What it is like to live in a yoga studio

I wake up every morning at 6:34 a.m., after hitting the snooze on my telephone alarm three times. I pull on fisherman or genie pants, remain barefoot throughout most of my day. I quietly, methodically scan the space: what is out of place? what needs tidying? I clean mats, sweet floors, wipe down the bathroom sink, water plants, dust surfaces. I detach myself from the space, look through forensic eyes.

I mentioned before that I lustrously approach organization and aesthetic; having what essentially amounts to a show house, seriously pleases me. The morning ritual’s tedium comforts me, calms my mind, prepares me for the day; a penchant for meditation furthers the rites.

The space is constantly filled with reverberating vibrations of ‘ ૐ,’ I chant mantra regularly, people share a part of their journey with us: nothing short of exhilarating.

Filled with gratitude: the space, a wondrous support web woven, massive windowsills to perch in, a miniature jungle of majestic, miraculous plants – all is well.

Window seat.

A Meditation on the Month

So, yesterday was officially the one month mark of [ahimsa yoga]: open for business. These last two weeks have been a struggle. I am confident in our vision, but the constant uncertainty regarding financial security is always a looming reality. I have to keep telling myself that exploding success is the exception and not the rule in new businesses and steadfast dedication is half of the journey.

A positive result of the absence of students is that I have found more time for meditation. My morning classes are rarely attended so, I try use the time I would have taught to meditate. Patience is the overarching theme: release expectations, work as hard as I can to achieve success, and practice patience every moment of every day. I find solace in this new-found patience, a skill that is not always at the forefront of my attributes. I knew that this venture would bring about myriad learning experiences and, along with my budding graphic design skills, patience is pronounced.

I am an apostle of hustle.

On a less dreary note, last Friday was our first vegan potluck, following our conscious community class. We had five people join us for a sumptuous meal and, luckily, Andrew was able to attend as well. (Andrew got a promotion at his job to prep chef – he works in the kitchen of this delicious Italian restaurant – so, during his training, he is only working Monday to Thursday – woot!) We dined on lentil, tomato soup, kale/chard/yellow cherry tomato salad, succulent yellow watermelon, juicy pineapple, sweet mango, cabbage, beetroot, mango coleslaw, spinach, banana, mango smoothie, and fresh nectarines with cinnamon infused coconut cream! The meal was delightful and the company was so very pleasant. I am really looking forward to building on this tradition and welcoming as many people into our kitchen as possible!

On Sunday, we had a photo shoot. We met Andrei (the photographer) at the park one sunny afternoon and it came about that he loves photographing yoga and was eager to do a trade – win! So, I got together a group of magnanimous friends who were willing to take up part of their Sunday to come into the studio to simulate a class (so I didn’t have to interrupt a scheduled class with a photographer prancing around). I had so much fun! I find it exhilarating to be photographed and am anxious to see the results. Andrei took photos of the studio space itself, without people, the “class,” posed group shots, solo ones of me in asana, and Andrew and me. He was here for a few hours and I was giddy with excitement – getting professional photos of the space on the website will ideally attract more joyous souls into this lovely space!

So, on that note, I am off to work on the SEO (search engine optimization) of our website – making it easier for people to find us online when they search for certain things in Google (or whatever search engine people use!). Wahoo. Yet another exciting learning experience awaits.

Who defines what?

Recently my attention has been drawn, from myriad sources, to the question: what is yoga? and, from that, what is yogic? Like any philosophy or science that has been passed down through the ages (and, in yoga’s known case, three thousand years), transmogrification and transformation are bound to happen.

Yoga in Sanskrit literally means ‘to yoke’ – the idea of yoking your spiritual higher power with your physical body – based on the concept that everyone hosts an enlightened being within them and, through meditation and a commitment to this yoking, enlightenment and the highest level of consciousness is attainable, for all.

My take on it: Choose joy; that is what yoga means. Find your joy, within body, mind, and soul, and express it to the fullest potential: illuminating all, releasing all judgment. Thus, with this definition, yoga is unique to each person it touches, every resonance resplendently diametric. Yoga is an art form, a spirituality, a science, a way of life, a business, a path, a gift – the list interminable. Yoga is your own.

Downward Facing Dog

Having this brilliant space to share yoga with others is a gift for me; the energy it emits and the people it attracts: gorgeous. So, I meditate, manifest in my mind the cultivation of roots and the growth of a community that shares joy and food and knowledge. This Friday, after the conscious community class, a new tradition is set in motion: vegan potluck dinners. We are building it, they will come.

