Last Thoughts From Us
I have worked most of my life. I was a camp counselor at 15, was employed through college
at a juice bar and bakery, came to NYC with $100 in my pocket and supervised the renovation of an art gallery. In my 20’s I began a career in magazine publishing and helped my husband Paul start a still flourishing business. Then in my mid-40’s I changed direction, stumbled into yoga and co-founded a studio in Brooklyn. Soon after I became a teacher and created YogaCity NYC. In between I’ve served on Boards, consulted for a myriad of companies and with Paul raised two incredibly self-sufficient young women.
Now I’m eyeing 60 and it’s time to rest.
Some ancient texts say that yoga lies between the inhale and the exhale.
In the pause.
I find it interesting that there are very few postures taught before modern times.
One of them is savasana.
So at least for a couple of months I am going to attempt pausing, watch my breath and take lots of savasana.
And, I’ll see what comes up.
Even as I write this I am thinking about a pending consulting project, expansion of two non-profit organizations, the classes I teach and my desire to work more fervently on resisting the direction our federal government is taking us in.
It’s scary for me to balance in a place of inaction. I’m not so sure I can do it for very long.
Will my friends still find me interesting? Will I be able to take care of myself financially? Will I still be relevant in a society that glorifies the new and the young? Are there important classes and workshops I’ll be missing? Will I become a couch potato and view TV and social media all day?
Despite these nagging questions, my inner guru says rest is the right thing to do now.
This sense of yoga might last a couple of weeks or only a couple of hours.
The bible says that a normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.
So I’ll watch my practice and get ready for the 2nd Act.
One thing is for sure…I’ll want to tell you how it goes.
--Brette Popper
Many of you don’t know me because I worked behind the scenes for the last several years putting pieces together with some wonderful and hardworking writers (you know who you are and hats off to you!) We’ve published funny, silly, sexy, wonky stories and others recounting events that were sad, sleazy and sometimes horrible.
As the editor, I always noticed that the ‘sleazy and horrible’ ones got the most attention. And I was blown away by the long, dark shadow that yoga casts. Despite its spiritual underpinnings, the tradition’s been plagued by sexual predators, vapid egomaniacs, money grubbers, and other unsavory types.
Are you thinking: she is so naïve - that happens everywhere? I know, I know - but I must also tell you that I was even more astonished by yogis who were so spiritually full that they could quench the most parched among us (yup, I am one). You won’t see them in the glossies or gathering clicks on social media, so here is a short list of a few of the teachers who stand in my firmament for their achievements, their humility, ultimately the way they conducted themselves on this planet - Prem Sadasivananda, Genny Kapuler, Anneke Lucas, Glenn Black, and Jonathan Fitzgordon. I am sure that you have your own list.
If I could offer my one parting piece of advice, it would be this: try to tread the path of the True and ignore the rest.
--Cynthia Kling
Like Cynthia, many of you readers probably don’t know me. My focus for YogaCity NYC has been on-site operations - not the most glamorous sounding but I enjoy it and it’s necessary. When Brette asked me to join, I considered the site a wonderful resource with reviews and a directory, but never imagined how much more expansive it would become.
Was our growth great? Yes, considering the range and quality of our stories, but not in the business sense. The changing technological landscape meant our directory was outdated and with social media’s increasing popularity, studios and instructors found an easy and low cost way to get the word out.
With all of that going on, I began to see the site as an extension of teaching Yoga. We were another tool for people to learn about all the limbs of Yoga, the many ways in which people express their Yoga as well as the different means to support your practice from healing modalities to recipes.
We grew in a grassroots fashion by you forwarding our email to a friend or sharing an article on social media. We stayed true to our mission and ourselves and for that I am incredibly proud. Thank you.
--Katie Jehenson
