It all started with quitting a perfectly good job, that I was happy enough doing, making enough money, and helping people well enough. But there was an inkling of creating something bigger, something brighter, something scarier that would invite me into more authenticity!
And then my savings began to run out. It was a moment of truth. Do I stay the course? Or do I run away, back to "regular job land"? I decided to take the leap once again... Just as I paid my credit card bill with the last of my savings, the Crowd Funding campaign, that 150 generous souls contributed to came through! I was able to pay rent on our own studio space and hire a few yoga teachers to help grow the CCYOGA community. Rachel Ploof, Stacie Scarbery and Marlaina Moulding were bright lights as yoga instructors in our early stages! The CCYOGA biz was steadily growing as the crowdfunding money was running out and once again it was time to either stay the course or turn and run. I decided to take the leap once again... Over the last two years of entrepreneurship it has been more than just staying the course. I've participated in my fair share of delusion. Saying to myself things like, "It's working!!! It's working!!!" "The money is flowing in!!!" (even though most of the first year it was actually hemorrhaging out). But I stayed the course, day after day, taking the leap for yoga and our Lakewood, CO yoga studio community. And I laugh with complete and utter joy and astonishment as I honestly say, "It's working!!! It's working!!!" "The money is flowing in!!!"
And it is the beautiful circle of exchanging love and energy on and off the yoga mats at Container Collective. I am beyond astonished and grateful every day that this is the life I get to live and share with everyone that walks through those doors or joins us virtually via our Container Collective Yoga YouTube channel and Dropbox Podcast series! I am especially grateful for all of the yoga teachers that share their love and light with our community! There is so much physical stuff in my life that is so sneaky about creeping in and cluttering not only my physical space, but also my mental space. I was recently away from the daily "to-does" for our Lakewood yoga studio for 3 weeks because I was invited to dance with a company up in Boulder, CO for a jazz/contemporary/modern dance concert. During that time I could feel the habitual tension in my heart center and shoulders melt away within the first few days. Taking that time away to do something just for me has allowed me to come back to the yoga studio with refreshed energy, new perspectives, and so much joy! Now that I'm back I'm wanting to maintain this sense of ease. In order to do that I'm really excited to try out a process that my business coach, Ellen Smoak, introduced me to just yesterday, and I'd love it if you wanted to join me in the process of letting go to create space for receiving. I laughed as she told me about it because it goes right along with our social media contest to give away a spot on the Crestone Yoga Retreat that we have going on through the rest of the week! For more details on that contest head over to the CCYOGA Facebook Page So here's the process I started today, it's called 27/9: For 9 days (no more, no less), I am going to get rid off/let go of/give away 27 things (no more, no less) each day. That's a total of 243 unnecessary things taking up space in your life!!!!! Those things could be big or little. Could be a business card you've been holding onto, a piece of furniture, a dress, a mostly empty shampoo bottle that's just taking up space. You're choice of the 27 things (no more, no less) for the day. Bag them up and take them out to your car, the trash, somewhere that is not in your space. Follow this gathering of the things to let go of by filling in the blanks of the following statements. "Today I'm getting rid of these 27 things. I'm also letting go of _____________ (whatever is standing in my way...) in order for _______________ (creativity, inspiration, etc) to shine through. The reason for not doing more or less that 27 and 9 is you don't want to constantly be giving away because you also need to sit in the space of receiving in your life. I'm going to start doing this 27/9 letting go game once a quarter and see how things open up in my life and for our Lakewood yoga community!
It all started when my husband (gently) called me out.
