Feeling thank-full

I feel very fortunate that I live in this beautiful part of the world, and so near my family where I grew up. I have many blessings to count.

I acknowledge that the land we occupy in Portland rests on the traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, bands of the Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla and many other Tribes that have created permanent and seasonal encampments. The land that we occupy as residents is unceded Indigenous land. Due to the strategic and systemic efforts to annihilate Indigenous peoples from these lands and history, there are many other tribes and Nations who traditionally lived, hunted and fished in what is now Multnomah County and Oregon that are not collectively remembered. I thank the descendants of these many Tribes for being the original stewards and protectors of these lands since time immemorial.

The Thanksgiving holiday is wrought with turmoil, grief and hardship for the people who first lived in this land and have been treated so harshly ever since. Knowing this terrible history, is there a place for us to continue to celebrate Thanksgiving? Perhaps by treading lightly on this Earth and by giving-thanks and giving back?

Giving-thanks is core to how I experience yoga. Giving-thanks is honoring. Giving-thanks is paying attention. It is reverence. It is care. It is awareness. It is gratitude. It is reverence. I center on this practice for the season of giving-thanks. Aware of the many ways that I am privileged, I not only see how I have benefited from my ancestry and also benefit from the family I hold close to me today.

Some ways that I stay connected with gratitude are by keeping a gratitude journal or taking a pause each day to reflect on something I feel grateful for. I am grateful for all that I love and I try to be grateful for the rest of it too ;) I am grateful for the beautiful Earth and I strive to become a better steward. I am grateful for every yoga class I participate in or lead, for it brings me closer to you, my community, and because it brings me closer to the spirit that we all share.

I was inspired to take the helm of Yoga NW because I have a desire for community and to help cultivate connection. I truly hope that our studio can be a haven for you and a place for you to commune. Let it be a place for you to get comfortable being you, and let it be a place for you to meet your neighbors and build community. I want you to know that I care about you. If you need a pal, please reach out.

If you have taken a class with me this month, you have likely heard me read from my favorite November book, Earth Prayers: 365 Prayers, Poems, and Invocations from Around the World. I LOVE this book and can tell you that we might still have a couple of copies for sale. I will share with you a couple of favorites.

The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee by N. Scott Momaday

I am a feather on the bright sky
I am the blue horse that runs in the plain
I am the fish that rolls, shining, in the water
I am the shadow that follows a child
I am the evening light, the lustre of meadows
I am an eagle playing with the wind
I am a cluster of bright beads
I am the farthest star
I am the cold of dawn
I am the roaring of the rain
I am the glitter on the crust of the snow
I am the long track of the moon in a lake
I am a flame of four colors
I am a deer standing away in the dusk
I am a field of sumac and the pomme blanche
I am an angle of geese in the winter sky
I am the hunger of a young wolf
I am the whole dream of these things
You see, I am alive, I am alive
I stand in good relation to the earth
I stand in good relation to the gods
I stand in good relation to all that is beautiful
I stand in good relation to the daughter of Tsen-tainte
You see, I am alive, I am alive

•

Awakening

in a moment of peace

I give thanks to the source of all peace

as I set forth

into the day

the birds sing

with new voice
s
and I listen

with new ears and give thanks

nearby

the flower called Angel's Trumpet

blows in the breeze

and I give thanks

my feet touch the grass

still wet with dew

and I give thank
s
both to my mother earth

for sustaining my steps

and to the seas

cycling once again

to bring forth new life

the dewdrops

become jeweled

with the morning's sun-fire

and I give thanks

you can see forever

when the vision is clear

in this moment

each moment

I give thanks

by Harriet Kofalk

•

and another favorite…

REMEMBER by Joy Harjo

Remember the sky that you were born under,
 know each of the star's stories.

Remember the moon, know who she is.

Remember the sun's birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time.
Remember sundown 
and the giving away to night.

Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
 to give you form and breath.
You are evidence of 
her life, and her mother's, and hers.

Remember your father. He is your life, also.

Remember the earth whose skin you are:

red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
, brown earth,
we are earth.

Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
 tribes, their families, their histories, too.
Talk to them,
 listen to them. They are alive poems.

Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
 origin of this universe.

Remember you are all people
and all people 
are you.

Remember you are this universe
and this 
universe is you.

Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.

Remember language comes from this.

Remember the dance language is, that life is.

Remember.

