pema

PEMA

check her out
my favorite woman(one of!)
to turn to, in times of. . . . .well, times of contemplation, uncertainty and unknown
just to get a bit of her humour
understand that SHE too is human
and listen to her wise, wise words

"If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher."
— Pema Chödrön

"To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-man's-land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh. To live is to be willing to die over and over again. "
— Pema Chödrön (When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times)

When Things Fall Apart, a book that was introduced to me years ago and now has been read, re-read, and dropped in the bath and lent and borrowed and folded and torn and underlined and fully, completely a saviour. . . . .I recommended to you
ohhhhhh and also Comfortable with Uncertainty, as I was reading today in the park

JULY

ITS ALMOST THE JULY LONG WEEKEND

GO, BE FOOTLOOSE AND FANCY FREE
MISFITSTUDIO WILL BE CLOSED
FRIDAY JULY 1-MONDAY JULY 4

Picnic, frolic, enjoy the sunshine
xoxo

just the tip

A gift, shared by a friend this evening. . . .i pass on to you

A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL 5 IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX :

1. EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK .

2. YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4. IN LIFE , YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS, WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.

5. TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.

We all need to be constantly sharpened. This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique God-given talents and abilities. Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what's inside of you and then allow yourself to be guided by the hand of God.

Hold tightly to what is eternal

and loosely to what is temporal.

friendship

Rumi
his art, wizardry and wisdom...... when the moment of friendship ignites, or explodes or realizes you know, consciously, subconsciously, your whole being knows and if you have the brilliance of years together to create memory, story, laughter, love i applaud you, for i know it, i live for it, and i honor the profound friendships i have in my life even if they fly far from the nest, create new home, that connection lives for days, years, even life times....friendship

an excerp, for lease.....i love you


Suddenly a raven grips the mouse and flies off.
The frog too, from the riverbottom, with one foot entangled in the invisible string, follows, suspended in the air.
Amazed faces ask, "*When did a raven ever go underwater and catch a frog?*"
The frog answers,
"This is the force of Friendship."
What draws friends together does not conform to Laws of Nature. Form doesn't know about spiritual closeness.
If a grain of barley approaches a grain of wheat, an ant must be carrying it. A black ant on black felt. You can't see it, but if grains go toward each other, it's there. A hand shifts our birdcages around. Some are brought closer.
Some move apart.
Do not try to reason it out.
Be conscious of who draws you and who not.

for the full poem, please go to this link

growth

After visiting my fathers tree yesterday, witnessing the growth, the strength, the year after year pursuit I'm left thinking about.....personal growth
Trees grow up through their branches and down through their roots into the earth. They also grow wider with each passing year. As they do, they shed the bark that served to protect them but now is no longer big enough to contain them. In the same way, we create boundaries and develop defenses to protect ourselves and then, at a certain point, we outgrow them. If we don’t allow ourselves to shed our protective layer, we can’t expand to our full potential.

Trees need their protective bark to enable the delicate process of growth and renewal to unfold without threat. Likewise, we need our boundaries and defenses so that the more vulnerable parts of ourselves can safely heal and unfold. But our growth also depends upon our ability to soften, loosen, and shed boundaries and defenses we no longer need. It is often the case in life that structures we put in place to help us grow eventually become constricting.

Unlike a tree, we must consciously decide when it’s time to shed our bark and expand our boundaries, so we can move into our next ring of growth. Many spiritual teachers have suggested that our egos don’t disappear so much as they become large enough to hold more than just our small sense of self—the boundary of self widens to contain people and beings other than just “me.” Each time we shed a layer of defensiveness or ease up on a boundary that we no longer need, we metaphorically become bigger people. With this in mind, it is important that we take time to question our boundaries and defenses. While it is essential to set and honor the protective barriers we have put in place, it is equally important that we soften and release them when the time comes. In doing so, we create the space for our next phase of growth.

summer class shift

SUMMER TIME AND THE SCHEDULE IS SHIFTIN
JUST A LITTLE
Its so beautiful and summery and we all just wanna be out in a park dancin, so please take note, some class times have changed!!!


