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Purcellville, VA, Sep. 17, 2012 – Yogafourlife.com, a community-based studio offers a variety of life enhancing yoga classes for all ages and skill levels. Western Loudoun’s fast growing fitness studio with over 12 different instructors, offering a range of styles including Ashtanga, Integral, Vinyasa and Prana Flow. Since launching in January 2012, Yogafourlife.com started out as a home-based studio and drew recognition from its exclusive Yoga on the Wine Trail events. Yogafourlife.com now offers members access to over 30 exercise classes per week. The new studio location, formerly This Body Yoga, marks Yogafourlife.com’s official commercial opening in Purcellville. Yogafourlife.com now offers 2 studio locations:
Yoga 4 Life,850-B East Main Street (across from the Rite Aid Pharmacy) Yoga 4 Life ~ Sundance Studio, 342 South Nursery Avenue (across from the Loudoun Valley Community Center)
Yogafourlife.com was founded by local workout enthusiast Lara Ward. Lara was into fitness, running, working with a HIT Fitness personal trainer for years before running a small non-profit weight training boot camp. Since then, Lara started attending yoga as a student to cross train, for flexibility, and expand spiritually. By getting deeper into her own yoga practice, Lara shifted gears and focused energy through Yoga, which has grown into a network of talented instructors all dedicated to supporting an individual workout concept.
Yogafourlife.com offers a range of individual and student packages to meet your needs. New members receive 5 classes for $20 and existing members enjoy the monthly unlimited for $99. Yogafourlife.com is also proud to announce its newest offering; a custom yoga practice for your wedding or private party. Yogafourlife.com is a cost effective and convenient way to personal health and fitness, as well as discover Loudoun’s local agriculture, farms, wineries, and vinyards. The complete schedule of classes, events, membership packages and more are available at www.yogafourlife.com. Become a fan of Yogafourlife.com on Facebook.
Photographs: Purcellville, Virginia & Loudoun County – Custom Graphics and Rich Sullivan Photography at Hillsborough Vineyards, Yoga on the Wine Trail September 2012.
http://www.sullivanrich.com/ :: http://www.hillsboroughwine.com/
Custom Graphics Inc . 16552 Clarkes Gap Road; Paeonian Springs, VA 20129 (540-882-3488)
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/07/michael-joel-hall-how-you-can-help-update-michael-graglia/
http://blogs.yogajournal.com/yogabuzz/2012/07/yoga-community-rallies-after-attack.html
http://pegmulqueen.com/about/2012/07/25/it-takes-a-community/
http://pegmulqueen.com/about/mjh/
https://yipdeals.com/products/dealDisplayExt/864
with …
Complete List of Benefit Classes for Michael Joel Hall:
(past event) Sunday, July 22nd
DC Shri advanced practice with Mike Graglia
Upcoming events:
Astanga Yoga Studio DC (AYSDC):
Sunday July 29th, Yin Yoga Workshop with Sookie, 3-4:30pm
Balance Gym Thomas Circle location, on the Roof top
Friday July 27th, 5:30pm with Kristen Krash
Capitol Hill Yoga:
Saturday July 28th, 9am Open Yoga with Betsy
Sunday July 29th, 9am Level 1 with Stacey
*Dana Hot Yoga (Glenside, PA):
Saturday, July 28th 4:30-6PM
Down Dog Yoga, all 3 locations (Georgetown, Bethesda, Herndon):
Friday July 27th 6pm
Down To Earth Yoga, Bozeman MT:
4:30 – 6:30 Friday night, July 27th, Rocket III w/Peg Mulqueen
Embrace Yoga, DC:
Embracing Michael: Weekend Fundraisers & Practice for Michael Joel Hall
Rocket Embrace for Michael Joel Hall
Saturday, July 28
11am-12:30pm
Teacher: Augusta Hemann
Rocket EMBRACE for Michael Joel Hall is a spirited asana class led Augusta Zoe Hemann. This inspiring heart-centered practice will offer flowing postures back bends, hip opening and balancing. Students are also have the freedom to express their giving spirit through inversions like handstands and forearm stands for the first time.
Spiritual Embrace for Michael Joel Hall
Sunday, July 29
1pm-2:15pm
Teacher: Faith Hunter
A Spiritual EMBRACE for Michael Joel Hall guided by Faith Hunter will be a flowing vinyasa class infused with expansive heart openings and a loving expression of devotion. Towards the end of the class, Faith will guide you a Compassion Meditation in honor of Michael Joel Hall.
EPIC, DC:
For the month of July, all proceeds from the commUNITY classes– Thursday, 4pm and Sunday, 11am
extendYoga (North Bethesda):
Friday, June 27, 5:30pm with Allison Rose
Flow Yoga Center, Friday July 27th:
8:15-9:45pm - Radiant Heart Prana Flow – asana led by Rob Hess with hands on assists plus closing pranayama and meditation led by Greg Marzullo A transformative prana flow heart-centered practice including mantra japa, tantric sutras, heart salutations, a liberating back-bending vinyasa flow and meditation to liberate our natural, healing alchemy of love.
