Gratitude

Some of you know that my 2nd home the past year has been Tucson, AZ. I have been so blessed with this amazing opportunity to not only study with Christina Sell and Darren Rhodes (I consider them both my teachers on the Anusara path) but to take the journey with so many amazing souls, WOW!!!!!! Some of these beautiful spirits have flowed with me through Immersion I, II, III and now Teacher Training I, II and soon III! It is one of the most rewarding and powerful experiences of my life journey yet and, I have no intentions of stopping here.

This path of yoga (Anusara) has greeted me with the 'fire' many times.....and I have gladly stepped into the fire whether it's on my mat or off. It has continued to deepen my awareness, my love for life, my love for others, the connection to the universe, to seek my highest desires and to embrace the challenging times in life with fortitude....patience and an unbelievable amount of love. This IS YOGA....it's not just coming to your mat to do a challenging asana, it's about embracing life to the fullest.

I have so much gratitude for my students (who are my teachers), my teachers, my family, my friends and for my life~

"Inhale Shakti, Exhale Shri, Ignite!"

ANUSARA WORKSHOP WITH ANDREW RIVIN!!!! BUENA VISTA, COLORADO

NEW FALL SCHEDULE

HELLO 'jalaBlu' Yogis and Yoginas~

What an amazing summer! The fall has sprung with fruitful colors and a breath of fresh air is filling us up with new energy. This is one of my favorite times of year, a time to reflect and prepare for the stillness of winter. At times winter can seem long but it's a time to cultivate inspiration, dreams, inner transformation and a time to embrace the sacred place within. A perfect opportunity to invite the practice of YOGA within your heart and allow the magic to ignite at 'jalaBlu'!

I have been so blessed to have 'jalaBlu' come into my life and share the 'rockin' bliss with all of you! Thank you for being so supportive and making a dream come true. My energy keeps expanding with yoga and through this gift, I want to celebrate by adding more 'jalaBlu' classes for the winter. Classes are getting bigger and even though 'jala' has a small space there is room for more vibrational energy by adding a few more.

There will be a NEW Tuesday night class (5:30pm - 7:00pm) "Alignment and Flow" Level I-II. This class is full of fun (Inversions, back bends, balancing etc....) and expands your own practice through articulation of alignment within standing poses. On Thursday night from 6:00pm - 7:30pm Level II, "Practice with Jenna", this class will include me practicing with you while taking you through a more challenging asana and turning you upside down with handstands, headstands, forearm balances, back bends and any other playfulness that follows, it will be a 'rockin shakti asana practice'! Friday, I have added a "Easy Jala Stretch" class from 11:00am-12:00pm for those yogis who just want to 'take it easy'.....:) AND..........Saturday I have added another, "Jala Basics" class, 11:00am - 12:15pm (also one on Wednesday). This class is great for the beginner and is also designed for yogis who want to refresh their mind with the 'principals of alignment' (Anusara Influenced).

NEW SCHEDULE WILL BEGIN OCTOBER 12TH!!!! SEE ATTACHED FLYER. Please note that the new schedule does include a fall promotion of punch card prices (ends November 31st). I will honor these prices as of now and would love to entice you to the $70.00 unlimited one month of yoga!!!!!!!!!!!

To kick off fall/winter I'm offering the 2nd "Intro to Yoga" 5 week series since 'jalaBlu' has opened. The first one was amazing! Space will be limited so please pre-register and ignite the new upcoming year (2011) with the ever lasting brilliance of yoga. I have attached flyer with dates and cost.

Will be sending out another e-mail in the next two days about the Andrew Riven workshop, November 13th & 14th. Save the dates and get ready for another amazing workshop in the land of Buena Vista, CO!!!!!!!

If you have any questions or suggestions would love to hear them! Thanks for taking the time to read this e-mail and can't wait to practice with you on your mat!

Shri~
Jenna and 'jalaBlu'

"jalaBlu is an oasis that welcomes open hearts, abundance in spirit, and fellow travellers. Come as you are~"

Yoga is Vibrational!

So, I read this article in 'elephant journal' about the meaning of OM and why we chant such a sound at the beginning of class and at the end. It was a great article and it united me with the word 'vibrational'. If you want to read the article which I recommend, go to www.elephantjournal.com (search: Why Chant OM at the End of Class?). And so.......my mind started to think about YOGA (of course) and how yoga is so 'vibrational' on many levels. I'm sure I have said this before in a different way with a different word but it can never be said enough which is in fact so 'vibrational'.

