Happy 4 Years to Lila!

Screen Shot 2014-06-04 at 4.02.47 PMToday marks the official date of Lila opening its doors.  Four years ago I stepped into the unknown of running my own business to dive deeper into a practice that I loved.  The days, months, and years that followed have allowed me to feel more connected, more aware, and more supported.  Many thanks go out to the practice, the talented teachers, the physical space, and the growing dedicated community of yogis.  Lila is what it is today because of all of you, all of us, working together to create something that holds value and meaning.

During the Asana Junkies class this morning I took the opportunity to play and practice in community using the requests of each and every yogi to pull together a class sequence.  We were able to honor everyone’s request, and the class seemed to flow seamlessly from one request to the next.  From backbends to deep hip work, we opened in all various directions using the support of one another to inspire and deepen.  This convergence of ideas and hopes is really how I have been able to stand strong and run the business the way I have over the last four years, through your guided suggestions, support, and inspiration.  From studio function improvements, to class ideas and suggestions, to classes filling up, all of that happened because of yogis showing up and sharing the space, energy, and practice.

I often receive sweet messages in my inbox thanking me and the other teachers at Lila for what they offer…

“I’ve been meaning to send you a note for a long time to thank you so much for providing what became a “home away from home” for me in Portland through your yoga studio.” – Lila Yogi 

“Yoga at Lila was definitely a critical catalyst in staying sane while in graduate school!!”

“I am loving practicing at your studio, it’s too sweet.”

IMG_1248The gratitude extends both ways.  We would not be able to teach if you were not in the room.  Thank you all for committing to a practice, supporting Lila and its teachers, and continuing to show up.

I sincerely look forward to the days, months, years ahead with the Lila community by my side while my family, my practice, and my true self continues to grow.  Together we have created something that is uniquely special and supporting us all in the play of daily life.  Here is to more classes to be taught, ideas to be shared, and inspiring ways to stay healthy and happy in this precious life.

With love and deep gratitude,

Genell

p.s. on working together and feeling the support of the community, as many of you know, my physical presence at the studio has been getting bigger (literally as I grow my second child in my belly).  Soon my presence will be fully engaged welcoming this new life at home.  While I am away I have many folks who have offered to step up and lend their support and time.  All my classes will continue on with a matrix of different teachers filling in (this will all be listed online).  If you have been lucky to attend Skye Adam’s or Heather Altenburg’s morning classes, you have been graced with both their creative and sensitive presences.  Both of them will be stepping in as studio managers while I am away.  Part of managing the space will include these blog postings.  Skye also happens to be quite a gifted writer and editor – she has her own homesteading blog and is a copy editor for Maine Magazine.  Her voice is welcomed here on this platform to help further engage and inspire the community.  Enjoy her first blog post below.

Working Together

We shape our self
to fit this world
and by the world
are shaped again.
The visible
and the invisible
working together
in common cause,
to produce
the miraculous.
I am thinking of the way
the intangible air
passed at speed
round a shaped wing
Easily
holds our weight.
So may we, in this life
trust
to those elements
we have yet to see
or imagine,
and look for the true
shape of our own self,
by forming it well
to the great
intangibles about us.
— David Whyte
from The House of Belonging
©1996 Many Rivers Press

From Skye:
When I moved back to Maine last summer after several years in Austin, Texas, I kind of felt like Goldilocks trying to find the perfect “yoga home.” This one was too big, that one was too hot; it turned out that Lila was just right. As both a teacher and a student, I was looking for a place where I connected both to the teaching style and to the community of students. Lila offered that rare balance of intimacy of space but with infinite possibility for expansion as a yogi. For the opportunity to experience this kind of symmetry, I am very grateful to Genell. She opened her studio to a teacher with no following in Greater Portland, and now she is trusting me with the care of it for a while as she embarks on the journey of being a mother of two.
After four years, Lila continues to grow, and I look forward to growing with it. As more than one dedicated Lila student has said, Lila feels like a home away from home, so together let’s keep that familiar, playful spirit thriving for at least the next four years and beyond.
2014-06-04T20:04:57+00:00June 4th, 2014|#LiveLila Reflections|0 Comments

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