8:15-9:45pm – Rocket to the Heart – asana led by Mimi Rieger closing with hands on assists plus closing pranayama and meditation led by Brittanie DeChino The playful and upbeat Rocket systematically promotes heart-felt spirit & freedom within your yoga practice. It works the whole body creating inner and outer balance. You will leave Rocket feeling completely rejuvenated & inspired. All you need is love!
Flow Yoga Leesburg:
Saturday July 28th, 4 pm vinyasa flow class
Fuse Pilates:
Sunday July 29th, 3:30pm with Mariska Breland
Georgetown Yoga:
Saturday July 28th, 9:15am with Molly Dunn
Hiddencroft Vineyards – Yoga 4 Life Presents:
Yoga on the Wine Trail, Saturday August 4th, 9:15am-12:30pm
(Lovettsville, VA)
https://yipdeals.com/products/dealDisplayExt/864
Happy Soul Yoga (Leesburg, VA):
Sunday August 12th, 3-4pm
It’s Yoga Puerto Rico:
Wednesday August 1st with David Kyle
lil omm, DC:
Thursday night, July 26th 730 yoga flow happy hour with Paige Lichens
Little River Yoga:
Friday August 3rd Teen Yoga (5-6pm) and Power Yoga, 6:30-7:45pm with Carson Calhoun
Saturday August 4th, Intro to 2nd Series, 2pm with Tova Steiner
Prana Vibe (Chantilly, VA):
Friday August 10th, 6:30-8pm Rocket 3 Series with Virginia Lung
Class to be held at 3656 Centerview Drive Suite #6, Chantilly VA 20151
Pure Yoga (East Side), NYC:
Sunday August 12th, 3-4pm with Isuaro Fernandez
Results Gym (Capitol Hill):
Sunday August 5th, 2-3:15pm with Kristina (Karuna) Maze
(non-gym members are welcome, as well as members of Results)
Stroga:
Sunday July 29th, 11am with Scott Westbrook Simpson
Sunday July 29th, 6:30pm “Flow for a Cause”
Tranquil Space:
The Soul of Yoga is Love (2 Benefit Workshops for Michael Joel Hall)
Saturday July 28th, 5-6:15pm with Jodi and Anu at Arlington location
Sunday July 29th, 3:30-5pm with Kevin, Melissa and Dave at the Dupont location
Yoga Chai:
Saturday July 28th, 9:30am with Naomi Gottlieb-Miller
Yoga District, Bloomingdale location:
Monday 7:45pm
Wednesday 6:30pm
(these are the classes that Michael Joel Hall usually teaches at Yoga District. They will be offered as benefit classes until he is back teaching them.)
Proper Topper:
Friday August 24th, 10% of all sales at this retail store will be donated to Michael Joel Hall
108 Sun Salutes in Meridian Hill Park, taught by 12 DC Yoga teachers sponsored by Lululemon
Sunday, August 5th, 5pm
Lara posted earlier about the benefit practice that Yoga4Life had for Michael Joel Hall. I attended a different practice this past weekend that was also a benefit practice for Mr. Hall. If you haven’t heard, Michael Joel Hall is a popular yoga instructor in Washington DC that was attacked while walking home with his partner a couple of weeks ago. He has no health insurance and lost his apartment to a fire a couple of months ago as well. He has to have some reconstructive surgery for his face and, of course, has huge medical bills to pay from all of this.
I’ve never met Michael Joel Hall and, in fact, had never heard of him before. In many respects he is just another person who had some bad luck come his way. Yet, the outpouring of support for this human being has been enormous. Yoga studios around the country have set up benefit practices to raise money. There is going to be a big benefit practice outdoors on August 5, with twelve people teaching a 108 sun salutation class. Hundreds, if not thousands, are expected to show up. I’ll be going for sure.
It warms the heart to see this kind of support. Still, one question that comes to my mind is: why? Why does THIS person’s misfortune move so many people to help? Lots of people have terrible things happen to them, but we don’t hear about it. So what makes this situation different?
I know two people who know Michael Joel Hall personally. Both of them practice yoga with me and both are good people. They were moved by this person, so much so that when this happened and the call went out for help, they jumped in to help without hesitation. Universally, I’ve heard that Mr. Hall is a kind soul that tries to help people genuinely. It would seem that he has touched many, many people simply by being who he is, and by sharing his time and energy with others.
