Brave Space & Meal - A Curious, Connected Community Cures

Hello friends,

Come on around for your yoga on the mat plus other ways to practice wellbeing - self study, expression, connection, nourishing meals and healthy relationships. Connection cures.

We are a place & space that aims to practice open mindedness over judgement, curiosity over condemnation, personal accountability over blame, love over fear.

Are you aspiring to those principles too?

Join us this Sunday evening for a special back to back Brave Space & Community Meal. Somewhere between 15-20 of us usually gather. It’s open to anyone. If today doesn’t suit, there’s another one Dec 6.

Here are some details on the events, followed by more creative prose below…

Nov 1, 4pm, - Brave Space - A gathering to share the written words and creativity that move us. Writing, reading and art, in all forms, can nurture and support connection, healing, personal growth and inspiration. We'll provide tea and a warm safe space for expression. You are invited to bring your vulnerable curious self, your own composition or an inspiring quote, reading or expression. Whether you come to listen, share, or even request feedback, you are welcome to Brave Space!

Nov 1, 530pm, - Community Meal & Meeting - Gather for a community style meal & sharing meeting!

All are welcome! Rest easy knowing you will be warmly welcomed and invited to participate at your comfort level.

Here’s what we do:

🌮🥦🍶We usually serve a buffet style community organized potluck - you are welcome to bring something to share or not - there is always just the right amount.

❓❓Once everyone has grabbed some food, we typically circle up and pose a few thought provoking questions and invite you to answer. It’s neat to hear from a diverse group of people on the same topic! You are of course welcome to just listen.

📣We usually include a time for general community announcements or needs.

🍰☕️Dessert makes its way around and we wrap up with a little closing meditation or gratitude practice. You are welcome to mingle after.

Other details:

😊 All are welcome - open to anyone curious or seeking community & connection. Our residents are always present and anchor the gathering.

💰There is no charge although donations for our non profit are always needed and welcome.

🗓️This is a regular offering. Some of other other dates are: Nov 1, Dec 6

🏠Location varies - check the schedule or text 301.788.5154 the day of. today, its in the garage.

🍽️Additionally, we have other Eating-style gatherings on the schedule - have a look.

You belong here.

warmly,

dorcas & sol crew

---

More prose for those who enjoy the words…

We are a diverse community of curious people on a path of self discovery. A lot of us write, create and do art - some professionally, some secretly, but all passionately. Are you one of them? Let us know! Share your work with us and contribute to our community blog.

Here are a few substacks of people in our community!

The Belonging Experiment by Sol

Confluence Communion by Adrien

Delightful by Lisa

Lady Mae Thunderbird, by Thunderbird

A few BRAVE SPACE SHARES (posted with permission)

BRAVE SPACE? (*explicit)

Is this

I am pissed

Fuck off

Fuck you

Fuck me

And fuck we

In this moment

I’d rather be solitary

Unreliant

On another

For protection and cover

Give me my fucking armor

Shake off the dust

Fuck the bits of rust

All done being soft and open

Fuck trust

And the liar that is lust

I’ve got my own back

Thank you very much

I’m sure this surge will pass

And again my heart will purr

But there is no magic cure

For the angst I feel

Imagined or real

It’s irrelevant

So I speak

Get out of me

You see

This feeling is a robber

Making me weak

Taking my peace

I won’t sign your lease

You are welcome to pass through

Right on thru

Let me show you the back door in fact

Take your coat too

Leave no remnants

A purge I will do

Smudge with sage

Ahhh

There we go

Peace pervades

If only it were that easy

But it’s a start

I don’t do anger

I don’t know how

It’s too messy

For a little girl all perfect and pure

But it’s a snake inside

Coiled

Trapped

Unable to snap

This expression

A bit of a practice session

Does this work?

If I Bring it to the light

Or will it still lurk?

And I will have just sounded like a jerk

I rest my case

In the body of brave space.

Your Snuggle

Your cuddle

Not at all subtle

Magnificent in fact

You don’t hold back

I love when you are soft

Slightly asleep

Tender

Not the usual deep

And Contemplative

But more meek

Your body tells me how much you love me

Unmistakable

Not from your mind

But a place much more sublime

So true.

So you.

Note for Teachers - Let's Go Deeper

Teachers,

…a couple things just for you…

1. Thank you so much for keeping up on these ‘messages’ & what’s app. Spotlight lands on ya’ll in this community and its so helpful when you can be distributors of information and inspiration!

2. The Sol Service Crew is expanding to support you better - see details here.

3. This first invitation is for your radical self - the brave part of you that dares to be exposed. Do you write, sing, tell a badass story? I need 5 volunteers willing to shine for 5-10 minutes at Brave Space this Sunday at 4pm. Text me if you are up for it. And feel free to join community meal & meeting after.

4. Next Saturday, Nov 7 from 6-11am, join me to Go Deeper in a special ‘training’ inviting you to peel back the layers, the masks, the barriers to your true self. This practice is for those that are genuinely interested in using yoga as a process to help to lift self-ignorance and reveal the bliss of your soul. DIscover where you might be holding back, hiding, unwiling to surrender - are you willing to courageously discover your deeper realms of truth? I will over a churning practice, provocative prompts for discussion and passionate participation in the revealing process that yoga is. Healed people heal people. And healed communities transmute suffering into bliss Let’s do it together Breakfast & CEU’s included. Register for this event only or enjoy a monthly experience with a variety of our most seasoned teachers. $125, 50% off for members or teachers, all proceeds go to charity.

5. New Teachers - new to Sol or new to teaching - get on our sub list & regular schedule by on-boarding. Date coming soon. Let myself or Thunderbird know in person or via text if you’d like to on-board.

6. We could add a few more workshops for the holidays…anyone have a gift to offer?!

Keep shining!

