Author: Shelley Lowther

Society could learn a lot from the practice of yoga.  Yoga philosophy emphasizes non-judgment, acceptance, and compassion at its very core.  Take the recent comments by Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathie regarding his company’s support of the traditional family unit.   Though his initial comments were not inflammatory, his clarifications were.

(aka “Hey, You’re Sweating All Over My Saucha”)   I get the question all the time – do you really practice yoga in a heated room? The answer is unwaveringly yes, which leads, inevitably, to the question (insert really inquisitive and mildly skeptical voice here), “WHY?”

  The last few years, I have explored a lot of avenues in nutrition and health.  As a yogi, I take my health very seriously, and I have explored many different avenues of diet and nutrition.  In January, I attempted to switch to a totally vegan diet.   It worked with my body for a while, but as I became busier in the new year, I fell into the easy trap of being a junk food vegan.

The first time I read the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, I was struck by the similarity of the sutras and the Beatitudes.  As the nuns taught me growing up, the eight Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, but also provide peace and help us to survive the trials and tribulations we must face here on earth.  Each sutra, or thread, contained a shred of wisdom, that if put into action, could bring the practitioner inner peace and happiness.  

Later this month, Dancing Dogs Yoga will graduate its first batch of yoga teacher trainees. Through our partner MBody Yoga, 20 amazing individuals from the Southeast will complete this rigorous 220-Hour Yoga Alliance approved Teacher Certification Program (TCP). We are unleashing new yoga teachers into the world, and the transformation thus far has been amazing.

I consider myself lucky to be training with some of the greatest and most inspirational yoga teachers in the world. Last week, I returned home from Level Two training with Baron Baptiste, and I am a changed person. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about community lately.   I have watched my small studio grow and grow, and as we prepare to expand into Bluffton, I have been overwhelmed by the sense of unity in my yoga community.  It made me think of a blog written by my dear friend and studio manager Brittney.

I’m writing this column on the first day of Lent, trying my editor’s abundant patience with my deadline once again (sorry, Margaret).  I was raised Catholic, but it has been a long time since I gave up anything for Lent.  In hopes that my mother is not reading this submission, I confess that for many years I quipped that I was giving up church for Lent.

There is something amazing about seeing service in action. I just came back from Jamaica. Before you feel sorry for me, I spent several days with some of the most amazing and selfless people on earth. Under the Caribbean sun, I was reminded once again of the beautiful power of SEVA, or service.

Restoration (noun): 1.the act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment. 2. a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition. 3. restitution of something taken away or lost.