•

This month Yoga NW will be making donations to a few local nonprofits: NAYA – "Naya Family Center offers a holistic set of wraparound services designed to create stability in the lives of our youth and families. We provide educational services, cultural arts programming, and direct support to reduce poverty to the Portland Metropolitan Area Native American community". Growing Gardens – "Growing Gardens uses the experience of growing food in schools, backyards and correctional facilities to cultivate healthy, equitable communities". Village Gardens – "Village Gardens makes it possible for people living in Oregon's largest affordable housing neighborhoods to grow their own food, gain employment through locally created food projects and have access to a community-run grocery store".


Yours in gratitude and with love,

Laela

Honoring our dear friend and teacher, Schandua

Update on yesterday’s gathering for Schandua Reneé, September 27th, 2021.

We had a beautiful gathering in Tryon Creek yesterday, honoring our beloved friend, Schandua Reneé. Expecting rain, we instead found a beautiful day with light filtering through the abundant forest that Schandua cherished. We met at the Jackson Shelter and set up a table adorned with photographs of Schandua and (battery-powered) candles, a book for people to write messages to Schandua and her family, and other sacred tokens such as feathers and offerings of chocolates, as well as photos of Schandua for her friends to take home.

We gathered, a loose collection of people who were all touched by Schandua, long-time friends and new friends, yoga students and spiritual friends, people of all ages and from all facets of Schandua’s life in Portland. Around 40 of us stood in a circle and were invited to share a memory of her, an inspiration, to read a poem, or to bring forward whatever moved them. I opened our ceremony and we created our circle. A dear friend read a poem as the wind gently caressed the trees and Schandua’s essence was evoked as the crisp sunlight blinked through the foliage of our surroundings. We took our time, allowing space for anyone to step forward to share. And so many people shared their love for her, told stories about how much Schandua supported them, about how funny she was, what a calm and gentle way she had. One wondered if she was a dancer, and it was confirmed. Another friend mentioned what a pure singing voice she had, with an expansive and effortless range. This same friend and her partner played a beautiful song of voice and recorder set to the Mary Elizabeth Frye poem, “Do Not Stand by My Grave and Weep.” Friends shared, what a “gentle listener” she was and how much she supported them during the pandemic through her online yoga classes and before. We stood in a circle and took deep breaths and chanted OM three times. We stood in a circle, imagined sending her love radiating from our hearts to hers. We stood in a circle and put our arms on each others shoulders and backs and imagined that we were in a loving, healing circle surrounding Schandua, wishing her peace, sending her our support. Many reflected that they continue to feel her presence in their lives and felt her presence yesterday. More people stepped forward to share their touching sentiments, to read a letter written to Schandua, and other poems were shared including Mary Oliver’s White Owl Flies Into and Out of the Field and John O’Donnohue’s generous words (see sidebar).

Hugs and tears were shared, as were smiles as we remembered Schandua’s beautiful and radiant smile. Some made lovely, jewel-like mandalas of flowers in our shelter and left them there in the sunlight for all to enjoy. One brought a Tarot card, the card of Healing, meant for Schandua. At the end of our gathering, everyone was invited to take a flower, walk along one of the many paths in the forest, and leave it as an offering to Schandua. It was a beautiful and peaceful way to move from our shaded circle to under the cathedral of trees that Schandua loved to walk under. She is very loved and held in love by many.

After the gathering was dispersed and folks took to the forest paths on their own or ventured home, Anne and I talked and decided to take the remaining flowers and make a mandala. 2.5 hours after we began at 11 am, a car stopped next to us, rolled down the window and asked about the gathering for Schandua. Three people inside who wanted to join the gathering long after it ended. I offered them some flowers but the gathering was over. They parked their car and we walked up to them, and offered them to join us in making a mandala in the woods for Shandua and they gladly came with us. They felt that the unlikeliness of our meeting was guided by Schandua, it was such an improbable meeting in a large forest and park that we happened upon each other. A dear friend and his parents, just arrived from Los Angeles. The five of us placed our flowers and talked about Schandua, another healing circle under the trees made of love and memories. Each of us were so happy to have had this precious time together to share and commune and be present.

Words from a favorite author of Schandua, from Paulo Coelho, “Love always triumphs over what we call death. That’s why there’s no need to grieve for our loved ones, because they continue to be loved and remain by our side.”

Deep thanks and gratitude for everyone who joined us yesterday and special thanks to Anne who was with me all the way. I didn’t take very many photos, so just have these to share. Thank you to Sunray for sharing some of these beauties. If you have photos to add to this page, email me. A good friend took several videos and we will find a way to share them with you soon.

There was so much love yesterday, and it is exponentially expanding ever outward. Thank you, Schandua for your immense grace.

