Central Iowa Yoga Retreat
The Central Iowa Yoga Retreat is a day for yoga. It’s a day to ground in community, to grow your knowledge, and to let curiosity bloom.
Imagine freeing up your schedule from the routine tasks. Think of the time you’ll have to plan, and even dream. To look at the big picture. All with a Next Step team member doing a stellar job of planning and recording as the work is done. And keeping you connected all the while.
If you get bogged down in routine, or need a more objective perspective on a project, we have something to offer.
The Central Iowa Yoga Retreat is a day for yoga. It’s a day to ground in community, to grow your knowledge, and to let curiosity bloom.
Martha and I bundled up on a very snowy morning in early January, and drove to the Hotel Pattee in Perry Iowa. Lopso, the resident dog greeted us warmly at the back door. His name complements the fact that he had three legs, making him lopsided. He became a caring presence to us and the students. Lopso wandered in and out of our session, and paused only for his hotdog lunch.
Carol Spaulding-Kruse had asked us to facilitate three hours of yoga with Drake students during a J-Term class, focusing on the intersection of yoga and writing. We focused our session on Hanuman, the monkey-faced god of the Hindu myths. Even though Hanuman’s story is centuries old, its lessons are still relevant today. The Ramayana is one of India’s most popular myths. In it Ram asks Hanuman to complete several difficult and challenging tasks, that he believes are impossible. Each and every time, Hanuman tells himself that he cannot accomplish such enormous tasks, and yet, he always does. He’s been telling himself a story that simply wasn’t true.
As we told Hanuman’s story, we asked the students to consider the stories they tell themselves. Martha and I urged them to note which stories are true, and which are not. Sometimes in our minds, we tell ourselves stories like, “I’m not funny” or, “I’m too shy.” Because the stories aren’t always true, necessary, or helpful, they limit our capacity to experience our full humanity. We told the Drake students some stories we’ve told ourselves, and how they’ve not always been helpful, true, or necessary.
Yoga asks us to occupy space, to relish in the full capacity of our humanity. Hanuman reminds us we can do hard–even impossible–things, even when we’ve been telling ourselves we can’t.
So for November, Native American Heritage Month, I’m reading books by indigenous authors. I’m nearly finished with “Indian Horse” by Richard Wagamese. It’s my favorite of the books I’ve read recently…
This amendment would make it harder for law enforcement to do their job. Public health, gun violence prevention, domestic violence intervention and religious groups are encouraging Iowans to vote NO.
We’re less than six months out from the 11th annual Central Iowa Yoga Retreat. Check out the early bird pricing now through November 26th, 2022! We can’t wait to see you all there!
Well, as strange as it may sound, my mindfulness practice actually makes it easier to keep all those balls in the air. It helps me remember that only one thing happens at a time.
We Iowans have the rare opportunity to take action for gun safety at the polls November 8 by voting NO on Public Measure Number 1. This is not the no brainer it appears at first look.
That’s what my four-year-old granddaughter says as we plant fall crops. I always tell folks who work with kids in gardens, it’s not about the plants. It’s about the kids.
We came together in search of a common goal–feeding our children fresh, healthy food. And we believe that goal can best be accomplished by promoting farm-school partnerships.
And now you know that “cool as a cucumber” really IS cool–20 degrees cooler than the temperature outside the cucumber. This made cucumbers the perfect STEAM snack on a hot Iowa day!