The End of The Portland Yoga Studio.

The cozy Portland Yoga Studio closed suddenly this week. It has been difficult for all involved, students and teachers. As an optimist I look to the future and can only imagine that this end makes it possible for fantastic new beginnings. Roll with the transition.

With most classes halfway filled to capacity, some overflowing with students, the community seemed thriving. In recent weeks, teachers watched their flat fee wage increase to a per student rate, there was talk of painting the studio, workshops were being scheduled. Most teachers, me included, depended on their classes as a significant portion of their income.

PYS offered affordable yoga to local teachers, social workers, massage therapists and other caregivers in the neighborhood. In this tough economy I loved both our low rates, and the fact that our studio wasn't "stealing" clientele from other studios. Although SE Portland is pretty saturated below fiftieth, Montavilla has no other studios. Being close to 82nd Ave, the very idea of wellness seemed a monumental shift toward revitalization of the neighborhood.

Students at PYS meant a lot to me. Three classes a week for almost two years! I have watched several students' bellies grow with pregnancy, developed friendships, shared a love of music together. I developed more confidence as a teacher through students' thoughtful questions. I learned to trust the fact that one person can make a difference in the world.

Thanks PYS, you will be missed!

Love, light and yoga in 2012.

Fawn
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Announcements & News November 2011

New class! Starting November 22, I will be leading a weekly Gentle Yoga class every Tuesday afternoon at 4pm-5:15pm at a brand new studio called Shine on NW 23rd & Westover.

In July I started working as the Development Coordinator with Living Yoga, a local nonprofit bringing yoga into prisons, recovery centers and other places where people are working hard to make healthy changes in their lives. Check out this inspiring video of one of our previously incarcerated students who practiced yoga at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.

Classes at The Old Church are on hiatus until spring 2012. I am no longer teaching classes at Yoga on Yamhill Wednesday mornings-- Living Yoga needs me in the office! Classes M/W at The Portland Yoga Studio, and classes Tues/Thur/Fri at PNCA continue!

I hope to see you in class soon!

Love,

Fawn
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Songs about rain

Here's a re-post of songs about rain, with a few added gems. Happy fall everyone!

Peter Gabriel's Red Rain. Popular lip syncing duo Milli Vanilli's classic Blame It On The Rain!

The Beatles' backward music, fantastic bassline-havin' Rain.


Soul queen Ann Peebles' '73 hit I Can't Stand the Rain.


Missy Elliot's Rain featuring fantastic silver air-filled costume.



The Weather Girls' It's Raining Men!


A bespeckled '70's Ella Fitzgerald singing a gorgeous version of Stormy Weather.


Last but absolutely not least, Oran Juice Jones' revenge fantasy The Rain...!


Love,
Fawn
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New Class at Yoga on Yamhill!

Starts Wednesday September 14th
Yoga on Yamhill 9:30-11am All Levels Vinyasa, $10 suggested donation

Come visit me at this beautiful donation-based studio! If you're downtown or know someone who is please spread the word. It's located on SW Yamhill between 1st & 2nd, right on the maxline.


xo,


Fawn
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Yoga Jam/Benefit for Living Yoga

Friday August 19 7-9pm DJ Freaky Outty and I are hosting an All Levels Vinyasa class to benefit Living Yoga downtown at Yoga on Yamhill. After class stay for a dance party and wine reception! Located at 124 SW Yamhill, suggested donation of $15-25.

To read more about this pioneering organization, see their website: Living Yoga.



Love and light,

Fawn
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On the Road


I just got back from an indie-pop tour with a The Smittens, Monnone Alone (ex Lucksmiths), and The Special Places (ex Tullycraft) as their Yoga Instructor/Wellness Consultant. I customized yoga sessions for pre-performance anxiety/jitters, sweaty hangover/detoxification, and general maintenance.

 

From nights spent sleeping on someone's floor, to the repetitive stress of playing night after night, touring musicians' bodies are abused on a constant basis. Being away from close friends and family for any span of time can be tough. The rigor of tour impacts not only your body, but also can wreak havoc on your state of mind. When you place yourself in such an extreme situation, a regular yoga practice can stabilize you to your very core.


Performers can find clarity, build internal reserves of energy, and cleanse the body through a regular yoga practice.


