Flier for my new class, Lil Asana, which begins Oct. 3!

lilasana

Autumn's almost here!

As the new season approaches, lots of transitions and changes are happening.  My yoga practice helps me maintain my equanimity as I transition from one role to another at work, as I perform household chores and try to allocate my financial resources wisely, as I take on new yoga teaching gigs (more about those in a bit), and as I try to remember to do everything with a sincere intention to be of service.

Some highlights from recent weeks:

• The lovely Lila Donnolo taught a super fun Partner Yoga workshop at Open Heart Yoga School while she was in town teaching AcroYoga at the Flowjo.  John and I both had a blast.  We met some new people, got a great workout, and deepened our connection to each other--all at the same time!  The experience got me really excited about playful ways of experiencing movement, so I've signed up for an aerial dance class at the Flowjo beginning on Sept. 28.  
• Jonathan Safran Foer came to UNC's Memorial Hall to talk about his book, Eating Animals.  If you haven't read it, it's a wonderful examination of the American way of raising and eating animals from the days of traditional animal husbandry to the current systems of agribusiness and factory farming.  If it leaves you really inspired to change the world one plate at a time, or if you just want to try a healthier way of eating, join the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, starting tomorrow.        
• Veda Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training is winding down, with only two weekends left!  I'm excited to be graduating, but I will miss meeting regularly with the amazing group of yogis I've been on this journey with since March.  As I work to complete the course's writing assignments and re-read my notes as I plan my yoga classes, I realize just how much I've grown during the course of the training, and how much more I want to learn.  At the end of October, during Halloween/Moogfest weekend, I'll be taking the Radiant Child training at Asheville Yoga Center between electronic music shows and frolicking about the city with John.  Another long teacher training is definitely on the horizon.  The question is, which one and when?  Maybe Jivamukti...

Yoga teaching updates:

• Caroline Kilaru and I will be co-teaching a FREE yoga class at Wilson Park in Carrboro on SUNDAYS from 8-9 am starting next Sunday, Sept. 11.
• I'll be teaching a second children's yoga class, Lil' Asana for ages 4-10, on MONDAYS from 4-5:15pm at Open Heart Yoga School in Carrboro beginning October 3.  
• I'll continue to teach Kids Yoga for ages 3-5 from 11am-noon on SATURDAYS and Hatha Yoga 1 from 12:30-2pm on SATURDAYS at Triangle Yoga during the fall session.  The new session begins on Sept. 17.  Please e-mail me at nicolelilyoga@gmail.com if you have any questions about any of the classes.    

Love to you all!

My friend Cab in tree pose, then drawing at the end of class.  So sweet! 

Summer photoblog part 2

Mom and I took a mother/daughter weekend trip to Wilmington, NC.

We enjoyed the sun, sand, and surf at Wrightsville Beach...

We successfully avoided tsunamis...

And we ate.  A lot.

Summer photoblog part 1

I had my first Padron pepper at a farm dinner at Foster's Market.

Our farmer friend Alex told me shishito peppers are very similar, so I cooked some up at home!

Bounty from a recent trip to the Carrboro Farmers' Market

My new Kona, a birthday gift from John.

John's sweet niece Kensie turned 3!

Swiss chard from the Carrboro Farmers Market

spring!

The first time I ever visited Chapel Hill and Carrboro was in April of 2007 with my beautiful mother Alexis, about a year before I moved here.  The Carolina blue sky, balmy temperatures, and wealth of good food and places to practice yoga won me over immediately.  A job at UNC and a perfect living situation in Hillsborough with my friend Charna sealed the deal--I was moving here.  I arrived at Charna's beautiful home on April 20, 2008, after midnight, exhausted and exhilarated.  A lot has happened over the past three years, but moving to North Carolina was the best decision I've ever made.
April is still the most beautiful month in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.  Everything is bursting with spring energy!
It's been a fantastic couple of weeks:

Yoga teacher training is going fabulously well.  I am learning about yoga poses, but I am learning so much more about myself.  Big thanks to Allison Dennis at Open Heart for guiding me and my thirteen classmates through this transformative journey.  So much love to Allison, Ti Harmony, and Open Heart!!  Speaking of Ti, I am taking a Mantra and Kirtan class with him for the next few weeks. (I didn't have enough to do--ha!)  I'm finding that, of all the yoga practices, chanting is the most powerful for me.  It focuses my mind and just generally brings good vibes all around.  John is an amazing musician, and he and his friend played guitar and keys while we chanted the Gayatri mantra together at our house for two hours the other night.  Bliss!  John's friend even called us last night, asking us if we wanted to chant again.

