Maybe Yes, Maybe No

Change is often received poorly by us humans. I've recently stepped onto a path that has already begun to change me. Each time I notice a difference, I'm tempted to pass judgement on it, label it and distance myself from it. I've done a lot of work to stay present in my breath so that I can notice these things coming up, but I wasn't able to see my distancing habits until I re-discovered an old story. Now my mantra is "maybe yes, maybe no", which helps me to not attach a label to anything arising, and helps me accept the changes with more grace. Here is that story:

There was once a farmer whose only horse ran away. On that evening the neighbors gathered to sympathize with him, for surely this was such bad luck. Now your farm will suffer and you will not be able to plow, the neighbors warned the farmer. Such a terrible thing to have happened to you, they said.

The farmer said, “maybe yes, maybe no.”

The next day the horse returned and brought him six wild horses, and the neighbours came to congratulate him and celebrate his good fortune. Now you are richer than before, they said. Surely now this has turned out to be such a very good thing, for you, after all.

The farmer said, “maybe yes, maybe no.”

The following day, the son saddled and rode one of the wild horses. He was thrown off the horse and broke his leg. Now the son could not work on the farm. Again the neighbours came to offer their sympathy for such an inconvenient truth. They noted that there was more work than the farmer could handle and surely now he would become poor. Such bad luck, indeed.

The farmer said, “maybe yes, maybe no.”

The day after that, conscription officers came to the village to take all the young men for the army, but because of his broken leg, the farmer’s son was disallowed. When the neigbours arrived again, they said how very fortunate the farmer was, as things had worked out after all. Knowing well that most young men never return from the war alive, this was the best fortune yet.

And the old farmer said, “maybe yes, maybe no.”

I hope this story helps you with any of your changes. Because if there is one guarantee in life, it's that it will change. Happy holidays and Namaste.

Schedule updates and special events; please see Special Events page for more details...

• THIS WEEKEND: Saturday, December 4th 1:00-3:30om, Lorien will teach her Sweet Surrender Restorative Workshop at Willow Glen Yoga Studio. This is a perfect opportunity to gain tools to reduce stress effects and regain serenity during this hectic season!
• Special classes: For the month of December, Lorien will be teaching a Foundations of Flow class on Tuesdays at 10:30am at Breathe Los Gatos. This class explores the concepts of flow - breath, balance, energy, strength, ease - in an ongoing 75-minute class format. Join us!
• Beginning next Monday (Dec 5th), you can register for the Gentle Yoga Kaiser classes that begin in January. These classes are held Monday, Wednesday and Friday (register for each separately), 9:30am-10:30am at one of the Kaiser buildings off Homestead. Both Kaiser members and non-members can join these classes. Call (408) 851-3800 to register after Dec 5. Classes run 10 weeks and are $80 for members, $120 for non-members.
• SAVE THE DATE: April 27-29, 2012 Weekend Retreat with Lorien and Marti Foster at Mayacamas Ranch in Calistoga... more info coming soon!

Growing Past Being Wrong

My husband and I have a long-running joke about how neither one of us can be wrong. After 14 years of marriage, we've come to the understanding that just because one of us is right, it doesn't make the other wrong. But recently, I've become aware of some hard truths that led me to the realization that I was wrong. (There, Aaron, I said it.) I was wrong about some fundamental things that were really making my life unhappy. Even after I realized these truths, my ego stuffed them down to protect itself. I became defensive and angry as my ego reacted in fear. I was convinced that my life was a power struggle and to admit my mistakes would diminish my power. On this, I was truly and sadly wrong! Admitting my mistakes not only helped my situation, but also empowered me to move forward without the weight of these misconceptions. I am always advocating letting go of the ego in my yoga practice, but it's important to take that off the matt, too. During this process I asked the question "what does the ego do for us?" and the answer that came back was, "it gives us the opportunity to grow." The next time you are faced with a situation - on or off the matt - that makes you defensive, ask yourself if this is an opportunity to grow...

Schedule updates and special events; please see Special Events page for more details...

• Lorien will be on retreat Nov 6-11, but classes will continue with subs.
• Nov 11-12: Lorien's teacher, Tias Little, will be at Breathe Los Gatos for three weekend workshops, and Lorien will be assisting him! Check out his offerings here. You don't want to miss these!
• Special classes: Lorien will be subbing the following classes at Breathe Los Gatos: Tuesday, Nov 29 10:30am Foundations of Flow and Wednesday, Nov 30 noon Gentle Yoga.
• Saturday, December 4th 1:00-3:30om: Sweet Surrender Restorative Workshop at Willow Glen Yoga Studio
• SAVE THE DATE: April 27-29, 2012 Weekend Retreat with Lorien and Marti Foster at Mayacamas Ranch in Calistoga... more info coming soon!

