Poise Studio Oregon

What do do with old Yoga mats?

2010-10-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

You can use your old Yoga mat for many different things. A couple of ideas are;

Use it underneath your new Yoga mat as extra cushion when on knees or back. You can also cut it up and use it as a knee pad. Roll up your mat and tie it with ribbon and use as a bolster.

Use it as a floor liner in the trunk of your car - it's non-slip and perfect for keeping the carpet clean.

Use it as a seat cover when loading dirty items into the back seat of your car, or for a pet liner when traveling with dogs.

Any other suggestions please feel free to add them on the post.

Enjoy re-using your mat!

Reach the Summit!

2010-08-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

Poise Studios Terry Tsubota "Reached the Summit".

Congratulations Terry! What an amazing experience it must have been.

Read about Terry's climb at: http://terryletsitallhangout.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-reach-summit-mt-adams-climb-august.html

Yogathon at Poise Studio

2010-06-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.firstgiving.com/poisestudio

Greetings!

Join Poise Studio's team in this years Yogathon, Yoga for Everybody! by committing to your own yoga practice and raising pledges to support yoga classes for our students. Beginning July 1, 2010 through August 30, 2010, you can set a goal for the number of classes you want to complete during that period of time, and reach out to your family and friends to pledge their support raise funds for Living Yoga.

Living Yoga serves, for free, a wide range of facilities and institutions including prisons, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, domestic violence shelters and programs for disadvantaged youth. We have over 70 active volunteers teaching more than 10,000 student hours of yoga each year.

Visit our website http://www.firstgiving.com/poisestudio and sign up today. Our goal is to raise $1000. Please feel free to forward this email on to anyone you know that might support this cause.

Thank you so much.

Victoria & Sarah

5K Race, Run & Walk at Intel's Jones Farm

2010-06-14T11:31:00.001-07:00

The race started as we cheered them on.

We heard something like over 90o participants were racing!

Luckily we were able to share a tent with another vendor.

We got a little wet but not as much as the race participants.

We had a good turn out and met a lot of great people.

Thanks Intel for inviting us to be a part of this!

'Starving yogi' astounds Indian scientists

2010-05-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

'Starving yogi' astounds Indian scientists

91 year old Yoga Instructor

2010-05-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

This was sent to us and I thought we would share it with everyone else. Very inspiring, short video to watch.

http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/04/12/n_cmr_92_year_old_yoga.cnnmoney/

Tai Chi in March

2010-03-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

Wednesdays at 6:00 pm, call to register or sign up on line.

Tai Chi ~ CosmoDynamics
CosmoDynamics, also known Tai Chi, draws its knowledge from the I-Ching and ancient Taoist practices. It is a "soft" Chinese martial art form and a means of cultivating the qi, or chi, in the body. Tai Chi originally stemmed from the ancient practice of qi gong, and consists of many qi gong movements, and it evolved to a distinct and separate martial art form. It incorporates movements that are used as a form of relaxation and to teach control of every part of the body. The movements practiced are slow and steady, and students will focus on developing control and form.
The health benefits of regular practice include:

More efficient breathing
Reduced blood pressure
Increased bone density, strength and range of motion of joints
Greater leg & knee strength and flexibility

Reduced levels of stress hormones during and after practice
Practitioners studying CosmoDynamics will achieve better conditioning for the body and more importantly, develop a sense of internal calm. It is to learn to synchronize with the environment, to move with the dynamics of the cosmos. In using introspection, practitioners while bring together their inner strength and softness in the outside. It's about opening the mind and losing the structure.

Offbeat is Off-Schedule! Yet still FREEE! And still fabulous!

2010-02-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

http://www.thebluemonk.com/

Date: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: The Blue Monk

Partner Yoga at Poise Studio

2010-02-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

For the month of February we are offering Partner Yoga. Bringing people together through conscious breathing, movement, touch and interdependent partnership. Partner yoga poses builds a high level of trust and intimacy. It can be a fun exercise to do with children, or a special moment shared between spouses or friends.

Shared touch therapy in the form of yoga is similar to a massage. The spirit is revitalized with the gentle touch, the even flow of breath, and the focused attention on one another.

This class is paired up with Kids Yoga Play. Make it a date night or bring a friend! Drop in fee $10.

Meditation as Prison Reform

2010-01-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

I recently read the following article and found it very interesting so I thought I would post it. Feel free to also click on the link to take you directly to the site. http://www.andmagazine.com/content/and_3617.php

Meditation as Prison Reform
Vipassana, Ten Days of Silence

I first heard about it two years ago in Northern India and then again from a recent ex-girlfriend. Typically the timing is never right for this kind of thing-cause hey, its ten days and I'm a busy guy. But for once the timing was right, and to be honest I'm not that busy. So in early December I drove three hours north of the city to a small compound in northern California. It's the type of area where the guys sport grizzled beards and drive old pickup trucks that run on used cooking oil. Here, surrounded by dense forest we began our course in Vipassana meditation, ten days of silence.

