Yoga Party

Today I hosted my first ever Yoga Party, and it was ammmmazing!!! MaryBeth has been coming to my yoga classes at the OC Zen Den since my very first class. For her 50th birthday she wanted to share her love for yoga and for my class with her closest friends and family. She loves pink, so that was part of the theme. She bought everyone pink yoga mats, and made everyone monogrammed (sweat) towels. Each mat got a pink rose and a cold bottle of Fiji water. Under each mat was a paper with 5 words that Marybeth would choose to describe you. After an hour and 15min yoga flow we enjoyed refreshments, fresh fruit, scones and Chai. It was such a spectacular experience, for such a wonderful woman. I'm feeling blessed to be a part of such an amazing event.

The Beautiful Birthday Girl.

Yoga on the Pier

I'll be one of the four teachers at this years Summer Solstice YOGA ON THE PIER (on the ocean city music pier) @ 6pm tomorrow! Hope to see you there!!

Chattarungas and Coffee

I taught a super fun sweaty vinyasa this morning and then enjoyed a cappuccino with my friend Martha @ my favvvvorite local cafe, Who's On First. Feeling super grateful for such a nice day :)

Summer Sun + Fun.

John Lombard in Tripod Headstand.

The last few minutes of class (recess: move into a posture that feels best for you) before final relaxation @ beach yoga. (41st Street Beach, Ocean City)

This beautiful card, along with a Lao Tzu book of poetry + a packet of Morning Glory seeds, were gifted to me at beach yoga by my beautiful friend Lorraine. My good friend John DiGenni introduced me to the Serwakta family, and I am so blessed to have them in my life. Lorraine, Brooke, and Tommy: thank YOU for sharing your positive love and light upon me.

After yoga I met my parents at the beach in Strathmere for two hours of relaxation and sunshine before heading to Sunset Pier to waitress for the night. The beach was beautiful and work was steady :)

After work I felt the need for a few laughs and a cocktail - so I forced Johnny to hang out with me for a bit. Hung at his house and had many, clutch-your-ribs holy-hell-my-face-hurts laughs and then headed home for bed. Life is beautiful.

Memorial Day Madness

...And so another summer in South Jersey begins! My many odd jobs remain the same {more or less} : waitressing (but at a new restaurant, Sunset Pier), teaching yoga (just a lot more than the previous 3 beach classes), singing (at the same 3 spots: Dead Dog, Buschs and Stone Harbor Golf Club), personal catering (for the same wonderful family), Thai Massage, and freelance graphic design. I've removed cleaning houses from the repertoire, because quite frankly it sucks. The money is good, but it drains my energy and my soul!! So that's how I've been able to add in several more classes. Honestly: this was the longest, most painful Memorial Day weekend that I can remember. All of my jobs were great, and I love Sunset Pier, but this was the first summer that I've gone into after a winter at home. Usually I fly home the DAY BEFORE Memorial Day Weekend from wherever I was overseas, and I hit the ground running. I'm excited to work, excited to be home, and excited to replenish my funds (because at this point I already have the next travels planned, and only have to be home for 4 months before jetting off again). A long winter home, and no promise of spending next winter away...well, I just didn't have the same 'umph' that I usually have going into the start of summer. All throughout the weekend I had customers at the restaurant ask me what school I go to, because clearly anyone who waitresses must be a student right?? {I am a pretty easygoing person, but this question really irks me!!}. When I tell them that this is my life: work work work work for four months and then plaaaaaayyyyyyy, the response is always the same: "Well, what do you DO when you travel?". I believe that this is what's wrong with most travelers, particularly with American travelers. They always have to go for someTHING, or someONE, to experience a certain place or sight. I can't really tell you what it is that I do, because when I'm traveling I just am. I just relax into the present moment, enjoy my present company, and just take each day as it comes with all that is has to offer. I can describe my travel experience as satori...

A story about SATORI:

When I was reading OSHO's "Tantra" last night he told an anecdote about Satori that I really would love to share. It's long, but it is a beautiful story that I hope you read, digest and enjoy:

In my childhood I used to go early in the morning to the river. It is a small village. The river is very, very laxy, as if not flowing at all, and in the morning when the sun has not yet arisen, you cannot see whether it is flowing, it is so lazy and silent. In the morning when there is nobody - the bathers have not come yet - it is tremendously silent. Even the birds are not singing, in the early morning, no sound, just a soundlessness pervades. And the smell of the mango trees hangs all over the river. 

I used to go there, to the furthest corner of the river, just to sit, just to be there. There was no need to do anything, just being there was enough; it was such a beautiful experience to be there. I would take a bath, I would swim, and when the sun rose I would go to the other shore, to the vast expanse of sand, and dry myself there under the sun, and lie there and sometimes even go to sleep. 

