A new website is born!

I'm thrilled to share my latest big news...after more than six months of work, we've launched a new website for Big Sky Yoga Retreats. I feel like I had another baby. I keep going to it and admiring it, savoring that blissed-out new mom feeling. It represents me, not just my business - as in what I personally believe in, and have made my life's work. Which is why I probably did so much fretting over the creation process.

I worked with a wonderful designer on this project, who is a Cowgirl Yoga alumna. So she knew the experience that we are trying to capture in images and words. An exciting, brand new element is a photo gallery for each of our retreat offerings, so be sure to explore those. We'll be adding new galleries to showcase Montana and everything we enjoy in this amazing place we call hOMe.

I hope this will entice you to come meet us in Montana, if you haven't already.

Yeehaw & Namaste.

Bird Yoga

Tomorrow may be the first day of spring, but in typical Montana fashion, we are in the midst of one of the biggest snowstorms we've had all season. Since the rest of the country is experiencing some ultra warm spring weather, seems like good timing to share my latest on the Athleta Chi - Spread Your Wings with Spring Yoga, inspired by birds.

Birdsong – a sound of spring. So to greet the coming season on the mat, how about incorporating some asanas inspired by birds into your yoga routine? Like their namesakes, some poses are graceful, like bird of paradise, and some are powerful, like rooster. Even if we can’t fly, we can add flexibility, strength and a touch of grace through these asanas.

Birds and their ability to fly were infused with spiritual meaning in ancient times. In Hindu mythology, birds were symbols of the soul and the form it took in between earthly lives. Certain birds were also the vehicles of the gods; for example, Garuda the eagle is often depicted carrying Vishnu. It’s not surprising that many yoga poses were inspired by birds.

While the pigeon may not be anyone's favorite bird, it's many yogis' favorite pose, myself included. And there are so many different ways to work on eka pada raja kapotasana - I included my recent faves in this tutorial, including the one pictured here.

Be a bird! Spread your wings, and stretch and strengthen your muscles. Happy Spring from snowy Montana.

Buddhism, & 'The Path to Nirvana' via Montana

My world religions class has moved into Buddhism, and I'm feeling a little less befuddled than I did in the midst of Hinduism. Did I mention that we saw a movie called "33 million gods" on Hinduism? By contrast, Buddhism is not a theistic religion. It is focused on becoming Awakened, like the Buddha did, by eliminating suffering and achieving liberation. The professor called Buddhism a "calm, cool, collected" religion; it's not fiery and passionate and intense. Consider the serene expression on the faces of those Buddha statues. It's hard not to look at them and think, I want some of that. No drama.

A friend questioned me on my post about Hinduism, where I wondered about being disrespectful to this religion by, for example, wearing a Ganesh or OM t-shirt. What's wrong with "sampling" Hinduism via commercial means, especially if it gives someone a taste of serenity...? Nothing at all. But I've realized another reason why I am taking this class - I want to know what some of this means, rather than wearing my Ganesh tee in blissful ignorance. Now I know more about what's behind that peaceful look on the Buddhas' face.

In Buddhism, liberation from the cycle of suffering is called nirvana. This is a fairly easy concept to grasp; nobody wants to suffer. It's also easy to see why Buddhism has become so attractive in the West - as my textbook puts it, The techniques for becoming conscious of the workings of the mind and for bringing it under control have become highly appealing to contemporary citizens of industrial societies who are seeking peace of mind.

Interestingly, earlier this week the Chicago Tribune mentioned Big Sky Yoga Retreats in an article called 'The Path to Nirvana'. How's that for timing?

Photo of me taken at the Garden of 1,000 Buddhas in Montana, by Larry Stanley.

Winter Wildlife

We've been treated to some fabulous winter wildlife sightings lately. It's really wonderful to be just going about your day and drive by a herd of elk, a bald eagle, some bighorn sheep. It reminds me how lucky we are to have front row seats to nature here in Montana. Namaste.

We've seen the bighorns in Big Sky on our way to ski; we've been seeing bald eagles almost every day in Bozeman, this picture was taken by a friend who was lucky enough to have this one in her front yard; I often drive by this herd of elk on my way home.