Encouraging Connection

Order now: Winter Yogi Shirts

//  by 

Now that the weather has shifted, our closets have, too. I’m offering a fall run of Woven Yoga sweatshirts in 2 styles: zipped and hooded, or wide necked and slouched.

You’re going to want to get your pre-order in, as only a limited quantity will be available in the studio after the order. Make sure you get the size you want and need!

These are high quality sweatshirts (American Apparel and Bella & Canvas brands – SO SOFT) and regionally printed at Custom Torso.

Are you gifting? Orders will arrive with plenty of time before Christmas!

Deadline to pre-order: November 17.

Pre-order Price: $50 (buy 2 and save $10!)
In studio Price: $60

Order Now

What didn’t make the cut

//  by 

Yoga Book Club is one of my favorite things. Last year, in both the fall and the spring, both books just flew at me as if on a mission; it took no effort to select the title we would read and explore together. This fall, perhaps because my attention was broadened by the studio, I didn’t hear a specific book call out to me. I had to return to favorite titles and explore other recommendations. I’m happy with Parker Palmer’s work, but here’s what I loved yet didn’t make the cut:

Fed Up by Gemma Hartely. Emotional labor in the lives of women. I’m not going to promise that this one won’t return to us in a different format, because she has a lot to say about the imbalances in many households, not just with literal chore-charts, but with the invisible work of managing it all.

Lost Connections by Johann Hari. He explores the social, vocational, spiritual and value-driven sources of anxiety and depression. He presents so much research on this book, valuable to those with and without diagnosable conditions.

Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Brueggeman. This was was a tad to deep in the theological work for our book club format, but a worthy read nonetheless. Dare I say that Walt B. might be reinforcing our yoga practice when he says that we need to return to the being and not just the doing?

Image result for shameless book

Shameless by Nadia Bolz-Weber. Again, I’m not promising that this one won’t come back around. There’s so much work being presented right now about our cultural views of the body and how we might begin to make space for it’s goodness, especially in regards to human sexuality.

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Dr. Gabor Mate. Honestly, it was just too much. Too much reading, too much hurt, too much to fathom – even though it’s much too real for people everywhere. This work on addiction (and trauma and disconnection as likely root causes) had me shaking my head and texting my friends. (I know, I have nerdy friends. Or, just friends that accept my nerdiness.)

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert. I read anything this woman writes and this work of fiction was light and effervescent. I really just wanted a group of you to join me in reading our favorite lines, but imagined it wasn’t quite enough for a 5 week series of discussions. Go enjoy it at your leisure.

These are the titles that come readily to mind, there are several circulating that I read in the past 6 months that might pop up in conversation (or return to the Potential Pile for spring!)

Pressing Pause

//  by 

Studio update: I have no update. There is still a hole where windows used to be. Insurance is involved. Contractors are involved. Stuff.

I’m grateful to Viceroy and the folks at Shotzy’s for their hospitality; I’m wary of overstaying as our presence does require a bit from their end. (If you see Jewel give her a hug of thanks for locking, unlocking and filling water for our convenience!)

For next week, beginning October 7, we’re going to press pause. It’s probably one of the most yogic things we can do.

My hope is that this pause is long enough to feel refreshing and not so long that we become stagnant. Keep checking back, I’ll be adding classes online when I know that the studio can welcome us back. I also will communicate via email, text, and social media.

Crash Landing

//  by 

You may have heard that we had a little “run in” at the studio this week. First, and most importantly, no one was injured. No one was in the studio and the driver is okay.

Second: Gratitude. Not just for the “could have’s” but also because the people around me are so freaking amazing. So many calls, messages, notes of concern. The building owners are getting things shored up as quickly as they can. Within 24 hours I had 3 local businesses offer me space to set up shop while things get repaired. This is what I love about small towns: we know how to take care of one another.

And now, on to what is next. We’ll still have yoga and we’ll just take it week by week. This week we’ll set up shop at Shotzy’s Viceroy Hall. They’re located one block north at 130 North Sandusky Avenue in Upper Sandusky.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has shown support.

You can still register online for these classes online and keep tabs on the upcoming schedule via the Vagaro app.

Yoga Teacher Training at Woven Yoga

//  by 

Curious minds want to know: what’s involved with a Yoga Teacher Training?

What will you learn?

Over the course of 200 training hours, you will center on 4 primary learning objectives:

  • Teaching, Techniques & Practice
  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Humanities: History and philosophy of yoga
  • Methodology to teaching yoga

When will it happen?

Mary will visit and teach through Immersion Weekends: Saturday 9:30-4:30, Sunday 9-4. The first weekend is October 4-5.

Additionally, we’ll use time during monthly Evening workshops, Wednesdays 5:30-8:30pm.

Who is teaching?

