Yoga With Tracy Von Kaenel
What a year the yoga students and I have had. 2011 brought the birth of Aerial Yoga. It all began with a glimmer in the eyes of Lisa Hish, Elizabeth and myself. The possibility of a brand new bouncing sling hanging from the beam. Perhaps even 5 of them! It started with one and few private and duet lessons. Interest grew slowly in the beginning, but before long there was a flush of it. Soon there were five beautiful shiny black slings hanging from the beam and eager students to fill them. In fact at the time of this writing the classes are booked through February of next year. WooHoo! The new Aerial Yoga students and I have learned so much about this different and wonderful form of Yoga. Things like, it’s probably best not to hang upside down and spin if you are pregnant. Things like, not everyone is ok with not touching the floor. But also things like feeling a release in your back that no other form of physicality can bring. The sense of pure joy as the sling gently supports you in a weightless handstand. And the sensation of being cradled into a deep and soothing Savasana like no other. If you haven’t tried Aerial Yoga, you should….no, it’s not for everyone, but it is truly something unique and wonderful for most.
The Yoga program participated again this year in the Ravenswood Art Walk. We performed an Aerial Yoga Demo, a Flow Yoga Demo, and I followed up with an Aerial Yoga Dance. The whole group and the audience then joined in for a lovely and spirit rising session of Om Mani Padme Hum chanting. It was beautiful.
2011 brought some wonderful, new, committed faces to the studio as well, and the classes continue to grow in both size and generousness of spirit. Each person that comes to the Yoga classes at TCC is meant to be there…. every one of them a lovely soul.
This was also a year of great challenge for many of us. Two of our regular yogis miraculously lived through a harrowing experience at the hands of an angry lake Michigan. A couple more yogis lost their jobs after years of dedicated service. Several folks lost loved ones or made hard transitions in their lives. And yet the one thing we all had to be grateful for is the strength of our character and our Yoga practice; the chance to come to a beautiful peaceful place to re-connect with our spirits despite the outside world. What a beautiful blessing that is indeed.
As I look forward to 2012, I pray to stay connected to all the wonderful yogis and yogins I am so blessed to instruct for so many years, and I welcome even more new faces. I know it is going to be a great year.
Namaste,
Tracy
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