Parading a collection with classic items revisited in updated forms and new combinations, it seems the designer was inspired by David Bowie.
Learn more about WordPress Embeds.
Parading a collection with classic items revisited in updated forms and new combinations, it seems the designer was inspired by David Bowie.
Learn more about WordPress Embeds.
This is a demo Audio Post Format. Could be used for Podcasting. Upload your audio files directly in the WordPress Media Gallery.
The first time I saw Sayulita, I fell in love. Untouched, unassuming, and a little quirky. – it was the perfect place for me! There’s something about this fishing village, gone hidden surf oasis that captures your heart and SOUL. It’s hard to find the words to describe how it feels to sit along the beautiful black and gold sand beaches as the sound of drums and native American flute sing behind you, watching a brilliant sunset melt into the ocean, and the glimmer of the village lights against the lush darkness of the jungle that surrounds.
I’m not sure where I first heard of Sayulita. I had been going to Puerto Vallarta for years and would often hear people talk about this incredibly special place. With little details they would just say, “Go there. You won’t regret it.” And so I did. The first time wasn’t nearly enough, so I went back year after year. With every visit I learned and experienced something new. Every sunset looked more brilliant than the last. And when I finally caught my first Sayulita wave, it was like coming home. All I knew is that I was meant to be here. To live here. Amongst this community, and these people.
One night at sunset I watched baby turtles making their first trip down the beach to the ocean. It was magical. On another trip I sat at one of the many beachfront restaurants enjoying the freshest fish and most amazing margarita of my life as shooting stars exploded across the sky. On another trip I got the unique honor of surprising my fiancé with a private dinner at a place I had heard was magical – Haramara. We arrived at sunset and were led around the property with flashlights. Beautifully perched across a hillside that spans down to a private beach, every part of the property was so pure, so beautiful, but the hilltop yoga shala was breathtaking. Open on all sides with a view of the jungle on one side, and the ocean on the other I couldn’t help but hope that some day I would be able to practice there.
As the universe would have it, this special town, and this amazing retreat center that had hosted us in such a gracious way would be the location of my first Yoga Retreat. I love those situations when life comes full circle. It reminds me that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to host a group of yogis at a place that has touched my heart, and soul. The place I plan to some day call home. I pray that everyone that can join us will, so that they can have their own unique Sayulita experience. The thought of being a part of that, wow, I can’t wait!
Please join us in this opportunity to Nourish Your Soul in a magical and incredible place.
“Why do you love yoga?” The answers are varied, often moving and always unique. Here is Christy’s response. We thank her for opening up her heart and sharing what lives inside with all of us. We feel SO grateful to provide a space where students can learn, grow, mourn, heal, and learn to love all over again on their mats. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
I am one of the lucky few who can look back on my first love with the purest form of respect and a warm heart. Even after breaking up we remained close friends, kindred spirits I suppose. Through every milestone in our lives, we were at each other’s side; even if the rules of geography said otherwise.
Six months ago I was stopped in my tracks by my most heartbreaking milestone to date. It came to me as a simple phone call. As I heard the words, from my firs love’s fathers broken voice, I knew I was in the middle of one of those defining moments we all experience. “Christy,” Russ stops, trying not to cry “Christy, Sky was killed last night in Afghanistan. “ Even typing those words makes my fingers go numb.
Sky loved me. This much I’ve always known to be true. But it wasn’t until the events that were to follow that I came to realize, he had never stopped loving me. And now, I find myself at a loss for words both eloquent and valiant enough not only to describe the type of man that SSGT Mote was, but the kind of love that my high school sweet heart Skybo embodied.
A month later my Grandpa Al would pass away. Followed five months later by my Aunt Cheri. How can I describe the unrelenting pain I carried with me in my heart, in every breath, in every tear I was simply too heartbroken to shed. Or maybe I was too angry to cry. I was riddled with guilt with the knowledge that Sky died loving me so truly, while I had wasted my own on my affinity for “bad boys”. Chalk it up to the callow of youth. Guilt ridden, I would replay his last request of me before he left, “Promise me you won’t date anymore assholes. You deserve the guy from the Notebook.” And with this he stole a kiss, our last kiss, and drove off with his signature smile on his face and The Cure blasting on his trucks stereo.
However there was one place I felt at peace. And that was LEAP. I could accept, I could cry, I could embrace my intense vulnerability. While my entire family seemed to be falling apart around me, I felt myself growing into the resilient, altruistic, motivated woman Sky always said he knew me to be. I felt love in the midst of death. And it was at LEAP that a smile returned to me, for I came to the realization that Sky and I were still by each other’s side with every milestone we reached, even if the rules of geography said otherwise.
I am an extrovert who is innately shy. So, the next time you see me (the girl who wears the dog tag on her wrist) give you an awkward, quick smile, know that is me saying “Thank You” for being my most reliable source of support.
Wanderlust is “a strong desire for, or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.” In July of every year that definition is expanded to encompass the gathering of yogis from all over the globe, in Squaw Valley USA, in search of inspiration, respite and release! And so five years ago it began, this “U.N. of Yoga” as it is sometimes referred to – a compilation of everything yoga, music and nature all wrapped up in a perfect little 4-day package.
This year Wanderlust encouraged us to find our “true north”. I think Rolf Gates explained it best this year when he spoke of the Buddhist “right way”. That perfect balance. That happy place where struggle succumbs to stillness, pain releases to love and ease replaces effort. The “sweet spot” or “happy place” if you will.
Some Wanderlust California class highlights:
• Day 1 started with a serene and beautiful morning meditation hike with Andy Rinder. An acroyoga officianado who led our early morning group while strumming his guitar and singing kirtan. The skies were clear blue and every step of our easy stroll up the hill brought us closer to cascading water and incredible views. Starting your day with meditation is such a gift, but opening up that gift in the midst of the mountains overlooking Squaw Valley – well that my friends is called the “icing on the cake”.