Dorcas

More Special Events @ Sol - Live Drumming, Brave Open Mic, Community Meal & More

Hello friends,

October yields to November this week! Time ticks on one day at a time. How is your fall practice going? Here at Sol, our daily schedule and devoted practitioners keep showing up! Behind the scenes, we’ll been busy up-leveling our most-amazing-volunteer-work-exchange-sol-service-crew - learn more about that here. And a special note just for teachers too.

Below are our special events that are formerly currently cued up. Amazing things like live drumming, open ‘mic’ style poetry sharing, community meal, practical spirituality, and chakra exploration!

There are more in the pipeline PLUS, you can really enjoy the spirit of sol beyond the schedule when you show up before or after and hang out. Our spaces are open for relaxing in - make a cup of tea or coffee, peruse our books, racks of swap clothes or enjoy conversation.

OCT/NOv special events CALENDAR

Daily 4-7 Classes, everyday!

Mon/Wed/Thurs - Awakening Morning Practice 545am-630am

Mon nights - Codependents Workbook Group - small group

3 more weeks - Yoga for Limited Mobility TRIAL - Tuesday’s 1030am

Oct 30 - Druminyasa a workshop with live drumming & Christine & Guiseppe on Friday

Nov 1 - (Best of) Brave Space - Sun 4-5:15pm

Nov 1 - Community Meal & Meeting, Sun, 5:30-7pm

Nov 7 - Go Deeper - A Provocative Practice of Presence for teachers & dedicated students, 6-11am

Nov 15 - Bagels, Coffee & Practical Spirituality - Beautiful open-minded sharing about the great unknown.

Nov 28 - Fall Exploration of Root Chakra w/ Lara

Come on by,

Dorcas & Sol Crew

Sol Service - Crew Expands - We the People!

Hello Friends,

We are expanding - but maybe not the way you think!

This is a note about what is underway and how things are evolving on the inside of Sol. The practical stuff is in this message, visit our blog for thought exploration on community & belonging.

Since 2005, our operations have been largely run by volunteer efforts - almost exclusively in fact. The generosity and communal spirit of Sol is integral to our everyday happenings and truly makes us tick!

The studio opened in January 2005 with 2 teachers (Dorcas & Jan) on the schedule and a ‘service crew’ of 3 ‘volunteers’ (Kristina, Kristen & Claire) and a box of index cards labeled with about 50 students names.

As of today, our service crew is 35+ strong. Thank you to: Pat, Nancy, Kathy, Thunderbird, Laura, Jen, Mikayla, Donna, Adrien, Stacie, Diana, Rachel, Clair, Cindy, Kelly, Kristen, Katherin, Nick, James, Kendall, Nyiah, Miles, Brigitte, Jevaun, Laura, Carla, Tanuja, with these people in que - Summer, Maryam, Bryan, Paloma, ivy, Suzie, Carrie, Lisa, Ava, Martin, David and others. This does not include all of our teachers, many who contribute so much more than just their teaching!

In the past month, we’ve been aiming to clarify and uplevel our Sol Service Crew - identifying who belongs and how can we meet the needs of the community with more connection & integrity.

1. Who belongs? Anyone can be on the crew. If someone wants to get involved, we’ll train you! Some people want to serve in a simply a volunteer capacity, some are part of the work-exchange and receive yoga or other benefits in exchange for the service. (In you are reading this and interested, just come in and ask how you can get involved.)

2. What does the Service Crew do? Pretty much everything in our community except ‘teach’ the classes and pay the bills. We have over 2,000 events per year and 4 properties to maintain - all serving hundreds of humans.

3. What are we adjusting? Mainly, we want to support MORE human power and less (machine) automation. (Crazy, i know). We want to share the effort better - smaller tasks for more people. We are also aiming for higher rates of mutual consistency, reliability and follow-thru - dependable ‘yes’s’ all around. And finally, up-level training - there is lots that goes into the community operations and for those that are interested in a deeper relationship, we’d love to share more complex tasks.

What we think you’ll notice:

More ‘service positions’ available. For each class or event on our schedule, in addition to the teacher or facilitator, there are now opportunities for up to 3 people to support the event. The ‘duties’ will vary per event but the ‘crew’ assigned will host the event - working together to open and prepare the space, connect and care for the humans and close up!

For example - Where we used to have 1:1 ratio - a teacher & helper, we would like to have up to 5 humans to support one event. For example:

Thursday 9:30am Slow Flow - Teacher: Kristina. | Mentee: Katherin | Crew 1: Pat | Crew 2: Laura | Crew 3: (open slot)

More Training: The other thing that is happening, but you may not notice on the outside, is the implimentaion of three or more phases of training for the ‘service crew.’ We’ll start simple with Phase 1, so anyone can join and add on as relationship deepens. Over time, we’d like all service crew members to run thru the current training… even if you have been around a long time! Everything is always evolving… it’s our own little continuing education units (CEU’s). If you are currently on the crew, please ask ‘when the next training is, or better yet, offer to lead one!

More faces, less screens: It’s so tempting to offer virtual meetings and trainings and put an ipad at the door when you enter to ‘check yourself in,’ but we are hoping to keep the face:face contact as long as we can. The overall aim is to INCREASE human contact and connection. Which means, we might be making old fashioned phone calls or saving text messages for when we are in person. We might even have a paper schedule IN STUDIO of the crew assignments for all to see. Heck, we might get a phone tree going :-).

Which means, this might be slower, messier and more prone to human error.

Please bear with us. Give us grace. We stand on the side of knowing one another for real.

Love,

Me, Dorcas, and We, the people at sol

Fall is for Change - Subtle Shifts

Hello again friends,

I have a couple small changes to the October calendar I wanted to let you know about! We aim for consistency & reliability AND we gotta go with the flow sometimes!

• We need to postpone our BIG clothing swap - but the items that have been dropped are already available in the studio & boutique. We’ll continue to hang anything that shows up! There is some good stuff - even with tags on!

