The Vibe: Freedom Begins with Noticing…read more
I arrived on the 4th of July with three intentions:
Freedom. Sovereignty. Awe.
Rumi said, "What you seek is seeking you."
Quietly...each one found me.
From the second you approach this studio, you can feel an energetic buzz in the air. Fun music. Bright smiles. Three welcoming women had everyone checked in and ready to practice in no time.
Field Note: Travel light. Mat, yoga towel, & sweat towel are all provided - and yes, there's onsite parking too.
The Guide: Leah Soboroff * Power Flow
Before class began, Leah greeted every new student by name.
Then came the 1st invitation. She let us know we'd be practicing facing one another today, and invited us to turn toward another yogi, make eye contact, and simply say hello.
I'll be honest. Resistance surfaced immediately.
Oh, there you are again.
(If you know, you know. Thank you, Ram Dass.)
So I breathed.
Exhaled.
And moved with.
Leah then reminded us that yoga isn't only an individual practice...it's also communal. Since it was Independence Day, she encouraged us to practice differently.
Play. Laugh. Don't take yourself so seriously.
Throughout class, she kept returning to one simple invitation:
"Step outside and around yourself...and find a new perspective."
Waiting...
instead of rushing.
Looking...
instead of assuming.
Meeting another person's eyes...
instead of staying inside our own world.
At one point, I wanted to hurry up & move ahead into the next posture before she cued it. Immediately, Leah gently reminded us to notice our tendency to hurry toward the next thing.
I noticed.
Oh...there you are again.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Move with.
(That felt like yoga.)
We began lying on our backs, using a block beneath our neck as a gentle massage before slowly flowing into practice.
Leah cued Sanskrit first, English second, and offered gaze cues to assist in transitions.
One particular sequence stayed with me.
Leah didn't just guide the movement.
She gave the movement meaning.
From balancing on one leg, she invited us to step courageously into the world as we launched into Crescent.
Then she called us back: Return home to yourself. And there we were...launched back to balance.
Along the way, she sprinkled in wisdom:
Stretching the left side - notice your heart, your intuition. Stretching the right - notice the sun, your intellect.
Even her assists carried intention.
One in Down Dog invited stillness into the body so the mind could settle.
Another gently opened my chest in Upward Facing Dog, creating a little more space.
By the time we arrived in King Arthur and then Wall Pigeon, I couldn't believe class was already winding down.
The Tribe: Practicing Together
Facing one another is never my first choice; however, I'm convinced that's why it mattered.
* Making eye contact, acknowledging another human being, and recognizing that wisdom exists all around us, not just inside us.
Leah reminded us there are "pockets of wisdom" throughout the room. Sometimes all we have to do...is step outside ourselves long enough to notice.
Space & Place:
The studio carries a fresh, bright, and contemporary energy.
Natural light, warm wood floors, clean white walls, curated artwork, sculptural pieces, and fully stocked amenities fill the space.
The spacious, light-filled yoga room creates room for free movement in body & mind.
The Takeaway
Before class, Leah said something that stayed with me.
Yoga lets us see our thoughts.
Our tendencies.
Our patterns.
And then...
I noticed.
Oh...there you are again.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Move with.
Ahhh...
Freedom.
To notice.
Sovereignty.
To choose.
Awe.
That we can.