• Day 2 started VERY early – 5:25 am to be exact. We met up with our very own Rick Angelmoyer and headed out to experience some SUP Yoga at Sunrise. Robert and I were honored when Rick asked us to help provide some kirtan support for his 6 am class. Sitting on the rocks, watching the sunrise, singing kirtan as Robert drummed and Mark strummed his guitar was pure MAGIC. These are the moments that no amount of money could ever provide. Pure. Beautiful. Perfect.
• Our early morning chanting continued as we headed off to our next class – Chanting 101 with Janet Stone. I continue to be inspired by Janet as a teacher, mother and singer. She is real and approachable and warm. Her singing communicates this and so much more. Being a part of a room full of yogis chanting to Ganesha, echoing Janet’s call was amazing. When she handed me the mic and asked me to lead my heart (and luckily my voice) raised to the occasion. Such an honor!
• My love of Hindu Deities started with a chance encounter with Ganesha many years ago. Since then my love and fascination with all of the deities has continued to grow. I long to know all about them, hear their stories and include their mantras and chants into my repertoire. We were introduced to Manoj Chalam by MC Yogi during Wanderlust last year as we “lusted” after all of the deities he had displayed for sale. This year as we happened upon his booth Robert was immediately drawn to a large bronze statue of Hanuman that he had on display. He invited us to hear his Speakeasy talk on Hundi & Buddhist Deities and we couldn’t refuse. Manoj’s insight and intelligence is addicting – you just want him to keep talking and sharing his experience. At the end of the talk we were left wanting for more so we headed back to visit him at his booth, buy his book, and yes, we did ultimately buy that amazing statue of Hanuman.
Although it would be impossible to recap everything Manoj spoke of during his talk, you can view the talk he did at Wanderlust Colorado last year.
• To describe a Wanderlust California Pool Party would sound like a dream come to life – beautiful people, incredible music, a pool atop a mountain complete with mermaids, girls dancing in large bubbles that float across the pool, girls flying high in acroyoga poses that boggle the mind, elaborate costumes, hula hoopers, drummers, cocktails and more!
• My “Meditations From The Mat” book has seen better days. It’s accompanied me on trips and made it’s way back and forth to the studio as well as teacher trainings more times than I can count. When I found out that the author of the book, Rolf Gates, was going to be at Wanderlust I said, “Sig me up!”. Rolf is exactly as his writing portraits him – wise, gentle and insightful. When I saw him I immediately thought about Hanuman – a larger than life, muscle bound yogi with a heart of gold. His class guided us towards our “right way”, a buddhist inspired flow that kept me wanting for more. Next stop, Capitola on a Wednesday to get my Rolf fix and hopefully an impromptu surf session as well!
• Every year there’s a “Wanderlust Moment”. That voice, that message, that story or experience that just changes you and impacts you in a profound way. For me that happened on the last day with Sianna Sherman. The class was called, “Activate Your Purpose – Change the World With Your Teaching”. A pretty lofty title but I have to tell you, at least for ME, Sianna delivered. She infused Hindu philosophy, story telling, mantra, meditation and flow as a guide to help us discover our true path as a teacher. Tears flowed down my cheeks as my path appeared to me. I was no longer hiding, or denying or avoiding. Every truth I’ve been shown along this path was suddenly illuminated and I was flooded with gratitude and a strong desire to rush back to Leap to teach my next class. Thank you Sianna.
Check out this video of Wanderlust highlights:
If you missed Wanderlust California this year, no worries, there’s more! Check them all out here:
http://wanderlustfestival.com/
In yoga we learn that change is inevitable and everything is temporary. Sometimes change comes easy, and other times it’s a bit more difficult to swallow. This is definitely the case with the latest change at Leap – our amazing manager Jesi is leaving us – making an incredible life change and relocating to Portland, Oregon to be with her new husband Richard. Of course we are THRILLED for Jesi. There is nothing better than being with the one you love. But when we think of the “face” of Leap – Jesi’s beautiful, smiling face immediately comes to mind. She allows students and staff alike to feel at ease and at home at Leap. We will miss her love, her light, her words of support and compassion, but we send her off on her next chapter with a huge hug, endless gratitude and unwavering love. Please take a moment to read a this farewell letter from Jesi, and stop by to give her a hug before she heads off. Her last day in the studio is tomorrow, July the 3rd.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My Darling Leapers,
In the summer of 2011 I found myself a year into running my design company, and I mean really running. I had several clients with large publication projects, plenty of deadlines, and more work than I, nor my employee, could handle. I had reached a level of success with my company: an office on the third floor of the Tomken building, a nice steady flow of projects and revenue, and a corporate filing status. Not too bad for a girl who had earned her business degree the year prior. I, however, was unhappy, and unsatisfied. I would look out my window from the third floor thinking, “Is this it? There’s got to be more.”
The only place that I seemed to be fulfilled was on my yoga mat. It was the only place I could actually breathe.
One night, as I checked my email (which happened pretty much every 10-15 minutes for me at this point in my life, even while in bed), an email from the first yoga studio I had ever visited, Yoga Shala, caught my eye. It was from Tyler Langdale about his upcoming teacher training. The way he worded it touched my heart and spoke to my soul. It was like he wrote it directly to me – which was a long shot since I had never been to any of his classes. In that moment, I imagined myself in his yoga teacher training, then as a yoga teacher. All of the stress of my business melted from my being, and I knew I had to do it.
Then the fear set in. My mind would cry out, “You haven’t practiced long enough to be a teacher… You should use your money on more important things, like your business – you don’t even know if you’ll see a return… Everyone is going to think you’re crazy, business gal to yogi…” I let my mind babble on like this for a good couple weeks, long enough to miss the deadline for teacher training. Though in any moment, the thought of the training excited me, bringing a tinge to my stomach. Finally, I broke down and emailed the Shala, asking if there was still room. There was, and when Tyler called to interview me I told him straight out, “I have some fear about this, which means I probably should do it.” The week leading up to the training left my belly tinging constantly.
