Auspicious April

laura teaching kids yoga

Happy Spring Yogis and Yoginis,

You know when you are watching some tiny thirteen-year-old gymnast in the Olympics or the leader in the Boston Marathon on TV and you think to yourself, "How on earth do those people do that?" That's what we teachers have been experiencing day in and day out over the last 30 days. We've watched with wonderment as all of you have practiced daily. We've seen the fatigue in your muscles and the frustration on your faces, but what we've witnessed most profoundly is the palpable determination that's accompanied you as you've diligently stepped onto your mats. Holy crap you people work hard. Every year during the challenge there are more of you who commit and more and more of you who finish!

Something happens when you commit. Whether you are committing to a diet, a person, or a practice, the first step is taking a leap of faith to believe in what you are doing. Committing to yoga, to a daily practice, can be a lot like a relationship. There are days when you feel so passionate you could just leap out of your skin to get closer to your betrothed. And, there are other moments when you want to run for the hills and hide. Yoga is like this. It is physical. It is emotional. It is spiritual. And, when you commit, you will find that the hills and valleys and volcanic eruptions are moments to not just be aware of, but to be invested in. Open your mind to what you can learn from each practice. Open your heart and notice what you are feeling that is new, different, even revelatory.

The other day a student asked, "How can you teachers practice and teach as much as you do?" We do it because we are committed. We are committed to our own practice and we are committed to you all. There is nothing more satisfying than, day after day, being part of a community of people who, through their committment to practicing yoga, are healing themselves and the world.

Namaste,

Laura and Frankie

A Bikram Yoga Journey

By Shavon Hutchison

I started my Bikram Yoga practice about 5 years ago during my active drug addiction. It didn't take long before my practice started giving me insights into the way I was living my life. With my world slowly falling apart in Oakland, California; I decided pull a geographical and relocate to Seattle.

My dear friend was visiting me from Cali and we decided to check out The SweatBox. This was a major turning point for me in my practice. Shortly thereafter I found myself at rock bottom and what better time than to do the infamous 30 day challenge. And it was the best decision I made. I was sick for about 25 days out of the 30 and detoxing in a major way. Bikram Yoga proved to be a constant in my life.

Bikram was, and still remains, something safe and familiar. This was the only place I knew of at the time that could hold my grief, anger, depression and happiness. It has been about 2 1/2 years since I have touched a drink or a drug. I have cried in Yoga, I have grieved in Yoga, I have found my truth in Yoga, I have found myself in Yoga, but most importantly, I have found a place where it feels safe for me to seek such explorations of the heart. My path is through understanding my suffering, and boy do we suffer in a Bikram class, but in a good way. I have heard one teacher say during final Savasana that this is the feeling that keeps us coming back, I think my fellow yoginis know what I'm talking about, and the only path to that peacefulness is to struggle hard using your all-strength for 90 minutes. I try to carry that approach off the mat and into my daily life.

May all beings be happy. May all beings be healthy. May all beings be free from suffering.
Namaste.

Shavon can be found practicing at the Capitol Hill studio.

Do you have a personal story to share? Please email Laura.

FOLLOW THE SWEATBOX

Watch for specials, savings, news and events.

NEW!!!!!
Tune-Up Seminars and Consultations

Tune Up Seminar

During this two-hour tune-up session, you will have the opportunity to examine postures in greater detail with senior Bikram Yoga Teachers and SweatBox owners Laura Culberg and Frankie Grausam. Please bring three postures to focus on to the seminar. You'll have time to explore a minimum of those three, as well as participate in the posture questions of the other attendees.

When: Sunday, May 16th at Shoreline with Laura | Sunday, June 13th with Frankie at Shoreline| Sunday, July 11th with Laura ******An additional Tune Up has been added on Sunday, May 2nd at Capitol Hill with Laura.

All Clinics from 12:30pm-2:30pm Cost: $30 per person

Pre-registration is required - please register with your teacher at the front desk or email Beth Shafer at sweatboxmanager@yahoo.com

or call 206-860-YOGA and leave a message for Beth.

Private Consultations: $60
Treat yourself to a 45-minute private consultation! In this session with Laura or Frankie, you will have carte blanche to ask questions and make clarifications about your Bikram Yoga postures and your practice in general. This is a session specifically geared towards helping you deepen your own practice. If you have specific postures that you want to talk about in depth or if you have physical limitations that may require postures to be adjusted for your needs, schedule a consultation.

To schedule a consultation, please email Beth Shafer at sweatboxmanager@yahoo.com or call 206-860-YOGA and leave a message for Beth.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

AUTOMONTHLY:

Starting in April, the $99 auto-monthly will run on the 20th of the month instead of the 1st. Existing auto-monthly accounts will still run on the 1st.

SUMMER SCHEDULE:

We will be having a slightly modified summer schedule. Stay tuned for details.

TUNE UPs:

An additional Tune Up has been added on Sunday, May 2nd at Capitol Hill with Laura.