With love and gratitude,
Laela

Though we need to weep your loss,
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts
Where no storm on night or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn
Brightening over our lives,
Awakening beneath the dark
A further adventure of color.

The sound of your voice
Found for us
A new music
That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze
Quickened in the joy of its being;
You placed smiles like flowers
On the alter of the heart,
Your mind always sparkled
With the wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,
Your spirit was alive, awake, complete.

We look toward each other no longer
From the old distance of our names;
Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,
As close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,
We know our souls gaze is upon your face,
Smiling back at us from within everything
To which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory,
Where we would grow lonely without you.
You would want us to find you in presence,
Besides us when beauty brightens,
When kindness glows
And music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth,
Darkest winter has turned to spring;
May this dark grief flower with hope
In every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us:
To enter each day with a generous heart.
To serve the call of courage and love
Until we see your beautiful face again
In that land where there is no more separation,
Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,
And where we will never lose you again.

– John O’Donnohue

New Teachers and New Classes are coming to the studio!

We are so happy to introduce you to Emily Wright and Jacob Friedman.

EMILY WRIGHT (she/her) Emily's greatest guides are creativity, honesty and heart, and she strives to bring each to every space she holds for healing. Her classes have a soothing tone that inspires softness and self-compassion, balanced with activation of the physical and energetic bodies to empower a connection to wholeness. The practices she offers are the same ones that have guided her to finding steadfast peace in the most trying moments, and her guidance is rooted in trusting the wisdom of life's unfolding.

Emily will be teaching Practice Flow on Tuesdays at 5:45 pm at the studio.

Practicing Flow Anchored in intentional breath technique, each session combines a mix of breath-to-movement flow, held postures and therapeutic movement that builds physical strength and flexibility, creates spaces to release energetic blockages and balance vital life force. This blending of dynamic movement and Pranayama is active with modifications, appropriate for all levels and abilities.

•

JACOB FRIEDMAN (he/him) As a yoga teacher, Jacob guides you to cultivate a curiosity that may be panoramic or precise, but is always oriented towards the present. Knowing that the potency of your practice depends upon the quality of your inquiring attention, each class is designed as a formal play structure within which you might extract a morsel of insight from the inner workings of your experience. Using tangible forms of asana and pranayama, we investigate the more ephemeral narratives internal to the form. We play with a plethora of tools, techniques, and maps to orient and organize the mind, body, and breath with integrity. Landing fully alive in the here and now, we set up the conditions to have a joyful experience, and to radiate that joy to others. We practice for personal and communal well-being.

Jacob will be teaching Hatha Yoga (Katonah-inspired) Mondays at 9:00 am at the studio.

Hatha Yoga (Katonah-inspired) In this Katonah Yoga inspired class, traditional Hatha yoga is infused with Taoist principles, geometry, metaphor and maps to orient and organize the practitioner in time and space. Working with the trinity of mind, body and breath, we set up the forms (asana) in order to fit for proper function, and navigate the mind and breath through the body to define and refine personal space. Fitting yourself well first, you can then go out and fit well with others. We practice for personal and communal well-being and joy.

•

Earth day, any day, every day

Hello beloveds,

Earth Day is April 22nd. There are countless ways we can honor this day. I would LOVE to hear how you center around this day of awareness and intention.

One way I have decided to center on Earth day is to support and suggest joining the Equitable Giving Circle plant exchange - where white folks gift plants to BIPOC folks in the Portland area. You can “Plant it Forward” – follow this link https://floranoir.us/product/plant-it-forward-plants/ to both support Flora Noir, a local, black-owned, women-run business and the BIPOC folkx who receive the gift!

Plant it Forward is a project of Equitable Giving Circle (https://www.equitablegivingcircle.org/). There is some powerful work going on here, please check them out and consider supporting one of their many wonderful projects, including the plant circle and their CSA Program (https://www.equitablegivingcircle.org/#csaprogram).

I am also very inspired by The Black Food Sovereignty Coalition, a collaboration hub for Black and Brown communities to confront the systemic barriers that make food, place and economic opportunities inaccessible to us. whose mission is to ignite Black and brown communities to participate as owners and movement leaders within food systems, placemaking, and economic development.(https://blackfoodnw.org/)

Happy Earth Day – I hope you take the opportunity to put your bare feet on the Earth, to soak up the beautiful, grounding energy and let it warm you from the soles of the feet all the way into your heart. Feel the air, breathe it in. Feel the connections that are all around you, ever-present. We are united in this shared experience of BEING.

With love,
Laela