Here are 8 things your yoga teacher wants you to know:
(scroll to bottom for 8 brief things you might like to know)

1.  We are never critiquing your practice. When we walk around it’s to see if we can help you to feel strong, steady, relaxed and happy.  Ironically, walking toward you is often what makes you wobbly. It happens to us also. Still. Try to have fun practicing.

2.  You never need to put your heels on the ground in downward dog. (you know the saying, it’s the journey, not the destination? Case in point. More on why we might stop teaching down dog altogether in another post). It’s cool to have goals, just don’t be attached to the outcome… that’s stressful. 

3.  We actually do try to please all of you, all of the time, but we know some like it hot, cold, loud, quiet, fast, slow, strong, soft, fun, boring and  . . . well probably not boring, but you see where I was going with that? We do try. We have goals. But we try not to be too attached to the outcome, it’s stressful, see #2.

4.  We meditate daily. We don’t practice postures every day. It’s great if your body loves it. Just remember, the harder you are on anything, the faster you wear it out. (Bryan Kest). Be kind to your body. We move a lot every day . . . but hard core yoga postures every day? No.

**Here’s a link to a 21 day free meditation program that we started yesterday… you can still jump in. It’s created by Oprah and Deepak Chopra which at first I was little skeptical . . . but I’ve done 2 days so far and I really like it.  Let me know what you think if you try it?**

5.  There is an unspoken code of . . . practice in yoga: no shoes in the studio, don’t step on another’s mat; be on time, finish on time, clean space, don’t eat right before practicing, no cell phones (unless you’re on call and still trying to get your practice in, then kudos to you!), avoid strong sprays/perfumes/smoke because… we’re tryin’ to breathe in here, and less is always more, words matter, consistency is king and kindness rules. (who says rules anymore). 

6. Instructors put an average of about 3-4 hours into every class they teach, playlist aside. That’s another two. Possibly more if they’re new, less if they’ve been at it for a while. Over time it gets closer to an hour of prep: practicing, sequencing, processing, cleaning, prepping and then an hour to teach and the time after to hang out. We really care about this stuff. We want you to love it.

7. Yes, you might hear some strange sounds (try to be a grown up). Yes, you might feel silly trying to step forward from down dog (keep trying). Yes, you might drift off during savasana (enjoy your nap). Think how silly you look when you’re getting your hair done (curlers, highlights?), or when you’re running. (Have you seen your self running?) Or when you’re dancing . . . but you still do all those things. Maybe. (3 part beginner series coming soon to address more FAQ’s)

8. Most importantly… we practice because we too want a calm, courageous body and mindset so we’ll be more resilient and enthusiastic in our lives.  Not because we wanted a better down dog. (again, more on that later). ; )

8 things you might like to know: 

1. Love Yoga will be 8 years old on September 20th! (on my birthday! ; )
2. Sabrina use to be a 911 operator. For 12 years!
3. Brent did his first yoga training in Bali!
4. Aunnie was in the very first Love Yoga Teacher Training
6. Erin Yatsui has 3 Llamas in her family… Pema, Bernie and Sara.
7. Rachel is a music teacher and musician! Still waiting for her to play during class!
8. Amanda only wears tie dye ; ) and spends all her spare time near the ocean.
9. Erin Hanawalt has attended 911 classes at Love and has taught 365 classes at Love.

: )

Suzanne

p.s.  Thanks to all of you yesterday for being such good sports about our video projects. You can see snippets on Instagram later this week. www.instagram.com/loveyogastudio     I’ve mentioned how much we love Instragram right? Go follow us there, you’ll love it. You get to see so much more of us that way!

p.p.s. We’re giving away a free month of yoga when you refer someone to Love Yoga that becomes a member. If you have people that you’d like us to invite for you, you can either send them this link, or send us their email and we’ll invite them for you! www.loveyogastudios.com/intro-offer
This is our $20/20 days intro.  Almost 3 weeks to check it out! 

In case you’re new here or missed this . . .

We’ll be celebrating 8 years of Love with an 8-Limbs of Yoga retreat in Maui!   The details and prices are below but here’s what I’m most excited about.

My mom, Erin Yatsui and I get to hang out with you! Hanging out by the pool. Experiencing new and different yoga teachers from Lumeria and Lahaina. Enjoying the sunshine. Getting out in nature near the ocean. Tasting local gems like the Maui Kombucha Co., the Maui Cookie Company and aaRoots naked burritos!