It was in this training that I found myself. I learned how to drop my ego, get out of the story, and attempt to put ease and peace into my life (all of these are a constant work in progress for me). It was also in this training that I met Cathy, for which I am forever grateful. Without hesitation, she brought me in to the family that is now known as Leap. Our first volunteer meeting was in the unfinished lobby that was still awaiting the giant beacon-graced desk that now anchors this studio.
As I went from volunteer to keeper of Leap, I have had the luxury of watching so many people grow, unfold, and blossom before my eyes (myself included). I have had the privilege to teach the next generation of yogis in my kids classes, series, and camps. I have received what I deem to be abundance – the friendship, warmth, love and acceptance of others through knowledge and expression of one’s self.
I tell you all of this, as that sneaky tinge has found it’s way back into my belly. My husband and I returned from our honeymoon to find a seed we had planted three years ago manifested itself into an opportunity. This opportunity will allow us to spend everyday together, rather than every other week. The opportunity is riddled with some sadness (and a tinge of fear), as we have to move out of the state in order see it to fruition.
We will begin this new journey – adventure rather – the first week of July. My heart is heavy leaving this studio and all of you Lovely Leapers. Many of you have opened your hearts, shared life’s struggles, and forever impacted my view of the world. I feel such gratitude that I have been able to spend the last year and a half in this space, with you.
Cathy, Corey, Butch and Michéal have been amazing, giving me nothing but blessings and love. If you find yourself needing more information, please do not hesitate to reach out to Corey or Cathy.
What I have found, reflecting from that third floor office, is that yes, there is more. And I found it at Leap. Thank you for all of the abundance you have brought into my life. I feel truly blessed and beyond grateful.
Namaste,
Jesi
We issued to the call, and you responded. “Why do you love yoga?” In the weeks that follow we will be posting your responses to this question, but felt it was only appropriate to lead with the following heartfelt, heart-breaking and life changing response from our friend, our student, and our Leap family member Charissa. We are so grateful to her for opening herself up to us, and for allowing us to post it here. We are honored to host your words Charissa, and enjoy the brilliance of your light at Leap. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
I glanced down at a book I had rented from the library. The book was all about people who had started their careers late in life. I had checked it out so that I could study different careers that I might find interesting and might be able to go into using my degree. I was starting my life all over again and a career was my plan. After all, I did want to eventually buy my own house someday and put money away for retirement. I thought this might be a good book to read since it was all about second careers. What was interesting was that I really found nothing in the book helpful for me. I just read a really sad story in it, and the book was kind of depressing to me. I thought I needed to remember to get that book back to library. The story I read was about a woman who had become a nurse at sixty years old. She talked about how fulfilling that career choice had been for her. One story she shared from her new experiences as a nurse was regarding a patient that came in to the hospital at 23 years old. A female. She had suffered from an Acute Asthma attack in a bar with her friends. Apparently she had had a terrible asthma attack and no one had noticed that she slipped onto the ground unable to breath. When she was discovered and then admitted to the hospital, she had suffered complete brain loss. This woman who had become a nurse at sixty found that the young doctor did not seem to be able to communicate to the young girl’s mother that her daughter was only on life support because of the machine. He was struggling with the right words to tell this mother that her daughter was gone. The nurse wrote that she decided to take it upon herself to explain in a way that this mother could understand that she needed to let her daughter go. I balled as I read this story. After all, my daughter Meggy was 22 years old, and had a slight case of asthma herself. That was really a scary thought. I thought that the story was so haunting that I went out to the kitchen to tell my roommate about it. She agreed that was a pretty horrible story. I glanced at that book remembering all this, and I would not think about this story again until several weeks …maybe months later.
It was the year 2009, December 26th, around 9 pm the night after Christmas. I was 40 years old, and could not remember feeling happier in my life. I was sitting on the floor of a room I was renting at the time, and going through my personal things, unpacking, and feeling very positive about the future. I, Charissa Hudson, had finally found the guts to leave that marriage. It had been a horrible 16 years for me. It was full of abuse, anger, sadness and deep depression. I felt as if I had been trapped like a caged and wounded animal for years. Finally, I was starting over, and I could not be more excited. I shuddered as I remembered having to plan for weeks, hiding boxes under a pool table in the garage, and saving as much money as I possibly could without him noticing. I would never forget the day we moved. October 10th 2009. He left for work and a few very good friends came over to help me and Megan, my daughter, pack. People were everywhere and stuffing clothes and things of ours in everyone’s cars. We literally left with nothing but each other, her little dog named Delilah, and our clothes. That was it. We left everything else behind. Our plan was the best that we could come up with. I would go and rent a room, and she would go down to Manteca and stay with my mom until I could get us an apartment. I gave her the tightest hug I can remember ever giving her, and then literally remembered feeling a sting as I watched her drive away in a different direction from me. She and I had never lived apart since she was born. I had Meggy when I was 17 years old, so for nearly half of my life, she had always been living with me. Her brother, Michael, had joined the military and left off to Korea at 18 years old. He was independent, and had always had the plan to go into the Army right after high school. I was so proud of him and his sense of direction for his life. Meggy though wanted to go to college and live at home with me, and as far as I was concerned she was welcome to live with me forever. We were more than mother and daughter-we were the best of friends. I was always really protective of Meggy, but I did think it strange that unusual uneasiness that came over me as I watched the car that had Meggy and her dog go in it go in the opposite direction from me. I told my friend how I felt, but she said not to worry and that Megan was with my mom and safe. I agreed it was silly, and I stuffed that feeling down as we drove away to my new temporary home.
