I'm back in Colorado after a month in the Northwest and I thought I would share some of the highlights ; ) Of course it was you all; friends and family are the honey of life. This is my little-big brother, Trevor. He is one of my favorite people in the whole world. We got to hang out at his sweet place in Seattle and catch up on my first night home. It's funny because he is 34 now and I was always obsessed when we were little about how one day we would be in our thirties and how weird that would be. I visited my best friend, Shauna, in Olympia and we went to music night at Boston Harbor. We have seen or talked to one another every week for the last ten years even when I lived in Hawaii and Colorado. This is my Abundant Buddy and incredible friend, Amanda (and her pup, Riley)! We talk every week about our dreams for our lives and businesses and we help one another achieve our goals. She graciously let me use her massage room and stay with her at her goddess home for a whole month! We had so much fun. Check out her blog..it's super inspiring. My favorite coffee shop in Olympia is Bar Francis because the coffee is amazing and all the people there are so wonderful. It's like the 90's in there... everyone just talks to one another. This is Jacks, another bestie. We played college soccer together, traveled through Central America, lived together, both did AmeriCorps, were on Maui at the same time, and we love to visit one another whenever we can. This is my mom, Patty. She has inspired a lot of who I am; she did the Peace Corps, traveled all over the world, biked the coast of Australia, is always volunteering; currently at the animal shelter, and is always up for fun. I've known Sue since I was born. We've been on a million adventures together and she always comes and visits me. I always call her when I need advice. Actually, at the end of college I decided to go to the sauna to think about what to do with my life, and guess who was in there; Sue! She suggested Amercorps and that's what I did for the next two years. This is the house my sisters built! I helped put up the roof and I cleaned the windows ; ) It's available on airbnb if you want to stay there when you are in Portland. 3001 SE 62nd Ave, Portland $135/nightThis is Sue's twin, Sam and her daughter Maya. They are toasting to the house being finished. Sam is a counselor and a good one, I often get her advice too. This is my dad, Chris. This picture is actually from a couple years ago, but we did steal my dad and take him to Portland to finish up my sister's house while I was home. My dad is my biggest cheerleader; he encourages me on everything I do. He also took me to Europe when I was sixteen and that ignited my thirst for travel. Most of you know Leslie, my oldest sister, because we used to put on yoga and detox retreats together. Leslie has always gently pushed me towards my dreams; she encouraged me to move to Maui to go to school, helped get ready to move to Colorado, and let me live with her when I needed to re-group. This is her youngest son, Finny.
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I'm excited to tell you that I will be in Olympia Thursday, May 31st until Monday, June 4th. I will be offering a few services and am organizing a community dinner at Anthony's. Yoga Thursday, May 31st 12:00-1:30 pm (extra time for massages during sivasana, but you can leave at 1 if you have to go back to work) Firefly Yoga 421 Water Street Dinner at Anthony's Hearthfire Let's talk story and catch up! Thursday, May 31st 5:00- 7:00 pm Happy Hour! Let me know if you can come and I'll reserve a spot for you (hit reply to this e-mail and let me know you are coming). Massage Available: 1016 San Francisco Ave NE Olympia, Wa 98506 This is my favorite space for massage and my dearest friend is blessing us with using it. Saturday, June 2nd 10:00am- 4:00 pm Sunday, June 3rd 10:00 am- 4:00 pm Book Soon to Ensure Your Spot & $5.00 off if you book before May 5th, 2018 Schedule Your Appointment I grew up with a big family which meant that we often couldn't afford what many smaller families could afford such as; skiing or snowboarding all winter. I was blessed with generous friends who would let me borrow their gear, stay at their cabins, and I would sneakily get my ski pass by asking people who were leaving for the day if I could have their pass and board from one or two until closing. I've always loved snowboarding. I remember my friend, Danny, and I went for our first time when we were fourteen. We were fearless and went so fast down the first run when suddenly we realized we had no idea how to stop, so we ended up doing a dozen tumbles until finally we came to a stop (luckily it was a soft powder day). It's funny how so many of us give ourselves glass