In addition to kombucha, there’s also a coffee plantation and a vodka distillery so there’s a little something for everyone.  And there are 4 spots left!

(Scroll down for the FREE Coffee/Tea offer!)

This retreat will have plenty of soul nourishing activities like yoga, meditation and connection. Plus, equal opportunities for adventure and relaxation. Like snorkeling, SUP, hiking, biking and napping. 

We’ll be integrating concepts and activities that infuse each day with an example of how this practice makes every day more enjoyable… even after you leave paradise! ; )

DETAILS:

Dates: November 1-8, 2018.
The Retreat includes:

* A welcome gift box w/ a jade travel mat!
* 3 nights at Lumeria (all meals included)
* 4 nights at Hyatt Lahaina (breakfasts included)
* Daily yoga and meditation
* A tour of the stars on the rooftop
* Welcome dinner and farewell Lu’au
* Hiking, beach and exploring time
* Plenty of free-time for balance

**Additional optional activities will be available. Some guided, some on your own.

Rate per person: 
Single Occ. Your own room:(1 Bed)   $3,688
Double Occ. One room:(1 Bed)   $2,662
Double Occ. Shared Room:(2 Beds)  $2,863

To reserve a place on the tour, a $600 reservation deposit is required.

THE NEXT RETREAT SIGN UP GETS OUR HAWAIIAN COFFEE/TEA PACKAGE WITH FREE COFFEE /TEA ALL WEEK DURING THE RETREAT! 

Please feel free to call me, come visit or email with any questions!  We are creating an amazing experience for you. Time for you, practice for you, all about you. (and… yes… a little about me too! ; )

We have to give a final number to the resorts in August, so let us know now if you’re interested and will work out the details later.
Just Email me for the sign up link:  love@loveyogastudios.com

Mahalo,
: )
Suzanne
541-971-8244
love@loveyogastudios.com

Four words you never wanna hear from someone you’re in a rocky relationship with . . . or do you?

Well… we’re not in a rocky relationship, you and I.  In fact, Love Yoga teachers, guests and neighbors all get along swimmingly! ( ? )

However, even with a great relationship, we want to do our very best to keep all the lines of communication going.

So here’s why I brought it up:  (and if you currently follow us on social and get our emails and practice every week, you won’t need to continue reading. Just stop right here and get to class. ; )

THREE GLITCHY THINGS HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEK

1. Someone emailed me yesterday asking about a vineyard event we did 5 years ago… they someone stumbled upon a very old post.  Which made wonder . . . what happens to all those posts?  Yep, I know.  Everything you ever put on the internet is still out there somewhere. Even if the information is no longer current.  It did make me think we should try the vineyard yoga again. 
2. Someone who’s been coming to the studio for a very long time didn’t know that we offer kids yoga. We do it once a month and in August we’re having a local author kids book signing as well! (Aug. 18th at Noon)
3. Numerous people have asked me how our Maui trip was?  We haven’t gone yet. It’s in November. 2018.
   Maui Nov. 1-8th, Relaxation Retreat, 4 spots left.  Sunset yoga and snorkeling anyone? 

So I thought it was worth a note to let you know how and where we communicate best if you’re wanting to know what’s coming up, who’s teaching, where we’re going and how to get the most out of your membership and your practice.

SO HERE’S THE BASICS:

1. We post most often on Instagram and Instagram stories because it’s so quick and easy to do. 
2. We share most of the Instagram posts to Facebook
   SOCIAL MEDIA WARNING:
   Instagram and FB don’t always let you see our posts. If you haven’t engaged somehow with the posts (liking, commenting or sharing), they will stop showing you our posts because FB is protecting you from things you’re not interested in.  Thanks FB.
3. We email a couple of times of week… sometimes every other week. Sometimes it’s about something coming up but more recently I’m writing more to let you know how yoga has helped us, our guests and how it can help in many situations.
4. Occasionally we post a Blog Post on our website.  I simply forget that’s there most of the time. The emails I’ve been sending could be blog posts and if the topic is ‘bloggable’, I’ll try to remember to post it there too.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN  – DRIVES ME INSANE  (Led Zeppelin 1969)
https://youtu.be/3EH7QMVnSRI
Suddenly this song popped into my head, thought I’d share it because I LOVE Led Zeppelin.