Book a session, or find out more about what it's like to tour with your very own Yoga Instructor, contact me.
xo,

Fawn

Images by: Dana Kaplan, Corianton Hale
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More Yoga

The Oregon winter has been incredibly long this year, and at some point in February I became intolerant of people who complained. I simply could not listen to another sarcastic weather comment, or cynical response to current events.

I became so filled with negativity that my bad attitude manifested in my physical body and I got sick. Illness took me away from teaching for a couple of weeks which bummed me out even more.

Then while visiting family in Vermont, I tripled my yoga practice. I discovered that even 15 minutes a day helped me to lighten up, and also took some wonderful classes with Lydia Russell McDade, an Anusara teacher at Yoga Mountain Center where my parents live in Montpelier.

The more I was able to embrace the sadness, boredom, anxiety, and lethargy, the more attention I had for my friends and family.

Yoga came to my rescue once again. Thanks, yoga!
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Opa

Opa packing, Arizona May '66 - check out the Japanese plate.



In February I flew to Vermont to visit my ailing Opa, who due to complications with diabetes had started experiencing senile dementia and auditory delusions. My days were split between taking long walks in the gorgeous frozen VT landscape, and visits to the rehabilitation clinic where he had been transferred.



Lake Champlain, Feb '11.



Boat launch, Lake Road, Milton, Vermont, Feb '11.



It was painful to see Opa in such a state, but thanks to the smart, receptive staff by the end of my visit he was back to cracking snarky jokes again.



Havin' a cool one in Sacramento, California, May '66.



I felt so inspired by the compassion of the staff at the rehab center, I realized I too wanted to serve the elderly population. When I got back to Portland, I immediately started researching Physical and Occupational Therapy programs.




At 17 in the Navy.



Subsequently served in the Army.


Dancing with me at my wedding, '08.


I have many steps to take first, but just making the decision to pursue therapeutic science feels right.



Love,

Fawn
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Website and Shout-outs.

Yoga With Fawn is live, and fully functional! Behind the scenes was a really talented group of all women who deserve applause.

1. Elizabeth Collins at Oh Busy Weaver. Liz is a detail-oriented, efficient, and extremely patient web developer whose services include client training so once your site is up she teaches you the back end.

2. Alia Hoffman at Darling Press and Stationers drew the initial logo before I took it into Illustrator. She is an artist who has a lovely small letterpress studio in her home with her husband Jason.



Alia's lettering.


3. Heather Zinger took all the photographs for the site. Professional, energetic, and fun are all words I would use to describe my experience with Heather. Here are some outtakes from our domestic and studio photo shoots.
Checking notes while I warm up in the studio.
Daredevil arm balance prep aka Jackass Yoga. Do not try this at home.
Laughing about everyday yoga.

4. Trillian Spencer at Trillobite drew the illustration for the logo based on a photo of me.

Trillian's illustration.




Original photo by Jubal Nance.












Non-static and alive, a website is the ultimate work-in-progress. One aspect I will continue to develop is the online store. In fact if you make unique, local products, send me a message!

Love and yoga,

Fawn
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New website!

Portland is beautifully blooming. Lately the birds are chirping so loudly and early I have no trouble waking up before my alarm clock. I've been taking long walks every morning as a meditation practice, and it really opens me up for a stellar day. Below are some photos I took during a morning walk.

Also I have the best news for you, my new website yogawithfawn.com is up and running!
Please visit. The shop section will soon have lots more locally crafted goods, so check back in the next few weeks to find lovely hand made toiletries and accessories.












Wishing you a joyous abundant spring!

-Fawn
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Obesity, Asana Patents, Fear Mongering

Recovering from a cold the past few days has given me lots more internet time. I've been catching up on Fresh Air, creating a Vimeo account, and reading.

Read this discussion of new Canadian physical activity guidelines which recommends that adults 18-64 should get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-vigorous activity. That is about 20 minutes a day. Are you getting more or less per week?
via Obesity Panacea- good work, thanks!

Oh yes, yoga! If you haven't noticed the TKDL (Traditional Knowledge Digital Library) link located in the top right of my home page, then check it out because in the next few months they will be updating the extensive library to include over 1,000 asanas (yoga poses). Inclusion of postures will make it more difficult for gurus like Bikram Choudhury to patent the ancient asanas.
Score!