As I sat on the floor going through my things, I clearly remember hearing the phone ring the first time. I ignored it. It was late, and I was trying to get to bed because I had to work the next day. I had just gotten a job in a law office as a paralegal, and I needed to get rest. Whoever was calling could call me back. But, the phone rang again, and this time something in my gut said, “Pick. It. Up.” When I answered the phone, I just remember my mom sounding really panicked and she said, “Sweetie, Meggy is not well.” “Ok,” I said, “What do you mean not well?” I had just talked to Megan earlier that day, and so I was kind of confused. She had a cough, but nothing that should make my mom freak out. Then her words just poured through the phone, and though I heard them all, my brain got stuck on “ICU” and “asthma attack.” I remember I heard my voice like it was outside of my head (and I sounded so calm)…I said to her simply, “I am on my way.” I put the phone down and began walking up the stairs to my friend’s room. I told her what was going on, and she insisted on driving me the hour and half from Sacramento to Manteca.
Along the way to hospital I filled my friend in on the events of that day that my mom shared with me. Apparently she and Megan had been at Costco early that evening. Meggy had been wheezing a little bit. Not unusual for her if she had a cold which she did. My mom told her to stay in the car so she could run in to grab something really quick, and she would be back in ten minutes. Meggy had asthma since she was a child, and so my mom knew what to do if Megan kept wheezing after using her inhalers. The normal drill was to go into the doctor’s office or emergency room and ask for them to administer a breathing treatment. After a few minutes of receiving the medicine at the doctor’s, Meggy was always as good as new. My mom says Megan was complaining about going to the hospital, but she told her firmly that if she was still not sounding good after the Costco run she was going in. End of story. My mom went into the store, and came back in literally 10 min as she said she would, but when she returned Meggy was not there. My mom looked around. To her shock and horror, she saw paramedics working on someone at the entrance of the store; and when she looked closely, she saw Megan’s tennis shoes at the end of the body on the ground. My mom says she just started running toward them. Apparently Megan had gotten much worse, and really fast. She tried to go find my mom in the store, but collapsed at the front doors. The Costco workers called 911. When my mother approached the paramedics they were cutting off Meggy’s clothes and putting tubes in her nose. She says Megan was still conscious, but looked nearly blue in color. She was rushed to the nearest Manteca hospital, and a series of procedures were done to try to get her body to respond to medication. Her bronchial tubes remained tight though, and while she was still coherent enough, the hospital staff explained to Meggy that one option would be to go on a respirator. They told her they would put her in a medical induced coma to let her body try to calm down and accept the medication. Being that she was 22 years old, she did not need parental approval and they asked her if she wanted to move forward with this plan. Her grandmother tells me that they talked about it, and that at this point all Megan wanted was relief from the feeling that she was suffocating. Meggy signed the papers, and they intubated her and put her in the ICU unit. I got the call.
I could not believe what I saw when I walked in the room. My beautiful little girl had tubes coming out everywhere. I cannot explain in any words how helpless I felt to not be able to help her. Even though she was in a medical drug induced coma, the doctors told us that she could still hear us talking. I talked to her, and held her hand and kissed her constantly. Her nurse was a nice young man, and I think he could see the fear in my face. He just simply gave me hug and told me, “Mom, she is young, and she can fight through this. Just believe she will be ok!” I just melted into those words that night, and did exactly that. I just believed in my heart that she would wake up in the morning and be able to be taken off the respirator. In fact, even the doctor said that was the plan. I believed it in every cell in my body.
I stayed by her bed all night, and in the morning I got up and left the room for a few minutes. As I rounded the corner back to her room, a nurse grabbed me by the shoulders and looked straight into my eyes and said, “I think you need to understand how serious this situation is.” I kept telling her that I did, and I had to literally pull myself from her grip. I think she must have seen some denial in my eyes or something, but I was really in the place of believing that everything had to be ok as I remember it. As I approached Meggy’s room, I just heard them yelling, “Its dropping.” And then the red light went off above her room; nurses ran past me with a huge machine going into to her room; I still think I screamed. What I know I did (as strange as it seems was) I started running down the hall AWAY from her? I knew instantly what was happening. I ran to the parking lot and dropped to the ground and I cried but it was deep and quiet coming more from my stomach not my throat. The pain in my heart was unbearable. I looked down and realized I had left her and ran back through the hospital hallway to her room. Funny, I remember these strange “little” things but as I ran past the front desk, they left the ICU doors unlocked for me and my family to go through and I remember thinking, “They have given up on her because they are not even locking the ICU unit up anymore.” I just ran to her room and I wanted to go in the room so badly, but I could not get myself to. Instead, I just kept yelling to her through the door that I was there and to stay with me.
I could hear them performing CPR and it tore my heart out of my chest-such a violent and intrusive sound. The doctor came out and he told me they had stabilized her. He warned me and the family that it had taken them 20 minutes to bring her back. He explained to me that my daughter might not be the same. He said that when people go that long without normal oxygen levels that sometimes there is brain damage and they are never sure how much if any at all until the patient wakes up. I stood there in shock, and I heard her grandmother say to the doctor, “Well, we will take her however she is. We just want her here with us.” I agreed of course, but really strange was this little voice in my head saying, “Meggy would hate to be here in that way.” I said to myself, “shut up!” I cannot lose her.
I have been told that I went into some state of shock and survival mode at this point. Actually, I did not cry anymore. I just stood frozen in the hallway. The nurses came out to tell me that Meggy would need to stay on the respirator now for another 24 hours so they could be sure she was stable enough to try to wean her off again. And then it was silent and we all stood in the hall holding hands. I started to look around the hospital. All of a sudden I got really critical of the staff and the hospital…..like maybe they were too small to handle taking care of her. I asked the doctor if I could transport her to UC Davis or some bigger facility. He looked at me like I was nuts and told me moving her at this point was out of the question. The ICU doctor specialized in respiratory issues so he was actually the best person to have working on her. Still, I asked him if we could bring in a heart specialist since for whatever reason her heart failed on us. He agreed and called him in. The heart specialist arrived in 5 minutes because of the severity of the situation. He was there about one minute and we were looking at an x-ray of my Meggy’s lungs in the hospital hallway. The doctor was explaining that her lungs looked good and there was not any worrisome swelling when the nurses started screaming again.