So if you’re reading this from our website because you follow our blog…. Thank you.
But I highly suggest you also sign up for our emails or follow us on Instagram for the latest and most current info.

Thanks!
: )

Suzanne 

** All April 1st Classes are happening as regularly scheduled: 9:30am flow, 1pm Nidra, 6pm Restorative.  **

Below is the main excerpt from our weekly Love Note. Click here to see our full Love Note with class and workshop announcements.

This Love Note Newsletter is a little different because in the past week I’ve had 7 different conversations (SEVEN!) around this concept of Living the Dream and Following your Bliss. So I thought instead of telling you about all the wonderful things coming up at Love…(scroll to the bottom)… I’d share my thoughts on this, and a few other relevant quotes … because it has in fact had a lot to do with the reason we have Love Yoga today.  I now look back and see that the desire to believe in that possibility is largely what drove me to keep searching.

Follow Your Bliss . . .

and other seemingly cliché pieces of life advice I’ve thoroughly investigated

1. Follow your Bliss
2. Go with your gut
3. Don’t stop Believin’
4.  Do what you Love
5. Live your Dream
6. see below

People tell me all the time how lucky i am to be ‘doing what I love’. And in my mind I immediately ask myself . . .  Am I really though?  Of course I am… living the dream.  I’m self employed. I make my own schedule. I practice yoga for a living. I meet and connect with the most amazing people every single day. Much of my work can be done from my phone, my house, a coffee shop, my car, the coast.

I spent 35 years in various fields searching for ‘my thing’.  Do you know how many people told me… ‘not everyone has a thing’. Or, ‘stop trying so hard and just enjoy life’.  Or, ‘you’re never gonna be happy with the way things are.’ Or, ‘Albany is never going to support a yoga business’. Or my favorite…. ‘What’s the big deal about yoga anyway… it’s just fancy stretching’. ; )

Deep down, I knew. I knew I wasn’t here to sell advertising, insurance, melamine or mortgages. ( or rainbow vacuums, discovery toys or insect repellent ).

When I first discovered yoga – thankfully it wasn’t a completely woo woo, chakra cleansing, mantra chanting, sage burning experience or I’d have run for the hills. (all of which I’m semi okay with now ; ) (We’re all about the frankincense!)  No, this yoga was simple, sensible and I could do it.

It was an immediate sense of calm along with the surprising relief of chronic neck pain. I was intrigued by the subtle sense of spirituality and the gradual and complete elimination of anxiety. I could hear myself think and I slept all night for the first time in years.

The longer I practice, the less I need to. I don’t mean that I don’t need to practice.  I mean that if I don’t practice every single day… I don’t lose those feelings. I still get on my mat almost every day for one reason. I care about myself.

I want to connect to that calm feeling. I want to hold still and be quiet and hear myself sort things out. That’s my meditation. And that’s when all the good ideas show up.  Things like softer floors, colorful curtains, Portland yoga tours, yoga nidra classes, Tee Shirt ideas, training activities, workshops, writing this newsletter, holiday campaigns, 70s playlists, LOVE stickers and more!

It’s also the space that helps me sort out running the business. It’s SO much harder than I expected. This ‘living my dream’ also includes balancing books, consistent scheduling, maintaining marketing, insurance, certifications and regulations. Writing this newsletter, making payroll, taxes and giving up all the security that comes with a job like benefits, vacation time and a paycheck.

So to clarify… I’m not specifically LIVING MY DREAM or FOLLOWING MY BLISS.  But clichés or not, all five quotes have had a tremendous impact on me.

I AM GOING WITH MY GUT that yoga can help everyone as I’ve seen it happen with myself and many, many, many of you. I have never felt this happy, this healthy, this strong and this brave. I care about this on a level so deep that I know I will NEVER STOP BELIEVING that I am suppose to be providing space, conversation, exploration and healing that comes with this practice.

And # 6:  DON’T GO IT ALONE. If it weren’t for our amazing Love Crew, ALL of you, Some incredible support and encouragement… we wouldn’t have made it past the first ‘Namaste.’