I use the Mayo Clinic's website often, mostly to help my grandmother decipher various test results and diagnoses from numerous health care providers. Having a large elderly population combined with generational acceptance of what one doctor says as a cold hard fact make the elderly guinea pigs, for better or worse.

Today's New York Times Magazine featured an essay A Prescription for Fear comparing the Mayo Clinic site to webMD, citing one of the main differences is in how information is framed.
Where WebMD is a corporation that started as an ad-supported health-alarmism site with revenues of $504 million in 2010, the Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit medical-practice-and-research group that started as a clinic.
It even recommends blocking webMD in your browser.
Thanks NYTmag! (which may ask you to log in, but it's free for most articles)

Happy reading, and happy yoga!
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Sharing is caring

In 2008 I started this blog with two goals:
  • 1) Inspire people to grab their mats and break out of ruts through a regular yoga practice
    • 1a. Connect with creative yoga people in Portland
  • 2) Document my journey from a burnt creative to a happier, more productive creative
    • 2b. Share wellness topics such as healthy eating and exercise regimes
    Initially I admit I thought it might be easy to maintain a blog, but now with over 2 years under my belt I have experienced how much work maintaining a blog actually is. Consistently generating relevant content is the toughest challenge for me. Despite my struggle to be efficiently prolific, blogging is rewarding and has helped me attain my goals.

    With this in mind, I want to share with you some of my favorite blogs in no particular order. When I am struggling to come up with material, I can count on the following blogs to inspire me.

    Leo Babauta's Zen Habits. Self-explanatory.

    Mark McGuinness' Lateral Action. All about creative entrepreneurship. Check out his Creative Rock Star series.

    Tim Ferris, Author of The 4-Hour Work Week and The 4-Hour Body. Case Studies in creation of what he calls a muse, a low-maintenance cash flow business.

    Get Rich Slowly. Multi-authored blog about personal finance. Oh look, here's an entry about blogging!

    Boingboing is where I read about current events. Telling, isn't it?

    Sean Bronner is a smart social media software designer writer guy who contributes to BoingBoing.

    Nubby Twiglet is an adorable local graphic designer whose entries range from photo essays of her outfits, vacations with her jet-set fashionista pal fellow blogger extraordinaire Gala Darling, to cool typography. Love both of 'em!

    John Patrick's beautiful dude-blog The Selvedge Yard features well-researched photo collections and engaging copy. Similar aesthetic sensibility to Austin gentlemen's style purveyor, Stag.

    Speaking of yoga, I LOVE Iyengar instructor Eve Johnson's blog. She has really great tips on alignment!

    When I need a jolt of graphic design inspiration I check out Inspiredology.

    Happy reading dear creative yoga-loving readers.

    xo Fawn
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    Winter Blues

    January can be tough for many reasons. After the high of the holiday season you may feel completely exhausted. In Portland it is full-fledged winter: grey skies, monsoon-like rain or freezing rain for another 4-5 more months.

    With this in mind I have compiled a list of ways to cure the winter blues. Engage your senses!

    1. Do something thoughtful for someone else. Pick up a pal from the airport, offer to take the dog for a walk, or volunteer with your favorite non-profit. Here is a video I made to cheer up a friend who just got diagnosed with cancer. (He giggled!)


    2. Compile an audio or video mix, then share with friends!

    3. Take a class or workshop. Since it is a fantastic time of year to be inside, why not learn a new skill?

    4. Call an old friend and laugh about old times!

    5. Have lunch with a new friend. New friendships = new perspectives!

    6. Rearrange your living or workspace. We are influenced by our environment, so make yours a place you want to be.

    7. Choose a hobby and devote time each day to practice. Play guitar, draw, sing, crochet, bake. Cultivate curiosity!

    8. Book a massage! Portland has a wealth of great LMT's. Personal favorites: Cydney Wilkes, Caroline Hoof, Crystal Calanca.

    9. Schedule an appointment with a Naturopathic Physician. Get a complete overview of your lifestyle and diet, make healthy change easy! Recommended: Alexis Shields, Jenny Tufenkian, Kate Smith. Plus the National College of Natural Medicine offers lower cost appointments at their teaching clinic.

    10. Take a hot bath with sea salt and essential oil of your choice, or visit Lush and invest in some bubbles!


    Love,

    Fawn
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