The light went off above Megan’s door once more. I could not believe it. I had just gotten hope she was going to be alright maybe. It had been 30 minutes since we stabilized her. They started CPR again and this time stabilized her again in about 15 minutes. The doctor told me they had given her some medicine to try to help her. He told me that now we needed to be concerned Meggy might not make it. He said that every time someone goes into cardiac arrest, the chances diminish more. He told me her bronchial tubes were too tight and he needed to perform and emergency procedure. She stayed stable a few minutes and then she began to flat line again. CPR for another 10 minutes. The doctors said they needed to run a large cathedar under her collar bone and into her lungs so her lungs could receive medication and maybe help her blood pressure stay up. I told him to do whatever he had to in order to save my daughter, and he said I would need to sign a waiver that indicated the procedure could puncture her lungs and would kill her instantly. What was I to do???? is all I could think. She was dying as is it was! I signed the waiver and stood praying in the hallway.
They successfully put the cathedar into her lungs and Meggy was safe again. The doctor looked like he was going to cry as he told me they did it and she was still with us. He then said that if Meggy’s heart failed again, he was begging me to consider letting her go. My heart sank into my stomach as he said those words to me. Up to this point, I think I just had no way to do that. I also kept feeling something tugging at me and hearing that little voice saying to me to think of Meggy first. We all stood and prayed in the hallway and begged for her to be ok. I remember hearing the hospital phone ring and the nurse in the hall answering as she said something like, “The doctor is not ignoring your call ma’am. We just have a real emergency going on right now. He will call you back.” I thought to myself how strange it was to hear those words and to know it was my daughter she was talking about. Just observed to myself how odd it was that we were the “emergency,” and that this was really happening to me.
I heard other calls come in. They were family of ours and friends who were checking on Meggy, but the nurse just told them to call back later. Standing there in the hall again in silence and waiting, and strangely only 15 minutes went by and then….The light went off over her room; screams came again; this time every single staff member of the hospital in ICU ran to her room. There must have been 15 nurses and doctors standing in the room and helping each other. They were crying though too and this scared me beyond words. I could hear people all over and around me now yelling “Breath Meggy. Breath.” I just stood there and I have no idea why. I did not fall to the ground. I just stood there in the hall looking straight ahead in the doorway of her room. Numb??? Distraught??? I am not really sure. I have no words really to describe how I felt. The doctor came out of the doorway with his head shaking and looking me in the eyes. He had tears. I knew what he was saying. I recently told a friend that, in retrospect, maybe it was “acceptance” I was feeling in this moment?? I am not sure really. The doctor’s face just seemed to be saying, “Please let her go.” I said to him, literally, “Ok, no more.” He just turned and went back into her room, and all the noise stopped. Then…it was so quiet.
I suddenly felt like I sort of stepped outside my body, and I saw all these pictures and moments of “my” life, not Meggy’s, but my life just flash before me. I know that it sounds strange, but even as I remember the pictures and moments that flashed in front of me like a movie, I remember them to be moments that led me up to this point in my life. Moments (I think in retrospect now) that allowed me to be prepared for this moment. Again, I realize this sounds strange…. It even sounds weird to me as I write these words out. I sat in a chair they had brought us and it was in the middle of the hallway. Nurses came to hug me and I kept strangely consoling them and telling them that it was going to be ok and they did all they could. They put me in a small room with my family and we all just sat there. They asked me if I wanted to have a priest or rabbi come. I said, “Bring a priest in please.” Her grandmother fell on the ground. She passed out. They had to put her on an IV, and she missed the entire blessing of my daughter. As the priest put the blanket over Meggy’s face, the last time I looked at my daughter’s face and her physical body, she looked so beautiful. She was glowing and looked like she was just asleep. I remember I cried again, but people who were there said I mostly just looked like I was in a complete state of shock. After the blessing of my daughter, I talked to hospital staff, and was told since Meggy passed away within 24 hours of coming into the ER they would need to do an autopsy. I signed the paperwork to authorize the procedure, and then my friends who were with me walked me out to their car.
We stopped at Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks. They needed coffee because they had been up all night. So strange…I cannot even explain it. This was the most bizarre experience I think I have ever had in my life sitting and watching people going about their day, and buying coffee and I had literally just left my daughter’s body at the hospital down the street. Just observing. The car ride home was an hour and a half, and painfully so quiet. The first day of the rest of my life? A life without my best friend and my sweet little girl???…..or could I live anymore was the question.
Meggy’s memorial became a project that kept me moving forward. Planning things and trying to make them special. It all started to be my focus. Pictures for the slide show for her service, the urn we would place her in, the songs from her favorites list on her IPod, the night I sat with all the cards she had ever written me spread across the floor in front of me, and the way I was clinging to just one conversation with her and then the moment I felt a small tap on my shoulder and almost heard a voice point to the cover of all of those cards showing me the image of a small butterfly in each and every card….wow that was unbelievable. A beautiful sign from my angel…keep moving me forward was all I could think. It was decided we would release butterflies at her memorial. Calling friends and teachers, and clinging to the sweet words about her and what a beautiful person she was/is (I especially loved it when they would say “is”) because in some way this kept her “here” with me still…these were all just things to keep moving me forward.
The service was amazing and beautiful beyond words. She would have been proud and honored by all the love. But as it ended and everyone walked out to drive to the reception at my mother’s home, the home Meggy had lived in before she left me, her room untouched, the funeral director stopped me and told me he had forgotten to get my signature on some of the cremation paperwork for Megan. It was at this point, after several days had gone by since I lost Meggy and I finally broke down and cried. The signature he wanted confirmed my daughter was now some ashes in an urn shaped like an angel, and I cried uncontrollably. I cried as my friends held me up to the car, I cried all the way to the house, and I cried the whole reception. I remember just standing in the door jam as if it was actually capable of saving me somehow. I felt in that doorway was the only place I could breath. I stood there the entire reception. People walked by me and mostly left me alone. I think they could see in my eyes where I was at in those moments. I honestly, begged people in my head to keep walking by me and to not talk to me. I would never know even as bad as I felt at this moment, how much worse it would get in the days and weeks that were ahead.