So yes, I found my thing. My passion, my purpose, my people. And it doesn’t matter if I’m  loving what I’m doing every second… because I care so much more about what it’s becoming.

But to be honest… if I were truly DOING WHAT I LOVE . . . I’d be this generation’s Dr. Seuss.

You matter to me
You really do
You matter to me
And I matter to you
We matter, we two
We really do
I matter to me and
You matter to You.

I breathe slow
Wherever I go
It keeps me strong and smart
It frees my mind
from things unkind
so I can follow my heart

And what about this 8 minutes or less thing??
CLARITY IN 8 MINUTES OR LESS . . .

Clarity comes in the quietest or least distracted moments. When you’re brain is not embroiled in problem solving or planning.  When you’re showering, vacuuming, fishing, running, painting, knitting, writing, meditating, etc.  When you let go of trying to ‘figure things out’ and put yourself in a state of flow…. often while doing something you enjoy that takes all your concentration.

In that state… focus on just one thing. Ask yourself ONE question.  ‘What do I want?’, ‘Who am I?’, ‘What now?’.

Usually the complicated part of this… is that it takes about 8 minutes to get your mind to quiet and your nervous system to relax.  This is when you can completely focus. Figure out for you…. what are you willing to do for 8 minutes to get your mind into a state of flow.

Do that. And then listen closely.  Read more…

Believe with all your Heart

I had a teddy bear named Omar when I was young.  (no idea why). I distinctly remember talking to him as if he could understand me. I believed that wishing wells and wishing on a star mattered. I practiced magic tricks, telling jokes and taking pictures. I had a Kodak 110, a disc camera and a Kodak Colorburst Instant camera. I don’t know why I’m not a photographer. My point here is that I did not understand how these things worked and I believed in them whole heartedly . . . a lot of things that seemed like magic at the time.

Yet, I’ve always looked at Yoga through a very practical and scientific lens. Finding and exploring yoga as an adult seemed like a very ‘woo woo’ thing to do. So I’m always looking for the science behind the magic. I’ve spent the last 8 years presenting all the evidence as to why it helps, why it works and why it feels so good. And then Harvard wrote a book to support my efforts. Sweet of them.

(Every one of our teachers has this book – you’re in good hands. Scroll down for the latest schedule and check them out!)

We discussed this in teacher training over the weekend…how yoga has for centuries been a practice for overall health, wellness and peace of mind. Centuries! Without any medical research to back it up.

As yoga evolves and is integrated into the health and wellness industry the research just keeps rollin’ in! Lower blood pressure, boosted immune systems, lowers stress, increases circulation and bone density, better breathing and balance and the big one…LONGEVITY…because we are born proficient procrastinators and welcome an opportunity to procrastinate the inevitable!

BUT WHY does it matter? To me?  It doesn’t. Not anymore. I woke up this morning feeling amazing. Again. Happy, Healthy, Strong and Brave. That’s all the evidence I need. Magic or no magic. Stars, teddy bears, instant cameras…and yoga. I believe in all of them with all my heart.

Suzanne Davis circa 1978

Quote from linked article: “It may sound like magic that posing like a proud warrior or a crow could have such extensive effects, but it’s not magic.  It’s neurobiology.  This next statement may sound to you either profound or extremely obvious, but it comes down to this: the things you do and the thoughts you have change the firing patterns and chemical composition of your brain.  Even actions as simple as changing your posture, relaxing the muscles on your face, or slowing your breathing rate, can affect the activity in your brain (beyond, of course, the required activity to make the action).  These changes are often transient, but can be long-lasting, particularly if they entail changing a habit”.

Alex Korb, Psychology Today
Yoga. Changing the Brain’s stressful habits

Next Up: Maui!

8 days of getting a healthy and empowering yogic start to your day of pure island rejuvenation. Contact Suzanne or Cady Campbell for more info. Details on our website and the FB event page.

IF YOU’RE COMING TO MAUI WITH US PLEASE LET US KNOW! Email Love@loveyogastudios.com with any questions or concerns! Deadline for reserving your space is Feb. 14th!

This is a RELAXATION RETREAT with Suzanne (relaxation guide) and Cady Campbell (adventure guide). There are plenty of adventurous opportunities if you’d like them…and/or plenty of beach/pool time if you prefer. Every morning offers an all levels yoga  & meditation class, any level, every level.