(Note: In a spontaneous flow, wrote and posted this Sunday night 1/22/12, then noontime Monday had second thoughts & deleted it from this blog and my computer, & created this post. Then that evening, after receiving very positive response from Ashleigh (”great…really funny & creative”), did an emergency retrieval of this original post, and here it is. Now there are two posts, two distinctly different styles of the same topic. Yes, of course, tell us what you think. Moral of the Story: Don’t freak out after writing a blog post.)

Hi remember me – I’m Eliza Jane. I’m older & bolder these days (b. 4/23/11) and can do much more.

For instance, the other day I took Dad to this great park in Savannah, Ga during our recent road trip to Fla. I really dig road trips and I am glad I could show him this park – it is a favorite of mine.

Here is a bigger picture of me if you would like to see…

Well, if you don’t mind I’d like to review a bit of ancient history. Oh no, not the Greeks, Romans or Phoenicians. I mean me! You know when I spent all that time rolling around in that pitch-dark cabin, no electricity, no on-line connection, nor wi-fi. Was that the dark ages or what?!?  I couldn’t see a thing and thought I would never get out. Oh come on now, you’re not gonna lay that line on me: You don’t remember that movie… Well then what are you waiting for – see it again. Don’t even tell me you did not see it once. Heck, I am a flippin’ and a flyin’ the whole time.

Like I was saying. We took this road trip over the winter holiday as I wanted to get m & d out of dodge. But check this out. After I got the tent set up (by myself!) – down in the Fla. Keys – then they (m & d) got plumb lost. I was looking everywhere – inside the tent, outside the tent. You name it and I checked there. Spent the whole afternoon tracking them down to make sure they were OK. Totally spoiled my afternoon surfin’ plans. But what can you do – that is part of the sacrifice of having parents. It kinda comes with the package – goes with the territory.

I made this pic big also…

On the whole though the trip was pretty great – I mean what’s not to like about going south in wintertime. Besides, I worked out a deal where I actually got them to do most of the driving – so I could just chill in my captain’s chair. When I am in that seat, I just totally call all the shots. It makes Captain Kirk look like a water boy.

Well you saw how I took the D-A-D to the park. Well, he just could not keep the dang thing secret. Next thing I know, the M-O-M is fussin’ this way and that about why she didn’t get to go to no park. She was prancin’ about saying: “I did not get to go to the park!”.

At that point my options were few…

To settle the score, my sole and only recourse was to take the M-O-M to the beach. Pretty killer spot!! Yep, she was much happier. See her smiling again. Still I could not get her to listen to a thing. I told her six times to wear her sun-hat, but the girl would not listen. Again, all part of the hassle of doing anything with the ‘rentals.

Well what can I say, at least they have come a long way in the last 9 months!! For that I am ever-grateful.

So that is life in a nutshell. Tell me what is up with you…

P.S. Oh wait, one last thing, I have recently enrolled the M-O-M in baby sign language classes because up until now she & Pop do not get all my lingo. Like most parents, they are just behind the times – communication breakdown! So I have sought to nip the problem in the bud! Is there any other way.

Many of you may recall the pregnancy and birth of Eliza Jane (b. 4/23/11) featured here in this video. Well here she is 9 months later, thereabouts as some of the below photos are from late December.

Here is Eliza along with her father, Matt, at a park in Savannah, Ga (I believe). They took a family car camping trip from Maryland to the Florida Keys over the holidays.

Personally, I was very taken by Eliza’s posture and positioning, looking extremely steady and ready for a 9 month old. Not to mention her keen, clear-eyed gaze toward the camera. See this larger image.

While in Florida they did some sleeping out-of-doors. And here below is Eliza taking care of things in and around the tent.

So Eliza is being exposed to all kinds of life experiences including winter camping – even if it is in the south!

Here is a larger version of this photo.

Some of you may also recall that Eliza came to a yoga class not too long back – and a very short video clip was made of her time in class.

Finally, here we have mom, Ashleigh, along with Eliza at the beach. A great mother-daughter combo.

When Ashleigh and I spoke after yoga last Friday, she also informed me of a class she & Eliza are taking: Sign Language for children (or a similar type of title.)

The yogis say that there are 6 stages to language / communication. The first four are 100% non-verbal: Based on aspects like thought, ideation, inspiration, and feeling. Then it is only the 5th and 6th stage (vocal cords & tongue), where sound is involved. Teaching sign language then to an infant seems like an ideal way to further that unspoken communication link between parent and child.

