Behind the scenes: my at-home yoga studio

Game on. Susie Hoffman of Envi Design has embarked on my at-home yoga studio project, which she will be chronicling along the way...here's installment #1.

Years ago, I had the good fortune to design for Clodagh in her New York studio in Soho. Originally, I was drawn to the design Guru because of her holistic approach to design and to the spirituality she seemed to impart on each project. During my tenure with Clodagh, I designed the West Side yoga studio for YogaWorks, a nationwide yoga studio born from the boom in yoga practice during the early 2000s. This project ignited a passion in me to continue within this vein of design: Yoga, Spa and Wellness. I found a direct link between the spiritual mind body connection and the physical mind body connection. I continue to strive to create environments that enhance the experience of being.

Since I have begun my own interior design practice, Envi Design, I have designed a private bath house and spa in Whitefish, worked with Sage Spa Living and Your Yoga, both in Bozeman respectively. When long-time friend (and former client) Margaret Burns Vap, founder of Big Sky Yoga Retreats, asked me if I would consider creating a yoga studio in her home, I beamed at the opportunity. We developed idea after idea and decided to document the transformation of her basement home studio. As a follow up to this transformation, I offered to teach a seminar for her newest Winter Wonderland yoga retreat in January: How to “zen” your home. I will give tips on how to bring the yoga experience to your own home.

And so commences the step by step process of Yoga Studio creation. The challenge?

How to transform this less than inspired room (above) into a bliss den for the Cowgirl Yoga guru of Big Sky Yoga Retreats.

I’d say we have our work cut out for us. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest in our design work. First, we will explore the human senses, sight, sound, and smell and how they relate physical experience. i.e. to tear out the carpet? or not to tear out the carpet.

Mission Impossible: staying yogic at Disney World

Yoga perishes by these six: overeating, overexertion, talking too much...

socializing and restlessness. -Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Hello again. I've just returned from a week in an alternate universe: Disney World. If you are a big fan, I may offend you with this post. I'll try to keep my bah-humbugs to a minimum, since I truly don't want to spoil the magic...but damn, I design and lead active vacations for a living, and Disney kicked my ass. The upside is that 6 year old had the time of her life, and I'll admit I had my moments too...but I think we will cross that parenting rite-of-passage off the list without looking back.

It was tough to stay centered chez Disney. Yoga? pppfffftttt. I optimistically packed my yoga mat and luckily was able to squeeze in a few poses here and there, but I was surprised that what I wanted to practice more than anything was breath work. The kind you might use in preparation for childbirth or stressful events. So I could go on about why I don't ❤ Disney, but I'll keep this focused on one main theme: throughout our week of sensory overload extraordinaire, I often wondered why people think they need to be constantly entertained and distracted; we're teaching our kids this at a place like Disney. I know, it's Disney and not real life, it's supposed to be fun and fantasy, etc. etc. - but the sheer number of opportunities to overstimulate astounded me. It was overwhelming, and at times, not so fun or fantastic. How many rides can we go on, how many things can we buy, how many giant-sized food portions can we consume...all I wanted to do at the end of my Disney days was sit quietly in a dark room and breathe deeply to calm my nervous system down.

I think there is a parallel outside the world of Disney: we often lose touch with stillness in our daily quest to constantly "do". In fact, it's almost become a bad thing to be still. I think what irked me so about Disney is seeing this cultural problem being exploited and encouraged to the nth degree. I'm part of a movement that is trying to get people to slow down and savor stillness. It's no wonder I had a hard time staying yogic at Disney.

Alright, rant over. Rest assured that I rallied for 6 year old's sake, and rode every roller coaster with a big smile on my face (practicing pranayama, of course).

Winter Wonderland Lotus debut

Last day to get the Winter Wonderland and Wellness retreat early bird discount of 10% off! To further entice you, a few words from interior designer Susie Hoffmann of Envi Design, who will be giving our how to zen your home workshop at WWW. Susie was my very first friend in Bozeman; we were introduced by a mutual friend from Yoga Works, for whom she designed a few spaces. And she is about to start working on my at-home yoga room - yippeeeee! We'll be chronicling that zen-ing of my home right here, soon.

Susie says:

Every time I return home from a retreat, or even an inspired yoga class, I strive to recreate the experience in my own home. After all, one of my favorite benefits of yoga is that you can practice anywhere, any time; not just under the glorious Montana sky. However, when I do get to my house, I am often less than inspired to roll out my mat to return to the spiritual place from whence I have just returned.

