*ANNOUNCEMENTS*
I hope this summer season is treating you well. For those of you on The Yoga Village email list, you have likely already received this news. For those new to The Yoga Village or who had anticipated coming to the studio in the near future, please read on.
On August 3rd, 2008 I fly to Beijing, China to begin my dissertation research. I'm very fortunate to have been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship as well as a Critical Language Enhancement Award to fund a combined 14 months of advanced language study (first 4 months) and dissertation research (remaining 10 months) in China over the next year+. While I'm pleased to share this great news with you, I'm simultaneously saddened that this positive development in my academic career means that The Yoga Village will temporarily be closing its doors as of August 1st, 2008.
I did explore various options for keeping The Yoga Village running while I'm abroad, however none of the options panned out. Nonetheless, The Yoga Village is here, for you, now - and through July 31st. So, I encourage you to come out and enjoy classes during this month of July.
For those of you who frequent my classes, I certainly encourage you to come to any of my classes this month before I leave for Beijing (I'd love to see you before I go!) - lest you prefer to await my return in November 2009. In addition, I encourage you to attend classes taught by Ellen Secci, Gaby Winqvist and Teta Barry this month at The Yoga Village so that you may get to know other teachers and yoga styles currently offered at the studio (they will be still in town teaching elsewhere after July). Christine DeHart has also previously taught at The Yoga Village, so some of you may be interested in exploring classes with her as well. If you have any questions or concerns about how you might continue your yoga practice - whether a personal practice at home, and/or via attending group classes at a studio or gym, please feel free to contact me.
The studio has been a sacred and special place for me over these past two years - and much of it has to do with the precious energies and beautiful spirit you have all brought to the space. I deeply and sincerely thank you for the opportunity and privilege of sharing in your (and enhancing my) yoga student journey.
When I return to State College after my field research is complete (~11/2009) I plan to continue to teach (yoga) - though the venue will change. I will keep the website (www.YogaVillagePA.com) updated with my contact information in China, links to blogs and/or pictures from my time abroad, as well as with as much useful yoga related information I can get up there for you before I leave. And, of course, when I return to town and have information on when/ where I will teach, I will post that on the website and send out an email to keep you up-to-date.
Again, I thank you for the warmth and spirit you have shared with me and the larger TYV community over these past two years.
I hope all is well with you and I look forward to hopefully seeing you sometime over this next month.
Blessed be.
Namaste,
Melissa Rock
Founder and Yoga Instructor
The Yoga Village
PS: a poem to share - for you and for
yoga....
The Soul of Yoga
by Dana Faulds (Go In and In: Poems from the Heart of Yoga)
What is the soul of yoga?
Follow your heart into the
center of the pose and find
in the midst of detail and
precision, in breath, alignment,
balance, bliss, fear and sadness -
at the very core of all of this
is love. Touch upon your
truest nature even once and
the experience of what you
really are sears the psyche
like the surface of the sun.
The soul of yoga, the gift
within the pose is the
moment of communion,
resting in pure essence,
the awakening as if from
sleep to the face of
unmistakable divinity;
the ineffable wonder and
living reality of spirit - oh,
yes - the soul of yoga is love.