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Last year on April 1st I sent out a last minute April Fool's "joke," thinking I needed to throw something into the ring. I wrote that we would be expanding and opening two more 8 Limbs locations in the next six months, in Renton and the Eastside.
That seemed like an obvious joke to me - 8 Limbs already had four locations, and is run as an intimate locally-owned business by a small army of admin staff and teachers. We love our current size and our ability to be both internally expansive and responsive. And our staff is very interested in getting better at what are already doing rather than adding more to the list.
When I pressed post on that April 1st update, I had a funny feeling, but I didn't listen to it. I went for the joke, the prank, the wink wink nod nod. As the day went on, wry KUOW antics in the background, the responses we received were mostly of thrill and excitement from folks in those areas. They were overjoyed that we would be coming to their neighborhood. They opened their arms wide.
Oh dear!
That funny feeling quickly returned. I had misled these enthusiastic yoga lovers with my fabricated plans. I posted a retraction and the disappointment poured in. It was bigger than I expected, and put me in my place. Flattering, no doubt, but mostly made it me feel like a meanie.
Last night I asked my daughter Coco if she would be playing any April Fools jokes today. Coco, who is known for her sense of humor, and who is also known to be a wiggle-worm, stood still and solemnly answered: "No, Mama, I don't like to lie."
Well said, my little yogi. Truth, satya in Sanskrit, is one the Yamas, the first limb of yoga. Satya also "unchangeable," or "that which has no distortion." Though my intention had been to amuse, I quickly saw the distortion had caused pain.
This year no April Fools, but plenty of other announcements. We have come to the penultimate (second to last ;) installation of our Many Paths Teacher Panels on the 8 Limbs of Yoga. Join 8 Limbs teachers Karen Gamble, Jenny Hayo and Jen Yaros at 6:30pm this Sunday for a discussion of the 7th limb of yoga, Dhyana, Meditation, 8 Limbs Wedwgood. Free, snacks provided. See below for more info on this and other April events.
Happy April, no fools.
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