THURSDAY 9AM FREEDOM FLOW WITH JUSTIN

SATURDAYS 9AM FREEDOM FLOW WITH JUSTIN

No early morning classes with Josie until the Fall. . . . .

dreamland

Being present lets us experience each moment in our lives in a way that cannot be fully lived through memory or fantasy.

A reminder after watching Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the co-production between The National Ballet of Canada and The Royal Ballet and based on the famous Lewis Carroll book
The Alice stories have long fascinated artists both for their fantastic visual effects and the rich psychological and emotional terrain
Wheeldon’s ballet, however, "seeks to restore the book's fundamental appeal: its brilliantly anarchic and unfettered evocation of the imaginative world of childhood, a world that, having lived it once, we all carry within us, if only in dreamland"

It can be easy for us to walk through the world and our lives without really being present. Daydreaming and dwelling on the past or living for the future are common pastimes, it is impossible to live anywhere but the present moment. Nevertheless, we can easily miss the future we are waiting for as it becomes the now we are too busy to pay attention to. We then spend the rest of our time playing “catch up” to the moment that we just let pass by. During moments like these, it is important to remember that there is only Now.

In order to feel more at home in the present moment, it is important to try to stay aware, open, and receptive. Being in the present moment requires our full attention so that we are fully awake to experience it. When we are fully present, our minds are clear, and tend to not wander. We are focused on what is going on right now, rather than thinking about what just happened or worrying about what is going to happen next. Being present lets us experience each moment in our lives in a way that cannot be fully lived through memory or fantasy.

Some of us may feel a lack of control because we aren’t busy planning our next move, assessing our current situation, or anticipating the future. Instead, being present requires that we be flexible, creative, attentive, and spontaneous. Each present moment is completely new, and nothing like it has happened or will ever happen again. As you move through your day, remember to stay present in each moment. In doing so, you will live your life without having to wait for the future or yearn for the past. Life happens to us when we happen to life in the Now.

MISFIT DOES ANUSARA

Misfit Studio

with Josie Houpt, Anusara-Inspired™ Yoga

Pre-registered Morning Yoga Practice

Attitude-Alignment-Action, start your summer days off right!

Explore the sweet mix of life-affirming philosophy, bio mechanical principles of alignment and balanced action within your practice.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8am-9am.

Starting Monday June 20^th – August 31^st.

Pre-register for your sessions, choose to come for 1 to 3 mornings per week! Classes max at 8 people, please contact Josie or Amber to sign up.

10 class pass (One class/week for 10 weeks): $215.00

20 class pass (Two classes/week for 10 weeks): $400.00

30 class pass (Three classes/week for 10 weeks): $550.00

Unsure of your summer schedule? Drop-in rate is $25, or purchases 10 sessions to use whenever you choose!

Mixed levels welcome, please notify the teacher of any injuries or concerns. No classes on July 1^st and August 1^st.

Benefits to a pre-registered series:

• Progressive sequencing, deepen your level of understanding each time you come to the mat!
• Build a relationship with the group and teacher, inspire and support eachother to cultivate strength and flexibility!
• Small class sizes offer more room for individualized attention and adjustments.

For more info on Josie and Anusara Yoga, please visit her website at http://www.wix.com/josiehoupt/yogawithjosie

cardpunch

A Reminder to all yall that are purchasing Class Cards!!!! YEHAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
The system at misfitstudio is once you have purchased a class pass
the card stays at the studio, and we Punch You each time a class has finished!!!
So, not to worry, we are keeping track, you come, take class, dance and sweat and grooove with us, and either Justin or myself will gladly punch you out!!!!

thanks and keep on movin
see ya tomorrow or the next day or the next
also, who ISN'T lovin the open doors, the beautiful breeze, the sweeping in of flowers
xo