I spent two weeks in an intensive counseling program because the psychologist thought I was suicidal. I don’t know. I can’t remember really. Maybe I was?? I spent more weeks in bed until my best friend came into my room and opened the curtains. The sun came in and it hurt so bad to see it. I felt like losing her all over again. I could not believe that the sun just came up like that. After all Meggy was gone. How could the sun keep coming up? I could not see her or hear her or hold her. My friend dragged me to the shower and made me brush my teeth and eat. It had been weeks since I had eaten any kind of meal at all. I lost my job, and I could care less. My best friend had her grandmother come over to talk to me since she had lost two children in her lifetime, and could somewhat relate to me. It was nice and it helped. I will always be grateful for that conversation we had. Only a mother who has lost a child can really understand a mother who just lost one herself. I had people calling all the time, and the only person I could and would talk to was Meggy’s only sibling, my son Michael. We would sit on the phone and he would beg me not to let him lose his mom too. I thought I understood what he meant, but it would take me three years, and finding Yoga (and of course a great deal of trying and not giving up in between all of this) to really get what he meant.
So, why do I love yoga?
I compare yoga to a life line for me often when I describe to people how I felt as I walked in to Leap for the first day. Though it had been three years, a new job, friends, family, and a new grandson since Meggy passed away…I was still drowning and I had no idea how bad it was. I think of myself a few months ago as a person who knew perfectly well how to swim and even appeared from the shore to be treading water just fine and staying afloat. I might even say if I were watching myself from the shore that I would be one to admire me for my strength and ability to keep staying up after three long years of keeping my head above water. But what no one would be able to see from the shore would be how tired I was. How I was looking to simply stay afloat, but I had nothing to hold on to really anymore and I was getting nowhere. Yes the edge of the shore was within my reach, but could never actually make a plan, stick to it, and then actually get to the ledge. I had goals to swim to the shore and to do great things when I got there. After all now I am someone who has so much to offer others in experience right? I have learned and so much I could teach others about how every moment counts etc.; yet…I just was unable to take any of those plans or goals of going to the shore and put them into practical action. I was simply staying afloat at best.
A friend asked me to come to Leap, and I had practiced yoga before so I went. One thing that has changed in me since Meggy died is I say yes to everything and try everything at least once. The specifics of why I went that day and why everything that got me to sign up for the 30 for $30, I just equate to pure alignment with what the Universe knew needed to happen for me to find this place that I need to be. I am now two and a half months into my practice at Leap, and I can say that I made it to the shore. I really mean that. I do realize this is not the end of the line for me though. I got to the shore and I still have so much more growth to go. It’s just the beginning. But, hey, I am not just treading water anymore, and I am out of the pool because someone threw me the lifeline (Leap Yoga). Right now I feel like I am kind of soaking on the shore in the sun and taking in all the nutrients I have been without for so long. Yes, maybe I get on my mat and cry at the end of every session quietly, but I have learned to breath and release and accept that for which I have no choice but to accept. More importantly I have grown stronger in just a few months both spiritually and physically of course.
I love yoga because to me it represents beautiful McKenzie (whose smile reminds me of my little Meggy’s and makes my heart melt) every time I walk in to check into class. Yoga to me is Papa Yogi (aka Butch) who when I took his class for the first time and I was late to the class and all upset and stressed for walking in and disturbing his class, simply hugged me and held me for a few breaths and told me, “Welcome to my class sweetie” and consequently I had one of the best classes I have ever experienced in my life. Yoga to me is Andy on Thursday nights in Yin, and her beautiful soothing sweet voice and wise words with amazing music choices, and who is the teacher always challenging me to dig deeper. Yoga is Corey on Saturday mornings so raw, authentic, and transparent, oh and let me not leave out he gives us a booty kicking session into our weekends. Yoga to me is Cathy who I identify with in many ways because she always talks about how she comes to yoga to open her heart and to learn to accept. When Meggy first died, and even before I lost her, I was someone who kept my heart on lock and key. I thought this was smart and I was only protecting myself, but through Cathy’s guidance I have learned the damage I am causing myself and others I love when I do that, so she has showed me that yoga is opening my heart, lifting it up to the sky physically as we move through the poses every chance I get. Yoga to me is beautiful Stacy who says one of her biggest role models is Mother Teresa. (Has she not noticed that this is very apparent in her every action as she guides us through our practice?) She brings kindness, love, light, beauty to my life and I am forever grateful.
I love yoga because it makes me stronger, and it makes me a better mother and friend, and it has given me the chance to learn how to put all those ideas of how to keep carrying on in this life without Megan into action. It has been a doorway for me into a place I really did not think I ever wanted to go again. Life. I thought I would just go through the motions. I love yoga because it quite literally saved my life and I am forever transformed. Oh and my next goal? Crawling up to the top of the pool to the diving board and LEAPing off gleefully into the waters of life. I want to see what that will feel like to feel that kind of happiness and peace again someday. I want to feel what it will be like to actually want to be anxious again to open doors and possibilities and see where life takes me next. I feel I am on the right track at Leap. I hear a splash in my future!