Vipassana
If you're anything like my grandmother I need to assure you that this is not a cult nor is it in anyway dangerous. The day starts at 4:30am and ends at 9:30pm. In between you get two meals, a tea time, and a whole hell of a lot of meditation. Then, repeat for ten days without talking or making eye contact and you have yourself a full fledged Vipassana class.

The technique was designed to focus your mind in order to be aware of the sensations of the body. By understanding these sensations you will gain an experimental knowledge of craving and aversion and as a result understand desire and suffering. This is the goal, although it's admittedly a long process. In the short run however, there are some beneficial side effects. Most notably the surfacing of old memories (pleasant and unpleasant) and the general happiness and clarity that comes about at the end of the program. This is the justification for its use in prisons.

This particular meditation technique was laid down 2,500 years ago by Guatama Siddhartha (the historical Buddha). Now it has become a standard feature in many prisons around India and has even started being used in the U.S. The Indian government decided to implement the program originally in 1975 and then again in 1994 under the direction of Ms Kiran Bedi in the Tihar Central Jail of New Delhi. Since that time the results have been astounding even to the point of inmates breaking down and crying in the arms of their captures. Currently the Indian government is encouraging their prisons and detainment centers around the country to adapt the program.

As far as the U.S. prison system goes, the program is still in its infancy. It's been tried in a couple of places like as Bessemer, Alabama and Seattle, Washington (Seattle being the 1st). Now the question remains, should this continue to be implemented in our prisons here in the United States.? Well, here are some major points to consider:

What's the cost? At least so far, the cost of running these programs has been met strictly by donations. And only people who have completed at least one 10 day course are allowed to donate. If this remains the case, then implementing the program would have little or no effect on government spending. If they end up changing it, then that's something else to consider.

Is this religion? In a sense-yes. It is based off the teachings of the Buddha and is based on some ideas about the nature of life after death. And in a sense-no. They do a great job of keeping all Buddhist culture out of the program and try to focus only on the technique. Also, there is no reason that anyone has to accept anything contrary to their own philosophy. They are very clear about not being a religion.

Is this a bunch of hippie bulls*? Normally I might say yes, but I've been through it so I know that it works (and it definitely can't hurt). If you don't believe me, then there's only one way to make a solid argument. So if you find yourself with ten days to spare, why not put your "time" where your mouth is and try the course. It won't cost you a thing-and there's even free food involved. How can you turn down free food?

For more information, check out the documentary "Doing Time, Doing Vipassana".

Yoga with students from The Edwards Center in Aloha

2009-06-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

I taught my first class on Wednesday June 17th to 8 students from the Edwards Center in Aloha. I had 3 teachers from their facility assist me during class which was very helpful and I think made the students feel more comfortable.
I did my homework and researched information on classes for developmentally disabled adults. I had an idea of what I wanted to work on in class and planned on keeping the class to 30-40 minutes in length. Some of the poses went well and others not so much. The length went to about 45 minutes by the time we were finished with relaxation and back to a seated pose. It was an absolute pleasure for me to teach this class. The students seemed to enjoy it and will be coming back for 7 more weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing the growth in all of us.

I have changed my class sequence for next week to what I feel will work better. I am leaving some poses out from this week, keeping some and adding a few new ones. I also plan on keeping the length to 30 minutes of work and 5 + minutes of relaxation to finish with.

Namaste ~ Victoria

Hafla - last of photos

2009-06-03T23:54:00.001-07:00

Hafla more photos

2009-06-03T23:52:00.001-07:00

Hafla more photos

2009-06-03T23:49:00.001-07:00

Hafla more photos

2009-06-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

Hafla more photos

2009-06-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

Belly Dance Hafla May 9th

2009-06-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

This was so much fun! Our first ever Belly Dance Hafla ~ thank you to everyone who participated. We had help planning this first ever Hafla at Poise Studio. From flyers to decorations, music and MCing, Julie and Karla helped to get the Hafla going. We had a beautiful variety of performers, such talent they have! Alchemist de Fleurs, Gypsy Traders, Morgana's Belly Dance Bizarre and Cookie Lee Jewelry provided a wonderful selection and variety of items to fall in love with and take home with you. Karla taught a Gypsy Bolero workshop the ladies enjoyed, they all looked so gorgeous in their flowing big skirts. We had open dancing and belly roulette which was a lot of fun, everyone doing their belly dance moves and smiling and laughing. We had donations for the raffle from Akeso Massage Arts, ChiRoweYoga, The Plumbers Inc. and Julie. Thank you all for your generosity. Proceeds from the raffle ticket sales as well as food donations went to the Oregon Food Bank. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the Hafla.