Transitioning

The party was a grand success and the friends and family who had joined us from afar made their leave in waves on Sunday. That afternoon, before I collapsed into a dreamless state, a fellow local business owner, and friend, came by to see the space. Throughout the process of starting [ ahimsa yoga ] we have found solace in her beautiful little vegetarian café (La Lumiere du Mile End) and sought advice from her about accounting, the name change, and other such things. As soon as she walked in the door she gasped and held out her arm to me, exhibiting shiver bumps radiating from her skin. Scanning the room she said she was overwhelmed by the positive energy and the sensation of safety in the space. Enraptured by the experience, tears came to her eyes. She said that the space felt like this gorgeous haven of healing, a place where everyone is welcome to come as they are to recharge and repair, and she couldn’t help the tears that fell from her eyes. For me, witnessing again the power of the space to bring people to tears, myself included, was further evidence of a path well-chosen, a journey perfectly suited.

Welcome to [ ahimsa yoga ]

Exhausted from the whirlwind that struck July 1 and expanded to its zenith on Saturday evening, I fell into a deep, undisturbed sleep in preparation for our first day open for ‘business.’ Monday morning I was up early: sweeping, scurrying here and there making sure the space was ready. All things come to those who wait.

We have entered into our second week of business and, as expected, it is slow to start. We spread wide our doors at a time in the city where many are vacationing or taking leave from the urban life for moments of repose in the great outdoors.  But, I am not easily discouraged, and am happy with the volume we have experienced thus far. The slow trickle that will eventually turn into a steady stream allows for time to work out logistical kinks, find more efficient forms of organization, and further opportunities to market.

I was speaking with one of my new students yesterday about the interesting dichotomy of the skill I am selling, and the selling itself. So much of maintaining, and growing, a successful business has less to do with the skill (in my case, teaching yoga) and more to do with the ability to sell it. I have always found marketing interesting, and now I am learning more about it than I ever imagined I would. Creating a unique and memorable name for myself, that people will remember and return to, seems my task at hand.

Thankfully I have the aid of Andrew, the most personable and approachable person I have had the pleasure of meeting. Andrew will go up and speak with anyone and extol the beauties of [ ahimsa yoga ] to whomever will lend an ear. He has this enviable fearlessness in his interactions with people, and skillfully puts others at ease with his gentle demeanor and British lilt. We joke that it is a perfect match for marketing: he is the opener, I am the closer. While I am not shy, by any stretch of the imagination, I am more hesitant to walk up to strangers in an attempt to market but, as soon as Andrew has made that first contact, I feel confident to sweep in and sing songs aplenty. Now, we just have to do a heck of a lot more of that.

Ready, set, go!

The rest of the free week of classes went incredibly well and I had the great fortune to meet lots of new neighbours and share our space with a diverse group of people.

My older sister and brother-in-law came into town on Thursday evening, poised to spring into action on Friday to help in the preparations for Saturday’s affair. My family really knows how to throw a fabulous fete, my sister in particular. We have a delightful rhythm when hosting a party together, and I trust her to make final decisions without consultation – which is saying something significant coming from a borderline control obsessive.

Friday afternoon ushered in my parents, younger sister, and a former yoga teacher of mine from Connecticut, who shared a ride up with the fam (unfortunately, my older brother was absent for the event but I could feel his love and support from afar, like so many others who weren’t in physical attendance).

Saturday afternoon brought the introduction of my dear, dear friend Jessica, her gorgeous three-month-old son, and her mother-in-law into the space – all members of my soulful surrogate Kingston family, formed during my university years at Queen’s. Then, in quick succession, Sophia, Ali, and Nick – all converging from different cities – my precious pals from university. The four of us met when living on the same floor in first year at Queen’s – their inclusion in this momentous occasion bringing our formative years full circle. I felt so fortunate to have this foundation of energy and support from family and friends, everyone ready to aid at the drop of a hat.