The first time I heard a 'Gong' was in my 2nd yoga Immersion in AZ at Yoga Oasis. It was a huge gong and while we lay in savasana the sound was so amazing! My mind and body went into another dimension as the the sound 'vibrated' through every cell of my body. When I entered the studio that morning I felt completely different than when I left. When I left, I walked out into the city and carried that 'vibrational' feeling with me. A full day of asana, a full day of inspirational questions, a full day of new friends, a full day of love for myself and a day ended with the 'vibrational' sound of the gong that took my soul into a new sacred place. When you think about the echoing sound of a gong and how far it really travels within space ....within each individual....within the outside world...etc...Imagine the ever lasting wave of connection within the universe. This is 'vibrational' and this is what yoga can ignite within your own life and the people around you!

Yoga has a 'vibrational' nectar that is contagious within the heart, mind, body, soul and spirit. Think about when a random stranger just smiles at you or does an act of kindness. How does it make you feel? It's amazing and usually in return you gift someone else that beautiful smile and maybe an act of kindness. This in itself is a 'vibrational' outcome because it just keeps expanding from one person to the next and even that smile can be contagious within to expand out to others. Yoga is 'vibrational'~it can take you on a journey within your heart and open your mind to so many possibilities. The magic may start on your mat within a class but the way it makes you feel within is an on going path that will continue to expand and touch the people around you. You know the song, "Feel the Vibration"....sing it.......LIVE it and expand the sweet 'vibration' of YOGA!

Shri~
Jenna and 'jalaBlu'

Teaching Yoga is Nothing but Pure PASSION!

So, what do you think about 'passion'? I think it's one of the coolest emotions you can feel and it can mean so many different things. Passion can be deep, intense, powerful, joyful, even painful, it can free your soul and explode your heart with effortless bliss.

The other night I was eating this amazing dinner and I mean one of the best dinners I have ever had!!!!!!! A full trout that was stuffed with tomatoes, onions and lemons, sauteed organic field greens and red potatoes with roasted garlic drizzled with a beautiful and 'passionate' lemon cream sauce. The flavors combined were extraordinary. Everyone was laughing at how much I was savoring each bite and explaining how wonderful it was over and over and then my friend Claire said, "Hey, she is 'passionate' about her food".....Right there and then I knew my next blog (it's been a while........My apologies) was all about 'PASSION'! I love food~I believe it's one of the most passionate experiences in life ~ To travel to new cultures and smell new aromas, taste different flavors and to just explore other worlds through food is a true passion within my soul! To dive into a dark piece of chocolate and let it melt in your mouth or bite into vegetable or fruit that you have cultivated in your own garden is the shri (beauty) of 'passion'.

The photograph capturing rain drops at the end of delicate limbs is done by a talented photographer, Roger Pfingston (my father). He is probably one of the most 'passionate' people I know in this life. His photos can show us a vision that only he can see. When I was younger he would stop and get out of the car to take pictures of mud puddles, oil spills from a car and turn it into the most beautiful photograph. His dedication and love for photography is a full expression of his 'passion' for life and how he sees it.

Today I was sitting by the beautiful 'jala' garden writing and a white butterfly danced around my head and then started to dance slowly through the crab apple tree. I watched it for a while as it appreciated each encounter (flower, tree, branch, etc...) and how it seem so bliss within the moment. This delicate and graceful insect lives such a short time yet it can express the meaning of 'passion' within every moment~

Each and every one of us has passion and at times we need to awaken this 'passion'. We have 'passion' for love, work, hobbies, family, animals, food, what we fight for, etc.....I could go on and on. When we tap into this emotion we can discover so much within and in return gift others with that expression. Life is short (as it is for the butterfly) so if your 'passion' is taking a rest then start to notice everything around you, open your heart.........breath in the beauty and it's simplicity, move forward with your dreams or desires and ignite the 'passion' within!

"When what you do is in alignment with who you are, passion becomes your energy" ♥

Love and Shri~
Jenna and 'jala'

"I dare you to be more passionate!"

Cultivation = Magic

So, this blog is completely dedicated to the powerful word 'cultivate'. Matter of fact, my thoughts within and realizations about my own life journey is obsessed with this word lately and how it relates so well to EVERYTHING! I love it when you can take one word that has been in your life for quite some time and unravel it's true beauty and essence in a deeper way.

This all started a week, the fascination with the word 'cultivate'. We have been getting so much rain lately that every morning I look out the 'jalaBlu' studio window to find the gardens exploding with color, greenness, veggies, herbs and an abundance of beauty. This is where the word cultivate entered my soul of deep thought. With hard work and determination a few friends helped me build the 2 ft. tall rock garden. It was filled with cultivated organic dirt and then the planting started to happen early June. There were some seeds and then some starter plants that were given to me by Weathervane Farms here in Buena Vista. Everything was so small or non existent in my vision. Anyway, what I'm getting at is with the process of cultivation which includes effort, patience and love the vision of this garden became reality. 'jala' now has beautiful veggies, herbs and amazing flowers.