Perhaps it is the clutter of everyday life that prevents me from dedicating time for myself. The distractions of chores, work, children, (even pets!) cause me to leave my mat in the corner, a nagging reminder that I am NOT practicing yoga.

As an interior designer with a background in spa and wellness design, I have developed a few simple ways to incorporate yoga into your home. During Winter Wonderland, we will review ways to create dedicated practice areas. We will also discuss methods to “spread the zen” throughout the whole home.

As a special treat, the Winter Wonderland yoginis will be the first to see the furniture from my newly developed yoga furniture line: Lotus. These hand-crafted pieces provide storage options for yoga gear and double as altars for yoga practice. They are truly beautiful and I can’t wait to introduce them to the Winter Wonderland yoginis!

See you there!

Winter Wonderland & Wellness Yoga Retreat

It's been a bit wintery around here. Although it was unbelievably chilly in London (that whole humidity thing), we didn't see much snow...so I forgot how gleeful it makes me to see the big white flakes falling. My 6 year old is getting reacquainted with it as well - it snowed all day Saturday, and she spent a big part of the day outside playing...after many hours of building forts, making snow angels, and moving snow around in her sled, she came in, took off all her gear, and marched over to bed for a power nap. What a fun way to wear yourself out. Makes me look forward to doing the same on skis soon.

Montana is truly a winter wonderland. You've got a guaranteed white Christmas, snow sports galore, and no, it's really not that cold - so you can get out and enjoy playing in the snow (again, the humidity thing: the lack of it makes for a more comfortable winter, vs. a bone chilling humid one). I'm getting super excited about our Winter Wonderland & Wellness retreat in January, which is going to be all about playing in the snow, plus cozying up inside to learn how to stay healthy during the winter season. Here's what we'll be doing (deep breath): yoga - massage - cooking lesson and seasonal eating discussion - a tea-making workshop - cross-country ski lesson - snowshoeing - a how to zen your home workshop, including setting up an at-home yoga space. Whew! So no need to hibernate - make winter a season of wellness. We'll show you how! Only 2 spots left on this retreat, and tomorrow November 15 is the last day to get the 10% off early bird discount!

We're back at the astonishingly gorgeous Double T River Ranch for this retreat, which means yoga in the barn. Join us! I'd love to welcome you to Montana this winter. Namaste.

Interview with a Rocket Girl

I'm not going to say how long it's been since our last interview...but this spunky yogini here will get things going again. She divides her time between DC and Montana (that sure sounds familiar!), rocks the Ashtanga practice, and will hopefully join us on retreat at some point in the near future, to blast us with some Rocket Yoga. Or teach us all how to do firefly pose while hiking, as she is perfectly pictured doing in Glacier. Meet Peg, who authors a blog called MySpace.OM that will make you laugh out loud, remind you to enlighten up, and inspire you to get your butt on your mat, no excuses (she has that effect on me).

A paragraph on Peg the yogini, please.

Eleven years ago, Peg (I love writing about myself in the third person) was a reluctant yogini at best. She came to yoga in search of arms like Madonna’s. Not as interested in the rest time yogis seemed to like after a vigorous practice, she would not-so-quietly roll up her mat and take off for a kickboxing class around the corner. Her life was quite full between kids, work, and school - with meals on the run and sleeping as a luxury.

Then this yoga, which was really just supposed to be a shortcut to buff arms, started to get in the way of life as she knew. All of a sudden, she was eating better, sleeping sounder, and even traded in for good, the boxing gloves for a yoga mat.

Today, she practices 5-6 mornings a week and indeed, has arms like Madonna - but wouldn’t even consider using them to hit anyone anymore.

One of the original intentions for Ashtanga yoga was to help teenage boys blow off steam. What about this practice drew you so strongly (at an age slightly beyond your teens)?

Hey – did you just call me old?

(I’ll now move on from third person, if you don’t mind.)

I love the physicality of an Ashtanga practice. Is that wrong to admit? Do you think less of me now? There’s more, but it’s important to recognize that this type of yoga is a very physical practice and those that are drawn here find the benefit of a strong and supple body.

But like I said, there is more …

Ashtanga challenges me, inspires me, and keeps me grounded. It is a practice that encourages - actually demands - commitment and dedication. Much of my day is spent in a creative capacity (I’m a writer) with little to no structure – I need and crave the steadiness and discipline from my yoga to keep my world in balance.

If you HAD to choose…Ashtanga or Rocket?

You did not just ask me this, did you? That’s like asking which child I love better? I have one child who is disciplined, reliable, and a real go-getter. The other is a whimsical, easy going, and will never die of a heart attack - according to his second grade teacher. And I love them both with all that I am, for each makes my life better and happier and more fulfilled.