Sukhbir and Jai-Jagdeesh
Since my first Kundalini experience with Sukhbir, I’ve been forever changed. The practice of Kundalini has always been uncomfortable and challenging for me, but there’s something about Sukhbir’s guidance that makes me want to rush back to it – sinking myself into that uncomfortableness so that I can find what lies on the other side. It was during this first experienced with Kundalini that Sukhbir played Jai-Jagdeesh’s music for us. From the moment I first heard her voice, I was moved. Changed. Transformed. Since that time her music has been the melody of my life, the soundtrack to my transformation. So, you can imagine how excited I was to experience both of them together, live and in person. On Friday night I got that opportunity and it set the tone for what the rest of the weekend would become. Within the majesty of the Grand Ballroom it happened. Light pouring through the window, a gathering of beautiful, open, loving souls being guided by Sukkbir and collectively swept up by the voice of an angel. Along with every other person in that room, I got carried away. From the top of my head to the tips of my toes, I got carried away. As the sun set and those last rays of sunlight streamed through the window, I got carried away. It was as if I floated above myself, observing every soul in that room dancing weightlessly with me. Jai was our lightness, the calling of the Divine, as Sukhbir was our grounding force – that string that connected our floating soul to our physical form, keeping us connected and setting us free all in the same breathe. Sukbir’s presence, grace and strength lead you through your Kundalini experience with love and encouragement. You don’t want to disappoint her, or yourself. So you lose yourself in each breathe, contracting navel to spine on the exhale – releasing everything that doesn’t serve you – and inhaling the pure, sweet love she exudes. The result is a direct connection to your essence, your truth, your power, your Divine.
Jai Jagdeesh on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaijagdeesh
Sukhbir Kaur Collins on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sukhystar
Tyler Langdale and Steve Gold
Just sitting knee to knee with all those beautiful yogis watching Tyler take it all in, just glowing, BEAMING with pride and excitement and gratitude would have been enough to make this class complete. As I listened to Tyler speak I felt his honesty, his truth, his AWE in that moment as he just took it all in – seeing his dream become reality. He said, “This is a monumental moment in my life!” and we all felt it. As Tyler got us on our mats and Steve Gold started singing, we moved into our practice and it was obvious that they had a very special connection. Tyler mentioned that “love is reflected in love” and in that moment I had no doubts. I saw it between he and Steve, I felt it radiating from my being, and as I looked around I felt the love of every yogi in that room just beaming right back at me. Tyler, I love your teaching. It is PURE heart. I love your flow. It feels good in my body and even better in my soul. Your teaching and Steve Gold’s music is such a magical combination – I hope you do that again and again and again. As we flowed and sang “Om Namah Shivaya – Shanti” I just couldn’t help but smile. It felt full, and powerful and beautiful – it felt like LOVE.
Tyler led us in the dance and Steve provided the soundtrack, his words just filling us up and expressing perfectly in every moment what we were feeling in your body and our soul.
“Your love shines down on me, in the pure light, so I can see.”
As fluid and powerful as the flow felt, the closing was perfection. All of us returning to the front of the stage, swinging arm in arm, singing, “There is so magnificence in the ocean. Waves are coming in. Waves are coming in.” in unison. Above us the balconies were filled with people, smiling down on our collective sound, our beaming light – reflected back to them perfectly the love that lives within each of their hearts.
Steve Gold Experience: http://www.somuchmagnificence.com/
Steve Gold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevegoldmusic
Tyler Langdale on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tyler.langdale
Orenda Blu
What a beautiful gift to unwrap after the practice with Tyler and Steve! I was riding high on my power flow and singing wave and singing with Orenda allowed me to stay up a little longer. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Orenda perform a couple times before and always enjoy her voice, her sweet energy and her unique sound. I loved her integration of Native American songs into her new music. You can tell by listening to her and watching her that this is something she really connects with and it resonates out to the audience who gets swept up in her sweet lullaby. I felt so blessed to be front and center for her performance, responding to her call as if it was just she and I in the room. And, I just have to say; I fell in LOVE with her drummer. Rita Harrington is THE cutest woman I’ve ever seen rock a set of drum sticks and a pair of Chucks. She had SKILLS and managed to master multiple drums, chimes, symbols and sticks with ease and grace. It was truly awesome to watch it all unfold on the stage. I left that performance feeling SO excited for June 21st when Orenda will perform again at Leap Yoga. What a treat she is!
Orenda Blu: http://orendablu.com/index
Les Leventhal and DJ Nate Spross
My very first Les Leventhal experience had me laughing and smiling for the rest of the day. Les is short is stature but larger than life. He has a HUGE smile and sparkly blue eyes that just draw you in and make you want to ingest anything he’s taking. A complete contrast to the spiritual and heart opening experiences that had become to shape my California Spirit Festival Experience thus far, Les had me laughing at myself, challenging myself and having a really FUN time doing yoga. I got myself into poses I never had before with a huge smile on my face and I loved it! Being partial to house music, Nate Spross complimented Les’s tough flow and infectious humor with a beat that makes you want to shake your hips. It was the perfect soundtrack to the lighthearted flow and I loved the old school 80’s tracks he slipped in. To sum it up, anyone who is moving to Bali, invites me to visit and keeps me laughing and moving through a challenging flow is AWESOME In my book. Bali will never be the same again J
Les Leventhal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/les.leventhal
Yoga with Les: http://yogawithles.com/
Jai-Jagdeesh in Concert
After a joy filled experience with Les and Nate, it was off to see and experience Jai-Jagdeesh once again. This time with my photographer and love by my side, I couldn’t get to the temple room fast enough! I opened the door to a velvet-clad room filled with her. Everything that is HER. Her music, her laughter, her spirit, and her soul invaded every corner of that room and left in its wake a sea of meditating yogis. I took my seat on the creaking velvet bench that lined the far side of the room and took it all in. Jai on her harmonium and Tripp on the tabla drums are perfection. Within moments I was intoxicated. Swept up. Instantly transported from my body to the ethers, the cosmos, the beyond beautiful light that guides me, guides us all. After that experience I posted this note to her on Facebook, “Your voice tonight moved me beyond space and time. Upon returning to my body tears were all I had to express what I had been through. You are an angel. Sat Nam.” I think it captures so perfectly how I felt in those moments, encompassed in her angelic sound, mesmerized by Tripp’s incredible and other worldly talent on the drums. I was drunk on Jai and I had no desire to feel anything other than THAT. To know anything other than THAT. I shared that room with strangers by name, but not my soul. Jai-Jagdeesh has that incredible ability to fuse our souls, to remind us that we are ALL one. Her voice bridges space and time and transports you instantly to a place of light and love. I feel so incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to be in her presence, to be affected by her music, to experience this beautiful angel with the huge smile and wicked sense of humor. SO grateful.