Even from the time we are born we are cultivating. It is a life cycle and throughout each of our journeys we cultivate our dreams, our passions, our relationships, our love for ourselves, our talents, our awareness, our health and YES, even our beautiful gardens.

Think about when you truly want something....I mean you can feel it in your gut in an intense way and it brings excitement within your emotions and connects you to something deeper. You may not be ready for it quite YET...maybe it's a relationship, a job, a yearning to find your true path with a career, to travel abroad etc....whatever it may be we can start the process by inviting the power of vision, manifestation, believing, setting it in motion with small actions~This is yet another way to look at the magical word, 'cultivate'. Eventually as we turn the soil or plant the seeds for the the ultimate goal or intention then cultivation will with no doubt, produce a beautiful flower~

Having awareness within our own cultivation process is part of the beauty. To watch something or someone grow over time is an art in true essence. To be part of a dream in the beginning and to watch it ignite into something powerful is a joyful life experience. We are forever working on our own growth, our loving relationships, our dreams and visions. We are forever cultivating!

Think about everything in your life so far and find the beauty in growth~find the magic and celebrate 'cultivate'!

Love and Shri~
'jala' and Jenna

Ganesh ~ "Removing obstacles and creating obstacles"

Hello 'jala' jalaians!

So the past two days have been dedicated to Ganesh within the 'jalaBlu' classes! In Hindu legends Ganesh is the son of Parvati and Shiva. He is the little boy with an elephant head and a big belly that represents prosperity. He is also known to clear obstacles within our spiritual path and of course create obstacles when needed. I like this guy....:). He also represents peace and wisdom~

There are quite a few variations of this story on how he received an elephant head. Here is just one story within my own words. Shiva (the husband of Pavarti) had been gone for quite some time and was just returning. During his absense Pavarti molded their son out of her beautiful skin~One day Pavarti asked Ganesh to guard the house while she took a perfumed bath. She asked Ganesh to not let anyone in. As Ganesh stood in front of the door, Shiva (the father) crossed the path. Ganesh not knowing that Shiva was his father would not allow Shiva to pass (being loyal to his mother). Shiva became very angry (maybe an understatement) and beheaded Ganesh. Shiva of course did not know this was his son. As he entered the house Pavarti ran out to see her beloved son who no longer had a head. When she told Shiva that Ganesh was his son they decided the first creature to cross their path would be the head of Ganesh. And so, a huge elephant came walking by. Shiva chopped off the head of the elephant and blessed Ganesh with a new head. And so.......as in the image above Ganesh is represented with the beautiful head of an elephant.

As we walk within our own journey their are always obstacles on our path. Sometimes these obstacles don't last long and sometimes we have to 'step into the fire' and ride in the current for a while. I myself look at a lot of obstacles as blessings ....'Divine Intervention' and a time for us to connect deeper within our own spiritual growth. Running away from an obstacle is not a solution and we are not allowing a bigger opportunity to come our way. I mean...YES...there are some life obstacles we could do without...I agree....BUT, within my own life journey most of my obstacles have given me a new door to walk through and enter into a bigger light. For example; When I left for Asia in 2009, I was supposed to leave for quite some time to teach abroad. I did get my teaching certificate and I did go to Taiwan to work but I was very confused at the time if I really was on the right path. This in itself was creating a HUGE mind and heart obstacle. I wanted to stick to my 'Jenna' plans, I didn't want to give up, I didn't want to let people down and most of all I thought I needed to prove something to myself and others. Anyway, my obstacle was 'clarity'.......it was brutal for a while. I definitely had to stay in the current and then when I was ready, I jumped on the bigger wave of truth. Long story short ~ I basically just traveled for 6 months and then made the decision (which took a while) to move back home to the states. I wasn't sure why I came back home but ............. here I am owning my own little yoga studio 'jalaBlu'. The sweetness that can follow an obstacle is well worth staying in the current for a while.

Just as with a yoga pose that we are scared to try or we just can't get 'yet'~ However, we keep coming back to our mats to overcome the obstacle and 'step into the fire'. When we finally 'open to grace' and allow our heart to bloom into the possibility of doing that pose or even vision ourselves in that one pose then, we connect with the 'BIG' wave and we just do it!

So within honoring the 'Great Ganesh' within your own life journey ~ May he be present at all times to create obstacles that support your spiritual growth and inner strength and remove obstacles along the way to give you divine love!

love and shri~
Jenna and 'jalaBlu'