photograph "time" © J. Merideth 2011
- J. Merideth
running barefoot in the rain
— Pema Chödrön
A few months ago my 15-year-old dog rather suddenly became ill and I made the very difficult decision to end his suffering. It was heart breaking and mysterious. One moment he was looking up at me, tense and confused. The next moment his body relaxed and he was gone. Exactly one week later my sister called me to let me know that my mother had died. I recall thinking how the timing of these two events, exactly one week apart, seemed so peculiar. Death has never made much sense to me and throughout my life I have done my best to avoid thinking about it; and yet I have dwelt on its heavy wet- blanket quality in equal measure. People have passed away in my life, a few friends died tragically young, grandparents passed from age and hard living. People I trusted to tell me the truth, like Peter Jennings, stopped appearing. However, it's not until you lose the energy of an entity's influence over your life that death can really take hold and have a lasting impression...at least for me. We live and we die, we come together as a collection of energy particles, and then we slip back, hopefully slowly, into the stellar wind as particles orbiting the sun. Death, I think, is life's way of saying: hey look, this life stuff is a tenuous thing, so take note of its inherent beauty, relish the time you have and get out of the way so that you can love deeply.
I suppose death opens the door for more life and while the loss is indeed poignant, there is a beauty in the stillness that comes with the passage. I will miss my mother; she taught me how to play, to run barefoot in the rain and she knew me in a way that no one ever will again. I will miss Thorax; he was one of the most mischievous and charming entities I have ever come across in my life...we shared countless days outside filled with sunshine and being connected in the unique way a dog is to its human.
I am reminded of one of my favorite Joni Mitchell songs, "Hejira":
...We're only particles of change I know, I know
Orbiting around the sun
But how can I have that point of view
When I'm always bound and tied to someone
White flags of winter chimneys
Waving truce against the moon
In the mirrors of a modern bank
From the window of a hotel room...
There is tragedy in death but there is also such potential and a holistic kind of beauty.
With great affection,
John Merideth - Summer 2011
Summer Schedule • July - September
monday
Evening classes begin at 5, 6 & 7:30pm.
For the most up to date class and eVent information, visit the schedule page.
*** = New Class/time
Quarterly Specials
16 Classes $158 - Regularly $198 - Save $40
50 Classes $499
onlYoga Holiday Schedule
SUMMER 2011
Independence Holiday
July
Friday 1st - No Classes
Saturday 2nd - Regular Schedule
Sunday 3rd - Regular Schedule
Monday 4th - 6pm No Classes
Labor Day Holiday
September
Friday 3rd - No Classes
Saturday 4th - 10am All levels
Sunday 5th - 10am Sunday Flow & Hip Opening
Monday 6th - No Classes
Parking Update...
Upcoming events and activities
108 Sun Salutations
Date: Monday September 12th Time: 6 - 7:30pm
Cost: Free unlimited - $10 Dop-In
register now
Metaphor Of Trancendence - Anahata & Vishunddha
The chakras are symbols in an ancient metaphorical language. Their meaning pertains to the ever evolving consciousness as it travels from one frequency to another. The wheel, the spiral, the flow of energy from one state to the next, the symbols of the chakras innervate the subtle body and bring about union with the universe at large. In this workshop we will explore the shape, sound and texture of the fourth and fifth psychospiritual "organs" - Anahata: the heart chakra, green, seat of empathy and love & Vishunddha: the throat chakra, sky blue, communication and creativity. This workshop is the second in a series of four exploring the chakras through metaphor, movement, visualization and guided meditation.
Date: Saturday September 10th 2011 Time: 9 - 11am
Cost: $25, Free Unlimited
Instructor: John Merideth
Everyone is welcome register now
min 8 - max 20
onlYoga Posture Clinics
These 60 minute sessions will target three representative postures and explore functional anatomy, alignment, adjustments, modifications, & time for questions. Students are encouraged to warm up by taking the 10am Sunday class that proceeds the clinics.
Instructor John Merideth
Cost: $15, Free unlimited
Sunday August 20th, 12 - 1pm
Twists: revolved triangle, pashashana, seated twists
Sunday September 17th, 12 - 1pm
Backbends: urdhva dhanurasana, kapotasana, dhanurasana
Everyone is welcome!
onlYoga In Piedmont Park
Join us on the following Mondays for an ALL LEVELS onlYoga Ashtanga class in Piedmont Park. All classes will be taught by John Merideth. Classes will meet on the steps leading down to the active oval at the 14th street entrance. In the event of inclement weather, classes will move indoors at onlYoga. Please note that we use our Facebook page to alert students to venue changes as well as the onlYoga website. Cost is $10/class - Free for unlimited students.
Monday October 10th 6 - 7:15pm
Monday October 24th 6 - 7:15pm
Monday November 7th 6 - 7:15pm
Favorite Fruit Smoothie
Ingredients
1 - 2 cups of frozen organic mixed berries
1 ripe banana
1 - 2 cups greek yogurt (The Greek Gods traditional honey)
Vanilla soy milk
Directions
Add 3 - 4 cups of soy milk to the blender along with the banana and the greek yogurt. Blend together on a low setting. Slowly add the frozen fruit and turn the blender to the pulse or grate setting. Blend for 1 - 2 minutes, poor into glasses and enjoy!
a summer mix 2011
poem
RAINER MARIA RILKE
Suddenly, from all the green around you,
something-you don't know what-has disappeared;
you feel it creeping closer to the window,
in total silence. From the nearby wood
you hear the urgent whistling of a plover,
reminding you of someone's Saint Jerome:
so much solitude and passion come
from that one voice, whose fierce request the downpour
will grant. The walls, with their ancient portraits, glide
away from us, cautiously, as though
they weren't supposed to hear what we are saying.
And reflected on the faded tapestries now;
the chill, uncertain sunlight of those long
childhood hours when you were so afraid.
He wrote in both verse and a highly lyrical prose. Among English-language readers, his best-known work is the Duino Elegies