“Casual practitioner” describes my yoga life until 2008 when Yoga Oasis opened a studio in our small town of Davisburg, MI. It was a treat having yoga come to me. I practiced regularly with Kim Tombrella, my first teacher. Then I followed Yoga Oasis as it moved to its next two locations on Dixie Hwy., in Independence Twp.
In 2015 Yoga Oasis offered teacher training, and I found a new appreciation for the practice with greater understanding. I began teacher training with the goal of learning more about it, and soon decided I could teach older yogis, an overlooked group. I taught five days a week pre-Covid, and loved it.
Covid was a game changer. I became isolated and lost the social contact and pleasure of being with my fellow yogis. Zoom was a great answer, and many of us turned to zoom. Dorothy Schauerte established a zoom account and Dorothy and I alternated teaching via zoom three days a week. This schedule has continued and, following Covid, we added in-person practice in a small studio in my basement, also still on zoom. Our favorite days teaching occur outdoors, weather permitting.
In addition to the 200 hours of shala training led by Barb Heuerman and Una Hepburn, I’ve attended various workshops led by Doug Keller, Carrie Gaynor, Amy Matthews, Bethany Perry, Andrew Goforth, Arthur Kilmurray and Lynn Meadow.
For more yoga fun Dorothy and I attended retreats presented by The Travel Yogi to southern France, Iceland, Panama and Sicily. Recently Heartfulness Meditation held a retreat in Dayton, Ohio.
Yoga is a lifestyle, and our small group of regular yogis have become a “Blue Zone” for all of us, practicing two or three mornings a week, and concluding Friday morning sessions with meditation, shared bubbly, cookies and conversation. Favorite poses are easy ones, and legs up the wall gets universal acclaim.
The Blue Zone of TV fame describes areas around the world where people 100 years of age or so (not verified as many areas do not keep birth records) maintain their active lives by socializing, working, exercising, cooking and eating together. Wine and kneading bread are commonly featured. Our group shares the exercising and socializing aspects, keeping one another aware of our own lives, and those of our families, and maintaining a healthy interest in each other. We care for and about each other, and remain open to newcomers.