I have good news and I have bad news...

I have good news and bad news. 
 (Don’t you love when things start out that way? Did you already decide which one you wanted first, the good or bad? As yogis we are encouraged to not define good or bad, and to not attach meaning or judgement. So, if you thought, Why is she asking about good/bad? when you read the title, you passed your latest yoga quiz! )

Ok, now on to the news: Yoga Loka is moving!
… but not into the spiffy new construction that enticed me out of the old location. It turns out that my current landlord and I were operating in a dreamy state of delusion. After a lot of back and forth, I realized that the space he could provide would not serve our community’s needs. That lead me to look for another option.

Happily, I have found a very sweet location in town that is perfect for our use, 23 Race Street, steps from the blinking light in front of the National Hotel. We will be on the first floor of the free-standing building, with oak floors, plenty of windows, and a great vibe just steps from the public parking lot next to the Citgo.

More good news is we have way more time to make the move and transform the space than the seven days we had last year. That shared miracle transformed H&R Block to our current space practically overnight. It will be less stressful and much more fun this time because we’ll have longer to paint and decorate.

(I confess, I spent many happy hours as a child renovating and decorating cardboard boxes for my dolls until I graduated to a real wooden doll house with electricity. This new space feels like the real wooden doll house.)

Unfortunately, it’s not a doll house, and to erect a few walls and finish out the space turns out to be more complicated and costlier than I anticipated. I was hoping we could move into the new space by the end of April, but after getting specifics from the Frenchtown construction office, I am not sure that will happen.

I now find myself in the position to once again reach out for help. Painters, you are needed again! Carpenters, window cleaners, toilet scrubbers, however you would like to help, I am happy to have many hands on deck.

This time I am also reaching out for donations. I have set up a Go Fund Me page, so if you wish to make a monetary donation you can click here to contribute what you can.

During my trip last week I visited two yoga studios. One was a sweet welcoming place in an old complicated building. There was a baby crying in the other room during savasana, a commuter train rattling past the window every 15 minutes or so blasting its horn, the person who was washing dishes in an adjacent room dropped them to the cold marble floor we were laying on… did I mention the class was in a different language? I understood only about 10% of what was being said. The second place I visited was in Florida, open for about 1 year. The space was absolutely gorgeous - high ceilings, electric fire place, all the props you could want, an outdoor space for hanging out, large windows. Really well-appointed and comfortable. I was the only student who showed up in this popular time slot during the high tourist season. The teacher began class with her back to me and never again looked my way until class was over. I suspect I could have walked out of the class and she would not have known, that is how disconnected she was. Guess which class I would go back to?

Yoga Loka is so much more than just the space it occupies. It is the community of people that inhabit the space. It is about you, whether you come to class once a month or you are here 3-4 times a week. It is something I have known for a while, but became even more apparent to me last year when we moved into 7 Kingwood with its many distractions and discomforts. You still came and returned and continue to come. The ongoing friendships and support networks that have sprouted during the past 14 years have warmed my heart and brought me to tears of gratitude. This is really not something I ever thought I was going to be a part of when I was struggling to draft patterns and sew garments back in my Fashion Institute of Technology days. And here we all are, making our way through the dark pizza fog and sprawling on carpeted floors.

Well, the end is in sight and windows are in our future! I thank you so much for your patience and for continuing to hold and contribute to our communal energy and spirit.

Work will hopefully begin this week. Let me know what you can and would like to do.

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