Ann Rice - Yoga for All

Happy Monday, friends!

“Ten times a day something happens to me like this – some strengthening throb of amazement – some good sweet empathic ping and swell. This is the first, the wildest and the wisest thing I know: that the soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness.”

-Mary Oliver

Spring has officially arrived in Seattle. Tiny buds are brightening up the monochrome of winter. Birds are punctuating the city noise with joyful songs. The sun is more warming and lasting with each passing day. The world, in many ways, is being reawakened.

While I have always noted the change of seasons, I am grateful to yoga for building my awareness of small wonders. With so much information thrown at us daily, the invitation to become still and observe is key to unlocking daily joy. Perhaps it is the most fleeting moment...but the moment is there. By stringing enough moments together we build a life of joy or, at the very least, awareness.

To wake up to life is a gift you can choose to give yourself. I hope you will gift yourself some presence this week (you know I can't resist word humor)!

Here is this week's schedule:

Tuesday, April 6:

6:30pm Vinyasa Yoga (75 mins)

Thursday, April 8:

6:30pm Restorative Yoga (75 mins)

You can register for any of my classes here:

https://www.seminal.video/instructors/annrice

See you on Zoom!

Hi all-

“Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer.”
– Anita Krizzan

This time last year, life felt very different. I remember the uncertainty and fear. Much of life was shutting down while nature was opening up. And while the days got longer and warmer, the uncertainty (and fear) was often present in the background.

This year, we know the gravity of this pandemic. We have adjusted in myriad ways to life as it now is. We are still here, holding on.

The days are getting longer. I hope you have felt the sun on your face lately. We are celebrating those who have been vaccinated. We are starting to see the literal light at the end of this tunnel. Spring is sure.

Let us take joy in this new season, together. Life will get warmer.

Take note of the schedule, this week is different. Class this week only is Tuesday and Wednesday. Both classes will be at 6:30pm and I'm planning on making that a permanent change. As ever, reach out if you have any questions or comments. I am here for you.

To register for classes, click here:

https://www.seminal.video/instructors/annrice

Please contact me at least 30 minutes before the start of class if you need help registering. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Sending love and light,

a

Hello again-

“It is never too late to be what you might have been."

-George Eliot

I find it appropriate that this email is coming to you rather...late. This quote is taped to my desk so I can see it every day. In talking to some dear friends today I was once again reminded of the power of these words. This is an invitation to show up for yourself.

If you are reading this, I know you want growth in your life. I know you are still searching, at least in some aspects of your life. Maybe you feel overwhelmed or disheartened. Maybe you feel like you're going through the motions of existing.

I also know, with every fiber of my being, that you can live the life you imagine. Sure, it may not happen in your ideal timeframe. It certainly will involve uncertainty and risk. It might hurt. Living your biggest life is worth all of that.

This is not the easiest path. It is far easier to shut off your aspirations and live in a state of 'enoughness'. It is simpler to accept what is and coast through life.

And yet, if you commit to doing the work of your life you will come through more fully you. More alive, more present. Then ease will come from living authentically. I want that for myself and I want that for you.

I know of no way out but through. Let's help each other become what we might have been. It's not too late.

Here is this week's schedule:

Tuesday, March 16:
6:30pm Vinyasa Yoga (75 mins)

Thursday, March 18:
6:00pm Restorative Yoga (75 mins)

Register for class here:
https://www.seminal.video/instructors/annrice

I look forward to seeing you soon!
xo,
a

Hello humans-

“Stop a minute, right where you are. Relax your shoulders, shake your head and spine like a dog shaking off cold water. Tell that imperious voice in your head to be still.”
-Barbara Kingsolver

Read that quote again, please. Then follow these wise words.

This past week has tested me in ways I wasn't prepared for. I'm in the process of moving, job hunting and starting a 300 hour yoga teacher training. All that on top of working and managing day to day life. I'll admit, I thought it would be fine. Not ideal by any means, but manageable.

I was wrong. My body and heart couldn't handle all the stress...and I broke down. This is hard for me to admit, particularly in the space of being a teacher and leader. I think it's important to share this because burnout is a very real problem. We need to acknowledge that being overwhelmed and exhausted is not a badge of honor. It's harmful to push yourself constantly. Normalizing rest is key to our survival.

That being said, there will be only one live class this week. I want to see you AND I want to show up as well as possible for your practice. I would like to guide you through a gentle, healing practice this Thursday.

Also: I want to thank you for your class donations in the past two weeks. 100% of this money has gone to support underserved and at-risk populations affected by the winter storms in Texas. I have family in Texas and I know several of you also have meaningful connections there. Here are the organizations I have poured into on behalf of our yoga community:

-Genesis Women's Shelter (Dallas)
-Austin Pets Alive (Austin)
-Lucille's 1913 (Houston)

Join me for one special, happiness inducing practice this week:

(Note: I do have recordings of a few classes in case you need more yoga with moi this week)

Thursday, March 4:

6:00pm Restorative Yoga (75 mins)

You can register for class here:
https://www.seminal.video/instructors/annrice

With love,
a

Hello again-

“Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.”
-Alan Cohen

Life has been absolutely nuts for the last year (at least). A pandemic, major weather catastrophes, political and social upheaval. We've collectively been through A LOT. I have no doubt your individual lives have not been without challenge.