• Kristina’s special workshop on Oct 25 has a new name and focus - Yoga & Crafting!

• We added Druminyasa, a workshop with live drumming & Christine & Guiseppe on Friday October 30th

• More coming for Nov & Dec!

OCTOBER special events CALENDAR

Daily 4-7 Classes, everyday!

Mon/Wed/Thurs - Awakening Morning Practice 545am-630am

Oct - 11 - POSTPONEDBig Fall Clothing Swap - if you dropped your stuff - we’ll hang it in the boutique!

Oct 11 - 10-1pm - Open House for Volunteers & Work Exchange - we need help join the crew!

Oct 11 -1-3pm 2026 Yoga Teacher Graduation Ceremony, Sparkling Cider & S'mores - open to family & friends & teachers!

Oct 12 - Codependents Workbook Group - small group

Oct 13 - Yoga for Limited Mobility TRIAL - Tuesday’s 1030am

Oct 14, 21,28 - Adult & Child Yoga w/Lara

Oct 14 Meditation School - 3 more wednesdays

Oct 18 - Bagels, Coffee & Practical Spirituality - Beautiful open-minded sharing about the great unknown.

Oct 23 - Lunch & Learn w/ Lara - enjoy a slow home cooked meal w/ 8-10 people. Food is medicine!

Oct 25 -NEW WORKSHOP Yoga & Crafting - w/ Kristina

Oct 30 - Druminyasa a workshop with live drumming & Christine & Guiseppe on Friday

Warmly,

Dorcas

solFEST weekend & Fall kickoff!

Hi there,

Fall is just around the corner.

This weekend, we kick it off with…

solFEST

3 days, 25+ classes & events for your enjoyment.

Organized by community FOR community!

Drop in or pre-register…

For a taster… There are a few seats at the table left on Friday @ 1130am Lunch & Learn with Lara Lattman, right into the boutique opening and sneak peak of our clothing swap (bigger one oct 11). Drop in for an intro to yoga at 330, gentle yoga with dorcas at 430, options for flow yoga with christine at 530 or a down to earth lecture on yoga philosophy from Miles, outdoor yoga in the park with Chuck at 630pm or Yoga Fundamentals with FOUR yoga teachers! Then at 730pm, gather round for SOUP and a speaker story of soul transformation from Katie O’Connor.

Saturday there are more and more options - all day, starting with Outdoor Sunrise Sun Sals made EZ w/ Megan, finishing off the day with a Shamanic Journey at 6pm with Lisa to welcome the fall.

Sunday morning take your pick - 6 amazing options from 108 Sun Sals with live DJ, to Aerial, Kundalini & even learning about your birth chart!

Monday is the last official day of summer and our New Fall Schedule starts Tuesday September 22.

I’ll send another message about that shortly! But if you’d like to check it out, you can click ahead and see

I’m so impressed by our community and its ability to work together - to host a weekend of wonderful offerings - available by donation. WOW! Our recent group of yoga teacher trainees, the never ending devotion of our volunteer and work exchange crew, our teachers and residents - all so amazing.

Join us this weekend, or anytime.

Season after season, our doors are wide open.

Warmly, Dorcas

We Need Your Vote This Weekend

FALL @ SOL

Hello friends!

Our fall schedule is about to launch, but we need your help with one piece! Should we keep or change our class titles?! Read more and cast your 3 min vote on the link below. We’d love to hear your opinion.

don’t forget, here some special events coming up!

🙏Sunday Sept 6 - 4pm Legacy Circle Rountable Happy Hour (this one is full, but we are offering another one on Oct 4)

🍽️5:30pm Community Meal & Meeting

👩‍🏫Friday Sept 11, 4-9pm - Sol Teachers Gathering - Practice, Meal & Memories (Teachers Note)

🥣Wednesday Sept 16, 11:30am - Eating Together Matters - A Sol Lunch & Learn

Sept 18-20, SOL FEST - 3 day free event with showcasing an array of great community offerings.

🧘‍♀️Sept 20 - Autumn Equinox 108 Solar Pulse

🗓️Sept 22 - New Fall Class Schedule begins

☕️Sept 27 - Bagels, Coffee & Practical Spirituality Returns

Click the links about for more information or to RSVP.

Warmly,

Dorcas

---

Did you know we are a mission driven social enterprise and 501c3 nonprofit? Any funds generated serve the broader mission. If you are moved by what we offer or have benefited, please consider making a donation to our cause.  Your contributions support a long-standing safe harbor and home base for transformation. Learn More. Please read my message below for a lengthier explanation.

The Great Transition - Back to School & Scheduled Life!

Hello there,

Kids returned to school yesterday, college campuses are abuzz and our sleepy August at Sol is almost over! I hope you have enjoyed some downtime or summer adventures. I sure made the most of my ‘40 days of rest'.’ Here are the 10 things I learned if you want to switch over to our substack, The Belonging Experiment.

Sol mid august NEWS

Around the Sol community, we are S L O W L Y returning to usual operations. Our 90 days of summer continues until our official fall start - Sept 22, but we have a few transitional weeks here.

here are 10 special events between now and then!

🏠Aug 23, 530pm - Housing Information Session & Interviews

🪫Aug 28/29 - 24 Hour Sol Recharge - A One Day End of Summer Retreat

🏠Aug 30/31 - Residents Move In

🙏Sept 6 - 4pm Legacy Circle Rountable Happy Hour

🍽️5:30pm Community Meal & Meeting

👩‍🏫Sept 11, 4-9pm - Sol Teachers Gathering - Practice, Meal & Memories (Teachers Note)

🥣Sept 16, 11:30am - Eating Together Matters - A Sol Lunch & Learn

Sept 18-20 - solFEST equinox weekend

🧘‍♀️Sept 20 - Autumn Equinox 108 Solar Pulse

🗓️Sept 22 - New Fall Class Schedule begins

☕️Sept 27 - Bagels, Coffee & Practical Spirituality Returns

Click the links about for more information or to RSVP.