Sports apparel, jewlery & more.

2009-05-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

And the ladies enjoy.

More fun at Aries...

2009-05-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

Victoria belly dancing to modern music---cd player wouldn't work so we used Kate's IPOD. Thank you Kate!

Aries Apparel, Souvenir Cosmetics & Poise Studio

2009-05-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

Sarah, Irene & Stacie pause for a photo.

Shopping event with personal make up artist Kate Kristiansen here with Robin.

Great event at Aries Apparel

2009-05-18T17:36:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung!

2009-05-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

Looking good!

New Roof and Fresh Paint

2009-02-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

The blue tarp is gone replaced with a pretty new roof. The blue/gray home has been painted so now we stand out from the road. We are so pleased with how it turned out - thank you Miller Paint!

Sarah working late

2009-01-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Classes are finished but there is still work to be done. We love being here.

Poise Studio - Studio 2 Re'vata Room

2009-01-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

Poise Studio - Studio 1 - Ananda Room

2009-01-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

Poise Studio Entry and Hallway

2009-01-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Poise Studio Front Desk and Boutique area

2009-01-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

Thank you!

2009-01-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

We want to thank all of our friends who have helped us with this huge project. If it wasn't for your help we couldn't have made it this far. THANK YOU! We love and appreciate you all.

Deb, one of our Pilates Instructors

2009-01-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

She is a wonderful lady and a fantastic instructor, you will really enjoy her classes.

Work and play ~

2009-01-04T17:55:00.000-08:00

Keeping the boutique organized...and trying on some clothes! Chelsey is a perfect model! Looks great ladies!

I am so lucky!

2009-01-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

To have such a wonderful man, I love you Judah!

At the front desk...

2009-01-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

Roxanne is our receptionist on Saturdays, she is a wonderful addition to Poise Studio.
Valerie is one of our Belly Dance instructors, she teaches Tuesday nights at 5:30 and Saturday afternoon at 12:00, get ready for a great workout and a lot of fun! She also covers the front desk Tuesday evenings.
And those 2 cuties are our nieces, Maddie and Chelsey - great little helpers. Thank you ladies ~

Sarah's Dad...

2009-01-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Gary has been super helpful around the studio. You may see him around once in awhile. Thanks for all your help Gary!

Poise Studio Bell

2009-01-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Sarah's very thoughtful Yoga student Steve made this for our studio. He welded the bell and the stand. It has a beautiful sound when ringing. We need to find the perfect spot for it. We are so thankful for such an amazing gift, thank you Steve!

Sarah & Victoria

2009-01-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

We are so happy to have this opportunity to share our passion with you. thank you!

Sarah's dear friends

2009-01-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

Nate & Willow came by to visit on Sunday. They enjoyed watching the BD show and love our studio. Willow will be our receptionist on Wednesday evenings. What a great looking couple.

Our MC and Victoria's Mom

2009-01-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

Shelley MC'd our belly dance show on Sunday, she does an excellent job and is a fun gal to be around. Thank you for your help Shelley! My mom, Antoinette came by to visit on Sunday and watch the BD show. They both had a great time. Such beautiful smiles on these ladies...

Belly Dance Show

2009-01-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

Fleur de lis dance troupe's performance was a treat for us, they did a spectacular job. Tiffany, Marlene and Ziggy.

Belly Dance Show

2009-01-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

Karissa, Cynthia and Tanya Magdalena the Belly Dancing Tattoo artist. They were magnificent. Gorgeous.

Belly Dance Show

2009-01-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

Marlene, Tiffany, Ziggy and Vee, everyone enjoyed the show ~ lovely ladies

My best friend Rosie

2009-01-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

Rosie has been a huge help at the studio with everything from painting to planting! Thank you Rosie!!! Looking forward to having you in classes : )

Pause for the camera

2009-01-03T16:02:00.000-08:00

Lisa with her husband and son, stopping by our open house to say hello. Lisa is one of our instructors, she teaches Yoga Play, Our Time Yoga and Pilates. Her husband helped us out with some of our construction. Thank you to both of you.

Grand Opening ~ Open House

2009-01-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

We want to thank everyone who came to our open house January 3rd & 4th. We had a wonderful time meeting all of you! Please continue to celebrate with us by coming to classes for FREE through January 17th.

Sarah & Victoria

Trying out the Pilates Reformers.

2009-01-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

Sarah and Victoria had fun trying out the Pilates Reformers, very cool machines and boy can you feel the work.

Night before our Grand Opening weekend ~

2009-01-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

Jake & Sarah - cheers.
Chelsey and Sarah setting up the Pilates Reformers.
And my niece Chelsey cleaning the mats, she's a hard worker.

This is what got us through a lot of nights

2009-01-01T23:36:00.000-08:00

Yep! Little Caesars...cheap and close by this was our dinner many nights at the studio. Can't wait for home cooking again!

