June Newsletter
Our group at Whatcom Falls
Happy June!
Once again, I find myself sending this newsletter several days into the month. I spent the last weekend of May with a wonderful group of long-time practitioners and teachers at our annual Asana Intensive and community gathering. This year, I experimented with a new format. Rather than packing three days with multiple practice sessions, I extended the gathering to four days, started each morning with a hike or walk, and led one extended afternoon session each day.
The experiment paid off. Participants told me they appreciated the variety and enjoyed the opportunity to recharge, reflect, and connect with one another outdoors. Time in nature seemed to deepen both the learning and the sense of community in ways that an asana-only format does not always allow. By weaving together movement, conversation, practice, and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, we created a spacious and nourishing experience. I enjoyed it so much that I have already scheduled next year's gathering. If a few days of practice, community, and Bellingham's natural beauty sounds appealing, save the first weekend of June 2027.
As soon as the intensive ended, I shifted my attention to helping my father navigate some health challenges related to a UTI. Thankfully, treatment went smoothly and he is feeling much better. The process, however, required a considerable amount of time and energy as we worked our way through the complexities of the local healthcare system. The experience reminded me that caregiving often demands the same patience, adaptability, and persistence that we cultivate in our yoga practice.
Looking ahead, I am especially excited about a new 108-hour Anusara Yoga Immersion that I am offering here in Bellingham. The inspiration for this program emerged directly from the recent Anusara Yoga Gathering. Spending time with old friends, long-time colleagues, and newer teachers reminded me how profoundly the teachings and methodologies of Anusara Yoga have shaped my life and work. The experience renewed my appreciation for the framework and inspired me to pass these teachings on to a new generation of teachers and practitioners. After all these years, the principles continue to provide the scaffolding for much of what I teach, both on and off the mat.
In the immersion, we will take a deep dive into yoga alignment through the lens of non-dual tantric philosophy and the practices and principles of Anusara Yoga. As many of you know, I do not view alignment as a rigid set of rules or an imposed ideal. Instead, I use alignment principles to organize movement, refine awareness, and clarify action. Good alignment helps us cultivate sensitivity, adaptability, and skill both on and off the mat.
Because sustained study flourishes in a smaller learning environment, I have limited enrollment to fourteen participants. This intimate format will allow for meaningful dialogue, individualized attention, and the kind of community that supports deep learning. At the time of this writing, twelve spaces remain available. If the program speaks to you and you would like more information, please send me an email. Ready to register? Click here.
For those of you on the East Coast, Vanessa and I are scheming an Immersion offering at Tru Yoga in Rochester later in 2027. While we are still developing the details, I encourage you to join the watchlist if you would like to stay informed. And before that program takes shape, be sure to save the dates for February 26–28, 2027, when Douglas Brooks and I will reunite in Rochester for another weekend together. The last time we teamed up there, we enjoyed a rich and memorable gathering, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to do it again.
Meanwhile, another month of online classes is underway. This month I have added several "Backbend Mondays," along with a few classes that explicitly explore Anusara Yoga principles. We will also continue our peak-pose classes, and you will notice me pairing more contrasting poses within the same practice as we investigate the relationships between different movement patterns and categories of postures.
Finally, a reminder that both the Teachable & CSY App on Sudor will close at the beginning of August. In terms of the archive of ongoing classes, I have already moved the online class library to Hey Marvelous, where it continues to grow each week. The archive now contains more than 1,650 classes and has become an extraordinary resource for both practitioners and teachers. It represents years of practice, study, experimentation, and shared learning. If you need help navigating the playlists or finding specific content, click here for a guide.
A quick note regarding the Teachable platform: if you are currently enrolled in one of my Teacher Training programs, you do not need to do anything. Your materials will remain available on Teachable as usual. However, if you participated in a past training program, I encourage you to download any materials you wish to keep before the transition takes place in August. I would hate for anyone to lose access to resources they value. As part of my ongoing efforts to simplify operations, streamline workflow, and keep costs manageable, I am making some changes to both the class app and my Teachable subscription. Thank you for your patience and understanding as I navigate these updates.
As summer settles into the Pacific Northwest, I am looking forward to long days of sunshine, riding my bike, and continuing the online work that keeps me connected to so many of you. At the same time, I am quietly planting seeds for the months ahead. My 2027 calendar is beginning to take shape, including a year-long personal growth program that my friend Devi and I are developing for women navigating significant life transitions—menopause, retirement, shifting family dynamics, career changes, and the many invitations to growth that arise as our priorities evolve from role to soul. More than ever, I find myself interested in the ways we cultivate meaning, purpose, and vitality as we age, and I am excited to create a space where women can gather in community to explore these questions together. I look forward to sharing more details as the program takes shape.
On a personal note, many of you know that four years ago I began a program through my church, which I have affectionately referred to as “my Jesus class.” On Sunday, we had our “graduation,” which was quite lovely. While I do think it is important to honor milestones and completions along the path of growth, the word “graduation” feels a bit misleading, since the processes of study, reflection, and transformation certainly continue. In fact, the program developers have created a one-year follow-up course called Wide Angle, and I am returning for that next chapter.
One of my biggest takeaways from these four years has been a deepened appreciation for the richness and depth within the Christian tradition. The program also reminded me how important it is for me, as a teacher and facilitator, to continue taking the seat of the student and to receive the kind of support that comes when “two or more are gathered.”
Given that I am, by nature, quite universalist in my views and perspectives, I also found that the course strengthened my love of yoga philosophy, just as my study of Eastern traditions strengthened my appreciation for what can be found in and through the Christian tradition. The extended format offered enough time for many of my limited views and past experiences to soften, shift, and change in profoundly healing ways.
Here’s a photo of our intrepid group!
And speaking of “where two or more are gathered,” I hope our paths cross—in person or online—in the coming months. In a world that often feels fragmented and uncertain, I remain grateful for the ways our shared practice creates spaces of connection, perspective, and renewal. My hope is that these gatherings can serve as both a balm and a refuge as we navigate life together.
With love,
Christina