Did you know we are a mission driven social enterprise and 501c3 nonprofit? Any funds generated serve the broader mission. If you are moved by what we offer or have benefited, please consider making a donation to our cause.  Your contributions support a long-standing safe harbor and home base for transformation. Learn More. Please read my message below for a lengthier explanation.

FALL @ SOL

I’ll be back soon with a look further ahead to the Fall schedule and other ways to go deeper with us!

Warmly,

Dorcas

Sol Summer Update & Tales from the Road

We are 37 days into summer! 

How are u doing?  How’s your practice going?  Feeling flat? Inspired? Stable? Do share. This is always an invitation for conversation.

It’s Monday June 27th from my South Pacific perch, where I’m writing. But it’s still the 26th where you are - winter here, but I’m sitting at the beach here.  All a bit strange if I try to wrap my brain around it, but ok!  My ‘40 day period of rest’ has included some chasing Paloma around the world to Thailand and New Caledonia. I know, rough life.  And, as I thought it might, the writing bug has returned, with vigor.

First a few studio updates that might interest you.  Then, I’ll yammer on for those that love words like I do and want to hear a few stories from the road.

studio updates:

1. Lazy August Schedule. Please don’t forget to check the schedule daily in August to see what we have to offer.  We are open 365 days a year so we take the month of August to allow the schedule to organically pair back.  We keep 1-2 classes a day and honor teachers requests off.

2. We have one special Community Meal & Gathering on Aug 9th, if you’d like to join, sign up here.

3. Outdoor Classes live on!  This is the season for the yoga on the creek and in the park so grab a friend and make it a date!

4. Question for you - what teacher has left an imprint on you? I’m curious - would you say you have a favorite teacher or class, or do you like variety?   Our teaching philopsophy is the keep things diverse - so we try to have a range of teaching styles and classes available to you. Some of you have been coming for a long long time and might have a long list. Text 301.788.5154 with your response or email a story to info@solyoga.org

5. Did you know we are a mission driven social enterprise and 501c3 nonprofit.  Any funds generated serve the broader mission. Since Covid we have given away two dollars worth of Yoga and services for every one dollar generated.  We need your help.  We prefer to be self supporting by those who participate and understand in our mission over grant funded.  If you are moved by what we offer or have benefited, please consider making a donating to our cause.  Your contributions support a longstanding safe harbor and home base for transformation. Learn More

6. Look ahead! Fall schedule of special events is popping up.  Mark your calendars & reserve your spot for our delicious monthly Lunch & Learn with Lara Lattman and Practical Spirituality - dates listed for Sept, Oct & November

7. Looking for the ultimate in savings with built in care of the future? Check out our Legacy Lifetime Membership

8. Deeper Studies - there are so many ways to go deeper with the practices of yoga, in your personal spirituality or getting to know this community better. We have educational programs, private sessions and you can even live with us. But one of the best ways to find out which direction to take, is to talk to us. Email us at info@solyoga.org or text 301.788.5154 for some general direction.

9. Teachers, have your own little note here. You are invited to gather on Sept 11 & offer seasonal feedback here.

10. And finally, we got a sweet handwritten letter in the mail. A letter of gratitude for all the invisible things this community does to support people flourishing. Check it out here.

Thats good for now. Summer is a bit less structured around the studio, but we are still present everyday. I’ll bring you some more updates in a few weeks for the fall and winter. Until then, #sol90in90 continues.

Warmly,

Dorcas

---

Ok, on to the yammer-ing.

Do you like to read or write?

Take photos? Travel? See things differently?

This section will be for you.

I LOVE to read and write. Haven’t always. In fact, it was a real struggle for a long time. My high school best friend knows my pains of transitioning from home school ‘essays’ to public school 5 paragraph ‘papers.’ But it has become a real portal to freedom. The ability to learn whatever you want thru books and express oneself in words, spoken or written is liberating. And not the sharing that gets you a grade, or the I’m-worried-if-you-will-like-it-or-not, kind of sharing. Just writing. If my words resonate, I assume you’ll keep reading. And if not, i’m sure you’ll find something else to do!

We got an amazing handwritten letter in the mail, noted above and transcribed in our substack blog. The letter inspired me to write again. To write to connect. To share. To share the journey of belonging. It’s important. Pen to paper is such an original form of communication.

For the past 6 years I’ve been in person talking, talking, talking. My entire life is sitting with people and listening/talking. 1:1, groups, etc. Which is LOVELY. And this 40 days of relative quiet has reminded me of another chapter of my life that was the opposite of in-person. Alone on an island. Long before COVID and the age of working remotely. I communicated a lot through email, text, podcast and such. And there is soooooooo much to choose from to listen to or read.

So, I’m writing again.

There is nothing new or special that I have to say. It’s all been said before. But I’ll say it my way and if it inspires you, great!

Specifically, I have 20+ years of time in this community. 25 years doing yoga and 48 years doing all the other things. So I know ‘our’ life story here at Sol, many of you people that have or do ‘belong’ here and we all speak a little yoga-language. Most of the things I’ll be writing about and sharing with you are relative to this stuff. Which is actually alot of ‘stuff.’ As we have discovered, yoga is union, connection and that is a thread in all of life.

We’ve had blogs before that I can’t get into. Yogadorc.com carried my through the living abroad years. Who remembers Shine Blog? I think the lovely Linda Pruce got us going on that. Before that, there were years and years of e-newsletters that were filled with writing from all of us. Erin, Shelley and so many crafted incredible communication. And even before that, we had the most beautiful full color paper newsletters that would come out monthly. Thankfully, Katie Stover set up this in-website blog called ‘messages,’ that has been our most notable written communication for this chapter.

After hours and hours trying to hack the code on those old blogs (i gave up) and reading thru some of them, I can see that there is a constant thread.