ceilings; "oh I can't do this or that because it's too expensive, too hard, too..." but most of the time this isn't true. I never thought I could ski and/or snowboard everyday until I met people who were just like me who were doing just that. People think it's so expensive, but it's not if you are willing to do it in a creative way; share rides to the mountain and/or work at the mountain, buy a pass early, buy used equipment, and bring your lunch/dinner. I love pushing past my own glass ceiling, how about you? Mountain towns are in dire need of employees and if you work for the mountain you can have cheap employee housing and a free pass to the mountain or you can always find deals on the internet or maybe money is not issue at all, but just your fear of trying something new..you can do the tiny bunny hill or cross country ski or... WASHINGTON Buying a pass is cheap if that is your main recreation for the winter: Crystal Mountain: $749 for the season 10 times = $74 /day of fun 20 times = $37/day of fun 30 times = $24 / day of fun Steven's Pass: $699 for the season 10 times = $69/ day of fun 20 times = $34.95/ day of fun 30 times = $23/ day of fun *Discounts for:
Season Pass for:
*$199-219 depending on if you buy early *Less than $37/day Colorado Epic Local Pass
Is there something you always wanted to do? What is it? What's your plan to get there? How can you "outsmart can't"? May you blast through your own glass ceiling ; ). I hope your spring has been abundant with love, laughter, and joy. I've been in Colorado for five months now and I'm really enjoying the sunny sky, dry air, beautiful mountains, adventurous and playful people, the wildness, and the beauty. I'm starting to get used to the thin air (9,000-12,000 feet up), except when I run or hike hard I get winded a lot quicker. My skin has finally adjusted to this ridiculously dry air or maybe I'm finally drinking a lot more water. And I've figured out how to layer my clothes so that I can adjust with the 10-50 degree weather changes in one day. I'm currently doing massage at Simply Massage in Breckenridge, Colorado. This little town has great restaurants and has wonderful skiing. I got a free Epic Pass for working at Simply Massage which enables me to snowboard at all the local mountains. The snow has been a little light this year and I've been a little snowboard shy so I've only been up once, but I plan on making it up a few times a week before the season ends, usually around the end of April. It's been fun massaging people from all over; Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Bermuda, England, Columbia, Puerto Rico and so many other places. I love learning about different states and countries and hearing sweet accents. I didn't realize Bermuda was in the Atlantic, I always thought it was in the Caribbean. I've never met so many people from Nebraska, Kansas, or Oklahoma..they have all been really nice (but I am massaging them). Colorado reminds me of Maui because you can easily drive to a warmer climate and different terrain in just an hour! The picture is me above Boulder, Colorado (I'm doing the peace mudra with my hand and not the other one you are thinking of). It was in the twenties up in the mountains and in Boulder it was in the 50's and low 60's. Denver can reach 70 degrees anytime in the winter; Denver's weather should be called Surprise Weather because one day it will be 30 degrees and the next it will be 70! I love it. I've started doing Karma Yoga at Meta Yoga Studio which allows me to get free yoga. Have you heard of Karma Yoga? Karma Yoga is where you volunteer to clean, check-in students, and sell products for a few hours a week at a yoga studio in exchange for free classes! I'm going to start teaching, but sometimes I love to be in the shadows and just do yoga with everyone and of course chat with everyone as they come in the studio. www.metayogastudios.com I will be flying back to Washington at the end of May and I'll be offering two days of massage and teaching a yoga class with a potluck after. I will send out details as the time comes closer. I'm excited to see you and my kitty, Nana (I haven't seen her in 5 months).Thanks for supporting me in my journey! I always love getting little notes of how you are and asking me questions ; ) I hope to hear from you soon or see you when I'm in Olympia! What are you doing that makes you feel alive, vibrant, excited to wake up in the morning? It's important to have something to look forward to every day even if it is lunch, a walk, a movie, seeing a friend, or a lot of activities. I can remember being 12 and making waffle mix the night before and picking out my outfit for school so I could just roll out of bed, wear my cute clothes, and eat delicious waffles before school.
