A sharp beep beep beep beep pierces through the silence of the room, reverberating off the studios walls and disturbing the serenity of svasana. UGHHHH I think to myself as my hand instinctively moves towards my stomach to cover the 3-inch circle of plastic adhered to the soft flesh on my right side. My face flushes red as I attempt to smother the repeat alarm that will go off in exactly 120 seconds, as well as any rogue beeps that might sneak out before then. I count silently while trying to take stock of the room’s reactions without lifting my head off the mat. Are people looking around in order to locate the source of this intrusion into their meditative state? Have I ruined everyone’s yoga bliss? Is there a Sanskrit word so-sorry-please-dont-hate-me?

For over a decade, I have been practicing yoga in the different places that I have lived and traveled. Any time I relocated, I would search for a studio or two that I could use to settle back into my practice and find community.

In 2017, I moved to Cape Ann and started attending some local yoga classes twice a week.

I recently learned a tough lesson on self-care. As a yoga teacher, I constantly preached from the front of the class about self-care because I knew in my heart it was true. However, I secretly continued to put myself last again and again. Every time I would talk about self-care, I would get a pit in my stomach because I knew I wasn’t living that way. The priorities I put in front of myself were really, really important like my children, my family, my household, my students, and, of course, Treetop Yoga Studio, so I would always justify not taking the time for me.

Since my divorce six years ago, I’ve been cutting out the chaos in my life by erasing the drama in any given situation and focusing on the truth.   I work hard to clear away the internal chatter that fuels an erratic response based on assumptions and my own insecurities.  It’s a daily practice and it hasn’t been easy to retrain my mind.  But, the payoff has been huge: I have less anxiety, less anger, more explanations and insight to who I am and why, and ultimately more peace.

Sunday February 11th  was the end of my unlimited yoga package at Treetop Yoga in Gloucester and was also my 123rd  day as a Treetop Yoga member. That evening I took my 123rd Yoga class there and it was Hilary Yin Flow class, which I humbly and lovingly refer to as a Cosmic Restore class. One doesn’t just participate in a Hilary class, you experience it. Just surrender. Start your weekend with Jamie  “Cardio for the Soul” Saturday morning flow class, end it with Hilary’s Yin, and you’ve got a powerful set of Yoga bookends!

As a yoga teacher, your students will be looking to you to show them the way to natural health; how to be the “living remedy” and how to practice the art of yoga safely; how to implement a life of moderation,

fulfillment and activism, to feel you can give of your generous spirit and attract those things that will support you without getting depleted or sacrificing yourself in the process.

I began my yoga journey nearly 10 years ago. I grew up dancing and cheering, never competitively, and it stopped gradually once I entered high school (and discovered boys and live music). Despite being dubbed “Sloth” by my older brother as a child, I have always loved movement (however slow it was). I could whip out a tripod headstand from a very young age. My flat little head made the perfect base to turn me into a human spinning machine. I’d pop up, straddle my legs and around I would go, walking my hands a full 360, sometimes two. It made my dance teachers and cheer coaches happy- I have VHS proof of being front and center, spinning away. But this blog post won’t be about my full yoga journey, or my odd set of skills. Be patient.

I was running a little late to Treetop Yoga, and in the interest of saving a minute, and for the first time ever, I made the move of entering the side door by the Well and up the stairs, vs the main lobby area. Rest & Restore was upstairs of course, so I went straight up, and into the room, laid out my mat, and went for blocks, blankets, & bolsters. I noticed no one around me had bolsters or blankets, and thought I was probably just ahead of the game, or maybe these other folks are new.   The instructor wasn’t someone I was familiar with yet, it’s not uncommon to have substitutions.

Student, Andrew McCloy, describes his ongoing transformation with yoga: As I see it, the transformation with a yoga practice is ongoing — it can be life-long and you do not receive a diploma. It happens every day.

The little brown ranch house where I lived as a boy in Manchester-by-the-Sea had more than 50 acres of woods, streams, ravines, and rock formations just out its front door. Because of those woods, I often say I had a “Huck Finn childhood.”

I spent endless hours in the woods, exploring, wandering, and playing “war” or “manhunt” with my friends. In my child’s mind, they seemed vast and unknowable, and I found adventure, mystery, and peace in them.

My yoga journey has been 13 (gasp!) years so far, and I could write for pages about every class, every teacher and every lesson.  All those years ago, a very dear friend told me, “You should just come with me, see if you like it.  The teacher is young and fun and you’ll feel SO good after class!” Well, why not?  I was coming through a difficult time in my heart and mind and decided it couldn’t hurt.  Wow, was THAT an understatement!  I have learned SO many things along the way.  So many more things than I expected.  

Treetop Yoga Teacher Training Graduate Lisa Lunnen reflects on her journey with yoga, teaching, and life.

I’ve spent some time really thinking about the benefits of my Teacher Training at Treetop Yoga Studio. I’ve spent time thinking about my life before and after teacher training, about teachers that shared so much with me.  Should I write about the discipline it gave to my personal practice? My experiences with meditation? The exhilaration of actually doing a hand stand again? As I continued mulling over 6 or 8 possible, valid and amazing topics, the subject of my first blog came to me.  One of the greatest byproducts of my Teacher Training, is Reflection.  Yoga has somehow reopened a larger channel of connection between my mind and heart. 

Treetop Yoga Student Sharon Billings explores her long-term relationship with YOGA.

I first started dabbling in yoga 17 years ago.  I know this, because my now 17-year-old daughter was an infant.  I took a class at a local gym one night to get out of the house.  What followed was the BEST night’s sleep I had had in months.  I mean really restful, deep, glorious sleep.  What was this magic?  Any new parent can appreciate this, but to a single mom, this was GINORMOUS!!  More please! So…I started taking classes here and there.  Self-care was pretty low on the to-do list in those days, but curiosity and interest grew.

The barrage of negative news headlines finally got to me last week. I thought I had been taking the current volatile environment of our country in stride by subscribing whole-heartedly to the often-repeated mantra of “Be the change you want to see in the world.” My weekly yoga classes have helped me stay tuned into this mantra. Between that one and my other favorite – “If you judge, there is no room to love” – I felt like I had been able to listen better and absorb all that is swirling around me.

A new student recently stopped me after class and told me “that was the best class I’ve taken yet. It made me want to puke!” – not necessarily what you’d expect to hear after a yoga class!

This got me thinking about the reasons people come to yoga. Reasons often include strength, flexibility, mindfulness, weight loss, relaxation, the list goes on and on. Just like this newer student, I began my journey into yoga looking for a way to get a great workout. I sought out the classes that would push me to my limits, challenge me and make me feel sore for days. I loved how yoga made me feel and I quickly saw physical changes.