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Wild Things
Posted 05-17-2013

Since returning from a trip to Maui, my mind has been on the idea of wild. This is a result of the confluence of many things. A friend, student and colleague gave me a book entitled, "Women Who Run With the Wolves," by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D, all about the wild woman archetype in various traditional stories and in psychology. She gave this to me knowing that I: 1. have a special thing for wolves, 2. love psychology mixed with shamanism and ethnography, and 3. have been called a wild woman in my own right. I was reading it in Maui while experiencing all sorts of other "wild" things - like giant whales breaching out the water near our boat and huge sea turtles swimming alongside our stand-up paddle boards on a morning lesson. Being in the presence of the whales, in particular, triggered in me some depth of Self that I can't even put into words - some reflection of wild mammal meeting wild mammal in an intuitive understanding like no other. [caption id="attachment_229" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Two Whales Come Up For Air off Maui Coast"][/caption] When I arrived home, the wild thoughts continued. It's turned to Spring here in Chicago recently, and with that there have been tulips blooming and trees bursting into flowers. All around, if you pay attention and look closely, there is evidence of wild natural energy on the move coming forth. There are bulbs shooting their growths up through the earth, leaves going from tight bundles into spread open boughs overnight, and green manifesting all around. What makes these acts wild is the fact that they happen of their own accord - the tulip isn't saying, "Well, you know, I guess I should start pushing upwards" but rather is driven by its very nature of being tulip to grow up out of the bulb through the soil.

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Featured Event

Energetic Architecture: Walking the Archways - Friday May 24 - 7:30-9:30pm - Yoga Now - 742 N LaSalle, Chicago

The physical structure of the body is a mirror of an underlying energetic architecture. When we approach physical asana as a way of shifting the structure and placement of the body in space, we create deep movements in the underlying currenty of energy that is animating the body. This enables profound changes in all levels of being. In this workshop, you will learn to explore physically and energetically a series of archways present in the body: the pelvis, diaphragm, chest lines, jaw, and top of the skull. These structures, like architectural archways, support, distribute and carry the weight of the different layers of experiences you have. Through core exercises, hip opening, chest activation, spinal awareness, pranayama, inversions and arm balances, you will learn how to integrate their powerful support consciously into your life experiences. Come ready to explore your own inner landscapes and their architecture from the level of body, mind, emotion, energy and Spirit. You will need 2 mats, a block and a strap. For more information and to register, please visit HERE. $20 pre-registration/$25 at the door

Energetic Architecture: Opening Doorways to the Heart - Saturday May 25 - 1-3:30pm - Yoga Now - 742 N LaSalle, Chicago

Like any structure that has been designed and built, your body is founded upon an energetic blueprint. Explore through the physical practice of your poses the information contained in your personal energetic blueprint. During this practice you will explore the doorways in the blueprint of the energy in the front and back of your heart space. Through deep shoulder activation, backbending, twisting and spinal re-alignment, you will learn more about which doorways in your own heart you have opened, closed off, armored shut, or cultivated responsively. As you gather information on energetic, physical, mental and emotional levels, the sequence of the practice will enable you to re-craft your energetic heart blueprint to put in more responsive heart doorways - allowing you to relate to yourself and others in a more authentic and deep manner. You will need 2 mats, a block and a strap. For more information and to register, please visit HERE. $20 pre-registration/$25 at the door