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:
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.
We have one special Community Meal & Gathering on Aug 9th, if you’d like to join, sign up here.
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!
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
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
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
Looking for the ultimate in savings with built in care of the future? Check out our Legacy Lifetime Membership
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.
Teachers, have your own little note here. You are invited to gather on Sept 11 & offer seasonal feedback here.
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
