As we fully immerse ourselves in this new year, we thought we would introduce a theme for 2021: honor. You’ve already begun to see it pop up in our January Facebook posts, and we believe this theme applies to many avenues of our lives. We may think of our families or our reputations when we hear the word honor, and while those, too, possess calls to honor, so do the various aspects that make up individual parts of who we are and how we live our lives.

As the saying goes, “flexible people never get bent out of shape,” and our yoga community has remained flexible as we evolved our business through the pandemic: from virtual classes in the spring, to outdoor and virtual classes in the summer, then our hybrid studio and virtual classes this fall, and back to virtual only classes in November.

NLY T’ai Chi Chih instructor, Lauren Paitson has a kind, gentle demeanor as she instructs her students in the practice of T’ai Chi Chih, and she creates a welcoming environment for those of us joining virtually, as well as those who attend in person. Her clear explanations and demonstrations help even the newest of practitioners intuit and learn the cyclical movements as well as find their “sweet spot” when bringing each fluid motion to a close.

It has been a busy month and a half! As of September 1st, our studio doors reopened, and we have continued to encourage social distancing by limiting our number of occupants, creating a detailed cleaning schedule, and so much more in our new “Pandemic Protocol and Studio Etiquette.” With the intention of maintaining a clean, safe, and welcoming environment for our returning yogis, we also seek to honor the benefits and necessity of a social practice, promising to do all we can to provide both necessities: safety and connection.

It is with grace and gratitude that Northern Life Yoga wishes the best for Pilates instructor, Kristi Cleary, as she leaves to focus on her job at War Memorial Hospital as a receptionist in pediatrics and to spend more time with her granddaughter.

Quarantine. Isolation. Social Distancing. These are words we have all grown accustomed to hearing, knowing we abide by them to keep one another safe. So, how, in this time of finding distance to support one another’s health, do we still find ways to come together as a community to receive the love and connection that we need to support our own health now more than ever?

So often, the Northern Life Yoga team focuses on highlighting our class offerings and special events. So I want to highlight the Northern Life Yoga instructors themselves - beyond what you read in their biographies. While they are all unique in their styles of instruction, they share a passion for yoga and one other common denominator - they all have heart. When I reflect upon all the ways our instructors share their hearts, it is truly remarkable.

If you've ever wondered what goes into planning a yoga class, it will vary greatly by the instructor and style of practice. Based on hundreds of yoga poses and variations and breath work, the class design possibilities are infinite.

When I was in my 20's and 30's, I welcomed business travel as a way to explore various restaurants along with occasional sightseeing as time allowed outside of meetings.

Every year, a group of travel writers visits the Eastern Upper Peninsula to experience what we have to offer from sites to recreation. This year, their schedule included kayaking with Bird's Eye Adventures and a Sunset SUP yoga class with me. Since their itinerary was planned in advance and full of activity each day, there was very little room for a Plan B should the weather or wind not cooperate.