I, with and through you all, have been on a lifelong inquiry into belonging, community and human flourishing. Everything I’ve helped build in the past 25 years has been an expression of that inquiry.

So, inspired by the handwritten letter and this time away, I’ve shifted our writing platform once more to substack.

Through The Belonging Experiment, we can share stories, reflections and practical experiments in creating belonging in our lives, workplaces and communities. I love to explore what helps people feel truly connected.

And I’m seriously inviting you to write and inquire too - what if belonging isn't something we find, but something we create? Join an ongoing experiment in connection, community and human belonging.

Need a summer book? Or maybe your inner writer would like a place to post some thoughts. It’s a non professional, low stakes platform. Lets share!

That’s all for now folks. If you are one of the few that has made it this far, bless you. You have an amazing attention span and we NEED you, readers!

I’ll include a few travel photos and if you love the adventure of life, you can see more on The Belonging Experiment, Instagram and you can reach me directly at here as I open the door to sharing our community building experience with the collective.

Still warm,

Dorcas

Teacher's Note - July 2026

Hello Friends,

A great teacher comes from a passionate, dedicated, curious student. It takes quite a bit to stay on this path with vigor - that path of awakening. It can feel so much easier to stay asleep.

THANK YOU for staying awake and your service here at Sol. Thank you for sharing your light and keeping it burning! And thank you for taking the time and effort to stay connected as a sangha.

This won’t take long, but would you be so kind as to do these three things?

1. Please complete this 10 min seasonal survey so we can complete the fall schedule.

2. Please review & rsvp this invitation to gather with fellow teachers on together on the evening of September 11th.

3. Please consider this question & either bring the answer Sept 11th or submit via text to Dorcas (or whats app) or email info@solyoga.org: Question for you - what Sol teacher, crew member or student has left an imprint on you? Why?

And I’m genuinely seeking fellow writers to share some written words. If you have an insight you’d like to share, send it along and we’ll get it out!

Love,

Dorcas

40 Days of Rest

Hello friends and family,

Every so often, life asks us to intentionally shift our rhythm. For me, this next 40 days is a season of rest—not checking out, but checking back in. A chance to restore, refill, and remember that caring for myself is also a way of caring for those I love.

I like the saying,

“We’re all special and none of us are special.”

I think I learned it in my study of the ‘Course in Miracles.’ To me, it perfectly captures that each individual matters, but never outside the context of the whole. Whether that whole is two people, a family, a community, or an entire species, I’ll simply call it family.

Family matters deeply to me—the unit and the individuals. I try to live with that balance at the center, constantly moving between nurturing myself and setting myself aside in service to others. It’s a tricky dance. So easy to drift into self-absorption or its opposite, self-abandonment.

Healthy interdependence takes a lot of intention. The key, I think, is learning to move gracefully along the spectrum between selfish and selfless, knowing each season asks something different of us.

At 48, I’m solidly in a season of service. I’ve spent 18 years mothering, and even before that, nurturing Sol Yoga—my first baby. I’ve been blessed with incredible stamina and rewarded with countless meaningful relationships.

But this past year, the beginnings of perimenopause have shown me the edges of that stamina. Years of caregiving have finally begun to leave physical markers, reminding me it’s time to replenish, not just give.

Fortunately, my son is now 18, and his younger siblings are stepping into greater independence. We’ve just celebrated an incredible month of milestones—my daughter Ivy turning 16, my son graduating high school and turning 18, and my youngest girls becoming teenagers. It’s been full in every sense.

Whew. Now it’s time to turn toward myself for a minute.

Starting Monday through about August 7, I’m committing to a 40-day summer yoga practice centered on restoration and refuge. While my physical presence in community will be scarce, I’m not disappearing or going silent.  I just consciously choosing a different kind of discipline—one that prioritizes presence, spaciousness, and refilling my cup.

Perfect timing, too. My baby Paloma is having a wild summer of adventure - so I’ll join her a bit - she always reminds me how to have fun, be present, and truly live.

In addition to my ever present daily practice, I hope to write and photograph lots; two creative passions of mine.  I’ll share periodically over the next 40 days and invite you to do the same if it resonates.

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” 

Anne Lamont

Legacy Family Membership - Heal the Next Generation

I’ve been inspired by generational healing. Healed people, heal people and hurt people, hurt people. What if it was that simple? What if a brighter future lies in YOUR healing?

And at my midlife perch of 48, with an 18 year old launching, I can see how much his grandparents and this community helped us to help him succeed. He was born into a web of love, stability, health and opportunity - and we don’t take that for granted. That kind of foundation is built slowly through generations of people showing up for each other. It makes me ponder if I will leave my grandchildren off better or worse off than where we started.

Hopefully, at the very least, I can leave my kids with a healthy foundation of love, humility, open-mindedness and a heart for service. A nice bi-product would be some good physical resources too.

My 18 yr old doesn’t do yoga (yet). I didn’t stumble into it until i was about his age. But I bartered for it because I didn’t have the resources. Eventually i made my own money and took yoga all over the world and have spent lots and lots of $$$$ on trainings, retreats, workshops and classes.

But what if someone had passed on physical resource of a generational membership to me? A membership to a community of people and a practice I could count on to help me feel connected, centered and healthy. And a community that knew my elders and had sweat and grown healthier together.

At Sol, we’ve offered a ‘lifetime membership' for many years now. Inspired by my martial arts teacher who offered my family a ‘lifetime family membership’ when my parents had 3 small children and wanted to start them all in martial arts. My dad paid $2500 in 1983 for what turned into 20 years of unlimited karate for Rudy, Willy & Dorcas Quynn. It profoundly shaped our life with discipline, health and a community of people we could trust.

This year, we are adding a legacy option for the 2026 and beyond version of the ‘lifetime membership’ at Sol. Your purchase can be transferred upon your passing to a person you choose - a spouse, child, friend or it can be placed in a scholarship ‘pot’ and we will assign it to someone in need. Your purchase will just keep giving.

