It was a year ago today that Russ came home from China with the best gift!!! A bamboo bicycle!!!! It was while he was finishing up his second year teaching photography and art at an international school in Beijing that he also apprenticed with @bamboobicyclesbj to learn the incredible bamboo bike building process that he is now sharing with our community in Lakewood/Denver/Golden Colorado, in addition to offering bike service/tune ups on all makes and models of bicycle.
I only spent one year teaching dance and yoga at the same school in Beijing when it was time for me to get our dream business going (a yoga studio and bike shop combo in Lakewood, CO). So after a year of entrepreneurship on my own getting our little Lakewood, CO yoga studio up and running, when Russ came home with this stunning #bamboobike, custom made for me, my heart melted! Every time I ride it to lunch, or to the park to play frisbee with Ava, I'm smiling! Summer is a great time to be in Denver building a bamboo bike for you or a loved one! There are three workshops open (one in June, one in July and one in August! Or feel free to bring your bike in to get serviced for a really affordable tune up price! Or our Yoga class schedule is posted here! My foot was communicating fiercely that it was sound asleep. My brain was warning adamantly that my foot might fall off. My heart kept offering, "But what if you stayed for just a few more breaths?" This last weekend I spent time exploring the retreat center that Rachel Sizemore, Anne Talhelm and myself will be co-leading a retreat to Crestone, CO this coming fall, September 14-18, 2016. Crestone is only 3.5 hours from our little Lakewood, CO yoga studio! The retreat center is actually a Zen Monastery that is open to the community for retreats. Every morning and every evening they have 1.5-2 hours of meditation in the Zendo, a beautiful building on the campus only used for the purpose meditation and darma talks. We decided to accept the invitation to join in the Friday evening 40 minute Zazen (sitting meditation), 10 minute Kinhin (walking meditation) followed by one more 30 minute Zazen (sitting meditation). About 15 minutes into the first seated meditation my foot fell soundly asleep. As I stated at the beginning of the post, rather than adjusting my posture to get blood flow back to my foot I challenged the temptation with, "What if you just stayed a few more breaths?" The discomfort would subside as my thoughts agreed to settle back into stillness for a few moments. Then again, the foot would complain followed by, "What if you just stayed a few more breaths?" It was a really interesting to watch my mind and body interacting in this relatively chill but contrasting way. About 15 minutes into the first seated meditation my foot fell soundly asleep. As I stated at the beginning of the post, rather than adjusting my posture to get blood flow back to my foot I challenged the temptation with, "What if you just stayed a few more breaths?" The discomfort would subside as my thoughts agreed to settle back into stillness for a few moments. Then again, the foot would complain followed by, "What if you just stayed a few more breaths?" It was a really interesting to watch my mind and body interacting in this relatively chill but contrasting way. Finally, I gave into the foot's desire to be moved and very slowly and quietly adjusted my sitting position as to not disturb the people on either side of me. And guess what happened next?!?! The gong was hit to announce that Zazen was over! And that's when this Lakwood yoga studio owner giggled to herself, "I totally could've just stayed for a few more breaths!" How many times am I going to relearn that breakthrough is waiting for you on the other side of uncomfortable. The challenge is not knowing how far on the other side...That's when you take two more breaths...then two more breaths... If you would like to know more about our Lakewood, CO yoga studio's retreats- join the mailing list here. The bonus is you will get access to some yoga videos you can do anyhwere! Here are more photos from our weekend prepping for the fall retreat!...thoughts from Container Collective Yoga studio owner, Brittany Hopkins, in Lakewood, CO.
You know how we joke these days about that you can name a concern or a problem and someone will likely respond with, "There's an app for that!" You can pretty much say the same thing about essential oils. Russ said the other day that he needed new skate shoes, because the ones he wears to ride his BMX bike at the skate park are getting pretty stinky. I said, "There's an oil for that!" I usually jump on Pinterest and type in whatever my concern is followed by Doterra essential oil. And all sorts of things pop up! We had a little workshop at Container Collective Yoga (Lakewood, CO) yesterday for making yoga mat cleaner with essential oils. For those of you that missed it, here is the recipe! * Natural Yoga Mat Cleaner recipe 3/4 cup distilled water 1/4 cup alcohol free witch hazel 5 drops lavender 3 drops melaleuca 2 oz glass spray bottle Before applying this to your yoga mat-please check with you manufacturer to see what they recommend for cleaning your yoga mat.
When I was first introduced to yoga in small town in central Utah, a friend introduced me to some yoga podcasts that we did together. I found myself drawn to certain podcast yoga teachers. They were teachers that physically challenged me in the practice but were also bright and powerful lights inviting me to shine brighter, too. All through audio recordings. A few years into practicing yoga I figured out what the common thread was between those teachers I was most drawn to because of how they left me standing in a bigger way from their yoga classes. That common thread is a man named, Baron Baptiste.
Shortly before Russ and I moved to China I started my journey to becoming a trained yoga teacher and there was no doubt in my mind who I wanted to train with. It was Baron Baptiste!!! My yoga teacher training journey as been like this: It began in Sedona, AZ at the Baptiste Level 1 training where my major takeaways were a giant bag full of tools to help handle my personal baggage. Basically, if I wanted to invite others to shine their lights bright on the yoga mat and in life, then I needed to learn to address my B#%* S@#% so that I could lead by example. When I got back from a year of living in Beijing I went to the Baptiste Art of Assisting Training in Savanna, GA where I was able to learn practical tools to get students into their fullest expressions of the poses with props and hands on assisting. Then, in the fall of 2014, I found myself back in Sedona for the Baptiste Level 2 training where I was able to see that all of my yoga students show up to class with their entire life stories and dramas and I am invited to truly be of service to them via the practice of yoga. All three of those trainings added up to a 200 hour yoga teaching certificate from the Baptiste Institute. From there I was still committed to growth and learning as a yoga teacher, so in the last year and a half, while opening Container Collective Yoga in Lakewood, CO I have been working on papers and videos for the next steps in my yoga teaching journey to become a Certified Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga Teacher. This weekend in Park City, Utah I attended a Baptiste teacher training followed by a full circle moment as I received this certificate that illustrates my commitment to growth on and off of my mat, in the yoga studio and in my entire life!!! The same certification as the podcast teachers I started practicing yoga to in 2005! And what's even better.... I am going to be hosting a Baptiste Institute 200 hour Expand Your Power training at CCYOGA from February-May of 2017!!!! "Discover for yourself how Baptiste Yoga™ and the Baptiste Methodology™ applies both on and off the mat through yoga asana, meditation, discussion, personal inquiry, contribution, community building, hands-on coaching, assisting and practice teaching. Experience the freedom and effectiveness that emerges from this inspired and embodied practice of Baptiste Yoga™." Email me, Brittany, at cc360denver@gmail.com for dates and more information!!! |