Yoga ~ Anne Nowell

Happy Happy 2012!!  The year where it all ends! (from the Mayan philosophical perspective)

The holidays have come and gone and we are into the “winter” of  another year. I have waited some weeks to post in hopes of regaling you with the Winter Wonderland where I currently reside. Alas, it seems I have brought San Diego with me to Utah. We have had a month of temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s which equates to NO SNOW! This makes for very testy winter sports enthusiasts. Still, with snow making equipment, the Resorts soldier on, and skiers and snowboarders remain optimistic. The following shots give you a brief look at what is possible when winter disguises itself as spring. This could mean we are in for a very cold spring; or are the seasons shifting in anticipation of the end of time ??

Best Wishes to you all for the coming year. May your New Year’s Resolutions bring the resolutions anticipated. You can help us out here in Park City, Utah, by envisioning the Winter we are yet to see. Next stop, the Sundance Film Festival.

Namaste

Indeed! It is Park City, Utah; essentially a suburb of Salt Lake City, just 25 miles up into the mountains. Judging by the pricey restaurants, the number of Lexus, and the amount of observable cosmetic surgery, I would guess we have the Utah equivalent of Beverly Hills or La Jolla. Having never spent time in a ski resort, as we move into the shortest days of the year there is the potential here for an interesting winter. A local joke, “What do you call a snowboarder without a girlfriend?” Answer, “Homeless!!”  Ahhhh…..

In this first post from Utah I have focused primarily on the mascot of Park City, the Moose. Apparently the animal lives in the surrounding area and on occasion wanders through the neighborhoods in search of foliage. These art works were auctioned by the City in a fund raiser some 15 years ago. They are a delightful addition to the local color.

The resorts have the snow machines in full gear. The City is in preparation for the population explosion. And the weather seems to be aligning itself with predictions of snow, snow, and more snow. For a resident of Southern California, I anticipate a bit of a wintery learning curve!

For larger viewing images, click back and forth on the photos.

I wish for you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving, remembering the inter-connectedness of all life in your prayers.

Namaste

Near the northwestern corner of the United States is the national wonder, Glacier National Park. A definite benefit to seasonal work is the availability to some of the most scenic areas of our country. Montana happens to be home to two of  the more spectacular National Parks, Glacier and Yellowstone. These blog posts may encourage some of you who have the luxury to travel (and it is indeed a luxury) to include Montana as a vacation stop.  Maybe I should write tourist literature for the state of Montana?

My friend Karla from Sacramento came to share with the exploration of Glacier Park. The photos speak for themselves! Our first two days were spent in the VERY remote village of Polebridge, MT, twenty miles from the Canadian border. During the first night of our stay, a black bear broke out the rear window of my car. There was no food in the car, but I had left my hiking boots in a white plastic bag in the rear floorboard. The bear broke into the car, took the shoes out of the bag, and left the shoes in the car having ascertained that they were not edible! Luckily the replacement of the window was not too expensive, however driving five hours back from the Park was a bit breezy. This is such an unlikely occurrence, I feel fortunate that my “bear karma” has been dispelled so easily. As a reminder to anyone traveling in wilderness areas, follow the Park safety guidelines and take bear spray!

From here I will be employed in the ski resort town of Park City, Utah.  Next post from the bunny slopes! Be sure to use the “Back Button” to get the full photo views.

Best wishes for a happy autumn. Please find time to enjoy the Nature around you wherever that may be.

We are nearing September and the summer has flown by! I have really enjoyed participating in the many outdoor activities offered in Montana.  As home to seven Native American reservations, with an enrolled population of over 4000, Montana in summer offers its Tribes the opportunity to get together and celebrate. This was my first experience of a Native American Pow Wow and I was truly enthralled! The Pow Wow was held on the Crow Reservation in southeast Montana, just 2 miles from the site of the Battle of  Little Big Horn. The festival involved Tribal dance competitions, a rodeo for adults and kids, and daily parades.

Since this was a party for people of Native heritage (of which I am not), I tried to be respectful with the photography. These photos were taken in full sun and are not the best quality, but you get an idea of the pageantry.  It was an amazing event! I appreciate the Crow’s willingness to allow for “pale face” observers. Do click back and forth on the images to get the full view.

Enjoy the remainder of your “dog days” and have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

Namaste

Summer in southwest Montana!  Here are sample photos of  hiking in the Lolo National Forest. As the snow is still melting in the upper elevations, there is a lot of fast moving water. A creek by any other name would be a river!

I hope everyone of you is having an eventful and fun summer. Do try to find a pause for quality time in Nature, the pause that truly refreshes.

Blessings for continuing health and happiness!

Memorial Day is usually the kickoff into summer. Graduations, schools are winding down, and families are planning their vacations. I am fortunate to be living in a beautiful part of our country and will hope to experience some of the summer fun here in Montana. In these photos I have examples of two Montana activities… mountain hiking and exploring “ghost towns”.