Mary Borton, E-RYT 500, will visit Woven Yoga for these trainings. Mary’s style  is based in Hatha/Vinyaysa and influenced by the somatic teachings of EmbodiYoga®. From her own experience and training with Elizabeth Silas and her work with EmbodiYoga: Mary recognizes the transformative effect yoga has on the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual life. Informed from her years of practice and study, as well as the influence of many great teachers, Mary skillfully creates classes that meet students wherever they are on their paths. She also shares yoga in the education system by imparting the benefits of breath, movement, and mindfulness to classroom teachers. Mary Borton is Founder and Director of Yellow Tree Yoga, a small studio in Troy, Ohio, where she teaches daily classes, works with private clients therapeutically, teaches workshops and trainings in her local community and beyond, creating relevant and beneficial yoga classes for all levels.

And about her work with Zensational Kids: Mary Borton is a trained yoga teacher trainer at the 500-hour level (E-RYT 500). She began studying yoga in 1998 and immediately discovered the life-changing benefits of practices of breath, movement and mindfulness.

As a school librarian, she witnessed how the stress of teaching affected her co-workers and how student needs were also changing. Mary knew that yoga and mindfulness could provide a way to help them relieve stress, feel better in their own mind and body and support them to do better at school and in life.
Mary began teaching yoga to educators in her school district and others in her community while continuing to work, raise her three children, and care for other family members. With the support of her husband, and to promote peaceful living in her community, Mary made the change from school librarian to full-time yoga studio owner. Her heart never left the schools, as she continues to bring the practices to teachers and students in the school setting. Mary has completed advanced and continuing education courses for working with youth through Radiant Child Yoga, and Zensational Kids. She has extensive training in trauma therapy, prenatal specialization, and somatic education. She is a regional trainer for Zensational Kids, bringing yoga and mindfulness to schools in Ohio.

Where will this take place?

All training will be done locally, in Upper Sandusky, Ohio at Woven Yoga (130 S. Sandusky Avenue). The value of this location cannot be understated. For many – most! – teacher trainees in our area, travel is the challenge: getting away for entire weekends, securing lodging, the cost of gas and food. Mary is generously removing this obstacle from your path.

How much will it cost?

A registration fee of $200 is due with your application to confirm your serious interest. This deposit is refundable until November 1.

The deposit will apply toward the entire program cost of $2400, due at the October Immersion Weekend. 

A payment plan is available: $800 due October 1 followed by payments of $320 due November 1, December 1, January 1, February 1 and March 1, for a total of $2600.

We recognize that pricing may be somewhat of a shock to those who haven’t been in the teacher-training world. Our program is one of the most cost-conscious when compared to bigger schools (if you’d like places to compare, I’m glad to provide), especially given the ease of location. Yet this program is just as rich in value: Mary comes as a highly qualified teacher in terms of experience and training.

What’s included in this cost?

  • All 200 hours of hands-on training with Mary necessary for Yoga Alliance RYT 200 certification.
  • Countless hours of in-class practice of asana, breathing, and meditation.
  • Supplemental training materials such as readings, printouts, and worksheets
  • Access to necessary props and tools for practicing
  • A robust library of supplemental reading from which you can borrow for a limited time
  • Unlimited free yoga at Woven Yoga for the duration of the training (October 2-June 3). This is a $765 value.

What’s not included in the cost?

  • Travel to & from the studio and lodging accommodations, if required.
  • Meals and snacks
  • Required reading books (expect to spend approximately $100 or more)
  • Yoga mat, clothes, or personal items

How do I sign up or learn more?

  • Mary is visiting September 8 to teach a special class at 3:30 PM and stay around for a meet & greet until 5:30. She will be available for questions about the program, the content, the schedule, and the requirements of the program.
  • When you’re ready to commit, begin with the online application. You can drop off your mail your $200 deposit to Woven Yoga 130 S. Sandusky Ave. Upper Sandusky, OH 43351
  • Feel free to email Michele with questions, comments, concerns or clarifications.

What’s in a YTT?

//  by 

The past several weeks have been filled with calls and emails to/from my teacher (Mary Borton, E-RYT 500) as we go about preparing for the upcoming Yoga Teacher Training. Since this is Mary’s umpteenth time leading a TT, this is not as much for her as it is my own sense of what are we doing? We went through the required reading lists and the workshop outlines, content areas, and made reference to my own experience being trained as a yoga teacher.

It’s fascinating to look back at that time period of my training. As is anything good, it was hard. Arranging my life, which included a two-year-old, a four-year-old (in a not-everyday preschool), and two school-aged kids made the travel element challenging (thanks, mom, for making it possible!). It was worth it, because I never dreamed that teaching yoga would lead to the things I do now.

For many, yoga equates to asana (poses), because that’s so much of the doing we experience in a yoga class. We learn where to put our foot in Triangle or how to move a leg forward in a sun salutation. Of course, there’s also the breathing that’s emphasized as we move, so our pranayama (breathing) is practiced.