When I came back, my mother used to ask, "What have you been doing the whole morning?" I would say "Nothing", because, actually, I had not been doing anything. And she would say, "How is it possible? For hours you have not been here, how is it possible that you have not been doing anything? You must have been doing something." And she was right, but also I was not wrong.

I was not doing anything at all. I was just there being with the river, not doing anything, allowing things to happen. If I felt like swimming - remember if I felt like swimming - I would swim , but it was not a doing on my part, I was not forcing anything. If I felt like going into sleep, I would go. Things were happening, but there was no doer. And my first experiences of satori started near the river; not doing anything, simply being there, millions of things happened. 

But she would insist, "You must have been doing something." So I would say, "Okay, I took a bath and dried myself in the sun," and then she was satisfied. But I was not, because what happened there in the river is not expressed by the words I took a bath; it looks so poor and pale. Playing with the river, floating in the river, swimming in the river, was such a deep experience. To simply say, "I took a bath" makes no sense, or just to say "I went there, had a walk on the bank, sat there.", conveys nothing at all. 

If whatsoever you have been living can be conveyed by words, that means you have no lived at all. 

And so SATORI is my state of being when I travel. Every day is magical and can't really be expressed in words, or else it would sound like nothing at all. But for all of those customers that need an answer, I tell them I jumped off a waterfall, or swam in a lake, or ate some exotic food. And they smile at me, sometimes in awe or jealousy or confusion, and I smile to myself because I know how wonderful the moment truly was. 

Coffee. A proper, delicious, hand crafted, strong cup of coffee. Hallelujah. 

Was super grateful to spend the morning with my Dad today while he enjoyed his breakfast

Put the cap on my truck today so I can store all of the necessities for my 20 jobs....

Putzing in the garden. 

Zen Den OC Epicness!

  

So....the turnout to The Zen Den's new studio in Ocean City has been amazing!!!!! The new spot on 922 Asbury Avenue is perfect! The entrance is down the alley way which makes it cute, quaint and best of all - quiet! I had nine amazing friends come out to class on Friday, and I had a dozen students this morning (most of which were people that I didn't know...yeeewww for new friends!). Tomorrow I teach at 9:30am and I'm already looking forward to it! Thank You, Thank You to everyone who came out to my classes this weekend: Jennifer, Lara, Michelle, Leslie, Susan, Martha, Katy, Jill, Marybeth, Rochelle, Chris, Shelby, Collette, Katie, Toula, Lori, Lisa, Christine, Garrett, MaryEllen, and Kelly. It's going to be a great summer!

This has been my motto since I was a kid...and it's paid off  :)

Come and check out a class at the *NEW* Ocean City Zen Den @ 922 Asbury Ave!

Ocean City.

So as you all know, I'll be teaching a fair bit in Ocean City. My beach yoga classes are in their 4th year, and it will be my first year teaching at the Zen Dens new location, as well as being one of the four instructors at this years Yoga on the Pier. When I went to Ari's SWEAT class yesterday, one of the women, whom has taken a few of my classes, approached me for some chitchat. I told her that I was super excited to be starting classes in OC, and she responded with a "Well, good luck. Just so you know, that town is very religious..."  Her words sat with me all through class. It took me a while to figure out what exactly she was saying. And then I realized that she was kind of warning me to "tone it down"...leave out the "shitballs" and "motherfuckers". It made me anxious at first, thinking of how I'd have to tone down who I am...censor and whatnot. The thoughts stayed with me as I taught my own Yin class at the Zen Den after Aris. And the more it sat with me, the more that I realized that I will always be the 'shitballs' and 'motherfucker' yoga teacher, because quite frankly that's who I AM. Two of my regular students, who never-miss-a-class, are two of the most religious people that I have ever met. And they have told me that my classes have helped them to feel a closer connection to God...more close than they have ever felt before. So in order for me to teach an authentic yoga class, that is true to me and true to the yoga that I live - then censoring and toning it down just doesn't make sense. Sure, there are some square, conservative people out there who might not like my class - but that's the beauty of having an array of yoga instructors. It's like the perfect pair of jeans -- you have to try a bunch on before you find a pair that makes you look amazing, feel amazing, and you want to wear every.single.day.  What works for one person spiritually, physically and emotionally won't work for another. So, I'm sure I'll offend a person or two in Ocean City - and they are more than welcome not to return to my class (though I surely Hope that I don't offend anyone! It's not my aim). But I know for a fact that my authentic, from-the-heart approach to teaching will connect with a few, and that is a beautiful thing. So, if you don't like F*bombs then maybe my class isn't for you, and that's okay. Until then, namaste motherfuckers...I love you all! 

I am one of the 4 instructors at this years summer Yoga on the Pier. You DO NOT want to miss this amazing event!!!