I can’t say that everyone who practices yoga is going to be the best human being in the world. I know I certainly have my flaws. But I think this entire incident shows that those who commit to yoga, for more than just physical exercise, are special people too. The asanas that we practice are just the start of a deeper philosophy and attitude towards life that, while complex at times, seeks to find a way towards enlightenment. That’s a pretty profound purpose but you get a sense that what is happening around Michael Joel Hall holds some valuable lessons for all of us in that quest. It’s not just that another human being needs help, or that it’s the right thing to do. It appears to go to an essence of yoga somehow, and I think a lot of people want to embrace that. To me, it’s certainly worth embracing, and certainly the right thing to do.
If you cannot attend any of the benefit practices, there is a location to make a donation. I’ve put the link below:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=nhDJBpE3ZiF0j6G66zWhjyIGzqrfLPJGJ-xD3iB4o0H8m9ZUSCSXTi0mIqq&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d7283e7f0184a5674430f290db9e9c846
Blessings to you for your yoga practice and life journey.
Namaste.
John
We all wander around earth, in society, and our own lives seeing things we want to change, make better, or create. Sometimes it is something within ourselves or a local community. Sometimes, it is that simple and it changes our world. Sometimes, it is that simple and it changes THE WORLD. And, of course, sometimes it takes great dedication and time to do either. What inspires you to do what you do? What has inspired you to wish you had time, the money, or the motivation to do? What can you or or kids do today, this season, this year, this lifetime?
Summer is a time of renewal and regeneration. As the summer sun shines its glorious warmth on earth and us during these months, it is a time to dream, create, and connect with ourselves and our communities. Sway nature’s dance when the wind blows, soak up the sun’s rays, listen to earth songs, flow with the ease of the rivers through the wonderful journey called living…
Yoga 4 Life’s doesn’t have a “mission.” We are growing into our community and tending to our passions; we are many full of passions and passions for many. We have lots to do! As we spread our rays and shine into a summer of walking the earth in meditations or forest, sipping nature’s harvest with our communities, working with empowerment groups, we constantly cultivate our passion centers. That is where change, dedication to community, and giving freely through our practice flows outward making a difference. It is here, in this time, we can all find those inspirations.
traveller – a person who changes location. //traveler -individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul.
The Traveling Yogis takes yoga and meditation out of four walls and into the world. It gives us the ability to be free spirits and souls with those passions reaching far and wide into the county. Who knows? Maybe beyond! Beginning our summer with Yoga for Empowerment, Girls Going Global, working with Girl Scouts, and cheerleaders, youth groups and community center after school programs is just the beginning of Yoga 4 Life. The sparks lit from these experiences send light into children and young adults. Yoga practices, nature walks, spending time on farms, in vineyards and wineries, and among like minded people allows personal growth for any body, mind, and spirit. Meditation walks through the vines, forests, hills, and valleys of Loudoun County is therapudic for us all. It is simple and some choose to be still and take in movement around them while others enjoy the movement, or journey, they experience by traveling among nature’s great beauty. Yoga on the Wine Trail is becoming more than Yoga and Wine in Loudoun County!
A very fresh and new thought for us. This is Yoga on the Wine Trail and part farm, opening a winery, organic market, restaurant, and things beyond our current sight yet concept in the works. What we are already doing is bringing it together and along the way will change and grow a lot. The best part is those who are on this “wagon” with us will grow and change because of it! Still developing thought and mind path to make it happen, we will incorporate what Yoga 4 means to us and the world around us.
Beginning with the word acceptance, Yoga 4 is not a “way of life” rather ALL of life beginning with acceptance of oneself and each other. We all do things we would like to change, possibly habits we are used to and like. We are not going to change those, choose to be part of or explore activities where we feel unwelcome, not following a code of ethics or belief system set up by others, or make us feel negative and harmful emotions such as guilt or shame. The universe doesn’t look at Earth and say you can’t stay here unless you “___.” We are all part of everything in this life. We can touch anything and everything that comes in contact with us in this life. We change life around us. Life changes us.
As our Yoga studio and Yoga 4 Life is based off of the four points of Earth, Wind, Water, Fire we combine the earliest ideas of Heart – Hearth – Health – Heath.
We hope to see you all out this summer either in practice, at our local farms and vineyard retreats, the wine festivals, pictures online of the far away lands you journey to, and around town enjoying the beautiful sunshine! Perhaps there is a change stirring in your mind you want to work on too!
The Shine Project is making changes and we want to help. With the Summer Solstice practices and dedications to our passions, community, ourselves, empowerment, and our studio we plan to SHINE rays through the summer from within and take in all of the warmth around us to create and celebrate why we do what we do.
With your support, we will also host a “Change Jar” in the studio and three others – total of 4. You will see us out and about shining in yellow this summer.
The CHANGE 4 CHANGE campaign benefits The Shine Project’s non-profit organization The Shine Scholarship Project. All money collected will help inner city high school students afford their first year of college. Once each jar has collected $100, and it will be put directly into The Shine Project Scholarship Fund.