Absolutely wonderful to receive this update on Eliza and family and we look forward to more in the future! Thanks so much for sharing…

Well, it is that time of year when Carolyn R retreats to her yoga, island getaway, i.e. Carriacou, for about a month or so. It happens every January and then again in July/Aug.

This is the view from her yoga mat as she does her daily practice on her “front porch.”

Quite a sight!

Earlier in the week our Maryland weather was blowy, chilly and blustery and today was quite grand for January, but really now does it  / can it compare to this? Well at least we have the pictures to at least contemplate.

In case you thought the above photo was a fluke or a lucky shot, here it is again from a slightly different angle. Seems pretty authentic to me!

Two years ago we posted about her island getaway, “Yoga with a View!!“,  see that blog post here…

Carolyn, have a great stay, and maybe – just maybe – we will allow you back in class when you return. We shall think about it

Thanks for sending the pics & see you soon!

Updated 11 Jan 2012: I asked Carolyn to send some pics of the Pelicans and here they are:

Is this not an incredible looking bird?

In this modern, digital, techno-everything era, we can sometimes forget about the natural wonders and how we share this earth with some remarkable creatures.

Here is what Carolyn writes:

I am enjoying the pelicans so much, it’s hard to send just a few pictures.  They are huge, really, as they fly low over your head when you’re in the water.  They dive from the air, and just as they hit the water, their wings spread like a parachute to slow them down.  Otherwise, they’d get stuck in the sand, beak down!

Click here to see more pelican pictures…

While fall may be upon us now, Sharon took a short respite from this seasonal transition and high-tailed it down for a week of R & R to St. John (Virgin Islands) – though one of these three pics was taken in Maine. Tell us which one.

In the sun and fun, here Sharon does her finest half-moon pose in the brilliant sunshine. Some may be thinking, “Wow I never saw Sharon do it that well in class!”

The response to this is two-fold: (1) Either you were too involved in your own half-moon pose to truly notice hers, or (2) Sharon really allowed herself to get suctioned to the earth for extra balance, hence the missing hand and foot!

Now here is s cool pic! How did they get there? How will they get down? What will they do with their shoes? These are but some of the questions that come to mind. One might also ask, “Is this even Sharon?”

My response is, “I rightly don’t know.”

Anyway like I said, it is a cool pic and we’ll take it. Now we come to this next showing of half moon…

Yet another neat outcrop into the sea!!

The pose does strike of freedom and the feeling of airing it out in nature.

As fall sets in more steeply it is quite refreshing to see these grand photos of brilliant sunshine.

Thanks for sharing, Sharon!!

Here are more vacation yoga pics and blogs.

As Katy settles deeper into pigeon pose (eka pada rajakapotasana) – a pose she has well mastered – she gets a helping hand, er stand, from another master.

Charlie may look young, but he is an old soul who knows the subtleties of alignment that are not openly apparent to the rest of us. By applying just the right amount of force on the proper chakra, he is able to make the pose perfect. On the chair behind is a famous reporter from a far distant land who has come to witness the famed technique first-hand.

So there you have it! One master helping another get deeper into the pose. (See a larger version of the photo here.)

We are trying hard to book Charlie for future workshops. If you leave a comment I believe he will be more inclined to honor our request.

Finally while this might come more under the realm of staycation, see here how other yogis practice while on vacation…

There are not many who vacation in Bermuda yet also call the place home – at least not many I know. But Katie can.

Her family – her mother’s side I believe – hails from this island paradise. So it is not a concierge who took this photo of Katie in warrior II but rather her uncle.

Now here is one for you – is this not the real Bermuda triangle? For years and years boats, planes and ships got lost in the famed Bermuda triangle. In this new era of

reason and rationality Katie calmly lays all that to rest as she sets her course and plants her flag on the real Bermuda triangle – by doing trikonasana (triangle pose) of course!

The great view doesn’t hurt any. Not a bad place to go and visit family and take in one’s ancestral roots!

Next we have this great scenic shot. After this incredibly soggy September here in MD, a sunny, isolated cove is rather enticing.

So I think we all get the idea – the next time Katie goes to this vacation-homeland, we’d all like to go too! And strike a few poses on a scenic overlook – or uncle’s backyard – and take in the sun, wind, and surf of Bermuda’s finest!

Thanks so much for sharing these great pics & views with us!

Click here to see all our vacation yoga blog posts and photos.

Here is a girl after my own heart – someone who considers going to see mom a vacation!!

Here is Kate visiting mom on a recent tour back to upstate NY.

