Yoga in Athens, Georgia!

I am teaching hatha yoga at a local studio in Athens, Rubber Soul Yoga Revolution. I love the ethics and energy of the studio. It is a donation-based studio, which means the classes are cheap (suggested donation of $3-5/class) and the teachers are volunteer. Normally, a drop-in yoga class in the U.S. is anywhere from $10-20/class, so this is a screamin' deal for all of us yogis in Athens. The basic idea behind a donation-based approach is that it allows more community members to experience yoga. Right now, I teach a 1.5 hour class on Friday which is simply a perfect way to end the week. Plus, teaching yoga unleashes my creative juices, as I build a new sequence of pranayama (breath work) and asanas (poses) coupled with an overall theme (balance, opening, breath and movement, core energy, etc.) every week.

I have always been a visceral being, as I experience life through emotions. For me, this means that I find joy in life through the five senses: the smell of rain, the beauty of the leaves changing colors, the taste of an exotic food, the feel of the earth beneath my hiking boots, laughing with friends, and the melodic sounds of Tibetan chanting. Yet, as a PhD student, the visceral is overtaken by a powerful cerebral work-out. And the only visceral experience to be had is the feel of the keyboard on my fingertips, the flow of words dancing on one page after another, and the mind shifting information from one location to another. Finding balance between the mind/body has been an elusive journey in this process. Yoga allows my mind and body to work in tandem (ok, it's not as great as skiing--balls to wall--down a steep mountain with champagne powder lightly dusting my face...but, it will do for now).

PHOTOS: Top Left- Yoga in Slovenia. Top Right- Artwork hanging on my wall painted by my friend Bret. Others: Rubbersoul Studio photos.