Upcoming Stuff

Yolinna's Upcoming Events:

June

6/26: Yoga 10:30am & 7pm

6/27: Friday Morning Meditations 9:30am-11:30am

6/29: Reiki & Readings 11:30am-2:30pm

July

7/1: Yoga 10:30am & 7pm

7/3: Yoga 10:30am & 7pm

7/4: Friday Morning Meditations 9:30am-11:30am

7/6: Spirit Center Open Door 1pm-5pm

Demos & Samples of Reiki, Osho Zen Readings, SoulCollage & Much, Much More...

Guest Speakers:

Sheree Ruhl, Meditating with Mandalas 1:30pm

Carol Roman, Fun with SoulCollage 2:30pm

Jami Vlachos, 'Transform Your Life' Coaching 3:30pm

Linda Miller, Restorative Yoga Meditation 4:30pm

Sneak Peek:

7/14: Meditation Night turns into Restorative Yoga Night!

Find more information on these and many other offerings at: www.yolinna.com

or call Linda to save your spot!

"the winds of grace blow all the time, all we need to do is set our sails"

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Did you see it? part 2

Another one. A Double Rainbow! Twice in a week. There must be some kind of cosmic significance to this, I can't remember the last time I saw a rainbow, let alone a double one and especially 2 in a week. Amazing. And beautiful. Wow!

When I was uploading the pictures for this post, I also found these:

Could there be a more miserable looking rat...ooops I mean Dog?

LOOK! A Pilated Woodpecker!!! Right in our back yard! Yeah, you gotta really Look....

Mmmmm, harvesting herbs.... the house smells heavenly and new eye pillows and neck wraps and smudge sticks are on the way! It's interesting when the teenagers walk in... "ummm, Momma Linda? What's going on? Is this....ummm.... is it what I think it is? I mean, I thought you guys were hippies but ummmm......" Which leads me to a big "What do you think it is? and WHY do you know what it looks like?" And they tell me they learned in Health Class at school.

I hope that's the truth. I hear THC in today's marijuana is 10 times the amount when I was a kid. I remind them of that frequently..... Anyways, the top pic is in my office where I have run out of drying space and am now hanging the bunches on pictures and curtains. The bottom is Sweetgrass for smudge sticks. Course, the kids think it's grass... and NOT that kind of grass LOL!

Oh well, enough. Gotta get outside. Have you been outside today? It's gorgeous!!! Even a bit chilly. Crazy weather. AND RAINBOWS! What's it all mean, Basil????

Yoga in Small Places

Lately we've been doing yoga at my house to save energy at the church. I really hate turning on their a/c/heat to try and fill that humongous Sanctuary for an hour. Especially when the classes are small. It's interesting at CCPC how class sizes vary but I'm tired of thinking/worrying about that so let's go in another direction.

Since I've moved the classes they have been filled. Really filled. Course the room is much smaller. And easier to fill. But it has been so much fun with the full classes in the filled room. Twists are especially fun "now, everyone in unison turn to the RIGHT" Seems as if there's always someone who turns left and much giggling ensues. Of course, as everyone knows; twists are GREAT toxin relievers... Now, toxin release is a major source of anxiety/humor in most yoga classes. Yoga is designed specifically for releasing toxins, problem is most people are uncomfortable with releasing those toxins in public. I have seen many a yogi in dire distress when I say, "OK, Let's roll". (Rolling is when you hold on to your feet and roll back to your shoulders and then back up without touching said feet to the ground. Takes core strength and a push....last thing you want to do when you are trying to hold onto your toxins)

I've seen grown men crying while rolling. Crying with laughter that is. But it's one thing to have your body loudly announce that you have toxins in a large room. The sound is very muffled for one thing. And the people on your left and right are really the only ones who know it was you. It's easier for the yoga teacher to just move on like nothing happened. (and really, it's not that big a deal AWWW GROW UP PEOPLE!!!) I do have to admit to sometimes having to control my own giggling too though LOL! Let's face it: Farts are funny. However, in a smaller room.... there's no hiding. And the sound amplifies. And invariably someone starts giggling and it sets off the whole room. Try maintaining a peaceful atmosphere after that.