The $5900 cost works out to about 472 classes if you pay about $12/class which is far below the $25 drop in. Depending on how often you practice - lets say you practice 3 times per week in studio - you’ve gotten your money’s worth in a little over a year. It’s really a financial no brainer. Not to mention how it supports the community in real time.

But MOST OF ALL - it is dedicated practitioners who become healers in our communities. People that practice with diligence have a health, vitality, level of consciousness and wisdom that carry the torch and provide a foundation for the young ones to carry on with the work.

If you are new to Sol, you can get dip your toe into our community with a much more accessible 90 for $90 pass for this summer only.

Thanks for reading thus far. Yoga isn’t about money, or deals, or high pressured invitations. It’s about connection. Which isn’t something we can com-modify or guarantee. It’s something we seek on a daily basis. That why we keep coming back to the practice. To connect. And ultimately to develop durable habits that allow us to LIVE from a connected, attuned and healthy foundation. Healed people, heal people. Lets pass it down.

To learn more about developing a daily practice. Tune in this summer - virtually or physically. We have 3-5 practices everyday in studio and some of us will be sharing our daily practices via social media and invite you to do the same with #sol90in90. But the best was to develop a daily practice is to just do it. It’s not a performance. It’s for you. We’ll hold your hand and show you the way if you’d like!

Join us.

Warmly,

Dorcas

Keep it Simple Summer - 90 for $90

Friends & fellows,

The heart of our community is practice - our daily way of staying healthy and connecting. When we show up for ourselves this way, we experience tremendous positive benefits!

June 21st begins our summer schedule and we invite you to try a little bit of yoga everyday for 90 days from June 21 - Sept 21

Easy does it. It’s the intentional effort that matters.

Ways to try it:

1)wherever you are, you unroll your mat - any amount of time.

2)practice with others - get to a class and be led

3)make it an adventure - go different places to practice

NEED INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION?

This is a wonderful time of year to indulge in this practice - the days are long, the spirit of adventure hangs in the air.

Let’s share our journey - if you are on social media and want to join, please use #sol90in90 and tag or collaborate with us so we can share our journey

We even have a one time purchase special pass available $90 for 90 days of yoga - yeah, that’s right, $1 a day.

And even better, for those of you that make it in studio 75 or the 90 days of summer, you’ll be entered into a drawing for an unlimited 1 year membership. How bout that?!

Let’s practice this summer!

BENEFITS OF YOGA

A daily yoga practice can provide a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional benefits. The effects vary from person to person, but research has found several consistent advantages.

Physical Benefits

• Improved flexibility: Regular stretching helps increase range of motion in muscles and joints.

• Better strength: Many yoga poses build muscular strength, particularly in the core, legs, back, and shoulders.

• Enhanced balance and coordination: Standing and balancing poses can improve stability and body awareness.

• Improved posture: Yoga strengthens postural muscles and increases awareness of alignment.

• Reduced aches and pains: Some people experience relief from chronic back pain, neck tension, and joint stiffness.

• Greater mobility as you age: Maintaining flexibility and strength can support healthy movement throughout life.

Mental and Emotional Benefits

• Stress reduction: Breathing exercises and mindful movement can help lower stress levels.

• Improved mood: Regular practice is associated with reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression in many people.

• Better focus and concentration: Mindfulness and breath awareness can improve attention and mental clarity.

• Greater emotional regulation: Yoga encourages awareness of thoughts and feelings without immediately reacting to them.

Sleep and Recovery

• Better sleep quality: Gentle yoga and relaxation practices may help people fall asleep more easily and sleep more deeply.

• Reduced physical tension: Stretching and controlled breathing can promote relaxation after a demanding day.

Cardiovascular and General Health

• Lower resting heart rate and blood pressure: Some studies suggest yoga can support cardiovascular health.

• Improved breathing efficiency: Breathing practices (pranayama) can increase awareness and control of breathing patterns.

• Support for healthy habits: A consistent yoga routine often encourages greater mindfulness around exercise, nutrition, and self-care.

Benefits of Practicing Daily vs. Occasionally

The biggest advantage of daily practice is consistency. Even 10–20 minutes a day can be more beneficial than a single long session once a week because:

• Flexibility improvements accumulate gradually.

• Stress-relief effects are reinforced regularly.

• Movement becomes a habit, making it easier to maintain long-term.

What to Expect

• After a few days: You may notice less stiffness and more body awareness.

• After a few weeks: Improvements in flexibility, balance, and stress management often become noticeable.

• After several months: Strength, mobility, posture, and overall well-being may improve significantly.

A daily yoga practice doesn’t need to be intense. Many people benefit from a mix of gentle stretching, breathing exercises, and a few strengthening poses tailored to their fitness level and goals.

Hope to see you this summer - in person or documenting your journey with #sol90in90

Dorcas

Summer Graduation

Hello Friends,

Summer officially starts in a matter of days. Where did the Spring go?!

My baby graduated high school.  Where did 18 years go?  

In the blink of an eye, life passes us by! For you too?

Please join us to share stories, celebrate the evolution of life and the arrival of summer. Come to our Summer Kickoff & Jonah’s Graduation Party on Friday June 19th in the garage & backyard.

I birthed Jonah in 2008.  Just a few years after the birth of Sol Yoga.  And he was welcomed by this community with 40 days of meals so I could sequester with him while he got the golden milk.  A firstborn to me and two sets of grandparents.  A blessed arrival indeed.  

Jonah has grown me up.  I was 30, now I’m 48.   He held me up actually.  He may have thought I was carrying him, but his steadfast presence and authenticity showed me what true love is.  Until he was nine or ten he shared every thought in his head and barred no access to his full self.  He let me see a real, unguarded soul.  Something I had never seen until he came along.