“You're scared and nervous about everything." (not what I wanted to hear) “Name the last time you weren’t afraid and nervous about the first time you did something.” (Several long moments went by.) I hated that he was right. Fear. It’s been a recurring problem for me for my whole life. Why was I so scared of everything? Of everyone? As it usually goes, awareness is the first step to lasting change. That conversation back in January was a catalyst to dig deeper into an incredibly natural and totally common, not at all special quality that adults share : letting fear keep us in the good enough category. You know the one - where we’re not totally satisfied with our jobs and our boss kinda sucks but hey it’s a paycheck and it isn’t terrible. ...where we’re not really happy in a relationship – maybe with a significant other, maybe a friendship – but again, it isn’t terrible. Sure, it may lack depth. or maybe there’s a noticeable lack of passion and enthusiasm, but no one wants to acknowledge the giant elephant in the room and say anything out loud. And so years go by. Sometimes decades. Fear keeps us from following our heart into the territory of “I’m scared shitless but have never felt more alive.” Fear keeps us within a comfort zone, within a predictable radius, within a set of expectations. Our subconscious tells us if we don’t rock the boat too much, if we don’t stray too far, that we’ll be “safe”. Safety is a fallacy. Here's the thing, though. There is no such thing as safe. I read recently about an acquaintance who lost her husband. He was struck and killed by a drunk driver while at work. She’s left behind with a 7 year old. I don’t look at stories like theirs and take away “Something bad can happen at any moment!” on the contrary. I look at tragedies like this and think “Holy crap. Life is so precious and short. What am I doing with mine?” The reason I started writing about fear was to change my own behaviors. Once I began talking about my fear, I realized how normal those fears are. I thought that by having more conversations about fear with others, maybe I'd learn how to not be such a scaredy cat myself. Maybe I could get comfortable with getting uncomfortable. I don’t want to be a scared mom who holds back, nor do I want my daughter to grow up watching me be afraid of new things all the time. I want her to live in a world where it’s okay to try, it’s okay to fail and it’s okay to be scared and do things anyway. Life is so precious and short. What am I doing with mine? What are you doing with yours? Hit reply and let me know - let's get in the habit of supporting each other. Here's to living a life unafraid! -Anne www.annetalhelm.com Anne is also our official Container Collective photographer. So if you any of the photos on our website or social media pages- they are likely hers! Container Collective Yoga & Bikes (1492 Ammons Street)
Container Collective is a thoughtful pairing of yoga and bicycles, located on Colfax & Ammons Street. Owners Russ and Brittany Hopkins are both extraordinarily knowledgeable about their respective passions; he builds bikes and she teaches yoga (and is actually a professionally trained dancer). They've brought together their skill sets under one roof to collectively promote open mindedness and sustainability. Her yoga classes span all levels, and there's always a new workshop, retreat, or other community event going on. He offers unique two day workshops where you can build your own bike out of bamboo__it's as much about the process as it is about the awesomely hip bike you take (or ride) home. See other articles about Container Collective Yoga & and Bikes in the News HERE! "Wow that is so cool!" That is a typical initial response from someone seeing or hearing about our bamboo bike building workshop, in the Denver area (Lakewood, CO to be specific). That response is usually followed by "What is the black stuff?" and series of other questions about bamboo bikes. So we thought it would be helpful to answer them again here. Why bamboo? Not only is bamboo sustainable. It is as light as carbon fiber and has a ride quality that is superior to aluminum. What is that black stuff? It's carbon fiber thread and epoxy wrapped in specific patterns depending on the load each joint takes. How long does a bamboo bicycle last for? With proper care…a long long time. Like any bike if you leave it in the rain, choose not to service it, and constantly leave it smashed into a bike rack…it could shorten the life of not only the frame but the rest of the bike as well. Is there a special way to maintain a bamboo bicycle? Nope, we coat epoxy on the bamboo to keep it from drying out so just maintain it like any other regular bike! I’m kind of worried about riding a bamboo bicycle... is it safe and secure? Yes – absolutely! Bamboo bicycles actually offer delightful performance: natural shock-absorption, super light, and stiff manoeuvring. Will parts from my old bike fit? As of right now, your bamboo bike frame will be designed around a 700c wheel, with a 25.4 seat post size, a 68mm bottom bracket, and 1 1/8 press fit headset. If you understand what all that means then you can decide if your old bike parts will fit, if you don’t, we will be happy to take a quick look and tell you what parts you might be able to switch over. Can I buy a bamboo bicycle from CCBIKES? At this time CCBIKES doesn’t manufacture bicycles. We strongly encourage people to be part of the bicycle-making process as much as possible. After all, it creates a stronger sense of ownership of your bike! If you have other questions that are not addressed here, please feel free to contact us via email (info@thecontainercollective.com) or phone (720-437-0638)