In an email titled “Yoga Vacation”, Kate writes:

Here’s a picture of my Mom doing a far better tree pose than myself during my trip to NY this past weekend.

Personally, I think both tree poses are great as they are actually one single pose: Singular in mind and spirit. Can’t think of any pose better than that!!

Ahhh! Another successful family vacation. The three kids are out exploring Deep Creek Lake, hubby is relaxing (or maybe taking this photo), and now I get time to do my thing – outside, in the peace and tranquility of nature’s surroundings.

Such are Nancy’s thoughts on this recent trip as she nails down a split-legged crow variation, all done sporting a Renaissance Yoga top. So indeed it is a success. And then we have this next go at it, also a success.

Nancy poetically dubbed this one as “fallen crow”. Yet we all know that crow variations are hard to come by without a fallen crow here and there. So this one was also a success.

Plus she did not have to name it “fallen crow”. She could have said that she was just kicking back, relaxing, and enjoying the view – and we would have believed her. But she did not say that. In her very straightforward manner, she said “fallen crow”. Thus she gets success on the point of honesty as well.

Finally she and the family get success for planning and executing a grand vacation where all get the chance to air it out, cool off, and enjoy nature’s offerings.

Thus there are plenty of successes to go around!!

Going on vacation and doing yoga?? Send us your pics.

See all our vacation yoga pics here…

Recently Ashleigh, Matt, Eliza (3 1/2 months) and their two pups went on an outing to Gunpowder Falls State Park.

It looks like they are about to have a wonderful outing and enjoy the beautiful day.

A perfect, relaxing time….

Indeed Eliza in particular was happy about getting out of Dodge. After being couped up in the womb and then couped up in the mobile basket carrier, she was feeling ready to explore the world.

Personally I think that Eliza was also quite excited about getting some quality time in with D-A-D.

Indeed, with Eliza safe and secure with Dad, then Ashleigh opted to venture off…

…and indeed look what she found.

Here is Ashleigh among the trees.

Very neat shot – most certainly. Even Boots (the wolf-like entity in the lower right corner of the frame) was deeply involved, making sure Ashleigh’s pose was in proper form.

So you might think that that was all mom did that day – but uh-uh.

Check out what came next…

Seeing this below picture it is hard to imagine Ashleigh ever being an over-protective mom. Think about it: Crow Pose – approx 14 feet off the ground on a slanted rock! And she’s facing the downward sloping side.

So what did we do? We submitted this photo to Yoga Journal for their special “backpage” section where they display full size pics of people practicing yoga in neat places in interesting ways.

We are hoping this one catches their eye.

If not, nothing lost. We have our own special home for this.

So what about Matt: He calm, cool & collected one holding the baby, and the dogs, and the camera!!

See bigger versions of the photos here…

Plus here is our professionally made video -documentary of Ashleigh’s pregnancy: Watch the Video…

Here is Alisha during her recent tour in China.

She writes:

… Here ya go; Mighty tree pose in Tiger Leaping Gorge, southwest China, in the Yunnan Province, just outside of Lijang. I met hikers from all over the world on the trail, and we had fun photographing one another. Truly, we couldn’t get enough of the backdrop…

Indeed it is a stunning scene – such a vast landscape. Aside from taking in the natural beauty, Alisha’s trip to China makes perfect sense because not only is she an RN (registered nurse) but a Clinical Acupuncture Intern as well. So I am sure she appreciated her voyage on any number of levels.

Click here to see a bigger version of Alisha’s photo.

On the point of geography, the difference between a gorge and a canyon is that a canyon is wider than it is deep and a gorge is deeper than it is wide.

Other facts about Tiger Leaping Gorge (compliments of Wikipedia):

“Around 15 km in length, the gorge is located where the river passes between 5,596 metre Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山; Yùlóng Xuĕshān) and 5,396 m Haba Snow Mountain (哈巴雪山; Hābā Xuĕshān) in a series of rapids under steep 2000 metre cliffs. Legend says that in order to escape from a hunter, a tiger jumped across the river at the narrowest point (still 25 metres wide), hence the name.”

Great going Alisha and thanks for sharing your travels with us!!

See all our growing collection of travel / vacation yoga posts.

Here’s Annie adding a new dimension to mother nature’s display at New River Gorge (WV).

New River Gorge is a hot-spot for many including rock climbers. Annie had other ideas.

Here she is doing wheel pose (chakrasana) – just hangin’ out with the river, breeze, rocks and other natural elements. You get the feeling that they all like other – and indeed why not?!?