As local history goes, there were many small towns established in the 1800’s usually as mining towns. When the mines turned unprofitable people moved on, leaving the “towns” in their wake. These photos are from Virginia City, Montana which is a deserted town preserved by the State. For those interested in the Gold Mining Boom Days, the artifacts here are superb. One has to appreciate the pioneering spirit of the people at that time, our not too distant great grand relatives. Memorial Day kudos to them all! As for the hiking, well, the pictures tell the story.

Please click back and forth on the photos for a better view. My Photo Shop skills are negligible!

Have a wonderful summer wherever you are.  Blessings and Love from the Frontier!

Greetings Y’all, from the beautiful State of Montana!

I find myself in the spring of 2011 working in Boulder, Montana, a village of approximately 1,300 people. As noted in earlier posts, I feel fortunate to find seasonal work in places which usually close for the winter. Spring and summer, therefore, provide temporary jobs and keep my schedule more free for volunteer work.

After residing in southern California for most of my adult life, it is a treat to live in an area where there are so few people. Boulder is located in the mountains between the cities of Butte and Helena. I am always awed at being on the highway to either of these cities and sharing the road with 2 or 3 other cars!! Life free of the fast lane indeed! Another really attractive feature to the life here is that people are friendly, untrendy (meaning how you dress is unimportant), and seem to mind their own business. I have considered that heaven cannot be much better, but then again I have not had to deal with the winter.

In the following photos you get a taste of the scenery, the spring weather, and my participation at Boulder’s 100th anniversary celebration with my young friend, Leona. Yes, we are waiting for May flowers. Possibly in Montana they come around by July. Wishing you all a truly wonderful spring wherever that may be!

Be sure to click back and forth on the photos to get the full view. I would love to hear from you all, maybe a text from stalled traffic?

Namaste

Six weeks in San Diego have flown by.  I am fortunate to have many beautiful friends in San Diego and, indeed, it does feel like home. As the saying goes, “Home is where the heart is.

Muchas Gracias to all the beautiful event participants. Since the material covered was largely philosophical, I hope that everyone came away with new concepts to ponder. Thanks to Adesh Khalsa, the Kundinyasa Teacher Trainees, and to the Mystic Water Kava Studio for hosting me with Vedic Chanting and History of Yoga. Likewise, thanks to Duke Doudna and Yoga Oasis for sponsoring Energy Anatomy and to Oreste Prada for the photos. Teaching what one loves is truly a blessing!

Here are some of the highlights from this time spent with friends. Now I am off to the frontier lands of Montana. Thank goodness for Facebook (it is a way to stay in touch, even though increasing commercial!). Blessings for a beautiful spring wherever this finds you. I will probably find snow in Montana! Surely there will be some great photos.

Please click back and forth on the photos for the full images.

Namaste

Thanks to everyone who stopped by for the Feb. 25th Kava tasting!

It is a wonderful development that there is now such widespread interest in yoga. In the following workshops I would like to bring to light some additional pertinent information about yoga practices.  It would be great to see you at one of them.

Here are the fliers for the classes in San Diego. Please contact me if you need a scholarship or for more info at yoga@annenowell.com

Namaste

Being a wandering yogini suits my temperament. I have always felt the need for a high level of freedom in life. To be tied down by personal or business obligations creates a challenge for me. Luckily most of you are content in your home/business lives, which normally involves staying in one spot. The world (and I) are thankful to you! After living in San Diego for 12 years and having the opportunity to meet so many beautiful people,  it rather feels like returning home.

My strategy as a wandering yogini is to work for 6 months at a paying seasonal job and to spend the other months in study at various Yoga, Buddhist, and philosophical organizations. Most recently I have lived at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashram in Grass Valley, CA. I will be in San Diego for approximately 6 weeks before heading off to the next seasonal work in Montana. Happily, I have been invited to share from my recent studies at two workshops in San Diego. It would be great to have any of you who are interested to join me for these events.

On Friday February 25 at 7:30pm there will be a free “Meet and Greet” at the Mystic Water Yoga Studio.  Please come join us for a shot of Kava and to hear a few words from my travels.

Mystic Water Kava Bar and Yoga Studio
3811 Ray Street   North Park   92104
619-255-6475

On Saturday March 12 from 1:30 – 4:30pm  I will present a workshop entitled “An Introduction to Vedic Chanting”  at the Mystic Water Studio.

On Saturday March 19 from 1:30 – 4:30pm  I will present a workshop entitled ” Energy Anatomy” at the Yoga Oasis Studio in Hillcrest (formerly Yoganic/Astanga Yoga Center).

Yoga Oasis
1450 University Ave. # 201
Hillcrest  92105
619-542-1842

For further information contact the studios or send an email to yoga@annenowell.com

Blessings for a happy and healthy February!