It’s interesting that January was named after the Roman God “Janus”. In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus was the god of gates and doors. See, the ancient Romans had a specific god who held the key, so to speak, to the metaphorical doors or gateways between what was and what is to come—the liminal space of transitioning out of one period of time and into something new. Clearly, the ancient architects of the calendar saw importance of endings, transitionings and beginnings that a month was dedicated to such. As the calendar has turned, sometimes our sights and energies bound ahead of us into the space of this new year. We may be eager for the empty space a new year offers or we may be pushing away from uncomfortableness 2021 brought to many. In this eagerness, the honoring of endings can be rushed or skipped. Transitions maybe ignored. The result is beginnings may be faulty or less aligned. Thereby perpetuating a cycle that can produce injury or move us further away from our desires and out of alignment with energy of January. So if you feel caught up in the push for "new", just know beginnings can happen anytime, not just on January 1st. So, in this time we call January, we wish you time for endings…taking the space to digest the experiences and emotions of 2021. Maybe this time is not about manifesting and creating and leaving things behinds, but more about turning attention inward. Processing all that has been, integrating and weaving, and rendering “new” onto the old forms and habits. From the space and digestion of true endings, we wish you an emergence with freshness and clarity within space to discern your heartfelt desires. And when the time is right, we wish you expansion and aligned action back into the external world from this cultivated place of clarity and truth. Wishing you all the space you need to take in 2022 to be your deepest You. Much peace, Lora, Sandy and the Ohmmies PS: Help us vision on purpose to serve you and build community. Drop us a note on what you like, what you would like more of, and any other feedback. We love hearing from you!
Reflections on our new "roost" If you have been walking in downtown Baldwin over the last 6 weeks, you have noticed that our new location has been abuzz with activity. The crews from Form and Function have been busy helping us maintain the integrity and soul while breathing new light into her. We have new and level floors - no more 11" variation. New plumbing has been installed and interior walls have been framed. Infrared sauna and cedar hot tub are ordered and being crafted. It's all sorts of becoming - scary, exciting, heart pumping, gut wrenching, as visions and plans become tangible. As with any old buildings, there are challenges which we see as opportunities for creativity and ingenuity. We are happy Landon Harness and others at Form and Function see it the same with an openness to think outside the box. Some days are like a continuous yoga practice but applied to the construction world! Here are a few answers to questions we often receive: When will the space be ready and open? We wish we had absolute clarity on that answer. Depending on timing of labor and supply chain we believe late March. Stay tuned for special sneak peek evenings and pre-opening experiences for our current community. Where exactly is the new space? The new space is at 816 High Street between Baldwin City Fitness and the apartment building to the west. We have come to realize that it is the most unnoticed and unrecognized building downtown!!! It is currently a "delightful" peachy stucco. And no, it is not going to stay that color! What exactly will be in the new space? We will have two studio spaces - both offering more space, open air and more light than our current space. The space will also contain two spa rooms for massages, facials, reiki and other healing modalities as well as an infrared sauna and open air cedar soaking tub for soak and spa experiences. And did we mention an outdoor meditation zen space? Thank you to all that answered our recent call for help about the history and memories of the space! We have now formed a good timeline, but would still appreciate pictures and memories to add to documentation.
Instructor highlight! Amanda Baron
Favorite podcast - Wisdom of the Sages - this is an (almost) daily yoga podcast that offers an entertaining balance of yoga philosophy, real-life challenges, and humor. https://www.youtube.com/c/WisdomoftheSages
Favorite yoga move/breath- Dandayamana Janushiransa - Standing Head to Knee. This posture is often referred to as "the 10 year posture" because it can take many years for a body to execute this asana to the fullest expression. This posture is quite humbling as it appears to be quite simple, yet it provides a level of challenge that deepens our asana practice. This posture requires us to slow down, intensely focus, observe and honor our ever-shifting limits, and yoke our breath into alignment with our physical intention.
TV show you’re binging at the moment- I enjoy watching the show Blown Away. It highlights glass-blowing artists and their amazing ability to create masterpieces from molten glass.
Any pets- Oh yes! We have 7!
1. Clover Jane, dog, 13 years old, 1/2 Great Pyrenees 1/2 Blue Heeler. She stays quite content securing the perimeter of our land and subtly guarding our home. 2. Daisy Mae, dog, 11 years old, Chiweenie (more Chihuahua than Daschund). She's the top dog bosslady around here; all 9 lbs of her.
3. Beef, dog, Chiweenie, age unknown but definitely a Senior. He is the best snuggler and keeps Miss Daisy Mae on her toes. 4. Tubbs, cat, age 12. Tubbs has a beautiful intuition on when to help his human companions. He has helped both my husband and I heal from multiple surgeries. In exchange, he only demands that we feed him religiously twice daily and comply with his intermittent demands for attention or treats. He is an aggressive snuggler. 5 & 6. Willie & Bunter, cats. We recently brought these 2 into our lives after they were abandoned by their adoptive family. We don't really know their ages, but we do know that they are both very adept at catching mice and navigating around the forest. 7. Last but not least, we just welcomed a brand new baby boy Boston Terrier. We haven't named him yet, but he is already stealing hearts!
Favorite place you’ve visited- I have been blessed to have traveled extensively on this little planet we call Earth, but the location that stole my heart is the city of Vrindavan in the Uttar Pradesh region of northern India. This place of pilgrimage pulsates with the teachings of the vedas and is overflowing with ecstatic prema (love) for Krsna and his beloved Radha. I anxiously await the day when I can return.
Tell me about your class/classes at OmGrown- I currently teach at 5:30pm on Wednesdays in the studio (No online; I'm old school.) A student recently described "All Bodies Yoga" as "somewhere between the previous Saturday morning (yoga for athletes) and yin (slow and deeply restorative)." I like that. I try to offer an environment where all bodies feel welcome, capable of participating, and experience some challenge. If you can breathe, you can practice yoga. I look forward to seeing you on the mat.
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Om Grown Upcoming Events and Courses:
Fundamentals of Teaching Yin Yoga (part 1) January 29th from 1-5pm. Are you a yoga teacher desiring to teach yin yoga? Or maybe you are a practitioner of Yin Yoga and wish to dive in deeper? Then this workshop is for you! Join Lora to learn about the roots and philosophy of yin yoga with a little bit of practice too! Continuing education credits available. Sign up here