It's completely understandable to take some time to process and grieve what has happened. The loss of what life was. It's okay to pause to reassess your priorities. It's okay to go to bed early or binge watch TV. Some moments require a break in the action.

Here's the thing: at some point, you have to move forward. For most people, it is easier to make excuses than it is to start something new. Having experienced real hardship and loss does not excuse us from continuing to live. As I see it, we can and must do hard things. If we don't, we are cheating ourselves out of a vibrant life. We are depriving the world of our individual gifts.

I know it's hard. I know there are days where it feels impossible to feel hopeful. Days where it feels so much easier to defer your dreams, let alone your 'to do' list. There will never be an ideal moment. As a reformed perfectionist, I know that perfect is the enemy of done. Own your excuses and do it anyway.

Yoga is not about being the most flexible. It's not about wearing the 'right' clothes or looking any particular way. It's about showing up and being present with what is...and that is hard work. Do it anyway. :)

I will be donating all proceeds of classes this week toward mutual aid organizations in Texas. I encourage you to give as you are able or to donate directly.

Here is this week's schedule:

Tuesday, February 23:

6:30pm Vinyasa Yoga (75 mins)

Thursday, February 25:

4:30pm Kids & Family Yoga (30 mins)

6:00pm Restorative Yoga (75 mins)

Please register for class here:
https://www.seminal.video/instructors/annrice

xo,
a

'The body is actually a reflection of the mind, a symbol in flesh and blood of everything you think and feel.'
- Deepak Chopra

Perhaps you've heard the phrase 'your issues live in your tissues'. We all have our unique reactions to stressors: headaches, nervous stomach, muscle tension, etc. Even deeper illnesses like cancer and heart attack have been linked to emotional or physical trauma. Our bodies carry toxins and tension that are begging to be released. If we don't find healthy ways to do that, we will feel it in our bodies.

I am not advocating a complete overhaul of Western medicine as we know it. However, I do endorse yoga as a tool to actively heal yourself. Yoga asks you to be an active participant in your health journey. This practice allows you to grow a true awareness of what makes you feel better. As your body becomes more free, so does your mind.

I have never left a yoga class feeling worse. Ever. When I ask students how they feel at the end of class, the overwhelming answer is: Better. (I can tell you it's never worse.)

Come as you are. Come heal and breathe. Let's release what no longer serves us.

Here is this week's schedule:

Tuesday, February 9:

6:30pm Vinyasa Yoga (75 mins)

Thursday, February 11:

Kids & Family Yoga (30 mins)

6:00pm Restorative Yoga (75 mins)

Register here:
https://www.seminal.video/instructors/annrice

Dear ones-
'I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope

For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love,

For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith

But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.
Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:
So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.'
-T.S. Eliot

It can be excruciatingly hard to be patient. Particularly when we are in a painful or difficult circumstance all our attention tends to focus on getting out of that state. To an extent, this is self preservation and positive. No one should suffer all the time.

And yet, some amount of discomfort is essential to growth. We simply cannot expect to be in a constant state of physical or emotional bliss. In a world that allows you to have everything *right now* there is value in waiting for what you most desire. Also, the further you go inward, the more you are able to understand the root of your thoughts and actions.

There is immense power in sitting with your own demons and letting them teach you. It's not always (or perhaps ever) pretty but it is important. Denial will never work. When you do make the space for darkness, you usher in the light. When you allow for stillness, you let your soul dance. And that is straight up magic.

So I invite you to dance this week. I invite you to embrace your whole self. Most of all, I invite you to practice patience. Your life is still unfolding.

Here is this week's schedule:

Tuesday, February 2:

6:30pm PST Vinyasa Yoga (75 mins)

Thursday, February 4:

6:00pm PST Restorative Yoga (75 mins)

You can register for classes here:

https://www.seminal.video/instructors/annrice

xo,
a

Hello dear friends-

“I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap.
-Ani DiFranco

When the COVID-19 pandemic reached us in Seattle, I thought it would be a few weeks or maybe a month of a different routine. I didn't know in March that I was walking out of the yoga studio for the last time that year. I think it's safe to say none of us knew how much life would shift around this crisis. How much we would change individually and collectively. And here we are, still breathing.

I am thankful to have been asked to step into this online space. I am not sure I would have done it without encouragement. While I do not see all the same faces I did in the studio, I am able to connect with friends and family from all over the country with the help of Zoom. And the jokes are just as bad as they ever were. ;)

The word yoga is often translated as 'union'. Yoga gives us a unique opportunity to have a personal experience in a collective space. I have often felt isolated and alone in the past year. Having this connection to you has kept me grounded and hopeful. We each bring our specific experience to this practice. Even in this new digital medium, we are together.

