On the holiday season and gifts of collaboration
One of the amazing things that has come out of this new project/initiative for me has been seeing the value of collaboration and community. This is my first blog post, and I write at a time when the holidays are around the corner and things feel a little frantic, but also exciting. A big year is winding down as a new one is beginning so there is room to reflect on the past and hope and aspire for the new year.
It was back at the end of March 2018 that I received a bit of an obscure message from Lynn Brandli that simply stated “are you free to chat about yoga this weekend?” After a flurry of calls that led to some visits to spaces, just a month later we opened a yoga space together—now the Little Yoga Co-op— at a location just a block from my house that I had already been imagining as a yoga space. It all happened so fast, but also so beautifully. We shared a similar vision for what we wanted for a space, we collaborated on the process of cleaning, painting, and building it as a studio from the ground up, bringing together the props we already had, and even creating pots of plants from shared cuttings for our homes and gardens. In a quick eight months we have started to build a sweet and loving yoga community, hosted several events at our space including social justice workshops, a poetry reading/book launch, and a holiday market, and are now strategizing ways to update our space even further for 2019.
One of the things I discovered through this process, is that I love the energy and potential of collaboration. I achieved so much this year by taking the leap of building something new and doing it with a trustworthy and balanced partner with a similar vision. So many other collaborations began and flourished this year as well, including the “self care Sunday” mini-retreats organized with Anneliese Singh, brilliant fellow academic and Purna yoga teacher, and the “Curated Wellness” gift card and partnership with three other new woman owned businesses in Atlanta. As part of the “Curated Wellness” project, Tend Yoga and Wellness is partnering with Heal Thyself Atlanta, the Intown Saltroom, and Visionary Healing to offer a gift card with four experiences from four businesses. We also plan to have events that bring together the wellness modalities and practices of our organizations.
It is mid-December, and this is a frantic time for gift buying, and holiday planning. So, first of all, consider the benefits of yoga for yourself as an antidote to the frenzy and the rush of the season. Practicing as part of a community in a class, gives you the chance to get away from the day to day stresses of your life and also allows you to feel that sense of collaboration and connection with others. And, as you consider giving this holiday season, consider the gift of wellness and yoga. These gift certificates we are selling at the studio will support our studio upgrades and plans for 2019. We also have lots of holiday specials on the studio gift cards, so you an receive free Classe with the purchase of certificates. And by supporting us with these gift certificate purchases, you are participating in supporting the processes of women collaborating with other women. Check these out!