What it takes to create a yoga class, however, is more than memorizing a list of poses and then reminding people to breathe. Like so much of being human, most of it happens under the surface.

Last summer, we remodeled our home and opted for an IKEA kitchen. We were able to pick and choose our components, they came in lovely labeled boxes with instructions on assembly based on preference. You had to pay attention to which hole to screw into and which hinge matched the door. Our barn was FILLED with brown boxes of these elements. We had to stack and re-stack based on which cabinet we were wanting to build.

While it’s tempting to believe that a YTT is the hours you spend on the IKEA Kitchen Planner (an online tool where you get to drag and drop your cabinets into your Dream Kitchen arrangement), in actuality it’s like those moments in the barn where you get everything unloaded and you spend hours figuring out what goes where. Or the unwrapping of the boxes and attaching the sides of the drawer to the base of the drawer and figuring out how the hinge-roller thing gets installed based on how tall the drawer is and how many you have in this cabinet.

The pieces do fit. In fact, there’s an innumerable variety of ways to assemble the elements of an IKEA kitchen. But the process of a YTT is asking how does this and that fit together in my kitchen – or my belief system, my body, my personal ethic, and my community of people – at this moment? The teachers of your life (and this program) will give everyone the SEKTION bases, allow you to choose between BODBYN and GRIMSLOV doors, and then hand you an allen wrench.

This had to move just a little to the left.

True story: once we installed our kitchen, we had a wall full of (HEAVY) pantry cabinets and cupboards. As we finished up our remodel, our contractor added the trim around our back door. Due to poor planning on our part, once the trim was on the door, our drawers couldn’t open. Now, IKEA kitchens are a bit unique in that they are hung on your wall with a rail, not screwed individually into your wall. So, we emptied the cabinets and our contractors jacked up the entire wall of cabinetry, and SLID IT a few inches to the left. Voila, it fit.

This, my friends, is a beautiful example of the ongoing practice of yoga, especially as a teacher of yoga.

Sometimes things need to shift and move, even after you think you’re done.

You see, yoga isn’t just the poses. Yoga means to join, connect, unite, or yoke. The poses are a beautiful way of putting it into the physical realm, because we can see and feel how our body is connected when in a variety of different situations. But the true yoga is connecting all the elements of your life. How you think, feel, believe, practice, speak, eat, sleep, move, love, create, pray, watch, learn, encourage, collaborate, spend, consume, and lead.

And a YTT doesn’t teach you HOW to do that “the right way.” A YTT (a good one, at least) will point you to the ways this and that have a relationship with one another. It asks you to listen and learn from to the wisdom of history, along with the wisdom of the present (including science), the wisdom of the Divine (from whatever stream you recognize it), and the wisdom of your personal experience*.

So, if you’re interested in unpacking the stuff of life, doing a bit of heavy lifting in terms of arrangement, and love the creative process that’s involved with learning, then a YTT is perfect for you.

Just don’t do it because you love a finished product. I still need trim in my kitchen.

So, what if this sounds really, really awesome to you?

The Yoga Teacher Training at Woven Yoga will commence October 3, 2019. It’s a 9-month (11-weekend + several evenings) immersion program. If you’d like to know more or are ready to enroll:

  1. Come meet Mary and practice with her on September 8 at 3:30. We’ll have a meet & greet with questions about the program to follow.
  2. Read through some of the requirements and investments necessary to complete the program.
  3. Apply online and drop your deposit at the studio ($200, check or cash only).
  4. Clear your weekends for the immersions as complete attendance is necessary and required.

*Yes, for you hard-core Methodists out there, that’s my Yoga version of the Wesleyn Quadrilateral.

Yoga Teacher Training begins this fall

//  by 

People take on a Yoga Teacher Training for a multitude of reasons. Many want to deepen their own understanding of the roots of their practice, diving into the history, philosophy, and even anatomy that the practice of yoga integrates. Some have a deep appreciation for the practice and find themselves regularly sharing wisdom that yoga has imparted, and now they want structure and confidence to share what they know, perhaps even in a more formal setting. Finally, more and more professionals are finding the benefits of yoga in their workplaces: mental health professionals, educators, those in the medical field, and even corporate executives want to know more about yoga concepts.

A 200-hour YTT requires time, attention, and dedication to a personal practice and a shared learning environment. In northwest Ohio, it often involves a level of travel. However, Woven Yoga has partnered with Mary Borton, E-RYT 500, from Troy, Ohio to bring The Heart of Teaching program to Upper Sandusky. Mary has 10+ years of teaching yoga along with 8+ years of teaching teachers of yoga.