Ashtanga is that disciplined, reliable, and high achieving practice. Its daily practice is structured in a way where each posture is introduced as the student is ready to receive. It is a practice of mastery and dedication and not for the faint-hearted.

Rocket is based on the Ashtanga sequences but offers students variations and the opportunity to experience the more advanced postures they may not necessarily be proficient in yet. It is more creative and fun and gives the student room to play with their edge.

Ashtanga is very much about working from the place you are now – and Rocket is more about working from a place of possibility.

I need them both so, nuh-uh, I’m not choosing.

When you’re in DC, what do you miss most about MT? When you’re in MT, what do you miss most about DC?

I remember driving down the Boulder road one summer morning with a view framed by the mountains, river, and intensely blue sky. My husband said, “Enjoy this view for soon it will be replaced by a jammed interstate, tall buildings, and grayer skies.”

I miss that beauty and majesty right now. When I’m in Montana, I can slow down, relax, and truly just be. It’s like a long and luxurious exhale. I miss the great outdoors, the hiking, and even the fly fishing (my husband’s form of yoga). But most of all, I miss my girl, who is currently a sophomore at MSU. I’d have to say, I miss her the most.

DC has an energy that’s palpable. I enjoy the frenetic hustle and bustle of the city. I love the excitement, the diversity, and if I were to be honest – the shopping! I practice and teach at the Ashtanga Yoga Center in DC where we offer both traditional Ashtanga and now Rocket Yoga. So more than anything, when I’m in Montana, I miss my teachers, my students, and my morning Mysore practice.

Because I just have to know: what is your fave pose in the Ashtanga primary series, and what lessons has it taught you? your least fave pose, and its lessons…?

I love all of primary series. Yep, even kurmasana, supta kurmasana, and marichyasana D. Crazy, right? (editor's note: yes. especially if you love supta kurmasana. I'm just sayin'...) But the primary series focuses mostly on the parasympathetic nervous system, a lot of forward folding, hip opening, etc. Kind of like that long exhale of Montana living.

I’m not so cracked up about second series, however. So much stimulation with it’s backward bending - gets my heart racing till I want to put on the brakes.

But perhaps there is something more...I require less assistance in primary series, but in second, I have to have help all over the place. There are at least three postures that to really get, I need to be “put” into them. And the worst is supta vajrasana. No one can do this posture without assistance – though I’ve seen many creatively try. It entails lotusing up your legs, binding your hands behind your back, a teacher pretty much sits on your legs and drops you back on your head 5 times. (I can’t make this shit up!)

We learn most from the postures we hate than the ones we love. And yes, you guessed it. Most of all, I hate to need help – I hate to surrender. Surrender to rest, surrender to a teacher, surrender to a higher power. This continues to be my lesson – on and off the mat.

Practice (violin) and all is coming

I have a new passion. Uh oh, you might say...as would most of my friends/family were they to hear me say that out loud. So many passions, so little time. Anyhow: it involves a musical instrument and my 6 year old daughter. Through a random series of events, we've ended up taking violin lessons together. I am completely enchanted by the sound. Even if right now, we are only hitting a few notes that sound enchanting, while the rest sound a bit like a sick cat. But as Pattabhi Jois said, Practice and all is coming. We'll get there.

I've had a crush on the violin for a long time - it just strikes me as gorgeously romantic. I guess I was fulfilling my fantasy by having 6 year old take lessons; she's been learning the basics for a little over a year. But the sad truth is, I'm not very musically inclined. I've mentioned my insecurity about my voice...and I let that spill over into believing that I couldn't play an instrument either. So I decided, screw that - it's not like I want to become some violin virtuoso. I just wanna play. I just want to enjoy it. I want to share it with my daughter. Those three things are enough to make me explode with musical joy, and who the hell cares what I sound like. (Although I do feel bad for our dogs - one simply runs away when the violins come out, the other just sits and looks at me as if to say, what is that and why are you hurting it??)

Once again, like what happened when I was first learning to horseback ride seriously, I am reminded of the practice that is yoga when I pick up my violin. The focus on the breath. Being in the present moment. Um, coordination of movement (6 year old has been helping me with my bow hold - she's been doing this a bit longer than I have). And best of all, the way everything else melts away for awhile while you make music. I shocked myself silly when I played "twinkle twinkle little star" for the first time, like that first time you do crow pose and come down surprised and smiling.

"Twinkle twinkle little star" has taken on new meaning. Music for the soul, indeed. I'm off to practice (violin followed by yoga)...coming up next: interviews are back! And I think you'll really enjoy this one.