Alas, Annie did not go on this natural yoga adventure alone. Kirk was also there.

Now, I gotta tell you, there are some who are regular thinkers, then there are others who think out-of-the-box, and then there is Kirk.

In Kirk’s mindset there are no conundrums – only creative solutions. And the more creative the better! (Yes – those are two oddly-shaped, heavy rocks on top of his head!)

Those who have never seen this before may be wondering the name of this particular pose – in which case I’ll just say, “Ask Kirk”.

Names aside, it does perfectly correlate with yoga’s greater goal of investigating and refining our relationship with this greater cosmos – achieving harmony with all the seemingly disparate parts.

Way to go Annie & Kirk in bringing a newness to New River Gorge!!

See all our growing collection of travel / vacation yoga posts.

Did she find a good place to do yoga or what?!?

Here is Tree (also known as Teresa) as she does a deep stretch of downward dog in Sugarloaf Mountain, just south of Frederick.

These are pics of a day trip there with her family. But Tree did not just hike and stretch her body, she also explored the inner recesses of her mind.

The yogis and sages say that meditating outside is very good indeed. Surrounded by the vastness of the open sky – stars, planets, nebulae – there is ample scope to feel and immerse oneself in the contemplation of the Great.

A natural component of any meditative practice is vistara or expansion. To feel that there is much more to life than to feel locked up and burdened by one’s petty ego. Being outside helps break down those boundary walls wherein we can open the doors and windows of the mind.

Here Tree is taking full advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

Being in the great outdoors and not doing a backbend would be akin to going to the Caribbean and not getting into the ocean. In both instances it just has to be done.

Thus before leaving, Tree made sure to do a clean upward facing dog pose on that level flat rock. A great way to co-exist with nature – and alas the day was complete!!!

See all our yoga vacation photos – and send us your pics as well!!

Here she is at it again: Balancing amidst the elements of life.

Not only does Nancy B do great job of balancing home life – 3 kids, husband, yoga, school functions, kids’ sports & more; but here she is on a family vacation in Chincoteague (VA) doing her balancing act amidst the sun, wind, and sea.

And just in case you think she only had one balancing act up her sleeve – here is her another below – and yes if you request more I am sure she will oblige you.

While her form in the pose is quite stellar – give a look at how well her shadow is doing as well!! Not a bad rendition Mrs. Shadow…

In case you forgot, while vacationing last fall Nancy did a crow pose for us without a mat and with shoes and socks. Here it is…

The only common point was water – she likes her ocean vistas!

Crow and mother nature…here is Nancy in perfect form at Flag Ponds Nature Park.

Some yoginis need all the accoutrements – not this one!

Mat – nah! Yoga pants – nah! Short sleeves – nah! Smooth surface – nah!

Jeans – Sure! Hiking boots – Why not?!?

All she needed was a place – any place. And this one on the cusp of the bay was as perfect as any!!!

We recently sent an agent to cool down some trouble in the Lone Star state – Dallas to be exact. Per protocol, she went undercover…

Here she is in one of the toughest saloons in the land – as you can see she is mighty quick to the draw. Of course we we would never send down a slacker. She is indeed the real McCoy. Notice the long shadow she casts in the foreground.

This stance alone was enough to make the nastiest of gunmen shake in their boots. Yet, here is Lori, calm and cool as ever – keeping perfect equipoise.

Some may say it is the holster or the 5-gallon hat that makes the cowgirl brave, but we know it is the heart and mind that lie within.

After taking care of business and bringing peace back to town, we asked her to oblige us and strike a pose (and a glance) towards the camera – just to have it on record. Plus the Texas daily wanted to place this one on the cover. Here is that shot:

So there you have it – undercover yogini from the east goes to Big Texas to settle an old score and bring justice to the land. Is there a better story in town? I think not…

Great going Lori!!

Y’all stay tuned as our undercover yogini plans her next venture to deliver balance wherever it is needed!!!

Ahhh…summer: Sunshine, beaches, family outings & handstands!!

Here is Jean Rupard, one of our NECC faithful, airing it out under the sun!

You might think that Jean is flanked by curiosity seekers, but alas – no. Those are her grandchildren!! And it did not take long until gram’ got them into the act – is that a cool grandma or what!!

So here they are!! For the first 2 minutes, they all had their legs perfectly straight together, and then as a grand finale they decided to shake it out a little and do an inverted dance! That is what we see here.

The moral of the story: If you think you are going to have a relaxed day at the beach with grandma – think again!!