Let's Celebrate the great MAHA (mother). Moms Practice for FREE on Mother's Day!

My Dear Friends,

I want to thank again everyone who supported our benefit for the trees of Gray Bear and the many who expressed concern for the property. We raised over $1500 and I know that the energy will only continue to grow in the months ahead. 

We have some special ideas for fundraising which we hope will inspire the community to participate in our upcoming workshops and events. I have found a passion in nature and understand on a profound level that the environment around us will only thrive when we commit to the respect of our inner landscape.

Healing is actively happening all around as we are witnessing the vibrant color burst of new life unfolding in the grace of spring. The dogwoods and magnolia trees are in full expression this week, and I am thrilled to see the animals starting to be born. 

I am always in awe of nature and the wonder of how the grand intelligence just returns each spring as a reminder of faith. My joy is to get out and walk later into the evening or get up earlier to the sound of the birds. 

I hope that we can remember how important our practice is in facilitating the wellbeing and vibrancy of our own aliveness in our relationship to nature. The mental mind must think less as the deeper consciousness of our intrinsic nature is experienced with the ability to live in pure contentment in the present moment.

Nature can bring us to that moment. To trust in nature is to live in the wonder of beauty whether the sun is shining or not. To link to nature in our meditations is the most direct path to the heart. The heart being the seat of our soul and our true nature.

As Mother’s Day approaches, come celebrate the great Mother Earth. Let everyday be in gratitude for our ability to breathe and share in life’s abundance. Respect ourselves, each other, and our inner environment of humankind.

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Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13, 2018

Honor your mother by bringing her to yoga on Sunday, May 13. Pay for your class, and your mom practices for FREE.

Limit one mom per paying student. Valid for 9am Hatha Vinyasa or 10:30am Vinyasa Flow Class. Must arrive at least 15 minutes before class starts to register. 

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Many blessings and ENJOY this season celebrating the great MAHA (mother).  

P.S. Here are some photos from our Earth Day Fundraiser class.

Namaste,
Laura Jane

Tree Warriors Needed! An Earth Day Fundraiser

It takes a community to protect a forest

Last March, 200 acres of pristine forest adjacent to Gray Bear Lodge, the holistic retreat center in Tennessee where we've held past retreats, were slated to be cleared cut.

This pristine area is home to dogwood, hickory, red oak, and maple trees, beautiful streams, majestic waterfalls, tall pines, wild turkey nesting grounds, inspiring cliff faces, and fields of wildflowers. Gray Bear's goal is to purchase the land and preserve its silent sanctuaries--the bamboo meditation gardens, the hiking trails, and the abundant wildlife. Preserving this adjacent forest will help ensure a place to listen to the exotic woodpecker calls, to take in glorious sunrises and sunsets, and to watch starry night skies.

Pose with a Purpose

We hope you'll strike a tree pose and help us sponsor Grey Bear's Earth Day Fundraiser. Our goal is to raise $1008 through April 30, 2018 to preserve 1 acre of forest. 

Donation Levels

• Donate $25 (Tree Warrior) and a picture of yourself in a tree pose (or hugging a tree), and Gray Bear will add you to their digital forest mosaic
• Donate $108 (Tree Protector) received by April 30, 2018, and a picture of yourself in a tree pose (or hugging a tree), and you will also be entered to win a R&R weekend at Gray Bear!

Your payment can be made in several ways.

• Cash or check— (payable to Friends of Gray Bear) and drop off at Yoga Among Friends
• Paypal— you can use the app on your phone and send payment to paygb@graybear.org or click here.
• Apple Pay—use your Apple device and the messages app to send a message to paygb@icloud.com Please note you need to have Apple Pay set-up on your Apple device.
• Venmo—you can use the app on your phone and send payment to paygb@graybear.org. Learn more about Venmo.

Don't forget to send us your tree pose submission. Include your first and last name, email, and if desired, indicate "in memory of"
or we can take your photo for you when you drop off your payment.

If we can collectively raise the $1008 by April 30, our studio be entered to win a R&R weekend!

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Earth Day Yoga

New! Laura Jane will be leading a benefit Earth Day yoga class on Sunday, April 22 with all proceeds going to Gray Bear's forest preservation project. Learn more and join us on Earth day!