She shares yoga and mindfulness programs in her community through public speaking, workplace, and educational settings. Mary is Program Director of the EmbodiYoga® 200 Hour Teacher Training at Yellow Tree Yoga and Mary has completed advanced and continuing education courses for working with youth through Radiant Child Yoga, and Zensational Kids. She has extensive training in trauma therapy, prenatal specialization, and somatic education. She is a regional trainer for Zensational Kids, bringing yoga and mindfulness to schools in Ohio.

Mary Borton Yoga is a Registered Yoga School 200-hour program through Yoga Alliance which exceeds the requirements listed to be eligible for this status. More about these requirements are available online.

If you’re interested in joining the Woven YTT, here’s the process:

1. Email Michele

2. Join us September 8 from 3:30-5:30 PM when Mary will join us for a special guest class and stay for a meet-and-greet to learn more about the program and its requirements.

3. Complete the online application and pay the $200 application deposit (checks payable to Mary Borton Yoga).

4. Pay the remaining balance by the first training weekend, October 5, 2019

5. Attend all sessions and participate to your fullest abilities.

Slow Flow for Newbies

//  by 

Looking for a great place to begin?

This is an introduction and practice of the basic postures and transitions of a fundamentals yoga class. We take a slower pace so that your mind and body can connect the movement without adding the challenge of speed. Because the brain does its best with repetition, the class will be consistent, with some variation, so you can watch your progress and blossom in your yoga practice.

Join us on Wednesdays at 5 PM! This 4-class series begins August 21 and is only available as a series ($45).

Space is limited to 12 – sign up now!

What is yoga?

//  by //  Leave a Comment

Yuj (sanskrit): To join, yoke, unite.

Entire books and hours of seminars expound on the meaning of yoga. Some see it simply as a physical practice and a form of fitness. Others take it to the far opposite and view yoga as a largely meditative practice of the mind. There are groups who lump it into religion, or at least a system of belief and practice. Any of these definitions can work for particular groups, depending on what you’re looking for it to accomplish. At Woven Yoga, none of these preceding definitions accurately fit the teachings we offer. At it’s heart, yoga is union.

As we practice it at our studio, yoga is the bringing together of body and mind, breath and movement. And because the body resides in the soul, a regular practice will begin to change the way we think and what we believe about ourselves, others, and the world around us. As my teacher says, as the body, so the soul.

So you may find that by coming to class and noticing the breath, perhaps expanding inhales deeper into your belly, that you’re able to take a big breath before other life circumstances. As you practice folding and lengthening certain muscle groups, you could see that you’re able to let go of some of the rigidity that used to confine the way you lived. And as you bear your body weight, this newfound strength could serve you well mentally.

Sir Ken Robinson says in his popular TED talk that we now live and act as if we’re simply “floating heads”, keeping education – and I will add work life, family life, and civic life – all in our heads. While our brains are powerful and important for the flourishing of human life, our bodies, our emotions, and our sense of will also contribute to the human experience. Because the mind gets so much of our attention, giving space in the day or week to give awareness to the body and the breath helps bring a person into a more unified state, aware of all the components of life.

A yoga practice is meant to bring freedom, not burden. One of the most famous of gurus (and my personal favorite) spoke of his own teachings and practices as he shared it with others, saying, “my yoke (yuj) is easy and my burden is light.” While keeping us grounded, the way we integrate our lives should bring lightness, to ourselves and others.

Of course, a quick googling will give you thousands of other answers, as yoga has over 5,000 years of history, beginning long before someone could have a YouTube channel to teach it.

Yoga as an ancient practice, specifically in the ashtanga (“eight limbs”) lineage, from which vinyasa (“to place in a particular way”) yoga emerged – and which Woven teaches – involves more than an hour class, once a week. It includes practices of the breath and elements of meditation, along with aligning your personal and social life with ways of living that keeps you in healthy accord with others and the world around you. You may find that some of these other limbs of yoga work their way into your studio practice and the teachings at Woven Yoga.

Home

//  by 

Four years ago, today, we moved *home* to Upper Sandusky. 
After JJ was invited to interview for his current position, I was surrounded by a sense that we were headed that direction. Nothing of it made a lot of sense because we were happy in Troy, he loved his job, our friendships were deepening, I was connecting in various ways with multiple downtown businesses. Yet I heard a small voice saying, “go.”

This tattoo came immediately after saying yes. It was time to be rooted, established, with leaves brimming with evidence of life. 

This was not a small thing for me. Since I was 18, I’ve not lived in one place or I worked the same job or done anything (other than parent and stay married) with longevity for more than 4 years. 

Now, on the 4th anniversary of my last shift, instead of leaving for the next thing, I’m finding myself staying for the next thing; digging in deeper, allowing the roots to reach further.

I read this morning in the Radiance Sutras: 
Again and again, answer that call,
And be saturated with knowing,
“I belong here, I am at home.” 

I’m home.