A relationship with an unguarded person, even a small one, is something special indeed. Jonah inspired me to become more real.  I’ve worn many masks in my life to fit in. I think we all do. And each next child has peeled me back more and more.  As has life.  Yoga has helped quite a bit too - peeling back the layers to the authentic self in community is a radical journey.

Time marches on I guess - and there are these markers along the way. Momentous moments where we pause and reflect to honor the distance from back then to now - sometimes blessings, sometimes losses.

Graduating from high school is one of those things.  Turning 18 is one of those things.  I get to enjoy this moment that Jonah is living through and I’d love to share it with you - the community that has always walked with us.  

It happens to be beautifully timed with the turn to summer.  The longest day of the year -the summer solstice.  A time of adventure, light and a carefree undertone for those of us that were so liberated by the end of  formal ‘school.´

So lets celebrate! Come to our Summer Kickoff & Jonah’s Graduation Party on Friday June 19th in the garage & backyard. Families welcome.

A text response would be appreciated.

Dorcas

301.788.5154

Together We Stand, Mothers, Fathers & All

Dear Sol Community,

As Mother’s Day arrives, I find myself reflecting on the deeper meaning of what it is to truly nurture life. Beyond biology, beyond roles or titles, there is a sacred principle alive within all healthy communities: life flourishes when the feminine is nourished and the masculine is awakened in service to that nourishment.

The nourished feminine breathes life into the world; the awakened masculine gives it steadiness and direction.

The feminine births vitality; the masculine guards the sacred flame.

I feel these truths not as abstractions, but as living realities we are being asked to remember together. In a world that often rewards depletion, urgency, and disconnection, many mothers, fathers, caregivers, and community builders are carrying far more than they were ever meant to hold alone. We see the exhaustion. We see the longing for belonging, reverence, softness, strength, and shared responsibility. We see the quiet ache for spaces where people can return to themselves and to one another.

And yet, I believe this moment is also inviting something greater from us.

Isolation, separation, fear, conflict, division, and dis-ease surround us. We hide in separate homes, behind separate screens, consuming endless noise while genuine human connection quietly erodes. We have become hyper-individualized while forgetting one of the deepest truths of human existence:

We belong to one another.

And still, beneath all of it, there is something powerful waiting to be remembered.

We are the solution.

Together we stand.

There is an invisible connective force that weaves us together — no less real than the air we breathe. When that connection weakens, families strain, communities fracture, and the sacred vitality of life begins to dim. But when genuine connection is restored, healing becomes possible.

This is part of why Sol exists.

Sol was never built from a grand strategy. It emerged through invitation. More than 20 years ago, I did not set out to own a yoga studio. I was simply searching for a place where people could practice together. A space appeared, people gathered, and something meaningful began to grow.

Years later, during a deeply transitional season of my life, I opened my homes and invited others to share space, meals, practice, and daily life together. What began through necessity and openness slowly became an experiment in intentional community — one rooted not in perfection, but in participation. Through the years of shared living, gathering, testing, failing, learning, healing, and showing up for one another, we discovered something simple but profound:

Connection changes people.

Not superficial connection. Not performance. Not curated identity. Real connection.

The kind that asks us to open our doors, open our hearts, and open our minds.

The kind that calls us to face ourselves and one another with humility and gracious inquiry. To root out fear, pride, greed, selfishness, and disconnection before they harden inside us and spill into the collective. None of us are spared from these forces. We all carry them. And they are contagious.

But so is love.
So is presence.
So is healing.
So is community.

Light scatters darkness.

And connection remains one of the greatest healing forces we possess.

This is why we gather.

Yoga, breathwork, movement, shared meals, music, prayer, conversation, service, intentional living, stillness, celebration — these are not luxuries or escape routes from life. They are practices that restore our capacity to fully live. They help nourish the feminine life-force within us all and awaken the grounded masculine presence needed to protect and sustain what is sacred.

Whether you are a mother longing to feel held, a father seeking deeper purpose and connection, a young person searching for belonging, or simply a human being weary of doing life alone — there is a place for you here.

I want to extend a heartfelt invitation to join us.

Come practice with us.
Come gather with us.
Come sit at the table.
Come share life.
Come remember what it feels like to belong to something real.

Not because anyone here has perfected life, but because we are willing to walk together with sincerity, courage, and care.

Join Us:

Here are just a few of the 7 day a week options on our buffet of connection:

• Tomorrow, Mothers Day - Sunday May 9 - Practical Spirituality Breakfast, 830am

• Tonight - Creative Space at 430pm, Rhythm of Belonging at 7pm

• All week - 4-7 yoga classes everyday - starting at 5:45am and last call at 7pm. Indoor, outdoor, vigorous, gentle, playful, serious, etc.

• Next Weekend - Yoga Teacher Training begins. Enroll for a deeply transformative experience that brings you closer to yourself, one another and the power of collective consciousness.

• Live with us. Rent a room in our community house and get a membership all in one.

• And not on our website, but offered in our garage space, enjoy a two hour journey - Breathwork Glimpses - with Alicia on Saturday May 16th. Discount for members!

• Eat with Us - May 20 - Lunch & Learn - a free mindful meal because Eating Together Matters

Healing our culture will not happen through ideology alone.

It will happen in living rooms, studios, shared homes, gardens, circles, and communities where people choose to show up authentically for one another again and again. It will happen through relationships strong enough to hold truth, tenderness, responsibility, and love all at once.

This Mother’s Day, may we honor every woman who has carried life, nurtured life, protected life, mentored life, or loved life into fuller expression. May we also honor the men learning to stand in devotion to life — not above it, but beside it, protecting and supporting the sacred flame.

And may we continue building a culture where mothers are deeply supported, fathers are consciously engaged, children are nourished by healthy community, and no one is left to carry life alone.

Together we stand.