Fall trees & Impermanence

Life is change. As the seasons turn, I am reminded of this more and more. Life is change. As the Buddhists state it, everything about this life is impermanent. We may be a dedicated practitioner of yoga and a skilled meditator, but life will still change and continue to challenge what we know to be true. The tree in front of my house may be a good tree, a tree who makes all the right choices, but still, the season turns and the tree's leaves fall. This season, I invite you to be a reflection of my tree: sink deeply into your roots, stretch tall through your limbs and let go of what you can no longer cling to. And who knows? Maybe we'll all shine with brilliant colors like the trees in the fall.

Schedule updates and special events; please see Special Events page for more details...

• Lorien will be on retreat Nov 6-11, but classes will continue with subs.
• Nov 11-12: Lorien's teacher, Tias Little, will be at Breathe Los Gatos for three weekend workshops, and Lorien will be assisting him! Check out his offerings here. You don't want to miss these!
• Saturday, December 4th 1:00-3:30om: Sweet Surrender Restorative Workshop at Willow Glen Yoga Studio
• SAVE THE DATE: April 27-29, 2012 Weekend Retreat with Lorien and Marti Foster at Mayacamas Ranch in Calistoga... more info coming soon!

Yoga and the Art of Subtlety

We humans are so driven by sensory input. Our culture feeds this, too. Sometimes I feel that yoga is merely a respite for this addiction, and perhaps I should start each class by saying, "Hello, my name is Lorien and I'm an input addict..." What happens when we turn down the volume on the external input? For some of us, going cold turkey and rehabilitating in a silent setting (aka, silent meditation retreat) is what's needed. For others, it's a matter of managing the input: setting limits for external information and scheduling quiet moments. I have earplugs next to my bed and I will use them with my meditation occasionally, to really turn down the external and focus more on what's arising from within. Try it, you might like it. Namaste.

Schedule updates and special events; please see Special Events page for more details...

• NEW CLASS: Lorien now teaches gentle yoga for Kaiser on Mondays and Fridays at 9:30am; this series fills fast, so register early through Kaiser (if the class is full but we get enough people on a waiting list, we can open another series)
• Sunday, September 11th 1:30-4:00pm: Soothe Your Soul Workshop at Breathe Yoga Studio; register NOW at breathelosgatos.com or 408-370-9642 (YOGA)
• Saturday, December 4th 1:00-3:30om: Sweet Surrender Restorative Workshop at Willow Glen Yoga Studio
• SAVE THE DATE: April 27-29, 2012 Weekend Retreat with Lorien and Marti Foster at Mayacamas Ranch in Calistoga... more info coming soon!

Connect Inside to Connect Outside

It's a Friday yin class and my inspiration is low. I've taught a variation of this same class all week and said the same cues and encouragement over and over. It's still relevant, but by Friday it feels less sincere. And then, just as I've gotten out of my own way and stopped scripting it all, my mouth spouts out words that I didn't even know were in my head, and the theme of the class unfolds itself to me: "Reflect on what's happening inside so that you can connect deeper with those around you." But getting quiet and still and diving deep within is a tough sell in this culture of ultra-stimulation; some times just getting people to put down their phones before (or even during!) class is challenging. But we must slow down and be quiet to really understand what's going on inside us. When we are still, we hear what the body is telling us, what the mind is telling us, and what our emotions are saying. When we practice that stillness, we learn more about ourselves. We realize what our true motivations are, what our values are and what we are willing to surrender. Knowing these help us to know others better, and to connect with them on very honest, deeper levels. So don't take sitting quietly for granted; get in touch with what's happening inside to feel others around you. Namaste.

Schedule updates and special events; please see Special Events page for more details...

