Hello friends,
Some days inspire me a lot and today is one of them. I happened to encounter Heather, my boss from Maverick Sports from 10 years ago when the place was first opening. It was nice to see her and we had a chance to reminisce about that time. It was fun to think back to 2001 and have 10 years of perspective to view those times. Maverick Sports was instrumental in the establishment and survival of Near East Yoga. Although the place was a roller coaster ride in general the 6.5 years I was there gave me a chance to learn how to support other yogi’s, make and income and know what it means to hold space for yoga. It also kept alive a tradition of ashtanga yoga in Portland that has been quietly going on for 2 decades. In the time since Maverick’s, Near East Yoga bubbled along and in June 2012 will be ten years running. Maverick Sports is now LA Fitness and the space that housed it on 20th and Overton is empty and idle. It was an exciting time and I am grateful for what I gained and retained from a place that is now a memory.
An element that carries on is the friendships made back then that have lasted till now and continue. I want thank all of those folks. Jenn Christianson took my second ever yoga class there with only one other person in the class who I only met that one time. On the 18th we will have practiced together for 10 years. I always remind and thank her in this season, just not so publicly. Josh, Ngan, Piper, Brett and Melinda are all from Maverick’s. Charisse was too. Jason served his time there as did Jen and Alice from Yoga Pearl when Maverick’s was just a temporary sheet rock box built in the middle of a construction zone, while they waited for their own shop to be completed. Had I not gone for the Maverick’s position I was going to take the job they had offered me at “Yoga in the Pearl” as it was called then. This would be an entirely different letter, relating the results of entirely different karma. That would have been fine too but it never happened.
What has happened is fantastic. On Thursday I am going to Fargo to present a workshop at Ecce Yoga in Fargo ND operated by old friends and Maverick’s alum Brenda Weiler and Derek Harnish. They started in ashtanga yoga Fargo 4 years ago and are doing well supporting the method. I recently had the pleasure of serving a fine and well trained ashtangi visiting from their school. Of course I was thrilled to meet her. In October Charisse opened Near East Yoga Spokane and has done a marvelous job capturing the spirit of Ashtanga Yoga and offering it to the yogi’s in her community. There are others of course involved in the growth and support of this yoga and they know I am thinking of them. Those names will be named but will have to wait until June 14th 2012 when we celebrate 10 years of Near East Yoga. For now I want to just savor that the support and encouragement we received from Dave Fox and Heather. Without them it would not have happened.
Happy Full Moon, Casey