our daily living, meditating, and chanting together.  But, I also mean the constant daily practice of catching ourselves, when we discount ourselves for our shortcomings, or blame others for our current circumstance.  In these moments may our connection to our hearts be so resolute that we cultivate the strength to shift the habit of a reactionary response to one that is more aligned with the yoga traditions that support us on this affirmative path of practice, the path of the heart. 

Join me this year as we move deeper with refinement, strength and sweetness to the next level of practice!

Much love,

Rachel


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Winter Solstice 12/02/2010
 
Well, I certainly didn't think so many months would go by before I wrote again.  Life has been full of beautiful surprises and lots of fun and I suppose sitting down to write somehow hasn't made it to the top of the list until now.  It is the week following Thanksgiving and the Weekend Workshop with my friend, wise counsel and one of my most favorite people in the world Christina Sell.  Dan and I had the great fortune of having Christina and her husband Kelly stay with us for a good chunk of time.  The house it quiet tonight and we notice the absence of our "roomies."  It's really fun when you have such good friends that are so easy to share space with, it's truly a beautiful thing.

Check out the video Kelly made my linking to You Tube here - he did such a great job of capturing the magical moments of the weekend!    I need to work out the details of getting the You Tube video on here.  In the mean time, cut and pate this in your browser and you're golden!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmjv84jRoIk

I'm disappointed to announce that the Friday Night FLOW class will be cancelled through the New Year.  There were some unforeseen scheduling conflicts at the APA, so I am canceling classes until January 7.  We'll ramp up the new year beginning with the Friday Night FLOW class on the 7th and then the Advanced Yoga Practice on the 9th!  I hope to see you there.

Set some time aside for yourself around the WInter Solstice (December 21) to reflect on the year and set a clear intention for yourself for the upcoming year!  The seeds are planted in the darkness!  

Much love,
Rachel







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After almost 10 years in downtown Prescott, Prescott Yoga is changing shape.  Cheryl and I are both reworking our schedules to serve the community of Prescott with high quality, safe, challenging and inspiring yoga classes in Prescott.  In the next 6 months, you'll find Prescott Yoga taking on new projects and looking a little different than ever before.   The BIGGEST difference, is that you won't find Anusara Yoga at just one location.  With the closing of the doors on McCormick Street, we are making ourselves available around town. 

You probably noticed that the Prescott Yoga website went "down" a few weeks before the building closed.  I keep thinking this was truly divine intervention.  What a great way to practice "aparigraha."  I really relaxed into the space that was being provided to me to re-examine my role in Prescott as a teacher.  You may or may not know, but my numero uno intention with yoga is to be a practitioner, I believe that's what makes me a good yoga teacher and gives me the experience to teach from.  The more experience I get, wow the more I feel like I have to offer. 

My goal with this basic website and blog, is to keep you updated on the goings on with my teaching schedule around town and keep you tapped in to Anusara experiences in Prescott and around the state. 

I didn't really ever think I'd write a blog, but you know - it's kind of fun.
Join me on Sunday, August 15 for the 13th year Anniversary of Anusara Yoga for $13!  We will practice a mix of fun arm balances and backbends from 9-12 at 218 N. Granite Street (the Academy of Performing Arts Building).  I hope to see you there!
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    Rachel is a Certified Anusara Yoga Instructor living in Prescott, AZ with her husband Dan and sweet dog Sage.  In addition to yoga, Rachel loves mountain biking and river running.  She also works full time at Prescott College and has since 1998. 

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