Ask and you shall receive.

Long Overdue Blog Post,  January 2016

My name is Shannon. I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend and currently a yoga teacher. I am also the person responsible for the growth and development of Riverwise Yoga. (I would say “owner” but I am not comfortable with the title). I have a vision. I have an idea and a concept that I want to see manifested. I want to provide a space where teachers and participants feel appreciated, nurtured and inspired. I want this place to be at Riverwise Yoga. Will you help me?

I have leased our space, I am offering yoga classes and I am always willing to share this space with other teachers and facilitators. I want to share this space with others who have a similar vision of offering teachings or guidance that make lives better in this community. I want these teachers and facilitators to experience the rewards of hard work and passion. I want everyone at Riverwise (teachers and participants) to feel that a fair exchange has happened. Please, allow the teachers to guide you, inspire you, help you, and support you. In exchange, we ask for your time and money. Yes, it is hard to ask for money and time, but everything is an exchange of energy. Money is energy. The teachers offer energy in the way they teach, inspire, and support. In exchange we need to pay our bills, further our education and have the time to offer our classes.

I was recently inspired by an Instagram post by Beach Yoga Girl, she spoke of how she has been filming and publicly documenting her practice and her teaching of yoga for several years now. She said:

“Sometimes we hide who we really are and shove everything under the rug or in a dark closet somewhere. We hope that no one is really noticing but it is my experience that until you bring everything into the light you won’t be happy. Put it ALL out there for ALL to see…Change what you can and learn to accept what you can’t”.

Well, I would like to put it all out there too! I want everyone to know that I want YOU to come to Riverwise. I want to have at least 10 people in every class offered. (This number seems small, because we can accommodate 20+ but I want it to be intimate, impactful and personal). I am not just encouraging yoga classes, (although I REALLY want you in my classes!). I want you to come in to the space, for yoga, a workshop, a fitness class, maybe a birthday party. I don’t care why you come in, just come in. Add your energy to the collective energy of our space. Take the time to nourish yourself, however you need it to. Maybe you just need to walk through the door and take a deep breath. I want you to know where we are, who is offering classes, and why we are a good choice. I am not suggesting that you are going to have some magical moment when you walk through the doors, although that would be cool. I just want you to know where we are.  Come in, have a conversation about what we are doing and why. Ask your teacher their story, how did they get here, why are they teaching at Riverwise? What do we have to offer?? Why are we different, how are we the same? Maybe, we are just what you need and precisely what you want. You get to decide if this is the right place at the right time for you. If it isn’t, I hope you will try again soon.

If you are not ready for the journey that a yoga studio wants to take you on, that is ok. I promise I will not make you feel bad if we meet on the sidewalk or at a local school or business. No pressure, no guilt ….just acceptance. We all come into our habits, practices and beliefs when we are ready. I found myself on and off the Yoga Wagon for many years. When this happens, think back to how you felt when you were going to classes. Often, we forget how significant and how impactful a practice like Yoga or Meditation is. The same goes for Running, Bootcamp or any other activity. We need the right person to guide us, the right group to share the experience with and it has to work into how we balance our life. The key is to keep trying.

I am currently offering one class a week for $5. Punch card holders are welcome to join for no fee. This is my way of giving back to those who already support our studio and a way to offer a chance for someone to come in to our space, see how it feels, talk to others and enjoy a class for a small fee. Please join our group, currently the $5 class is being offered on Fridays at 6 pm.

Come, listen, ask, breathe and maybe somebody will say just the right thing at just the right time to inspire you, to make you think “Yes, I need more of this. My life is better, I feel better, this I CAN do …and WILL do again. Maybe, we will offer something that inspires you to spend some time under our guidance, maybe our stories will inspire you, maybe we will support you through a difficult time, maybe we will help you make a change that allows new doors to open.

Would you be able to have this happen somewhere else? Another yoga studio, a gym….. of course. Change and inspiration is everywhere if you are looking for it. I am simply suggesting that you choose Riverwise. I want to be a part of your journey, your story, your change. Please help me see my dream, my vision become reality. Help us grow our community at Riverwise!

With Gratitude and Kindness,

Shannon

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