Dear Street Yoga Seattle Community,

We are approaching the time of year when we officially transition from winter to spring.

When I moved to Seattle from California, I had to consciously adjust to shorter, colder, and grayer days in the winter. My aunt, who has lived in Seattle for over 30 years, always encouraged me to look for the signs of spring to remind me of what was to come. On walks (that were often in the rain), she would point out the small buds on trees - signs of the life that would soon flourish in our neighborhood. These reminders gave me the patience and strength to make the most of the cold, dark days and have faith that the light of spring would come again.

Although in truth we are always in transition, certain transitions are more marked and more difficult than others. The youth and families we serve through Street Yoga are in the midst of some of the most difficult times that a person can face in life; the times when life seems dark and cold and it is easy to lose hope. Sharing the tools of yoga with them is like reminding them of the signs of spring within themselves and their own lives. Yoga reminds them of the deep peace that exists within them, beneath the chaos. With these tools and the multifaceted support of our partner sites, they can make the transition to brighter days. I've seen that sense of hope light up in the face of teenagers getting up out of savasana...delicate as the first leaves reaching past the soil for the sunlight, yes, but with proper nurturing, they can grow to their fullest potential.

Thank you for everything you do to support Street Yoga's work and, in turn, the greater Seattle community!

With warm wishes,

Stephanie Toby, Seattle Director of Operations

and the rest of Street Yoga

The Green Festival is the event to attend to find the most authentic environmental and socially responsible products, practices and information for anyone interested in green lifestyle and sustainable practices. Renowned keynotes, regional focused classes and workshops, local expert demonstrations and talks are complimented with activities and fun for every age and interest. This is a wonderful opportunity to let the thousands of Green Festival attendees know more about the fabulous work that Street Yoga does in our community!!

If you are interested in holding a workshop, class, or other activity in the Yoga and Movement room, or if you are interested in helping to sell Street Yoga merchandise during this event, please email me at stephanie@streetyoga.org.

 ***Please note: Dr. Marlatt would like to use a projector for his talk. Please let me know if you have access to a projector that we could borrow for the April potluck. Thank you! 

 
As always, please bring a dish to share. RSVP's are greatly appreciated but not required.

Hope to see you then!

Teacher Training in Seattle  

Our next Seattle teacher training will take place from April 29 - May 1 at the Ryther Child Center.

Sign up here! Just scroll down to the Seattle, WA Training for details, registration, and payment.

 Come learn to teach yoga and mindfulness to youth and families struggling with homelessness, poverty, addiction, abuse, and truama. Completing this training will not make you a certified yoga teacher, but it will make you eligible to apply to teach Street Yoga classes at our partner sites!

You can learn more about our trainings here.

Many thanks to Samadhi and  YogaBlaze for sponsoring this training!  

Guiding Lights Weekend - March 25-26

The Guiding Lights network will be hosting a weekend of experiential workshops on the theme of Great Citizenship (Friday and Saturday, March 25-26 at the Seattle Center).

Street Yoga's founder, Mark Lilly, will be presenting a workshop on How to be Interconnected. Keynote speakers include Van Jones and Bill McKibben!

Get your tickets here. Discounts available for non-profits and educators!

Spruce Street

There are many other ways to get involved with the Seattle Branch of Street Yoga!

Here are a few ideas:

• Have a special skill related to yoga, mindfulness, wellness, or our clients (youth and caregiviers struggling with homelessness, poverty, addiction, abuse and trauma)? Volunteer to provide a one-hour training at one of our monthly potlucks!    
• Have experience with behind-the-scenes work such as accounting, bookkeeping, marketing, fundraising, grant writing, etc? Volunteer to help us out with some of these tasks!  
• Have some old (gently used, please!) mats lying around, or know a person or studio that does? Donate the mats for use in Street Yoga classes!   
• Have a desire to help but you aren't sure where you'd fit in? Email me at stephanie@streetyoga.org and we can brainstorm together!   
• PLEASE NOTE that we are currently looking to borrow a projector for our trainer's presentation at the April potluck. Please email me at stephanie@streetyoga.org if you know of a projector that we could use.

Financial Support:

We rely on financial contributions to keep our prgrams running.

Please consider the following ways to support the Seattle branch financially:  

*Buy a Street Yoga T-shirt & Tank!*

We have two designs in many color options:  

•  "GIVE" design featuring our Street Yoga Heart with Wings. What a beautiful way to show how you spread love in the world.

•  "TRIUMPH" design features Ganesh and a beautiful new design showing Street Yoga's path to overcoming obstacles!

•  Both designs say "Street Yoga" on the back.

• The shirts can be bought in person for $22 or online for $25 (includes shipping). You can email stephanie@streetyoga.org to purchase one in person. You can go to our online donation form to order one online, and select the Seattle branch as the recipient of the funds.

*Buy Street Yoga Tea*

Street Yoga Tea is a sweet, refreshing hibiscus blend that calms and clarifies. Hibiscus, the red flower sacred to Ganesh, contains vitamin C and is beneficial to meditation. Street Yoga tea also has calming chamomile, rosemary for concentration, peppermint, cardamom and cinnamon for digestion, lemongrass for its antioxidant properties, and stevia and licorice for taste. This tea is beneficial and safe for all, including children. 

We have both $5 sizes and $10 sizes. You can email stephanie@streetyoga.org to purchase the tea in person. You can go to our  to order one online here (only the $10 size is available online), and select the Seattle branch as the recipient of the funds.   

Thank you! We could not continue to serve the Seattle community without your support.     

Thank you again for being a part of the Street Yoga Seattle community! 

"It is better to light candles

than to curse the darkness.

It is better to plant seeds

than to accuse the earth.

The world needs all of our power and love and energy,

and each of us has something we can give.

The trick is to find it and use it,

to find it and give it away,

so there will always be more.

We can be lights for each other,

and through each other's illumination

we will see the way.

Each of us is a seed,

a silent promise,

and it is always spring."

~Merle Shain