"I have never been so ready to get on my mat.” I texted my girlfriend after getting the OK to exercise again. It had six weeks since I had my first baby. And before she was born, I hadn’t done yoga for two months or so. My body, my spirit, my mind were way overdue for a date with my mat. Sure I was ready to get back to my practice. But what I hadn’t anticipated was how different everything would feel. This body feels different in all the poses. Sitting in child's pose, which was once a welcome refuge, now feels like torture. My back is tight, my hips are tight and my bum is a mile away from my heels. My knees feel creaky and even my fingers and toes feel stiff in downward facing dog. I skip half the chatarungas. The ones I do complete are modified on my knees. Where I once floated up to the top of my mat, now I walk my feet. My body feels rusty and heavy. And yet, my mind feels clear. As Baron Baptiste writes in 40 Days to Personal Revolution, "If you honor the inner voice that says you are ready to let go of the past and create a new reality, I am confident you will find your way home to the mental clarity, lightness of body and illumination of spirit that comes with whole-life health.” I repeat the words to myself throughout the day. “You are ready now, Anne.” This phrase extended off my mat and into different areas of my life. I am ready now. As I submitted my application to host The Dinner Party - something I’ve been meaning to do for weeks. It’s a potluck dinner meets support group for 20 and 30 somethings who have lost a parent. I wonder if I’m ready for this…I take a breath and tell myself “I am ready now." As I hit reply and type up my interview to an artist I admire, asking him to be a part of an upcoming project I’m working on. The project is about overcoming fear, and writing this interview is something that has scared me into paralysis for eight days now. I take another deep breath and hit send as I whisper “I am ready now.” As I untangle the mess that is the backend of my website and begin to finally implement strategies I’ve been learning in my business class. My momentum completely fizzled in the hospital and today, after an almost 8 week hiatus, I log in and complete an assignment. I open wordpress and figure out how to install a piece that I’ve been stuck on for months. “I am ready now.” As I unroll my mat, my sleeping baby in her bassinet next to me and press play on my guided yoga podcast. This takes enormous discipline for me to do at home, when I initially think “I should probably start back in a studio first.” That thought disappears as I remind myself how much time and effort it takes to go anywhere when you have a newborn. I can do this here, at home. I have everything I need. “I am ready now.” If I’m really honest with myself, I never think I’m ready to do anything. And yet, I do the things. I am mentally ready to get back to my practice, and physically, I’m working my way back to where I once was. One step, one down dog at a time. I am ready now. And so are you. So much love, Anne (Container Collective Yoga studio member and photographer in Lakewood, CO) PS - as you go through your week and come across things that leave you feeling apprehensive or challenged, remember - you are ready now. Anne is a photographer, writer, motivational speaker co-leading our retreat to Crestone, CO in September 2016. 99% of the photos on our website were taken by Anne!!! Follow her on Instagram to be inspired daily @annetalhelm Do you approach life as a yes or a no?
That's the question we encourage you to consider as you flow to this hour-long flow sequenceed by Brittany in her Lakewood, CO yoga studio. We wanted to give you this podcast just because you're awesome! Great for days when you just can't get to a studio whether at home or on vacation - download this free hour-long class to enjoy whenever you need! I didn't quite know what to expect when deciding to participate in the 108 sun salutations in honor of the summer solstice. As I sat on my mat I contemplated what I was about to do and of course subconsciously started making a small list of expectations. I had counted out my 108 mala beads and staring at the large pile I felt the anxiety rising up within me. I was determined to do all the sun salutations to the fullest extent of the pose and as close to perfection as possible. I quieted my thoughts as Brittany's voice sounded in the room welcoming everyone to their mats. She started to explain the importance of modifications in today's practice, encouraging everyone to listen closely to their bodies, and avoid injury. In order to ensure we all practice safely she guided everyone through all of the different modifications we could take and should take! As she carefully went through each pose I was quietly having a battle within. How was I going to be okay with letting go of my expectations and willingly modify my sun salutations. It took me until about sun salutation number 54 to finally get my mind to shut up about its stress for perfection and let my heart lead my practice. My heart wanted a practice of acceptance, love, and thanks. Thanks for having a mind, body, and spirit that was present, courageous, and ever growing as a part of this Lakewood, CO yoga community. I found within me a voice saying that it's not about striving for perfection at all, it's about the journey and the grace that we find in the ever changing moments. I found within me a voice saying that it's not about striving for perfection at all, it's about the journey and the grace that we find in the ever changing moments. In these moments I found that my grace was allowing room for modifications in my practice and accepting them with a whole heart!
