The darkest time of year is here, winter is coming!
CLASS UPDATE: TUESDAY DECEMBER 16TH WILL BE A SECOND LED PRIMARY SERIES CLASS. Same time, doors will open at 5:45, class begins around 6pm. Come on over if you’re craving an evening Primary Series class.
Primary Series is a great way to stoke your inner fire, and learn how to observe your breathing, thoughts and movements with focus. I could call it a great warmup but why stop there? It’s much more than that. It’s an amazing, frustrating, humbling, athletic, and satisfying journey to begin!
That said, this is Minnesota. : ) If you have a regular Ashtanga Yoga practice, things might feel quite different in your body, right now. That’s okay. It needs time and patience and some consistent attention to adjust. I’ve found that smaller things can make a big difference. Also, some humor and acceptance. So, begin with those. If you’ve got a favorite ritual or routine that gets you through the cold months, think about how that supports you. Is it useful? Great!
What “Invites Warmth,” in your life right now, physically and subtly? If you can think of some things, these can be good clues for you.
Above is the lovely Shanti Mantra that many of you may have been present to sample and learn about on 11/11/2025. I chose this because not only is it for lasting Peace, it is a mantra protective of teachers, students and the relationships they have. An important idea, on the first anniversary of R Sharath Jois’ passing.
FULL MOON: THURSDAY 12/4/2025
NEW MOON: SATURDAY 12/20/2025
ASHTANGA PRIMARY SERIES LED CLASS DATE: TUESDAY 12/2/2025.
There are 5 Tuesdays in December this go-around, I’m going to be asking everyone how they might feel about a more structured schedule for December. I know the last couple of weeks of the month are deep in holiday time and perhaps I can focus in or back off to better work with this. How does everyone feel about another led class (or a half Primary) on Tuesday the 16th, or after? Regular practice is always a commitment but Primary Series is a wonderful anchor for the whirlwind of the holidays and closing of the year.
First Tuesday of the month: September 2nd, 2025- Primary Series Led Class. Doors open at 5:45pm, and class officially starts at 6pm. This is the guided Ashtanga Yoga sequence most of you know and love, so not much different on this particular Tuesday. If you’re a regular attendee, good to see you! If you’re new to this class (and Ashtanga Yoga in general), welcome! We can chat a little before we get started to get you on the right foot, going forward.
Ashtanga Yoga Tuesdays thereafter: 9/9, 9/16, 9/23, 9/30- these will be a Mysore Style format- at a slightly different time. 5:45pm- 7:45pm. Be aware that you don’t have to start at 5:45pm sharp. Simply arrive as early as you can, likely you will have enough space in the 2 hour time slot to do what you are working on in your asana practice. What if you don’t want to do everything you know? Not a problem, either- this practice is about what’s right for you, in the present moment on the mat. Sometimes “less is more”.
Above are the moons for July. Full moon this Thursday!
I will be traveling July14th-22nd, so no class on July 15th or the 22nd for Tuesday led class, at Nokomis Yoga. I will put this on the Class Offerings page and notify those of you that I have an email for.
Next, there’s a “new” Mysore Program in town! This is the crew that grew out of One Yoga’s space and is now (literally) down the hall at the Ivy Building. Here’s the new webpage: https://www.aysminneapolis.com/
Check it out! Mostly traditional morning mysore but there’s a couple of differences- Thursday afternoon mysore is offered and no Fridays right now. If you’re intrigued, introduce yourself!
Lastly(is that a word??) I wanted to say that I’m working on a few changes for after the summer this year. I would like to continue teaching as usual on Tuesdays at Nokomis Yoga. I’m working on transitioning this time to a Mysore style( a self- paced practice) class format. I think all my regular people are ready and I am excited to teach this method to new students. Note that there are more details to work out and I will not be switching my teaching focus until September 2025. If you’ve got questions, I’ll see you soon- or you can email me through the Contact Page.
Hello! I have some things to share, not just the moon phases for each month. I know I haven’t been keeping up on that very well either. Let’s just say I have been trying to keep the faith with everything these days. I have been holding my Tuesday classes as usual, getting up to practice and sit early in the morning before work, eat good food, sleep enough and make time for other enjoyable things. I believe my grief about R Sharath Jois is beginning to soften. I am noticing a lot of imposter syndrome around this (so so much that I won’t get to experience anymore! Ever! And, what’s the next step to take for continuing this lineage/journey?) When will things not feel so sucky and uncertain, everywhere? I’m finally happy to say I’ve got a few ideas to follow up on for the summer, at least.
Annual Birthday practice video screen shot. I may be getting older but so much to keep going with! This is where I stopped with Sharath Ji during the 2024 Mysuru trip. It’s truly a gateway posture. 🦥
Finally:
My Biggest But (as Peewee used to say) of 2025 has been how to foster community, share in a sangha and contribute/practice collectively, going forward. The problem for me has been not being available or ready enough to seek or provide this. Too busy, too tired and confused or angry. What is my circus and who are my monkeys? Do I keep up what I have been doing, or is it time to make changes? Obviously, a lot of change has happened without warning.😜 Do I resist this, or do I accept?
What I have figured out is that a small change made can have the biggest impact. Baby Steps, people. Don’t quit, just do the baby steps. The links below are provided for some local Ashtanga relative doings that I am excited about. I am not offering these events personally but I sure would like to attend them and I can definitely recommend them as something all y’all might want to join in on!
Check out the Cheryl Oliver classes on the home page for dates and subjects. I’m interested in the Yoga Sutras but all of it sounds great. We don’t get a lot of in person chanting / Yoga philosophy classes or opportunities here though there are some local peeps who are experienced in this.😊
And here is where the evolving incarnation of our local Mysore Program is beginning to come together. I don’t have a lot of good info on this just yet but I do know I will be trying out Jamie Bollman’s Thursday evening Primary Series class. Yay! If you check out the schedule, it says 4-5:30 pm. Then again everything is a WIP, so double check. Updates will follow. Here’s Jamie’s web info…
February is coming up fast. The moon days for February this year are Sundays.
FULL MOON: Sunday 2/5/2023
NEW MOON : Sunday 2/19/2023
I am not teaching at the Yoga Center anymore, but this year is the 10 year anniversary of my Yoga Study 500 hours completed there. In 2013 I also began an Ashtanga practice after taking a weeklong Primary Series immersion with David Swenson there. He is returning this spring for a weekend! Check out the workshop offerings at the Yoga Center Https://theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops/retreat site for the weekend of 4/21/2023 to 4/23/2023. I may check out the arm balance/float offering, as I am still figuring a lot of these things out nowadays.
Another thing worth mentioning in the short term is tacos! Yes, tacos. It’s becoming a very new tradition to go get some tacos with John and Hiromi from the Tuesday Ashtanga class afterwards. No pressure! It’s just a nice way to spice up the winter nights after class if you’re so inclined. : ) Do inquire if you’re interested.
A couple of weeks ago I introduced an alternative vinyasa for anyone curious about keeping with their Tristhana when their upper body might be trying too hard to keep up.(shoulder/wrist/etc pains or problems). While it’s not a cure-all, once you get the rhythm of it you may find it helpful when attempting to take care of any issues with the upper body for a while. I tried this out during a primary series led class, after a very taxing weekend. I could keep up with the vinyasa count and my shoulders didn’t get sore.❤️
Here’s the YouTube link that I found and worked with. Enjoy!
MidtownMoonAshtangi 