• Lorien will be subbing the following Yin classes at Breathe: Thursdays 6:00-7:30pm on August 4, 18, 25 and Saturday 11:45-1:00pm August 27.
• Saturday, August 13th 1:00-2:30pm: Yoga on the Beach at New Brighton Beach, Capitola
• Saturday, August 20th 1:00-3:00pm: Dynamic Hatha Yoga Fundraiser Class with Lorien and Cindy Campbell at Willow Glen Yoga
• Sunday, September 11th 1:30-4:00pm: Soothe Your Soul Workshop at Breathe Yoga Studio
• SAVE THE DATE: April 27-29, 2012 Weekend Retreat with Lorien and Marti Foster at Mayacamas Ranch in Calistoga

Throwing Clay and Practicing Yoga

Last Friday, my daughter and I had the opportunity to take a pottery class from my friend, Kyczy Hawk. Kyczy is - among other things - an artist, yoga studio manager, yoga teacher of special populations (catch her at Breathe Los Gatos on Thursdays at 1pm for Chair Yoga), and amazing potter. We found common language between throwing clay and practicing yoga; at one point she directed my daughter to “exhale and slowly release out”, which sounds just like a yoga class cue. It got me thinking about how these two activities are similar and what we can learn from both of them.

In yoga practice, we begin with a foundation, usually in the feet and legs and look to the breath to create ease and steadiness. Kyczy taught us that the first step on the potter’s wheel is to create a piece that is centered; this is done by alternating working the clay down and then guiding the boundaries inward and up. When the piece is centered, there is an ease in the rotation and you imagine an audible snap as it comes together. It’s similar to when you are working with balancing poses and suddenly all your joints line up and you feel effortless in the pose.

After centering the piece on the wheel, we worked with making a hole and then sides to the piece. This is where things can become quite challenging. I was tempted to leave your lump centered and without form because it’s symmetry was beautiful, and I had invested so much work into it. But now Kyczy’s told us to poke our thumbs into this beautiful shape and dig a hole out of it. That first intrusion was almost painful and required a lot of trust; it reminded me of opening into Wheel (full backbend) for the first time, digging my thumbs into my heart-center and opening it wider.

But that’s what we do as practitioners: we find the comfortable and move beyond it. Our first attempts are often messy, painful and “flawed”. When we completed the steps Kyczy had outlined for the day, she brought us into her house to show us her first bowls. She pointed out the cracks, the uneven thickness and the drips in the glaze, and reminded us that she uses these bowls every day and that we can embrace those “flaws” in our own work and see beyond them to the magic of what we’ve created. This is now my yoga practice, too.

Leaning Back On the Ancestors

The end of June and the beginning of July was particularly bountiful for me. In other words, I fell behind in a lot of things!

I wanted to start my catching-up process by sending a big, heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who participated and donated in the 108 Challenge last month. I will be removing the videos at the end of July, so you still have them for a few more weeks. I will have the donation totals later this month.

Thank you also to all my wonderful subs who filled in for me during my 2-week absence. I took a family trip and then a yoga training that ended up being more about my own practice and less about my teaching. Yes, even after 12 years of practice, I still can learn a thing or two (or 2,000) about yoga.

One of the many gems that I unearthed was the idea of "leaning back on the ancestors", or trusting the practice and all those who came before me. For someone who has spent a great deal of her life practicing radical independence, that idea was profound. This week, when I found myself slipping into a pattern of negativity about all that I was not keeping up with, I took a deep breath and leaned back a little. I visualized a mountain, a tree or a person back there, holding me. It's wildly freeing, because I knew that it didn't matter to the mountain if I checked and replied to all my emails that day, and the tree doesn't care that I didn't make the bed, and my grandmother still sends me loving dreams even if I've forgotten my login account. That kind of support is always there if we just take notice. Try it. Take a deep breath and lean back a little.

Namaste.

Mindfulness Matters Part 2

Last month I participated in a wonderful event at Breathe Los Gatos that raised funds for Japan Relief. I've been to other fundraisers before, but I noticed a difference right away with this one. Before the fundraiser even began, Jennifer Prugh announced that she wanted this event to raise a few thousand dollars; I believe she even targeted an amount around $5,000, but I'm not sure now. What I found bold was her very public announcement of what she wanted to have happen. For much of my life, I kept my desires hidden so as not to be disappointed if they didn't come to fruition. But here was someone fearless enough to state in a very public way what she wanted. And you know what? They raised over $7000 in that event!

I was inspired by Jennifer's daring and decided to go public with what I am working on. As many of you have read by now, I am developing a wellness DVD for a non-profit group called Human Connexus. Last week, I announced that I would campaign to raise funds for this DVD project by posting 108 rounds of Sun Salute variations on YouTube, and I'm asking for 108 donations from participants. I'm putting it out there: I envision that we will raise 108 donations by the end of June!