Please remember: you are not alone.

Here is this week's schedule:

Tuesday, January 26:

6:30pm Vinyasa Yoga (75 mins)

Thursday, January 28:

Kids & Family Yoga (30 mins)

6:00pm Restorative Yoga (75 mins)

You can register for classes here:

See you on your mat!

https://www.seminal.video/instructors/annrice

Hi there-

“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”
– Maya Angelou

I've been thinking a lot about our nation's history lately. I can almost hear you thinking: Okay, Ann, but how does this really relate to yoga?

Bear with me.

United States history is laden with trauma, injustice and alternate truths. The struggles of the past reverberate into our present. It has been hard work to keep this country together and even now we are reaching a painful breaking point. Many people stubbornly refuse to see how connected we truly are. In order for us to survive we must learn from the past.

When you first practice yoga, you will invariably be faced with your own narrative. Stories about your physical or mental capacity to practice. Trauma that lives within your body that is difficult to release. An ego mind that constantly interrupts any sense of inner calm. You muddle through the poses and breaths until, one day, you experience a moment of calm. Of peace. If you don't show up for yourself you won't experience this learning.

We are not meant to live fixed lives. We are meant to change and grow. Until we examine the bad we cannot truly seek the good. That confrontation can be scary and it can hurt...but it is worth what you become, what we become on the other side.

So, while I cannot fix white supremacy or racism all by my lonesome, I can create a safe space for you to strengthen your heart for the road ahead...

..and you have to show up in order to get started.

Here is this week's schedule:

Tuesday, January 12:

6:30pm Vinyasa Yoga (75 mins)

Thursday, January 14:

**Kids & Family Yoga will now be offered every 2 weeks. Please join me on January 28!

6:00pm Restorative Yoga (75 mins)

You can register (and pay) online!

https://www.seminal.video/instructors/annrice

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”-Jimi Hendrix

The events of the last week--not to mention the last 4 years and beyond--have left me deeply heartbroken. While I work every day to see good and express gratitude for life, it has been an increasing struggle lately. The one true source of solace has been moving my breath and body with gentleness.

Your yoga practice is an act of self love. By showing up for yourself you can better serve others. Yoga reminds us that we can bend without breaking. By becoming more aware and intentional you bring more love into this world. That love manifests more love.

The world needs you. We need this practice.

Here is this week's schedule:

Tuesday, January 12:
6:30pm Vinyasa Yoga (75 mins)

Thursday, January 14:
4:30pm Kids & Family Yoga (30 mins)

6:00pm Restorative Yoga (75 mins)

Register here:
https://www.seminal.video/instructors/annrice

Dear ones-

“I heard a bird sing in the dark of December. A magical thing. And sweet to remember. We are nearer to Spring than we were in September. I heard a bird sing in the dark of December.”
- Oliver Herford

I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions, never have been. If resolutions and the 'new year, new me' mentality really rings your bells I support that...it just doesn't work for me. Recalibration and reinvention happen regardless of the date and I already have plenty of things on my to do list.

What I am into is presence. Showing up, in the moment you find yourself. Hearing the birds in the darkness of winter.

I'm not willing to wish this year away because that is, quite literally, wishing my life away. I am present to the pain and the joy it held and continues to hold. I know my life will not magically reset once 2021 hits. I know yoga has made me resilient enough to be okay with these facts. To not look for quick fixes or easy answers. To keep breathing through it all.

If any of this resonates with you, I hope you'll join me on Zoom this week to bid farewell to this year. Together.

Here is this week's schedule:

Tuesday, December 29:
6:30pm Vinyasa Yoga (75 mins

Thursday, December 31:
4:30pm New Years Eve Practice (90 mins)

Please contact me here or via email ([email protected]) to register.

Bright wishes to you today and in the year to come!
a

Hi friends,

“Yoga is not a work-out, it is a work-in. And this is the point of spiritual practice; to make us teachable; to open up our hearts and focus our awareness so that we can know what we already know and be who we already are.”
-Rolf Gates

Thank you to all those who joined in the Winter Solstice practice yesterday--it was a joy to share space with you. As I write this on the longest night of the year (it is already dark outside my window) I want to thank ALL of you for bringing your light to this world. Whether you know it or not, you shine like beacons of hope.

In the darkness of this season, I encourage you to lean in to rest and renewal. Our physical practice can be a wonderful way to shine light on those areas that need to shift. As we close out the year, classes will focus on gently moving the body and finding stillness in the mind. Join me, won't you?

Here is this week's schedule:

Tuesday, December 22:
6:30pm Vinyasa Yoga (75 mins)

Saturday, December 26:
11:00am Gentle Yoga (75 mins)

All classes remain donation based. Suggested donation is $10/class or Pay What You Can. You can pay via Venmo () or PayPal ([email protected]).

Please feel free to message me here if you would like to register for the class or be added to the email alerts.

Happy Holidays to all!!