Dad, me, and Mom at Weaver Street

Michael, me, Mom at the Siena

My parents, Alexis and Don, visited from Baltimore over Easter weekend, and we had a splendid time.  They stayed at my favorite hotel in Chapel Hill, the spectacular Siena Hotel, where we had  Easter Sunday breakfast and fellowship with my brother Michael (who I'm blessed to have living right around the corner from me in Carrboro these days), John's super cool parents Mary Jane and Clem, John's gorgeous and kind sister Jordan and brother-in-law Joe, and Jordan and Joe's beautiful children Kensie and Oliver.  After breakfast, we attended Sunday service at Grace Church, the Ferris family's church, and heard a great message about mercy.  I have to say that even though I've had mixed feelings about Christianity and church in the past, I love Grace!  Later that day, the Mark family and John ate a big Easter feast at The Washington Duke Inn's Fairview Dining Room.  I had the opportunity to take my Dad to Johnny's, my favorite Carrboro community gathering spot, for a quick beverage and a chat at a picnic table.  On Saturday night, Michael, Dad and I ate a huge feast at Vimala's.  The Mark family LOVES to eat, obviously.   

feast at Vimala's!

More to come soon, including updates on the little garden John and I have started in our backyard with the help of his Mom, MJ.

Little baby squash plant from our new garden.

Blogging my way through 230 hours of yoga teacher training, starting tomorrow!

I'll keep this short and sweet since I've got studying to do.  Tomorrow is the official start of my 230 hours of Veda Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training at Open Heart Yoga School!  We're kicking things off with an anatomy quiz, so I'm dusting off my old textbooks tonight. 
Two weekends ago, John and I went to a beautiful evening of kirtan with Prema Hara, and they were truly amazing.  They've got a new album coming out on April 12.  Check it out! 
Love love love...

Lazy Blogini

I haven't blogged for a few weeks, due in equal parts to laziness, busyness, and time mismanagement.  But I'm back, and I've got a super exciting new yoga adventure coming up!  In a few weeks, I'll be starting Open Heart Yoga School's 230-hour, six-month Veda Vinyasa yoga teacher training program with the amazing Allison Dennis.  I did a shorter Anusara Yoga immersion and teacher training back in 2004 with the lovely and talented Mona DeFrawi at Quantum Yoga in Baltimore (now under new ownership as Baltimore Yoga Village), and taught beginner-level classes in the Baltimore area for a while.  Back then, I was still figuring out my career path and who I was as a person, so I didn't stick with teaching for very long.
Ready to delve into a deeper exploration of yoga asana and philosophy, I decided that it is time to do another training so that I may share the amazing gift of yoga with others once again and with greater knowledge and experience.

We are so blessed in the Chapel Hill/Durham/Raleigh metropolitan area (the "Triangle" for y'all non-Carolinians) with a plethora of places to practice yoga and to train to become teachers, including (but certainly not limited to):

• Open Heart Yoga School, linked above, is a donation-based and spiritually-focused yoga studio in the heart of the lovely town of Carrboro where I am blessed and grateful to live.
• Carrboro Yoga Company, another amazing Carrboro studio, offers a wide variety of styles and levels of classes (everything from Yoga for Athletes to Kunga Vinyasa to Yoga for Recovery).  I practice there often and especially enjoy classes with Molly Drake, Melissa Peng (on maternity leave now, but back soon!), and Michelle Johnson.  I recently tried co-owner Sage Rountree's Yoga for Athletes, and was pleasantly surprised (see my blog post on the subject for more).  CYCo. usually offers several free classes monthly, or donation-based classes whose proceeds benefit charities such as the Orange County Rape Crisis Center or Goathouse Refuge.  They have two different teacher training programs, too: one with a variety of great local teachers and one with the Asheville-based Stephanie Keach, who is a true master. 
• Triangle Yoga is home to superstar Anusara instructors Paul and Sommer Sobin and Aerial Dance instructor extraordinaire Rebecca Drake.  Triangle offers many workshops with master yoga teachers throughout the year, including Paul Grilley this May.  
• Franklin Street Yoga Center, right on Franklin Street in the heart of Chapel Hill, offers Baron Baptiste-style power yoga classes.  Although I don't make it there too often, I especially enjoy the super fun and light-hearted Rock Your Asana class with studio owner Lori Burgwyn. 
• Blue Point Yoga Center, right across the street from Duke's West Campus, offers a variety of yoga and Pilates classes and OM Yoga teacher training.  
• Patanjali's Place is another Durham yoga space.  I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit, but I hear great things. 
• Hillsborough Yoga and Healing Arts, a bit north of Chapel Hill/Carrboro in Orange County, offers a variety of yoga classes, along with Nia, bellydance, and Pilates. 

(This list doesn't even begin to include the rest of Durham or any of Raleigh.)  

The decision regarding the right training program was initially complicated by the number of programs available, but became simple when I stumbled upon the right fit for my particular yogic interests, schedule, and financial situation with the right instructor.

My first assignment is to re-read Yoga and Vegetarianism by Sharon Gannon.  I initially read this text after taking a Jivamukti workshop with Gannon at CYCo. in February of 2009.  As a 14-year vegetarian and occasional vegan who has incorporated a small amount of humanely-raised meat into my diet over the past two years, I'm looking forward to revisiting the ethics of eating, one of my favorite philosophical topics.