When I lived in Olympia my favorite thing was yoga every morning at the Yoga Loft, coffee with friends at Bar Francis, and riding my bike while listening to good music. In Colorado I look forward to long walks with my cousins' dogs, coffee with friends, and simply living slow and enjoying the beauty and joy of the people and place around me. Yoga is more than just a workout or stretching, it is a way of life. The purpose of yoga is to come back to ourselves; to remember that we are always whole, connected, and have a deep well of peace that lives inside us. I practice yoga all day, everyday. Spirit is always giving me chances to practice my yoga. Spirit will have a driver follow 5 feet behind my car while I'm driving on the highway to test my patience; will I get angry or will I slow down and let them pass? I practice my yoga when interacting with an angry co-worker, do I react to her anger or show her more love and ask what she needs? In the bigger picture I use my yoga to help me make decisions; work has been very slow in Winter Park because this has been one of the driest winters in ten years so do I stay here and work a little or apply to work in other places? I've also been dating someone who I really adore and he lives an hour and a half away. So, in yogic philosophy we are encouraged to follow our intuition and what flows. I love the community, my cousins, and the beauty of Winter Park and Tabernash, but spirit is guiding me to Dillon and Breckenridge. I applied for a job at a beautiful spa, Simply Massage, in Breckenridge and I was hired the next day. They are so fun, friendly, pay well, and are super busy. So, I took the job. www.simplymassage.com I am going to be working in Breckenridge at Simply Massage Tuesday-Friday and In Winter Park at Bella Vita and Mountain Moon Yoga on Saturdays. Since It has taken me longer than usual to really find my rhythm here I decided to postpone my retreat In Colorado to the spring and move my retreat in Maui to next year, but my Detox Retreat in Washington is set for June. I've had one lovely yogini student/ friend, Viki, come visit and we had a blast ; ) I hope more of you visit. Her friend gave her oxygen since we are 9,000 feet up. I couldn't get that picture to load so this is us on Maui, Viki is dedicated to Blissful Life Retreats ; ) We have been to Big Island, Maui, Kauai, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Orcas Island together. Traveling, yoga, and friends is one of my favorite parts of life. I hope you can join us on our next retreat here in Colorado. I cannot believe I have been in Colorado for three months now; it feels like I have been here for so long and yet also like I just got here. I caught the cold-flu that has spread across the country in less than two weeks. I usually don't get sick unless I have one or two other issues in my body and I did; I have a wisdom tooth coming in and I ate Mc Donalds. I eat really well most of the time so when I don't it is always a little hard on my system. I could tell when I finished my chicken nuggets and french fries that my body was upset and the next day I got a fever, sore throat, achy body, and slowly a stuffy head then congested lungs. I love sharing what has helped me:
Blissful Buddy, So much has happened since I've moved to Colorado! I wanted to share more of my adventure with you, but sometimes when life doesn't go as planned I hide away but the truth is I feel better when I connect and share. Leaving Olympia was so hard and beautiful. I'm wearing socks and a jacket from my friend, Becky, who came over to my house with a basket of winter clothes for me to shop from. I'm wearing really warm Sorrel boots I bought from a gift certificate given to me by my yoga students/friends; Lindy, Barb, and LouEllyn. I have a cozy hand made sweater from my friend/yoga student, Peggy, and a homemade scarf my friend, Donnette, and I have warm mittens from my yoga student/friend, Hilarie. I was tipped extra and gifted books and clothes and money for my trip and transition to Colorado. You all helped me move here and your love surrounds me. My mom gave me a hat she bought in Iceland and I think of her whenever I wear it (haha, she told me to think of her when I wore it). I think of you all quite often and send my love and prayers. Sometimes we have an image of how our lives will look but then they take a detour. Devil's Thumb Ranch is amazing in many of their ideals with sustainability but they had very little integrity and treated me very poorly. I was very disappointed with how they treat their employees. I no longer work there nor would I ever recommend anyone to work there until they change their policies. But don't worry I got a wonderful new job at Bella Vita Day Spa doing massage and I'm now teaching yoga at the most wonderful yoga studio called Mountain Moon Yoga. The owner of the studio is one of the best teachers I have ever had! She has a theme for every class and makes it: spiritual, emotional, and physical. I always leave feeling transformed. I'm going to have a Colorado Yoga Retreat here in February 15-18th, details coming COLORADO YOGA RETREAT May you be happy, Vanessa Charles My Journey from Olympia, Washington to Winter Park, Colorado Blissful Buddy, I I hope you are enjoying the fall! I've moved to Colorado for the fall, winter, and spring. I did a DNA test with Ancestory and found out that the majority of my ancestors were nomadic: 33% Viking, 49% Celt, 11% Italian. Since I was a child I've dreamed of traveling and living all over the world. It didn't help that my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents told magical stories such as; adventures of biking through Europe, staying in castles, traveling by canoe down the amazon.. I love seeing new places, meeting new people, and learning new ways of being and doing things. I also love returning to my homes to share what I've learned