Practicing Growing –
Or, an obsession with circles …
Hello my love ––
It's been a minute. My days have been flowing with yoga, work, school work and yoga school work. Everything is the same and everything is different. Growth is imperceivable and perpetual.
I've been thinking about circles recently. How life is a circle. How love is a circle. How yoga is a circle. I fixate on spirals and galaxies. Universes ever-expanding and ever-contracting. Circling inwards to meet ourselves and outwards to meet each other again and again.
Yesterday, I chose to create a new social profile for my offerings called @growing__yoga (that's 2 underscores). I shared a bit of my thought process on Instagram and I'll share it again here ––
"Why did I create a separate page for my offerings? To create space between my social connections and professional connections. There's a lot of overlap in that space and I want to keep this page [my personal account] about my weird little life, without feeling the need to "sell" or "promote" here (which is already so complicated in relationship with yoga)..."
It's true. I've been feeling a sense of discomfort every week when I post my class announcements. I felt like I was offering something to a group of people who came to my page for something else. For five years my page was just me, my life and my art. I want to give folks the chance to choose to enter into a practice space with me. I trust that those who want to be there will come along for the ride.
I shared again this morning about my choice of account name ––
"What's in a name? A rose grows and so do we. As we practice, we grow. As we live, we grow. I named this page @growing__yoga to acknowledge what I believe to be the fundamental purpose of all life –– to grow.
Yoga is a practice within which I can cultivate my own growth and where I aim to create space for others to do the same. Capitalism has appropriated growth to mean consumption, hoarding and stealing. Becoming the biggest boss in the room so no one can take your safety away. But those means of growth are fleeting, intangible and unreal. True growth is that of a seed to a root to a stalk to a flower to a compost pile. It is a circle. Growth is fueled by taking only what you need and releasing the rest.
I chose to use the word yoga in this name because yoga is, truthfully, one of the most meaningful and fundamental practices of my life. I have participated in yoga spaces since my youth and the person I am today is a result of that decade+ of practice. Yoga is what I am called to practice every day and yoga is what I am called to share with others. To shy away from the word yoga in order to assuage my own fear of appropriating the practice obscures the truth that yoga is what I am doing. That doesn't mean it isn't an appropriation. I hold and honor the many complications and nuances of what that means every day.
In this space I will be growing as a human, growing my own practices, growing my garden of yoga and, hopefully, growing a small, sweet community. Let us grow towards each other."
If you're on Instagram or TikTok, you can follow me @growing__yoga to get more frequent updates on my schedule as well as a sprinkling of simple practices and thoughtful musings. I will continue to reflect in this Practice* space as well.
Grateful, as always, for the circle that brings you back here.
What I’m Doing —
I love school!! Let me tell you – school is so much better now that I'm older. I love reading my textbooks and doing my homework. I love learning about design and learning to draw. I feel deeply proud of my intellect. 10/10 recommend revisiting education after age 25 once your brain has finished forming.
I also love my job! How weird is that? Shout out to the Tejal Yoga team for being such a delight.
We’re getting a dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where I’m Learning —
As my final project for my 300 Hr Yoga Teacher Training, I am reading one bite from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras per day. I just reached the first page of Book 4: Accomplishments.
I have fallen into deep admiration for Manoj, who is teaching Sun Salutations and Meditation at Tejal Yoga on Thursday mornings this fall. His offerings are joyful and moving. Each time I finish one I feel replenished, energized and clear.
I laugh-sobbed my way through a *mycelium journey* last weekend and continue to find that plants teach me more than books ever will.
What I’m Offering —
*PLAY PRACTICE* — Wednesdays, 10am EST | Virtual | $8 | 9/15/21-12/15/21
A weekly 45 minute yoga class dedicated to exploring playfulness in practice. Students of all bodies and with any or no yoga experience are encouraged to join. This class will be energizing and may move at a faster pace at times. There will be an optional 15min check-in afterwards to ask questions, catch up or get in some extra play time. Everyone who signs up for class will receive a recording of the practice and have access for 24hrs regardless of attendance.
BE QUEER NOW ––
*SUBBING* BQN: The Original — Friday November 12th | 12pm EST | Virtual
TRANS* YOGA — Saturday November 6th | 3pm EST | Virtual
A 60min yoga class for trans and non-binary people of all bodies to connect with each other, our inner physical ecosystems and our space in existence. Any or no experience is welcome. We ask our cisgender allies to support us by leaving the space for trans and non-binary folks. This practice will NOT be recorded. As of September 2021, this class is free - donations welcome via venmo @hk-goldstein or cash app $hkgoldstein
Curious about the cards? Been stuck in an anxiety spiral? Want to know how to approach a sticky situation? Let’s do a reading. I offer sliding scale 45 and 60-minute tarot readings or Quick-Reads for $5 per card.
One-on-one yoga sessions with me are available on a sliding scale. I will work with you to understand the needs of your body and develop a practice that will help you move towards physical, mental, emotional and spiritual alignment.
Moving Image by HK Goldstein: You look up a a brilliant blue sky. Pine trees peak in the foreground while puffy white clouds float in the background. The wind blows.
Until the circle comes round again,
HK