So, Universe, there is my intention. I'm going to keep that intention in my mind and work towards it with all I say and do in the coming weeks. This is mindfulness in action. Last month I posted about watching your thoughts, words, actions, habits, character, destiny. This is the next step. Namaste.

Schedule changes and special events...

Note: I will be on vacation June 18-July 1, but classes will continue with subs. Please go to Special Events for more details.

• 108 Challenge: Compassionate Yoga Serving Us All! June 1-18. Check YouTube or Facebook for daily short sequences that are variations of 6 rounds of Sun Salutes; practice every day until June 18 to complete 108 rounds, or a yoga mala. Please contribute to Human Connexus to help us gather 108 donations, a compassionate mala.
• June 12: Cancer Survivor Day at Kaiser; free yoga with Lorien in 3 different 45-minute sessions. For more information, please click here.
• Sept 11: Soothe Your Soul Workshop at Breathe Los Gatos, 1:30-3:00pm.
• SAVE THE DATE: Next retreat is scheduled for April 27-29, 2012 with Lorien and Marti Foster at Mayacamas Ranch in Calistoga. You do not want to miss this one!

108 Challenge: Compassionate Yoga Serving Us All

Don't want to read? Click here to watch a 2-minute video for an overview of what's below.

What is a Yoga Mala?

Sun salutation or Surya Namaskara is a dynamic sequence of 12 postures performed as one continuous flow. A mala is a string of 108 beads used in prayer and chanting; 108 sun salutations becomes a yoga mala. There is a yogic tradition to practice 108 sun salutations as an offering of peace or to honor the change in seasons, like the upcoming Spring Equinox.

What Does This Mean to Me?

Beginning Wed, June 1 and continuing through June 18, I'll be posting yoga videos on YouTube of various sun salutations. Some with be gentle enough for all abilities, some will be challenging. Each day will have 6 rounds taking between 6-12 minutes - short and sweet! So, if you practice every day, then by June 18 you'll have completed a yoga mala.

Why am I doing this?

As some of you may already know, I am making a wellness yoga DVD for the nonprofit group Human Connexus. This group does extraordinary work! They find families who are struggling financially due to some unforeseen circumstances, and give them help to get by. Many of these families are dealing with medical issues. The wellness yoga dvd will be sent to each of the Human Connexus recipients in order to support their continued well-being. The dvd will be accessible to all levels and abilities, including bedridden and chair-bound participants. The cost to produce the video is $14,000 and we are actively pursuing funding from philanthropic foundations. In the meantime, we have organized an event that everyone can enjoy and support to raise the necessary funds to get this project started.

In addition to the challenge of practicing 108 sun salutations, we are looking to raise 108 donations - in any denomination. 108 donations of $10 each would get the project off the ground, and 108 donations of $100 each would pay for the whole project. Please donate what you can with a light heart. Practice to support yourself, and donate to support others. Pass along this challenge to as many people as you can - let's make compassion viral!

Namaste

Mindfulness Matters Part I

Watch your thoughts, they become words.

Watch your words, they become actions.

Watch your actions, they become habits.

Watch your habits, they become your character.

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

~Unknown

Take a deep breath as you are reading this and observe your thoughts. Repeat this as many times as you can remember to do so throughout the day. Begin to realize that your thoughts are secretions of your brain, just like any other organ, and let go of any judgments about your thoughts. This is the first step to developing a compassionate mind.

Namaste,

Lorien

Foundational Questions for Spring

Welcome, Spring! I know it's rainy, cold and dark outside as I write this, but spring is officially here: time to surrender the past, rebirth, grow and change. It's always a busy time for me and this spring is no exception. Between teaching classes and planning future workshops, retreats, chanting sessions and other fun projects, my mind has been drawn to the foundational question of what is yoga? I've recently read several articles about what yoga is not; like shadows defining the form, we often use the negative to describe our subject. But it's important to remember that the shadow is not the form. So, what is yoga?

In promoting my work with cancer patients, I travelled to several doctor's offices to pass out flyers. When I let them know that I teach yoga to cancer patients, I often got a quizzical look. I then offered to give a demonstration to the staff to show that I would not be asking their patients to wrap their legs around their heads. Most people have one or two views of yoga: it's an excuse to take a nap, or it's a contortionist practice. After twelve years of practice, I can safely say it is both and neither of those.