“LETS CHANGE THE WORLD.”
Please visit www.myshineproject.com and see the difference one person’s dream can grow….
“I believe that all of us possess talents, skills, and abilities that can be used to literally change the world. I believe that stepping out of your comfort zone to do hard things is what gives meaning and happiness to life.”
The Shine Project is:“The Shine Scholarship Project is a non-profit that was created by TSP to put our beliefs in action. Its mission is to improve the lives of at-risk teens through service, education, and family involvement. We do service projects with inner city students every other week to teach them the leadership skills that are necessary for them to succeed. The money we raise goes to sending these leaders to college, so they can give back to society.You can read more about how to get involved HERE. And go ahead, let the world see you SHINE.”
- Loudoun County Yoga and Wine
- Purcellville Yoga – Photographs taken by Lara Ward
- Lucketts, Loudoun County Travelling Yogis – Photograph by Gayle T. Tiller
There are times in your life you will never forget, ones that will wander in and out, and some that fade away. As we stepped barefoot into North Gate’s vineyard for our first mediation walk through the vines of 2012, it was time to meet all three at once. One at a time, we begin our journey on the Loudoun Wine Trail.
The vines in straight lines and manicured to their structures, they grow and fruit freely within and nestled neatly in front of the mountain backdrop between Hillsboro and Purcellville, Virginia. It is here, connecting directly with the wet ground, we let go, become present, and face the things that enter and leave our minds.
Wandering in and out of the rows starting with a sequence of skipping rows in 3’s to completely loosing count or care in which way we go or when to turn, walk, speed up, or slow down. Starting together and then taking our own paths, the paths each of us need, chose, or are drawn toward.
For a few, allowing some silent eye connection with nearby horses clearly drawn to our quietly moving bodies as we made our way through the vines. Others found the noises of nature becoming louder and hearing sounds that we often over look or the sight and texture of the flowing vines within their rows allows for the mind to escape structure by leaning on the one surrounding them.
The night’s storms left us with crisp, fresh air and moist ground. The sun’s rays rose over the mountain after the thunder rolled, tornadoes spun, and rain poured. Slowly making way to our mats we began our practice with Native American flutes and meditation.
An Earth Element Practice, our Journey Through Asanas, was complete with the smell of wine, stone, drying rain drops, and hints of rose oil. Starting with our Sun Salute, rising to shine and exhaling to ground to open our bodies fully for peak poses. Building within the sequence allows all levels to experience yoga to suit their body while enjoying the breath, change, and movement of their own practice. Taking Yoga out of the studio by incorporating natural elements brings awareness to heighten senses of touch, sight and sound via mind, body, and spirit connections with our surroundings. Bringing the outside in during our walk allowed that simplicity and beauty to carry into our yoga practice. Enlighten :: Empower :: Emerge.
We closed our practice with a centered reading, words from Lara as we REflect, REtain and REnew. Greetings from the North Gate tasting staff, Karol and Erin, those of us who choose to celebrate this farm and vineyards wine enjoyed a fun and education tasting. Being a Loudoun County and Hillsboro resident, she had lots to share.
North Gate Vineyard has a public tasting room was built to LEED Gold specifications. The roof is lined with solar panels to bring electricity to the building – pretty amazing! We all decided on bottles to share with our light fare lunch prepared by the wonderful people of Stoneybrook Organic Farm located at the end of Rt. 690 in Hillsboro. Fresh and carefully crafted, the lunch and dessert tray of fig, coconut, peanut butter was perfectly paired with our wine selections. Getting to connect with our people over food, wine, and through our practice was a journey we all shared on our own and together.
“We believe that quality wine comes from quality grapes. Pure and simple. So how do we ensure that we’ll end up with quality wine? Through our commitment to meticulous practices in our vineyard and cellar from bloom to bottle. To us, this is not a job, and not a hobby, but just something that we do together. We hope you enjoy the product of our hearts, minds and hands.”
- Mark and Vicki Fedor, Winegrowers and Winemakers
Their wine selection: 2010 Chardonnay, 2010 Viognier , NV Apple, 2010 Cabernet Franc, 2009 Merlot, 2009 Petit Verdot,
Finishing our journey at North Gate’s beautiful vineyard, we were lucky to catch Vicki coming back from the Wine Country Half Marathon and got to thank her for her hospitality. Talking about the upcoming release of the Rose’ and other wine is always fun to look forward to. Grateful for a full mind, body, spirit practice we begin June, Yoga on the Wine Trail 2012, in the sun shine of Loudoun County.
Restaurants
Retail
Partner Wineries
- Loudoun County Wine Trail – Photographs by Hannah Melinia Kasabian & Lara Ward
- Purcellville Yoga & Wine