Saturday not only brought lots of friendly faces but also torrential rain and an untimely power outage. For three hours preceding the party the food preparations and electrical consumption ground to a halt and we all spent the afternoon lounging on the floor and opening the windows when there was a break in the downpour. When it came down to the wire in terms of time, and the power was still on hiatus, the food preparation resumed in the light of the window sill and Andrew was sent out with my brother-in-law to buy candles, lots of candles. Ten minutes before the party was scheduled to begin, I wept quietly in my mother’s arms as the weight of an inauguration in the dark set in. But, as the patter of our first guests was heard down the hall, the power miraculously came back on and everyone in attendance at the time cheered and whipped into motion. We briefly lost power again at the beginning of the party, but not long after the candles were strewn around the room and the space lit with their wavering flames, it came back on and stayed on for the duration of the evening. Whew!

It's you! It's me! It's dancing!

The party was simply beautiful. The space, the lighting, the food, the people, the live music, the kinetic energy; everything came together to create this perfect moment in time, this perfect gathering of life. There were several times during the night that I felt tears welling up in my eyes as my gaze scanned the room, this overwhelming sense of serenity and effervescent joy overtaking me. I could sense that everyone else was feeling it too and our collective vibrations of positivity and pride enlivened the studio and the evening even more. I closed the evening, exhausted but absolutely sated by the wondrous event we had manifested and the myriad people who shared it with us.

Listening to lovely tones

Chapter Seven

Andrew and I have mapped out our past adventures, labeling each distinct adventure as a chapter. Using this brilliant system, we have subsequently arrived at Chapter Seven: [ahimsa yoga] & A New Home All Our Own. We moved into 5369 Boulevard Saint Laurent, Suite 240 on July 1 with little more than the backpacks we had carried north initially. With the help of some friends, the move was seamless and succinct, our few belongings dwarfed by the expansive 1325 square feet loft space. Settling in preliminarily, we then headed south to my family’s home in Connecticut to rent a truck to move all of my worldly possessions: things begged, bought, scavenged, or collected; we had nearly everything to create our hybrid home. In a three-day blitz that took the wind right out of me, we packed up my life left in Connecticut and vaulted through the mountains of New England to unload my old life straight into a brand new existence  – that was last Thursday.

Astonishingly we were able to get the space in enough order to open the doors on Sunday, running our first of a week of free yoga classes. Sunday two of Andrew’s friends from work came, Monday we welcomed in six people, Tuesday there were five, and today we captured an audience of ELEVEN people – three were returning and eight were brand spanking new! Obviously free yoga attracts people, but hopefully some of these folks are inspired by our mission and dogged dedication to support us when free classes end and the full schedule begins. That being said, just getting the word out and encouraging dialogue about the space is a leap in the right direction!

There are still a few things left to do before I can deem the space totally “ready” but those tasks are not far from completion. Our big début is this Saturday when we host a yogic party to remember, replete with live music, vegan finger foods, and lots of beautiful people.

Pictures of the new space are forthcoming, but as a detail oriented lass, I cannot bring myself to show you the “in transition” phases – you must wait for the grand reveal – unless, of course, you’ve already come into the space for free lessons!

Progress

Slowly, slowly everything is coming together. After my previous two, rather polemical, posts, I thought it would be appropriate to share the current stage of [ahimsa yoga]. The website http://www.ahimsayogamontreal.com is in the programming phase at the moment, live very soon; there is a place holder with the logo at the site for the time being.

The all natural, sustainably harvested rubber yoga mats from Jade are ordered and en route from Toronto.

The world-wide web has been bombarded with new [ahimsa yoga] entries, in the form of: Twitter: ahimsayogamtl, LinkedIn (Miranda Chapman), and a new Facebook page ([ahimsa yoga]) – hunt us down, we’re propagating!

The plans for the grand opening week of events and finale bash (July 17, all welcome!) are in full swing and my anticipation to get into the space is building. My dad asked me the other day if we were getting tired of “camping out” – a phrase I identified with immediately. I have not had my own, independent space since I left Korea over a year ago; either on the road or perching in one home or another, my transience has afforded me myriad moorings but no dock.

I am exhilarated my the act of relocation, perhaps because it forces me to take stock of my possessions and to set myself up, again, in a place that feels peaceful with a clear energy flow. I was speaking yesterday with my roommates about the energy that collects in piles of neglected items, the dust that settles on them further inhibiting energy tides. Perhaps this acknowledgment of trapped space encourages the peace I find in dusting and sweeping, carefully picking up and putting down each possession in my room, assessing its role (or lack thereof) in my life.

But, to digress, nesting and resting in a place of my own will be glorious, but my time in these perches has expanded my mind and encouraged patience in my practices – yogic and otherwise.