This year we offered a studio-wide challenge of “Let’s Grow Together.” We got quiet through the restful time of winter. We built energy as the seeds began to germinate and grow. We rested as Mother Nature did her thing and our seeds burst into life. In fall series, we have taken time to take stock, to grieve, to celebrate. The last piece of this puzzle is to let it all go!

When grief arrives, it takes over. You are not in charge. I think permission to just let grief lead sometimes is a big, big, big part of the healing process. I know from my experience not giving myself permission in those early years that it can be really damaging… That’s the thing about grief. It doesn’t always show up as sadness and wailing and depression. Sometimes it’s just love and peace and inclusion. ~Marisa Renee Lee, Grief Is Love

September came and went in the blink of an eye. Our focus in September was one of taking stock. Once we see where we are with clear eyes, we can see where we need to grieve, where we can celebrate. Only then can we let go of both equally.

This is going to be a good one! It’s that time to return to our challenge theme of 2022- Let’s Grow Together.  In winter, we got quiet and still to listen to the call of the heart.  In spring, we got up at 6am to prepare for the push of new growth into summer.  In summer, we took a sacred pause to rest and lean in to what is.  Now we turn to fall, the time to let go.  This will be a different kind of “challenge.”

If you, like the rest of us, are feeling burned out with a low tolerance for the difficult people or situations in this moment in time; this may be your soft place to land and your place to grow through to the other side. Instead of some grand challenge of 30-days to a new you or 600 classes in 60 days… what if we do something different? What if we just remind you the gifts of yoga and invite you to join us when you can with a few little gifts to say thank you for being here? How does that sound?

Ted came to us and said something like, “I figured I’d either drink myself to death or try this yoga thing.” And try this yoga thing he did. He came five days a week in the beginning. We all thought he had a crush on his teacher, Janice. But even after she left, Ted kept showing up. He loved yoga so much he went to Asheville to attend a 200-hour yoga teacher training with Janice’s beloved Iyengar Yoga teacher. He would come tell me all the details about the participants and how many chairs and blankets and blocks it took to get him propped up. He loved the attention. It was about that time that he started telling me how to teach and what I was doing “wrong.” Luckily, Ted was a pretty lovable guy so it mostly made me smile. He kept showing up and then decided to attend a second 200-hour yoga teacher training. This time with me, here at Greenville Yoga. This is when Ted became thoroughly enmeshed in our community.

“Let’s Grow Together”… the theme of 2022 for Greenville Yoga. To begin the year, we gathered for a season of Wintering. This was a time of deep rest, hibernation and percolation of what seeds we hope to nurture and grow for the year ahead. Now here we are in the season of Spring. This is a time of emergence, friction and rebirth. This is a time when the spring winds come to push us, cleanse us and prepare us for the fullness of summer.

As we close our winter challenge and the wintering turns to spring, we arrive in a space of liminality. The liminal space is the time “betwixt and between.” In older societies, it was a time after a ritual had occurred and before the person re-emerged into community. How true this is for the entire time of 2020-present! Maybe we’ve all been in the liminal phase of being. Maybe we’ve been suspended here for some time. Maybe the Winter Challenge invited us into the liminal phase of things as we dug a little deeper. Either way, here we are and it’s a bad news / good news kind of thing.

You’ve done the work of winter. Your roots are strong and your tender shoots are safe to emerge at the just right time for you. (No rush… we aren’t quite into spring yet!) We are approaching the liminal space, the in between time. Let this weekend’s Yin class carry you through.

We’ve chosen our seeds. We’ve planted our seeds. We’ve nourished our seeds. We’ve waited allowing our seeds to patiently unfold. Now as little hints around us suggest spring is nearby, we may be eager for these little seeds to sprout. However, germination (sprouting of the seed before it emerges from the soil) is a subtle act that may require more time.

About two weeks ago, we starting seeking seeds we wish to plant for ourselves, for our community, for the world. Whatever our seeds are, we then took the time to wonder who and what are the things that nourish us and whisper for us to grow. Once we have the seeds, we’ve planted them in the garden of the heart, we’ve nourished them through connection, yoga, breathwork; now we wait. It’s time to trust the innate order of the universe. All things take time and everything unfolds when the time is right. Time to relax and trust.

Sometimes the questions don’t provide answers, only more questions. Sometimes the questions and answers just need to sit a little while. When a seed is under the surface of the earth, it doesn’t germinate automatically. It requires the right temperature, moisture, air and light. The same is true for us- only our needs are a little different. We do need air and light. Anything held too tightly or too seriously will certainly not grow. We also need care and friendship. This week as you practice yoga and hold your seeds lightly, let your mind wander over who and what nourishes you? What is the fuel that will allow your seed to begin to sprout just beneath the surface?

How is it a new year is upon us? Could it really be another year has passed? What if in 2022 we decided to do something with a little more meaning for ourselves to differentiate this year? What if we took some time for us individually and collectively to listen in and heal? Our idea for you is a year-long yoga challenge “Let’s Grow Together.” We are calling this a yoga challenge, but that word doesn’t feel right. This isn’t about a brand new you or kicking 2022’s ass… This is about you discerning what is of meaning to you, following the flow and the energy of each season and seeing what unfolds along the way. First up, the quiet / inner work of winter.

There would seem to be nothing more obvious, more tangible and palpable than the present moment. And yet it eludes us completely. —Milan Kundera

The holiday season is upon us. There was something so sweet about last year’s simple holidays. Slower, smaller, important gatherings. Very little holiday hustle and bustle. We were able to be still and fully present for the intimate gatherings we chose to attend… This year we are doing things a little differently to allow you to slow down, take a breath and be present this holiday season.

The last 18 months have very easily been a wild ride for all of us- physically, emotionally, economically, socially. It’s been a time of sorting out what’s important, what’s of value, what can stay and what can be left behind. March of 2021, we found a way to stay connected and keep showing up for one another.  We found solace in our daily zoom classes with coffee chats before and after.  Now even those of us who are as careful as ever are longing for more connection and meaning.  Some of us may have also gotten lost along the way.

Reason #5 to join us at The Gathering (our celebration of community)… this is OUR time! It is our time to gather together safely, to hug our friends, to dig in the dirt, to remember our community with all of its beautiful humans. After 16 years of doing this little yoga thing, we have our own dedicated facility curated for yoga practice, we have an amazing crew of teachers, and are creating something beautiful together. This is our time to see and be seen, to come together and heal.

Reason #4 to attend the Gathering (our celebration of community)… Win some FREE yoga! Every year it is our tradition to raffle off one year of yoga in honor of our anniversary. This year, our sweet 16, we have made it so you have more opportunities to win! This year’s drawing will be for several prizes

Reason #3 to attend the Gathering… Free cake! Give yourself permission to be a kid again. Plant some flowers, commune with friends (safe and socially distanced) and enjoy a big slice of cake make with love for each of you! It will definitely bring a smile to your face.

Reason #2 you want to join us at the Gathering (Saturday, October 9th from 12-5pm)… BEAUTY. With the conflict and division going on in our current world, it soothes the soul to create something beautiful. Together we will bring different elements to co-create Rain’s Garden. This garden is a special place for community, quiet reflection, outdoor yoga and meditation.

Everyone has a different capacity for solitude, for safety, comfort and human interaction. We at Greenville Yoga have made sure to meet everyone’s needs on all ends of the spectrum through in person, outdoor and virtual yoga classes. But every now and then we need real, tried and true face to face connection.

This Fall, Saturday October 9th to be exact, the Gathering will not be televised. We invite you to join us for some face to face human interaction in the safest way possible to celebrate our 16th Anniversary!