Last few touches

2009-01-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

Valerie works on the front door as she gives a great smile to the camera.

Covered in mud

2009-01-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

Adam still smiling, what a trooper!

And it's dark out now

2009-01-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

still working, almost finished, can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Our bark dust and straw boys

2009-01-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

Judah and Jerry made all the runs to pick up bark dust and straw for the landscaping. Jerry is working on Valerie's windshield wipers in this picture. Judah's truck is dirty as a work truck should be.

Getting dark out and still working away.

2009-01-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

Mike working the tractor.

Planting Day...Men at Work

2009-01-01T14:25:00.000-08:00

Adam, Ray, Tom and Mike also working hard out in the rain and mud. People must have thought we were crazy! We were but it needed to get done rain or shine!

Planting Day...Girls at Work

2009-01-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

Victoria, Rosie and Sarah working hard in the rain and mud!

Happy New Year Everyone!

2008-12-31T19:04:00.000-08:00

We celebrated New Years Eve at the studio...touch up painting and cleaning.

Wishing you a prosperous and healthy new year.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

2008-12-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

Everywhere around is so quiet and peaceful tonight.

2008-12-24T22:51:00.000-08:00

Singing in the rain...

2008-12-24T15:05:00.000-08:00

...is the color of our bathrooms. Sarah’s husband Mike with Rose Custom Counters specializes in granite, and it shows. Judah with The Plumbers Inc. is Poise Studio’s plumber, the trim looks good. Pro-circuit electric is working on our electrical finish trim. It’s so nice to have light!

Entry is coming together and looking good!

2008-12-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

The guys built and installed our storage cubbies. Slate tile floor is throughout the entry, hall and bathrooms. Our new front door brings natural light into the entry and hall way.

It's a SNOW DAY!

2008-12-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

Who won - Judah, Sarah and Victoria or the paint sprayer? Hmmmm I wonder.

2008-12-10T23:30:00.000-08:00

It's late and we're tired but we got the walls and ceilings primed!
Mike and Aja are glad to not be covered in paint.

Step one finished.

Who's been spraying primer? Take a guess!

2008-12-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

Say cheese Victoria! Paint is everywhere and is so so messy~

Judah took over spraying later that night, now he's all covered in white - what a great pair we make :)

Getting close...

2008-12-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

Mike & Lucas getting it done~

Our studio is getting a face lift - beeeeauuutiful!

2008-12-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

The boys are working hard on getting the siding on...should be done by the weekend.

We have a parking lot now...what a difference!

2008-12-05T20:21:00.001-08:00

Shadows from the trees on our new asphalt look cool!

Busy week so far...

2008-12-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

This week our grading will be finished and asphalt should be poured by Friday. I can't wait to see the parking lot!Guys are working on siding the addition this week, it will look really good after that, then all it needs is paint outside!

We have rooms!

2008-11-25T18:41:00.000-08:00

Sheet rock is hung and ready for mud, tape & texture. Thank you to the sheet rock crew, they ROCKED it! :)

Final framing

2008-11-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for final framing inspection, Mike & Judah worked hard as always and late that day. All finished now ;)

Windows installed

2008-11-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

New transom windows look great and provide natural light, also a nice view~

My wonderful man!

2008-11-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

Here is Judah, he is my man and i love him very much!

The Balmer Family

2008-11-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

Mike, Sarah, Gavin, Landon & Aja, what a beautiful family! They are blessed~

Site Work

2008-10-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sidewalks, curb and gutters are finished and look great! Thank you to Carmen for an excellent job and all his hard work!

Our little helper bees...

2008-10-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Boys just love dirt!

Storm water irrigation - what a job! Part II

2008-10-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

...HUGE catch basin which connects to...well it just keeps going and going but there job stopped here :) Clean Water Services and Washington County required this for storm water run-off. Absolutely amazing, just picture this under the parking lot! These guys were Supermen that week! A ton of hard work!!!! Thank you for everyone who helped with this!

Storm water irrigation - what a job!

2008-10-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

This was a HUGE job for the guys!

Lynch basin catches the water, huge pipes run to the......

Framing & Rough In

2008-10-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

Framing completed, thank you to Mike Balmer!

Also rough in plumbing, thank you to The Plumbers Inc.

and electrical thank you to Pro Circuit Electric!

It's coming together~

Exterior Building Upgrade

2008-09-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

Foundation upgrade complete w/new walkways!

Shiny new floors

2008-09-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

Floors are level now that the Gypcrete has been poured. Looks awesome! Thank you Ultra Quiet Floors!

Demo done!

2008-09-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

Down to the studs...literally!

TIMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

And the tree is down! They had fun doing that.

Poise Studio LLC "BEFORE"

2008-08-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to see the change....