Friday, June 25, 2010

So much in just one year~

OK....so to continue with how 'jalaBlu' ignited. So, after traveling for 6 months in Asia I decided to come home to the States ...well, actually right around this time last year. Take note: a lot can manifest in one year...:)! I wasn't sure where to go, what to do and I pretty much came back with nothing (money wise). Hmmmmm at the age of 38 I was well....some people may say lost but to be honest it was quite the opposite. My world and mind seemed beautiful. I was open minded to endless possibilities and there was something inside of me that was new....comfort, confidence, more love for myself and a lot of clarity. Remember the quote that I carried with me in 2009?...let me remind you, "To embrace clarity and a grander love for myself ....ignites the power within and all around." I was watching everyone around me stress out about such little things in life, people not observing the beauty in front of them or friends forgetting to just be so thankful for the love that surrounds them ~ through a loss of a beautiful friend and guru on my traveling journey in Asia it has blessed me with the awareness....."life is too short so embrace each moment". I also realized that anything is possible if you believe in yourself....may take a little time, may be scary and may be a long path but if it's what you desire than it's worth the risk and patience. YOGA!!!!!! The more I started to take workshops....attend retreats or just regular classes I could feel that love within my heart or that fire within each time....Kind of like when you start to fall in love with someone or something. Since I was a little girl I loved to dance and took many classes (12 years and still dancing): jazz, tap, Luigi, modern, hip hop........and for me yoga is another way of dancing....being in tune with your body and expressing your emotions through movement. This is a beautiful thing!!!!!!! One thing that is forever within ones life is your body~I look at it as a divine temple and one that should be explored. So through yoga it is a form of dance and a way to honor and embrace my own body. It's amazing how many people are actually out of tune with their own bodies and this is just one of the many gifts of giving within the yoga teacher world.

OK...so, a bit off track but part of the story. Once I get past how jalaBlu ignited, this blog will hopefully be a daily blog for the studio......inspirational thoughts, intentions, students and workshops that come our way to the small land of Buena Vista, CO. Maybe this will inspire another amazing soul out there or just encourage someone to try yoga and to me that is just another blessing in the yoga world. "It's never to late to start yoga!"

So, I decided to land my wings in Buena Vista when I returned for a couple different reasons. Most importantly, all my friends have migrated here from the Vail area and I was only going to hang out for the summer and spend time with them. Well....obviously the summer has now turned into fall and winter and now summer again (full circle). So, yoga was on my mind and I knew I had to somehow keep going with that intuition. I was a fitness instructor for 5 years so I knew I had no trouble of teaching in front of people, being motivational and optimistic and more than anything I have always wanted to help people and to make them feel good. I had expressed this to several friends that I wanted to teach and as always they encouraged and gave me the support I needed. My friend Barb who owns the magnificent cafe "The Evergreen" said, "Why don't you teach some classes in the apartment behind the Evergreen?"....hmmm, didn't know there was one back there....and my mind felt something or knew something before I even saw it. So, I took a look and then the magic started to really ignite...the vision! Many people would have not seen what I saw when I looked at this place but it all started to come together.

Many places in Asia (or yoga places) had the same description.....a yoga studio but so much more! Most of the people who owned the places would also actually live there, a place of gathering (potlucks, music, other group oriented discussions, yoga classes, women groups, etc....). The apartment (which is now jalaBlu) needed work (mostly paint) but I could imagine it coming together. The upstairs would be a small yoga studio (fits about 15) and the downstairs would be the gathering oasis along with the outdoors. And so, this is where it started and manifested. At the end of October I started choosing colors, working on my logo, working on the name, ordering supplies (mats, blocks, etc...) Just making it happen! A few friends and family took the time to help which was so amazing and still the support of them is needed every day in this 'jala' Jenna journey.

So, starting this all all in October was also the one year anniversary of going to 'Haramara' (Mexico yoga retreat with Darren Rhodes and his wife Bronwin). It was coming up again in November and even though I wanted to go again so badly I knew financially it just wasn't going to happen. However, I just kept thinking about my next intention for the new year and how it had such an impact on 2009. Well, to keep the story short, sweet and a bit of a secret....an angel (actually two angels..:)) came out of no where and blessed me with the gift of going to Haramara again.......tears of joy and a magical moment in my life (as there are many).

The colors are next and the journey to Haramara to spark the fire~

love and shri~
Jenna and 'jala'

1 comment:

  1. Hi Jenna,

    What a wonderful and inspiring experience. Thanks for sharing your story. I know of the Magic you speak of as I have had similar things happen in my own life. May the magic continue to follow you.

    I hope to see you out here in Tucson again soon!

    Love and Boundless Blessings to you,

    Marcia

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