In March 2020, we made a huge pivot after thirteen years of in-person classes to an all-virtual classroom. It was as much a choice as a necessity in the beginning, but that decision was solidified a couple of months later when it became apparent that we weren’t going to be getting out of this Covid situation as quickly and easily as we’d hoped. When we let go of our brick and mortar space we made a commitment to you to continue on, fully online, for the foreseeable future. 20 months later, it is time to innovate again.

None of this has been easy. Not for anyone. In so many parts of our lives, we have lost ways of being that we loved. I’d say we loved those things so much, and were so attached to those ways of being, that we never even considered it could be another way. The saying “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone” feels so true about so many things. Oh, how much we took for granted.

Even if you’ve done a decent job navigating the internal and external challenges of these endless months of transition, chances are good there’s still a sense of grief of what’s been lost, and a longing for the familiar, the comfortable, the known. It’s only natural to look for steady ground. The question is, to what are you looking for that stability? For I believe we’ve been shown it cannot be found outside of our own hearts and minds. The shifting sands of time and life will continue to change, flow, morph. We must do the same on the outside, while digging into the steady center within.

Through months of uncertainty and change, I am sure of this: we cannot move into the future by chasing the past. Sadness, discomfort and disappointment are not villains from which we can run or hide. We must turn to them, face on, with open hands and hearts, available to receive whatever lesson they came to deliver. A full life is not a life with no sadness, isolation or grief. A full life, by definition, includes everything. If you are truly in your practice, then running, hiding or pretending are not available options. We must hold the shadow in one hand even as we carry the light in the other. Even when the ground beneath us shakes. Even when we would far prefer to avoid whatever is right there, waiting to be felt. We must claim it all, as it is, wide open.

If we are to survive- as a studio, as individuals, as communities- we must continue to adapt and innovate. For our part, beginning in 2022, our class schedule will shift to a mix of live, recorded and series classes. In order for us to fulfill our commitment to you, our beloved community, and continue to offer high quality instruction and depth of study, we must ask for a commitment in return. On one hand, some fluctuation in class numbers is always to be expected. It’s always been that way and likely always will. And, on the other hand, for our teachers to continue to allot time in their schedules to share their gifts, it also needs to be worth their time to do so. 

For the final two months of 2021, we are offering a little taster of what is to come, and we hope you’ll join us. All live class recordings will be good for 3 days instead of 24 hours. Our 30-minute $10 classes with week-long recording access will continue. A couple of classes will shift to a recording-only format, also with 3-day access.  You’ll see a special pass below to encourage you to rededicate yourself to practice through the end of the year. 

These are hard times. Don’t give up what you believe in. Don’t give up on what you know to be true. And definitely don’t stop digging deep into your own well of grace. Keep breathing into the center of the unknown until the light within illuminates the path ahead. Together, we’ve got this.

Blessings,

Jill