So, there are some drawbacks to a smaller room. But seeing all the joy when the yogis can reach out and hold up each other's legs in Half Moon pose... and the amount of people holding hands during relaxation... and having all my stuff right there; my eye pillows and cushions and music and crystals and essential oils... ahhhh. It's been really nice. The room is filled with Reiki energy and it shows. When we cleanse and fill our souls at the end you can almost see the energy in your hands. On Friday, we did our Sun Salutations outside on my deck and when I lifted my hands for the final blessing, a butterfly flew between them! It was sooo cool! Transformation...

I'm going to keep the classes the way they are. And I'm adding my Tuesday class back since so many have asked. And my husband came up with a great idea: since the room really only holds 8 comfortably (we've been having 9 or 10) and we worry/hope that more will show up and then it will be disruptive having to move the whole class to the church... I put a form on my website www.yolinna.com/yoga.html where all people have to do is check a box to tell me what classes they are coming to. When the total gets over 8, I email them that we're moving to the church--and will post it on the page. They just have to check before they leave and go to the right place. Seems easy enough huh? (fingers crossed)

When I grow up, I want to have a large studio to teach yoga in. By the beach. With an exhaust fan just in case.....

Did you see it?

A Double Rainbow!!! Big and Bold in the sky. My honey calls me "Quick!!! Come see!!" I run outside and turn around and run back inside. "Where are you going?" "To get the camera!" "Well, HURRRY!" This is on regular setting, note that crazy wisteria trying to take the honors:

Really couldn't get a great shot since I live under so many trees and the light was strange but here's my attempts. I really like this one, it's on night setting... I think the arrow adds some interest-- like here's the way to the pot of gold:

This was on the sunset setting-- I like it but for the raindrop:

My dad, the ex marine, calls me soon after. "Did you see it? Did you see the double rainbow?" Which in my opinion is really very cute. That's what I like about my Dad. And my husband. They get excited about rainbows.

So now I have that song about rainbows in my head. No, not THAT one. It's another one, kinda pre-rap, sort of funky, a little bit reggae "......a r-a-a-a-i-in-n-n-n-bow......" What is that song? Anyone?

Sometimes you just gotta stop thinking...

I've been laying on my floor, eye pillow over my eyes, just breathing in the mint and rosemary... (it's from the new batch!)

Yesterday I was working, working, working, doing laundry, fighting back the vines, taking care of ... well... I won't bore you with the endless details... and it occurred to me that I had been working really hard and that it was okay to rest. So I went into my Spirit Room and put my cushions in a restorative yoga pose, grabbed my eye pillow and started watching my breath. Uh oh, monkey mind. So, in a fit of practicing what I preach, I decided to watch my monkey mind. Here's a smorgasbord of what it said:

"boy i'm tired why do you think i'm so tired am i sleeping enough should i stop drinking maybe i should exercise more when will i find the time what a beautiful day this is should i try and advertise in the bowie blade do you think i'm going to ever be successful enough that i won't have to worry about money why hasn't montreat gotten back to me will i have to sell the car i wish i could sell more herbal things did i turn the oven off maybe i should plan a restorative yoga day when would i have it what will i do with rhia gone where is rhia i bet both those kids are napping i mean who naps in the afternoon are you angry cause they are napping or because you aren't??????"

That last one made me jump up. YEAH! Why can't I nap? Instantly my mother's voice comes into my head "how lazy are you that you want to nap during the day, there are things to do, people to see!!!" Hmmm. and Hmmmm. I decide to do what I want. A radical move. I scoop up my blankies, run and get a pillow and lay down on the couch. Feeling like a little kid sneaking a cookie from the cookie jar. Trying to justify to the monkey mind that is my mother's voice with the monkey mind that is mine "i just watched a show last night that said that sleep is really important and will make you lose weight and perform better on tests and i don't care if i don't have a test i'll do what i want!!!! just for a minute or so....K?"

Mmmmm. Positively decadent. Breeze blowing through the curtains, constant buzz noise of chain saws (don't ask) , stretching out, ahhhh.

For restitution, I made a for real dinner that was mighty tasty. Thought I had gotten away with it (not that my husband cares one iota) until my daughter, in my mother's voice, loudly proclaims at the dinner table that I had slept all day.

Somedays college doesn't look so bad. The snitch.

To anyone that needs it: You have my permission to rest and take it easy-- it's summer and you don't need an excuse. And you don't need to deserve it although I'm sure you do. Enjoy!