Interesting times, right? And a lot happening on global, political and in our own backyards - whether that be autumnal harvesting or life’s commitments or yoga planning. This update is an unusual one as I needed to communicate about upcoming and 2025 online happenings, Cuba, and the free Thanksgiving Class 11/28. I also wanted to add my 2 cents to being with the agitation and pre-election fear many of us are dealing with, and offer a free meditation and some references for the now. See below.

Online Yoga continues in November - the theme is “Calm in Uncertainty”- on Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday ams. This month includes a restorative practice recording. November and December will be the last online yoga in its current format. See below for 2025 proposal.

Free Thanksgiving Yoga on 11/28 - This class is open to everyone but you do need to pre-register at this link.

IN PERSON WORKSHOPS:
11/9 Rest and Recovery Post Election, Ukiah
12/21 Celebrating Winter Solstice, Boonville

2025 RETREATS:
4/9-13 April Outdoor Meditation + Yoga Retreat at Pomo Tierra - Registration open 12/1
6/20-25 Summer Solstice Retreat, Albion - Only a few spaces left…. Final fee due 1/1 - 1/31
Spa Retreat in Spain in September - Probably!!

2025 Semi Sabbatical Update.
So I am working hard so that I can take some time off next year. I am very devoted to my online groups and will continue with a monthly Saturday class and Friday gentle class Feb - July. This program will be a commitment for 6 months and will include 3 more selected recordings per month to tie in with the theme of the month and to keep aflame the practice energy! More information and registration available 12/1.
Yoga Salon - Our 6 monthly program for teachers and yoga nutz will continue Feb - July on first Sundays. Theme in 2025 Growth, Plants and the work of Robin Kimmerer and other plant gurus. More info here and registration available 12/1.

CUBA If you have been following the news, send a bunch of metta (and financial support if you have it) to all those on the island who have been dealing with power shutdowns of several days, where food and water has been in short supply. Along with Hurricane Oscar that dumped an enormous amount of water on the eastern side of the country.
Our trip is still planned for a small group to go in January and the proposal for this 6 day trip for international visitors is on the web link. However we are still awaiting confirmation of the exact dates (within 1 or 2 days of stated dates at this point) and the 3 day retreat for Cuban participants. If you do not wish to go but you want to support this retreat please contact me directly.
As you can imagine communications have been challenging. I will send another newsletter out to everyone next week with fees, dates and itinerary confirmed. If you are interested and you feel you meet most of the requests in the participants that we are looking for, let me know soon. This will be an extraordinary opportunity to meet our Yoga Va community, find out what is happening in Cuba, enjoy Habana, and bring solidarity and supplies at a very challenging time. These yogis are courageous beings and inspiring to us all.

BEING WITH FEAR and UNCERTAINTY!

FREE MEDITATION - Befriending Fear (MP) 26mins Audio

Dharmette 19mins Audio - from Vipassna Teacher Diana Clark on Courage/Viriya in the face of Fear

Great Poem by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer called Hello Fear

How are we finding our fearlessness in these times? If you ain’t wobbly right now, you are living in a cave! A lot is at stake. Tomorrow Berni and I head to Nevada to be part of Common Power’s final push to get the vote out. Thank you to all of you out there and doing so much to move forward towards sanity!
Even if you are living in a cave, you can’t help be effected by the collective vibe. So what to do? I am sure we will talk about this when we start breathing again after November 5 or whenever the election is resolved. And of course, we have incredible tools. One of course is practice. In Diana Clark’s dharmette she mentions a great book, a classic really for creatives, called Art and Fear by Ted Orland and David Bayles. In this book, they mention an experiment done with ceramic students who were told there were 2 ways that they could get an A grade. One was to take as much clay as possible and be judged on quantity. And the other was to just make one perfect pot. The result? Those that made many many pots actually produced the best quality. Some of those who had just one perfect pot to make ended up not making very much of any interest or giving up! Sometimes, you just have to get to the mat and do it. Just like the poet above Rosemerry who took on the vow that William Stafford took to write one poem a day. When asked about how he managed to do this, Stafford replied something like “You let go of quality control”. But of course over time, things evolve and poetry, art, yoga flourishes.

So maybe its time to forget the quality and just get to the mat or zafu. We can fantasize about all sorts of outcomes, but coming back to right here, right now, this breath, this movement, even if we dart away seemingly a million times a milli second, will inevitably help to keep us actually here and help us make better decisions in the future.

Join us in November online for “Calm in Uncertainty” if you feel that might help you stay a little more present. And don’t forget free Thanksgiving yoga Invite everyone - all political persuasions and yoga levels - to celebrate together.

Take Care

M