~Elizabeth (Container Collective Yoga studio member, Lakewood, CO) Man-oh-man are we jazzed about the folks that are signing up to join us in Crestone this September. In case you missed it on social media, here are our top 8 reasons to join us September 14-18th: The best way to take care of all the people (kids, dogs, partners, friends) and other responsibilities in your life is to take care of yourself first. This can be challenging in daily life, which is why a solo re-charge is a total game changer. Sweet photos of yourself doing yoga in a dome or on a sand mountaintop to regal your friends on social media. It’s a fully planned vacation where all you have to do is get there! No hours to waste googling where to stay or what the best restaurants are. It’s all done for you – you just get to show up and relax. Take a pause to connect to yourself more deeply. Release what is no longer serving you and leave feeling renewed and ready for the last stretch of the 2016. Connect with awesome, like-minded people that will inspire you to expand in your yoga practice and what you believe is possible for your life. It’s a vacation that will actually leave you feeling rested and rejuvenated. Many times you get home from traveling and need a vacation to rest from your vacation. Not this one! You’ll leave feeling relaxed and also inspired and motivated to get back to your daily life. Deepen your practice by hitting the mat every day. Click here to head over to the website to register. Don't hesitate to email or call with any questions!
Ready...Set...Go! love and light, Brittany, Rachel, and Anne One of my favorite things about owning a yoga studio in Lakewood, CO is that I get to be a yoga student just about every day of the week! The teachers at CCYOGA inspire me and challenge me to grow as a teacher, student, and a human being on and off my mat! I learn new ways of saying/explaining yoga poses and transitions. I learn new ways of trying yoga poses, whether it be with props or adjustments. I learn new ways of sequencing a yoga class. I learn new ways of feeling and seeing a pose. I learn new ways to access inspiration and inviting inspiration. I could go on and on. I am so grateful to be surrounded by quality teachers that lead our little Lakewood, CO yoga community into their biggest and brightest selves!!! I've had some really fun breakthroughs in my personal yoga practice in the last month and they all revolve around dropping what I think I know about my body and its capabilities and the CCYOGA teaching team inviting me into new possibilities. Coming from a dance background my body awareness is pretty good and I am strong and flexible. But there is a little phrase, "My body doesn't do that." It is sneaky and pops up all the time in my yoga practice. I first noticed a few weeks ago in a class when was seeing people rolling over their toes as they moved from upward facing dog to downward facing dog. I never realized it, but I would always see someone do the "toe roll" transition and that little voice in my head would say with a bit of attitude and a finger wag, "My body doesn't do that." But in this one particular class the statement was followed up by another voice, "But have you even tried?" So I tried it and alas, I did it!!!! My body can roll over its toes from upward facing dog to downward facing dog! I've tried dropping what I think I know over and over again since then. Sometimes I can't do whatever it is. But instead of an, "I told you so." I say to myself, "Not yet! Maybe someday! You never know." Below is a picture of another recent breakthrough! What is your reaction to seeing a crazy pretzel thing like that? Now notice if that is a phrase you use often in your day to day? if you would like to join us for some breakthroughs in Creatone, CO this fall head over to www.cc360denver.com/Crestone
What do you mean we are going to do 108 Sun Salutations?!?! That sounds crazy and like my arms might fall off! :) I'll get back to the 108 sun salutations (a yoga mala) in a bit. But first I have to tell you that I've recently fallen in love with the idea and act of checking in with goals and intentions, as well as, reflecting on and letting go of what is no longer serving me quarterly during the year. The sun and seasons help set perfectly wonderful times to do that with solstices and equinoxes. The summer solstice is coming up, Monday, June 20th! That's the "longest day of the year" for us in the Denver/Lakewood, CO area. A.K.A- the day and night are equal. We are about halfway through 2016 and what better time to check in: -To let go of some things that are no longer serving you, including but not limited to fears. -To become present to what is currently good about you and your life. -To set some intentions for moving forward into the second half of the year.
One last thing, if you are into make mala necklaces (Which have 108 beads on them for meditation or decorative purposes.). I will have some mala making kits available for you to bless each bead as we move through the sun salutations. You can then turn the beads into a necklace to remind you of what you're letting go of and what you are inviting in for the rest of the year! I sure hope to see you there! Reserve your spot by clicking here!
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