MC Yogi & DJ Drez
I had the pleasure of meeting MC Yogi and DJ Drez at Wanderlust last year so when I saw they were performing together I was stoked! Their music is a staple in my classes and their energy as people is real, honest, love and joy. MC Yogi has this ability to make even a small room feel like a full stadium. He exudes energy and charisma in an approachable and sweet way. He’s simply a VERY cool guy. And DJ Drez is a master of mixing music. I love the way he blends old songs with mantra and chant. They are both extremely talented and the combination of them together on one stage is truly powerful. I left their performance on night one of CSF feeling elated, joyful and exhausted! There was A LOT of jumping going on but you just can’t help it. MC Yogi gives you no other choice but to join him – repeating lyrics, jumping, waving your arms and riding the wave of energy he creates with a crowd. SO cool!
MC Yogi: http://mcyogi.com/
DJ Drez: http://www.djdrez.com
Janet Stone & Girish
One of the MANY things I loved about my California Spirit Festival Experience is the combining of teachers and music. Each duo worked so seamlessly together and Janet Stone and Girish were no exception. It’s hard to know yoga without knowing about both of them. They are staples in the yoga world and have literally touched the world with who they are and what they do. Girish’s talent as a singer is without question, and Janet’s voice is equally moving. She sings with conviction and heart and the blend of her voice in response to Girish’s call was perfection. I have had the pleasure of meeting both of these amazing human being a few times and what struck me about both of them is their sincerity and kindness. Girish sings from the heart and his voice can almost be haunting at times. His presence, along with his voice, is instantly calming and sweet. Janet teaches and sings from her heart. When approached she greets you with a huge smile and never feels rushed to end the conversation. Flowing with them both in the Grand Ballroom was such a beautiful experience, like practicing with 100 of your best friends. Janet speaks of devotion and encourages you to peel open your heart and reveal what lives inside. To surrender to all that you love and open yourself up to those things in your life that move you. Her flow is never predictable and always challenging, in a really loving and honest way. Watching her teach with her 8-year-old daughter by her side was sweet and beautiful. It’s one of the many things that make her so approachable. So genuine. So real. She is a mother, a teacher, a singer and so much more. She is your friend, your sister, your cousin. She exemplifies that common thread within each of us and exemplifies the deep connection that yoga offers us all. My respect for her only grows with ever experience I have with her and I am so grateful that I got to experience her magic with Girish by her side. Perfection!
Janet Stone Yoga: http://janetstoneyoga.com/
Janet Stone on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Janet-Stone-Yoga
Girish Music: http://www.girishmusic.com/
I stand in gratitude for the California Spirit Festival, the entire team that made it happen, every teacher, every singer, drummer, performer, vendor and attendee. We are SO incredibly blessed to have the richness of this yoga community here for us all to contribute to and enjoy. For me this event was pure LOVE and kindness. Every encounter with every vendor, every person I met, every bite of food, every sip of Kombucha and Cucumber Mint soda contained the love of this festival in it. I know I speak for everyone at Leap Yoga when I say a huge heartfelt “Thank You!” to Sukhbir, Tyler and the entire CSF team for allowing us to be part of your journey. We can’t wait to assist you in the creation of next year’s event and beyond! Sat Nam
Some vendors that were amazing and absolutely worth checking out:
And last, but CERTAINLY not least – A Very Special Thank You:
Welcome to the VERY first Leap Yoga blog. How appropriate that our first blog post would be about another first – the California Spirit Festival!
In just 7 short days the California Spirit Festival will transform the Iconic Masonic Temple in Downtown Sacramento into a yoga, music, meditation and dance extravaganza. Beginning on Thursday night the transformation will begin with a flood of vendors, sponsors, supporters and workers laboring well into the night to create the perfect space for you to breath, move, dance, explore and nourish yourself. We could not be more excited about this event for so many reasons. We are so incredibly thrilled and proud of our friends and teachers Sukhbir Kaur Collins and Tyler Langdale who have spent months upon months making this event a reality. Knowing the beautiful and pure energy that they bring to everything they do we have no doubt that this event will be monumental.
In preparation for the event Leap has been busy supporting our friends and getting the word out. Since this is such a beautiful local event we sponsored an essay contest for our students, encouraging them to share with us exactly why they love yoga in exchange for a day pass to the festival. To say that we were moved by the responses would be an understatement. To hear from our students about the ways that yoga has impacted and changed their lives was so incredibly powerful. We were honored to gift seven students with one day passes to the event and look forward to featuring some of their essays on our blog. In addition to the essay contest we also gave away tickets during our Easter practice, gave a ticket to one of our Leap 100 Club members, and two tickets were gifted during an incredible class that Tyler Langdale came to teach for us.
As you can see, it was a packed house that night and everyone left inspired and ready to experience everything that the California Spirit Festival has to offer.
If you weren’t one of the lucky ones that won a ticket or you’ve been wavering on your decision to purchase a ticket, don’t wait any longer. We now have special discount codes for all Leap students as follows:
$50 off weekend pass use”LEAP3″,
$30 off Friday pass use “LEAP13”,
and $30 off Sunday’s pass use “SunSpirit”
In addition to everything we’ve been doing to educate the community and send them to this incredible event we will also be blogging from the event, as well as creating a meditation space for attendees just off the main hall and also an alter space. We encourage you to take some time at the event to be fully present and take it all in at the “Leap Meditation Lounge” or create an intention for yourself and set the wheels in motion at our alter space. We know our community will be out in full force next weekend and we can’t wait to share this experience with you.
The thought of creating this local gathering of yogis, artists, organic foodies, kirtan singers, drummers and leaders in our very own yoga community has us filled with gratitude and excitement. To have the opportunity to experience everything that the Sacramento yoga community has to offer in one place is just such a gift. We are thrilled to be a part of something so special and monumental and we look forward to seeing you all there!
Sat Nam