and nourish my relationships. I wanted to live in another place for a while, but spirit kept me in Olympia. My life coach encouraged me to see Olympia as a spirit and what I saw was this old woman who loves everyone; she has a big fire and enough food and music for everyone. The original name for Olympia is Cheetwoot, where the black bears gather. Grandmother Cheetwoot is like a black bear; furry, loving, she takes care of all her cubs, and she also hibernates in the winter. I love Olympia! I moved to Olympia as this free spirited 19 year old who had no idea what I believed in or who I was. At Evergreen I studied spirituality, yoga, history, psychology, dance, music, history, theater, and so much more. I fell in-love with myself through studying yoga, spirituality, and wellness. I followed my heart after college and did my yoga teacher training with Joanna Cashman. I was blessed to have taught at over ten different state and county offices, Saint Martin's University, many yoga studios, gyms, churches, parks, and senior centers. I was given such a rich education I wanted to share what I had learned. Grandmother Cheetwoot Giant evergreens filled with moss Feminine energy nourishing and holding Drips and drops turning the earth into an eden of green Harbors full of sailboats and house boats Seagulls dropping clam shells Rain-boots and wet clothes because who needs an umbrella Rich salty air that fills you with tree spirit Dirty and grimy, clean and cute, fancy and unique Incredible coffee with endless laughter Tender hearts who care too much Visionaries, feminists, anarchists, activists, artists Hope for everyone Mud, water overflowing, creeks, rivers, bays, more mud Grey skies for weeks and months Incredible summers with perfect weather Loving community trying to care for everyone Logging trucks towing logs to be shipped to China Seals, eagles, otters, blue herons, salmon Food co-ops, yoga studios, organic restaurants Grandmother Cheetwoot Love filled with knowledge, friendships, abundance, healing, growth, and strength I bow to you, jewel of the Salish Sea, thank you for helping raise me Olympia, I love you! I will be back in May or June but until then If you want a massage I encourage you to contact Ingrid Abbate. She is my favorite massage therapist and she will do the 4 massages for $260. www.roserootmassageandbotanicals.com I have so much to say about my journey and being in Colorado, but I will leave that for the next e-mail. All I will say is I have to drink three times as much water, use lotion (what is that?), pace myself (I'm 10,000 feet above sea level), layer (it was -5 the other morning and then 50 degrees in the afternoon), and adjust to the fact that it is sunny almost everyday! What!? It is often cloudy for part of the day and then the sun comes out for the rest of the day..I really enjoy it, thus far. I do miss the lushness of Olympia, my people, the coffee, and the sound. "Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love." -Rumi Two of my yoga students passed away this summer unexpectedly and at-first it really scared me because I realized I could lose anyone I love suddenly, but then it made me appreciate everyone and each moment that much more. Also, I started to go deeper into my spiritual practice again and realized I don't believe in death. We all have different perspectives on what happens when we die, but in the end..we were there before we were here, so on a really deep level we know where we go. I love to write about taboo subjects to demystify them. Our culture is obsessed with looking young, being young, and pretending we never die. So, when death does happen we often have a hard time accepting it. I haven't lost anyone super close to me, so I asked my good friend who lost her dad a few years ago and thought she was going to die when she got cancer last year what she would suggest to support others who have lost someone: ~Sympathy Cards are really helpful ~Letting people know you are there for them and thinking about them ~The worst is when people avoid you ~The person grieving doesn't want to go into the details with everyone ~"I'm sorry for your loss" is nice for acquaintances but If you are closer you can offer to talk about it ~Continue to reach out. So much of the time people stop calling or writing after a month, but ask your grieving friend/s to tea, to go on a walk...keep reaching out What about how to grieve? "Death is just shedding your body. It is like taking off your shirt and throwing it away. So why are we afraid? At the time of death, the entire life you have lived is panoramically shown to you, and you are made the judge. If you can forgive yourself at that time, you are liberated." Yogi Bhajan My friend suggested the book: A Grief Observed C.S. Lewis Some Tips from friends who have lost loved ones: ~Continue your yoga practice even if you cry through the whole class ~Share stories of your loved one who has passed ~Get weekly or twice a week massage, especially if it was your partner who passed ~Let yourself fall apart for a while and ask friends to bring you food and snuggles and movies ~Stay connected, continue to talk to a friend at-least once a day or go on a walk or whatever you enjoy doing ~Deepen your spiritual practice ~Allow the grief to move through you..it may arrive at funny times, but just allow it to flow ~Adopt a pet or mentor a child..find ways to put your love into beings that need you ~Everyone grieves differently "I am the ocean of consciousness. Sometimes I become the little wave of the body, but I am never just the wave without the Ocean of God." -Yogananda "When I have left this physical form, I will be with you more than I ever was in this life."
-Yogananda Feel free to share helpful advice on grieving and dying below. |
Vanessa Charles
Journey to Colorado and beyond. Archives
November 2020
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