Warmly,

Dorcas

The Spirit of 'Swapping' @ Sol

“swap: to exchange one thing for another”

— chat gpt

Sol is a place for exchange of many kinds. A place to give your gifts, a place to receive what you need. And often its a combo of both with a dash of surprise. The magic of manifesting what you didn’t even know you needed, might happen.

Sunday March 29th is a special day of clothing swapping, gardening, pot lucking, live music and connecting. Meet some of our radical friends that inspire goodwill and communal care around here:

Sam Neier, a long time friend of Sol is known in our circles for putting together some pretty amazing clothing swaps in the past few decades. The spirit of gathering together to trade or swap feels so warm and meaningful and downright fun! Pieces of clothing have story behind them we get to share. We get to be connected to the source of the exchange. “That was mine,” is echoed, or “I’m so glad you are taking that!” We snack and shop and swap and leave connected and richer for the things we collected. Some years, Sam would stack it with a fundraiser for a good cause, further deepening the connection to community. She is a special soul all on here own, but together she is amplified and so are we. Thank you Sam.

Join us Sunday March 29th from 9-11 for our Spring Swap @ Sol. We are not nearly as on point as Sam, but she’ll be there giving us pointers. See link above for details.

In our fast paced, consumer driven world, these types of events are rare and refreshing. We all long for meaningful connection and the deep values of relational living that our past generations were bound by.

“relational lifestyle: centered on people, connection, long-term bonds - values trust, loyalty & emotional connection - focuses on community, family & friendships.”

— chat gpt

Transactional living is a blessing in so many ways - easier to come by and gives us much quicker ‘fixes.’ But it can sometimes begin to feel empty and can encourage self-reliance over turning to community for support.

“transactional lifestyle: focused on exchange, efficiency and outcomes - values results, benefits, measurable returns - often relationships are short term or conditional”

— chat gpt

A community garden is another gorgeous example of swapping & relational living! Sol’s beloved resident and friend Kathy Q tends to our backyard and gardens all year - even tending the beds for our neighboring Advocates for the Homeless. It’s a labor of love for Kathy and a way of life - eating whole, nutritious foods and making meals is her jam. For our Sunday evening community dinners, she usually whips something up for the garden for us to share. For a educational & eating experience, she and Lara Lattman, functional nutritionist /yogi have teamed up to offer an amazing - Root to Rise on April 18th. And Lara is making us a meal and lecturing while we eat it on April 1st for Eating Together Matters - a Sol Lunch & Learn. Lara & Kathy are so passionate about real food and family style eating. Come eat with us.

We don’t usually have difficulty finding people to eat, but we need help in the gardening! Come help Kathy, play outside and get your hands dirty with us - we’ll be happy to share the yield with you when it comes! Join us for our gardening day on Sunday March 29th from 10-2pm.

But beyond the gardening, Kathy Q is no stranger to relational living. When I moved back from living abroad in 2019 with three little kids and no husband, I literally prayed to the universe, to God, to mother nature, to my kitchen sink, to whatever would listen, for someone to help me tend to these children and our suddenly changed lives. I said this prayer on the floor of the empty apartment above where Kathy lived that would soon become our home. I scribbled in my journal a note - the only thing i could image that would work would be some sort of free au-pair type of thing. Little did I know what the powers-that-be would have in store. It was a Kathy. A warm-hearted wonderful woman who loves people, pets, children, flowers, plants, connection and is just the best most patient and tolerant person we could have asked for to LIVE IN OUR HOUSE, essentially with us. (its an old house divided into a 2 unit apartment building).

She was a sister of another close friend (Annie Q) who was already like a sister. So Kathy became family almost at hello. We needed her and she needed us. COVID was right around the corner. To make a long story short, Kathy was like a second mom to the little kids, the best kind of Auntie, a good friend, the most tolerant roommate and a built in amazing cook on top of it all. She listens beautifully, gives loving advice, and is always a soft place to land. We joked that we became platonic Boston-wives like they had in the late 19th century and it turns out I had indeed swapped a wife-husband-children unit for intentional community without even the idea of it. And so it began - a new kind of chosen blended family of support - that has blossomed into what is now a 12-18 residents across a few co-housing units - all of us living better, together. Thank you Kathy, for being a catalyst for all this goodness.

“barter: exchanging goods or services directly for other goods or services without using money - one of the oldest forms of trade.”

— chat gpt

At Sol, we do quite a bit of barter as well - resources comes in many shapes and sizes and we do our best to be open minded to a reciprocal exchange. Many people have contributed good & services over the years. For example, we have a new work-exchange team member who is a seamstress and working up new removable fabric covers for our bolsters - how awesome is that?! And Nyiah has contributed all sorts of ‘things’ to beautify our properties. We love this new ‘hello’ sign that greets you when you enter the garage! Have you seen it?

It’s relatively rare and radical, but we do aim to swap, exchange and barter as much as we can! All that said, we totally accept money as a donation to our non-profit or a transaction for goods or services. In fact, we generally run at a deficit, so if you have an abundance of money and would like to share, we promise to put it to good use. At present we have an amazing lifetime membership to Sol Yoga inclusive of lifetime access to yoga teacher training - its a steal if you are around for a few years - you’ll be paying pennies per practice.

Maybe you don’t practice yoga, but you are a philanthropist and looking for a good place to contribute - if you would like to learn more about the ways we serve - boots on the ground style - I’ll take you on a tour and introduce you to people that benefit from connections received here. Just give me a call 301.788.5154.

Oh, one more beautiful thing this weekend! An incredible live music collaborative event between some of Sol’s OG’s - Kristina Molinari on live flute, Christine & Guisseppe Dimonte on live DJ ambient tunes paired with Rest & Resonance. What?!!! How amazing is that?! This is clearly a project of creative passion, close bonds cultivated over years of yoga and friendship and a level of co-teaching that is rare. Reserve your space for the unique experience on Saturday night.

I hope to see you this weekend for some swapping :-)

Warmly,
Dorcas