Another Flood and the Future, 9.24.24

 As I've spent the last few weeks revamping the exterior of the studio space, gathering some new art for my little gallery space at Blumenhof Winery, I've also been weighing the pros and cons of this little business and wondering what to do with it and about it.  I'm a firm believer in signs and that, somehow, the universe will show me what to do, if I just get still and listen. So, I've been doing a lot of that. This is what I've been shown. 

Yoga has been a regular part of my life for over 15 years. For the past 7 years, it has been my steady rock and almost constant focus, as without it, it felt like I would just float away. I held onto it like a lifeline. Now, through living my yoga (not just doing my yoga), I feel balanced and steady on my own. I can now loosen my grip a little, hanging on to the parts of my practice and lifestyle that I still need, and will always need, and let go of everything else that is not really serving me. 

I am still very passionate about the role yoga has in my life. That will never change. But gathering in person has proven to be difficult over these past 6 1/2 years. Now, I'm feeling a strong pull towards teaching only online. There are a few reasons for this. 

1) The first thing I considered was my own practice. I prefer to practice at home, in the morning, following along to an online class of some sort. I also like having the option of practicing at other times- not a set time of the day or day of the week. I'm just assuming that other people might think the same way. 

3) It's been hard to find my footing here with so many other options available in this area and there is not one ounce of me that feels competitive at this stage of my life. I would rather just keep looking forward on my own path, offering what I can. In the end, I think I have a unique combination of skills and I'm sure there are people out there who would benefit from them, maybe more so if they were offered in a convenient online format.

4). Retirement is just around the corner for me and it will be an entirely new chapter. My goal for this new chapter involves having a very open schedule- having time to work on some new art ideas I've been playing with, being able to travel and being available to help my kids and grand kids at a moments notice, if needed.

 And, finally, 5). The sign that prompted this post. After an awful basement flood over the summer, which covered (or rather, filled) 80% of the basement, including the studio, with disgusting, muddy water... it happened again, last night. That was the final straw. I took it as my sign to move forward and make some decisions about the future of the studio. So, I'll do just that as I take the time to deal with this muddy mess, once again. 

The studio will be closed until further notice. I will continue to hold the Yin Sundays at Blumenhof as long as there is interest and the weather holds out. Beyond that, I don't know. If you are interested and/or curious, be watching for another post. I would also love to hear comments or suggestions. If you are interested in my art, I will be updating my little gallery space at Blumenhof with lots of new art- manifestation mandalas, Reiki energy art, some traditional still life pieces and some custom options. Everything will be in place by the weekend, so check it out if you can. 

I would love your feedback about this decision. Would you take classes online? If so, what kind and what length of time would be most appealing to you? I hope to hear from you!

Talk to you soon!

Be Still. Be Strong. Be Happy.

Be Good.

Do Good.

~ Juli

Day Dreaming, 9.8.24

Perpetual soul searching is my thing. I've been daydreaming from as early as I can remember. Daydreaming, on the surface seems to be a waste of time, but I've accomplished quite a bit and each achievement started with a daydream. Now, 58 years in, I'm still daydreaming and soul searching. These days, my dreams lead me back to my kids and grand kids. At first I thought of this as "coming full circle", but then I realized that it's more like a pendulum, making it to full swing from one side to the other, then, finally, settling at neutral, or the set point. My set point will always be my kids and even though I've loved being of service to my students, both art and yoga, being of service to my kids is where I will settle.  

Even though being available for my kids will be my top priority, I will still have a lot of time on my hands. As I'm sure I've mentioned here before, I have many ideas, passions, plans, etc.- not just sometimes, but all of the time. With another change on the horizon, I need to prioritize, so it's been a little extra to be in my brain lately. As I've been searching for help with this, I've been reading about brain dumping and other ways to prioritize time and energy. One method that really resonated with me involves list making, my favorite! 

To do this, make three columns with the headings Passion, Practicality and Procurement. Then answer the questions, "What is my passion?"(What light you up?), "Is it practical?" (Will it easily fit into your lifestyle so it's achievable?) and "Will it lead to procurement?" (Will it help you achieve your goals?) 

First, list your passions (and every single subcategory of each one that you can think of). Then, starting back at the top, run each of the items on your list  through the practicality filter. Some of your ideas will immediately be eliminated if they aren't practical. From there, go back to determine if each one that checked off both the passion and practicality boxes, will also lead to the achievement of your end goal.  Each item on your list will either check all of the boxes or just one or two. Very quickly, you've narrowed down your options and you can go from there with a much clearer mind. 

It's such a relief to simplify your thought process. It is for me, at least. I'm not quite ready to announce what my list revealed, but I wanted to share the process with all of you, because of how helpful it was for me. (One hint about my answers is that it led to a major clean out of several spaces in my home, which is just an added bonus.) 

I hope this helps if you, like me, are overwhelmed with ideas and plans and just need a little help clearing your head of a few of them.

Be Still. Be Strong. Be Happy. 

Be Good. Do Good. 

~ Juli

P. S. Another recent discovery is journaling in the 3rd person. Pretty powerful stuff. No need to explain, just do it and you will know.