Summer is almost here and that means lots of visitors to Taos and the surrounding area.
I know many people literally travel with their Yoga mats these days so I thought I’d ask the Shree Goddesses what they had planned for the upcoming season. I imagined they’d soon be climbing the walls with so many extra bodies in the studio and more classes to schedule, but no, they were as cool, calm and collected as ever.
Clearly, they get the kinks out ON the wall.
!) Do you have anything special planned for Summer at Shree Yoga?
Suki: We do! July marks eight years of open doors at the studio and in thanks for all the practice, sweat, and tears that have gone down in our space for 2,920 days we are offering a special One to Grow On promotion. Students who purchase an eight class pass any day in the month of July receive one free class to grow on.
Gen :This summer we turn 8! I can hardly believe it! To celebrate we are offering a free class card for every purchase of an 8 punch pass through the month of July…our birthday month. We have other interesting things on the docket for the summer as well but I’m not as up to speed on the details of all our future events. Suki as the business manager and goddess of scheduling has that information for all interested.
2) How do you accommodate drop-in visitors who are just here for a short stay?
Suki: Shree has always been rooted deeply in our local community. Many of our students are return guests, some have been practicing with us since day one in 2009, and I think it is the students who make the biggest impact on visitors from beyond Taos. We are consistently hearing feedback from out-of-town guests that Shree is welcoming, and that everyone here is so friendly. This makes my heart warm. I know that our teachers do an excellent job greeting everyone who walks in the door with the same respect and care; Shree is not a yoga club, and is not meant to feel exclusive in any way. But it is the students making kind space for new faces that leaves the biggest impression, I think. So sweet.
We do our best to keep our prices fair and the $7 – $12 – $14 drop-in rates are just that. At the desk, we still do all our check-in and payment in person, which may be in the business style of cave people, but it’s personable and creates rapport and real face time with everyone who comes in to practice.
Gen:Respectfully, kindly, and with care. It’s super easy to drop into a class at Shree, all you have to do is come in. Our teachers are all very friendly, kind, knowledgable, and able to accommodate most physical needs and concerns. In general we ask for any information that is important regarding injuries, give a quick spiel about taking care of oneself on the mat, and have newcomers sign a waiver. After the business is taken care students settle in and hopefully enjoy class. We have many returning students who live elsewhere and in each return are a testament to our friendly, welcoming, respectful approach with newcomers.
3)Do the seasons affect your teaching styles? If so, how?
Suki: The seasons, the weather, and the vibe of the day (mine and the students’), taps to the big idea of my classes. If I am not speaking universally, then I am not reaching people authentically, and I try to keep my classes available in mind and body material for all. What is happening on the ground, so to speak, is absolutely the fodder for what is happening on the mat. In the summer we clear heat, in the winter we build warmth. School’s out for summertime means the community’s schedule is shifting dramatically, and so right now I’m leading classes that are basic, grounding, and nourishing to create stability and calm in the shifting tides of a fresh season. From these very basic concepts of responding and living fully in the moment, the doors open for deeper sensitivity to emotions and guidance from the heart. It is through the senses that we experience life in the moment, so I always begin there, and at the very least, our bodies are tended in their relationship to the turf and terrain of the day.
Gen: Hmm…I would not say that my teaching specifically changes with the seasons because of the seasons, however, it is inevitable that they do because the seasons promote change. So much influences any given class. For me, I do my best to stick with a basic formula and then fill it in with respect to what I am practicing, what I feel is the best offering for my students, and of course what is taking place in the world. And in that way teaching changes with the seasons, the moon, gardening and harvesting, my personal life, and the state of the world.
For more information about Shree Yoga Taos and their Summer Schedule, please visit their site linked below this post.
Photographs of Suki Dalury and Genevieve Oswald climbing the walls, by the fabulous Zoe Zimmerman
