Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Ganapati receives another donation!

The Ganapati Project wishes to send a big thank you to Tracy E. of Hartland, WI for her generous and kind donation of gently used yoga blocks, straps, and mats. I can't thank you enough! If you or anyone you know has gently used or new props that they would like to donate, please email me at christinewolf@yahoo.com.

The Project is actively seeking certified yoga teachers to teach 4-6 week yoga sessions at Milwaukee area non-profits. Also, if you are affliated with a non-profit that would welcome yoga classes for their clients-please get in touch! Please stay tuned for launch party information! All ideas are welcome!

Peace! cw

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Yoga Conference Lessons

Recently I attended the Yoga Journal Conference in Lake Geneva, WI. I had the pleasure of having workshops and classes with David Swenson, Seane Corn, Nikki Doane & Eddie Modestini, Paulie Zink and other accomplished yogis and yoginis from around the country. Like any movement, yoga in North America is full of different kinds of people, seeking varied rewards and outcomes from their yoga practice. The conference certainly reflected the diversity of the yoga community. I have heard somewhat disparaging comments among more "serious" yogis and yoginis regarding the housewives in their Lulu Lemon ensembles, meant to be comical, but nonetheless are negative and quite contrary to what we as practitioners of yoga should be focused on. On the road to gentleness and compassion that yoga paves for us, we need to be mindful that there is no room for judgments and taunts directed at your sister on the mat. She is also on the road you are on, whether her journey be easy or hard, heavy or light. There is plenty of room at the yoga table for all of us, no matter the motivation for being there in this moment. Remembering all the while that the reason someone is bothering you on some level, making you react, is because she is reflecting something in yourself that you don't like. Those among you in your yoga class that may be more interested in comfortable pants than enlightenment are still there, seeking, being, trying, just like you. I found the conference a great reminder that yoga is a family of people that may have a lot in common or not, just like any other family-and that we need to celebrate that diversity of thought and being and find ways to make us and the yoga community stronger and not as a way to divide us into subgroups. There is a place for us-all of us. Let us live out the best gifts of yoga and be one another's "Artha" or that which supports the path.