To me, yoga is about relationship. It is a physical practice that helps us relate to our own bodies, an energetic practice that relates us to our own breath, a mental practice that relates us to our own mind and a spiritual practice that relates us to everything else. It can be as simple as a good stretch or as complex as a total quality of life overhaul. The magic ingredient is us; we plant the seed, we cultivate the practice and we reap the harvest. People need guidance to begin with and possibly along the way, but the guru is really inside. The articles that I've read all point to the subject leaving themselves out of the equation; often quite painfully, they learned that yoga is not that.

This spring, let go of what no longer serves you, stretch past your limits safely and watch yourself blossom, but always remember your inner guidance. Namaste.

Schedule updates and special events; please click description for more details...

• Lorien will be away for a training March 27-April 1. Classes will continue with subs.
• NEW! Starting Tuesday, April 5, Lorien will teach a Yin Yoga class noon-1:00pm at Breathe in Los Gatos.
• Class change: Tuesdays 1:00pm class at Breathe is now a Wellness Yoga class, which means that anyone dealing with chronic pain, compromised immune systems or chronic stress from illness or injury can find ways to improve their total quality of life through gentle yoga practices. Class is offered by donation ($12 suggested, but no one turned away). Please help spread the word!
• Saturday, April 23: Yoga as Cancer Support workshop 1:00-4:00pm at Breathe in Los Gatos; this workshop is donation-based and is for patients, caregivers and professionals working with cancer.
• Sunday, April 24 (Easter) OM for Peace Annual Chant: 3:00-4:00pm at Breathe in Los Gatos; this free hour of chanting OM is our annual Easter ritual to connect with others in an effort to send a vibration of peace out into the world. No need to register, no previous chanting experience needed, just come with an open heart.
• Friday, April 29 - Sunday, May 1: Yoga Retreat to the Beach Immerse yourself in this relaxing weekend retreat at the beach in Watsonville; only 2 beds lefts - register NOW!
• Coming soon: Wellness Yoga DVD... stay tuned for more details!

Shh... Listening

It is always good to get away and experience something new, even if only to gain a different perspective on what is already there. I just returned from a family vacation in Hawaii, and found myself reflecting over my morning tea how different the soundtracks of daily life are between Hawaii and my home in San Jose, California. I sat and really Listened to life around me this morning in an effort to catalog the sounds. How often do we do that? What about when we are in conversation with friends, are we really Listening? You know when you are with someone who is, because it is such a different feeling; no need to interrupt to be heard, no need to repeat yourself, they gift you with eye contact, and (if it is new to you) it could feel very uncomfortable to have all of that interest directed on you. I'm not sure which came first, but chronic talking definitely has a factor in how much we Listen. The more we ramble, the less we feel heard, so the more we try to verbalize... an endless loop. In recent years, I have been trying hard to learn the art of Listening and I found that the first step is closing the mouth to open the ears. Meditation has definitely helped, because I am now less afraid of silence and more accustomed to the direct attention that someone who does Listen gives me - it is similar to the attention I give myself during meditation. Just think what would change in the world if more people Listened.

Schedule updates and special events; please click description for more details...

• Lorien will be away for a training March 27-April 1. Classes will continue with subs.
• Special classes: Lorien will be subbing Foundations of Flow classes on Tuesdays, March 15 and 22 at 11:00am at Breathe in Los Gatos.
• Saturday, April 23: Yoga as Cancer Support workshop 1:00-4:00pm at Breathe in Los Gatos; this workshop is donation-based and is for patients, caregivers and professionals working with cancer.
• Sunday, April 24 (Easter) OM for Peace Annual Chant: 3:00-4:00pm at Breathe in Los Gatos; this free hour of chanting OM is our annual Easter ritual to connect with others in an effort to send a vibration of peace out into the world. No need to register, no previous chanting experience needed, just come with an open heart.
• Friday, April 29 - Sunday, May 1: Yoga Retreat to the Beach Immerse yourself in this relaxing weekend retreat at the beach in Watsonville; only 2 beds lefts - register NOW!
• Class change: Tuesdays 1:00pm class at Breathe is now a Wellness Yoga class, which means that anyone dealing with chronic pain, compromised immune systems or chronic stress from illness or injury can find ways to improve their total quality of life through gentle yoga practices. Class is offered by donation ($12 suggested, but no one turned away).

Stealthy Love

I mentioned in a yin yoga class a while back that students may not feel the many benefits of the yin practice right away, but that it sneaks up on you and you may notice a feeling of ease in the body and spirit without realizing its source. It got me to thinking about how some of the greatest gifts in my life were not necessarily love at first sight, but that they snuck into my heart and firmly lodged themselves there, much to my joy. Yoga itself is one of those. I was not sold on yoga from my first class. In fact, I left the class saying "I'll never do that again." Four years after that initial attempt, I enrolled in a class at the local YMCA and haven't stopped doing yoga since. I often reflect on that first class and wonder why it didn't hook me then and there; I know that you have to be in a specific place in your life to be interested in such an introspective, sometimes confrontational, practice. Not everyone is there the first time. I am known for my ability to work with people new to yoga, and I think that's because I never forget what it is like to be the new person in the room, to be so mystified by everyone's reaction and to be overwhelmed by my own. For some of us, the slow, stealthy approach is best; it gives us time to catch up to what our hearts already know.

Schedule updates and special events; please click description for more details...

• Lorien will be on vacation Feb 20-28. Classes will continue with subs.
• Saturday, Feb 5: Yoga as Cancer Support workshop 1:00-4:00pm at Breathe in Los Gatos; this workshop is donation-based and is for patients, caregivers and professionals working with cancer.
• Friday, April 29 - Sunday, May 1: Yoga Retreat to the Beach Immerse yourself in this relaxing weekend retreat at the beach in Watsonville; space is limited, so register now.
• Date TBD: Yoga for Cancer Support at Home workshop at Stanford hospital in Palo Alto; this workshop teaches patients and caregivers how to practice yoga at home, using household props and addressing common obstacles. This workshop is offered free of charge through the Stanford Cancer Support Program.

Stretch Goals for the New Year

Happy New Year, everyone! One of the things I remember about my corporate life is receiving annual reviews. I was always most interested in something called my stretch goals - things out of my comfort zone to reach for. This year, there are many things out of my comfort zone that I am reaching for. First, I am moving forward with working with cancer support by starting a weekly program at Breathe in Los Gatos. There is always an unknown element to this work because there really is no one approach that works for all; it's individual, just as the disease and the treatment side effects are individual. Each time I think I've got a formula, a new challenge presents itself. This is exciting and important to me, and will grow my skills tremendously. What is the real stretch goal in this program is to promote it. I need to speak with oncology staff, present the information in an intelligent, experiential way, so that they will recommend the work to their patients. I have so much respect for these people and I want to be sure to honor their work and explain how yoga can help them. That is definitely a challenge for me! Another stretch goal for me has to do with pricing my private sessions. If you go to the private yoga page, you'll notice a big range in pricing. The higher range has to do with overhead and paying the location. Since I have operated by donations or out of my house, this jump in cost is less comfortable for me, but better for my practice of valuing my own work. Those of you who have your own business know how this feels; it's a practice to strike that balance between asking for what you simply need to get by and asking for what your service is worth, especially in these tough economic times! I will trust, as I hope you do, that it will meet everyone's needs somehow. And that is what this coming year is all about. I wish for you to find your stretch goals as well, to do what is important but risky, and to learn the value of what you do.

Schedule updates and special events; please click description for more details...

• New class! Beginning Monday, Jan 3, Lorien will teach an ongoing 7:15-8:45pm restorative yoga class at Downtown Yoga Shala in San Jose.
• New class! Beginning Tuesday, Jan 4, Lorien will teach an ongoing yoga for cancer support class at Breathe in Los Gatos; this class is donation-based.
• New class! Beginning Sunday, Jan 9, Lorien will teach an ongoing gentle yoga class at Breathe in Los Gatos.
• Special class: Friday, Jan 14 9:00-10:30am Tapas Yoga at Breathe Los Gatos; a (mildly) heated class that includes breath-focused held postures to align and cleanse.
• Special class: Saturday, Jan 15 9:30-11:00am Yoga Basics at GGBC in Campbell; come take this donation-based class and dive into the foundations of yoga with breath, alignment and relaxation.
• Saturday, Feb 5: Yoga as Cancer Support workshop 1:00-4:00pm at Breathe in Los Gatos; this workshop is donation-based and is for patients, caregivers and professionals working with cancer.
• Date TBD: Yoga for Cancer Support at Home workshop at Stanford hospital in Palo Alto; this workshop teaches patients and caregivers how to practice yoga at home, using household props and addressing common obstacles. This workshop is offered free of charge through the Stanford Cancer Support Program.