yoga, photography, art in the woods of Connecticut.

Sunday I was recovering from an awful sickness and by Tuesday afternoon, I was in Connecticut with my lovely friend Angela taking yoga photos with Robert Sturman. I've been a big fan of his photography for about a year now so when I found out he had an opening...nothing was going to stop me, not illness or the 7 hour drive. I can't wait to see his photos... 

These are Angela's "behind the scenes" shots. She is a wonderful photographer in her own right. Check out her creative self at Truly, Madly, Deeply.

Morning Show Love!

So, we were on the morning show this am with Lauren Lindvig!! Very exciting. 


I am so grateful to have been featured on the show and also to have the love and support of my friends and students this morning! 


Thanks to all of you who were on the show with me and thank you to all of my students, period. You have made my journey so much better by your presence. 


See you on the mat! 


xoxoxo


Erin

A Patchwork Quilt of Love

Hello lovelies!


I just wanted to share my second Elephant Journal article with you. Funny how yoga has given me the courage to put my voice out there in a bigger way. Yoga is such a key to unlocking yourself, if you let it be that.


http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/03/a-patchwork-quilt-of-love--erin-kouvas/


Please check out the article! Any response is certainly welcome!!


xo


E

Grand Opening

Hello all! 


How are you today? I hope well.


I'm sitting here, at my computer with papers all around me, as usual these days, and trying to get focused on business instead of my fun Grand Opening party on Thursday!! 


To advertise, or not advertise. To do more trainings and which ones. To read all your emails and to send out a few yourself. All of these things are necessary to think about! But I have to tell you, I can't wait for the party! :) 

All (or most excluding those who sadly can't make it and will be missed!) of the people who are my biggest supporters, some people who have recently fallen in love with yoga and some who are about to and don't even know it yet...how exciting is that?? Add to that, great food and a free yoga class given by one of my closest (and newest!) friends and I am nearly ecstatic.


Who knew that all of this would happen in under a year? Only God. Not this girl, that's for sure. But I am oh so grateful. Hope to see some of you there! 


xoxo world!


(p.s. if you want to come to party it's from 5-8 pm! Free slow flow at 6 pm.)


E

Just a picture of my friend Martha, chillin in her backbend!

Workshops

My latest joy has been providing workshops at the studio. Oh my goodness, they are so much fun!! Two hours focused on one topic really allows you the space and time to delve into the information because, as any yogi knows,  there is usually so much more information behind what you are doing in any given class. It is so nice to break it down and really get it. 


Can't wait, going to schedule some more very soon! 


So grateful for the people who are a part of them!! 


xo


Erin

this is not from my studio! just a pretty yoga pic!!

Yoga Brain

So, my yoga business was listed in both of the local papers today in the business sections, I gave my first workshop today (it felt great!) and am currently filling out invites to my grand opening party on March 15th. What a crazy, whirlwind year it has been~falling in love with yoga and having it become such a huge part of my everyday life.  I feel so blessed and thank God every day for giving me this gift and allowing me to successfully share it with others. 


Sometime soon, though, I would like to take a vacation in order to shut down from all of the activity, physically and mentally. (Even though I'm sure that I would still practice on vacation! Envisioning beach yoga...which I have yet to experience! Anyone care to share their most amazing yoga experience, whether on a beach or otherwise?)


I love love loooove my new yoga studio, my new yoga students and am so excited to fall into this path and find that it is my own. However, just as I talk about in class sometimes (and as we've all heard from people much wiser than myself) balance is necessary. I've heard tell of yoga teacher burnout and do not want that to happen to me! Within the next month or two, I hope to gain a little balance in the form of a vacation on a hot, still beach with some beautiful ocean waves to sing me to sleep. ahhhhhh. I just had a mini vacation in my mind. :)


In the meantime, the yo-journey continues... Yin workshop on Wednesday night. If you're local, I hope to see you there!! Yin is a chance to slow it down, create more flexibility and reconnect with ourselves. I'm looking forward to it!! 


And now, back to addressing those invites...


xoxo


Erin

Saying Goodbye/New Beginnings

Last night, I went to Studio Oxygen for Tara's final yoga class. She is moving to Florida and opening a brand new yoga studio and it sounds like she has a very bright yoga future ahead of her. Still, I imagine, it is hard to let go of the old, the familiar and the well loved yoga community she has woven for herself here in Ohio.


Tara is a phenomenal yoga teacher and even though I don't know her personally that well, I got a little teared up near the end for her. She led an amazing flow class and after Savasana (Corpse Pose) she told us how we had changed her life. This may sound hokey to some but as a yoga teacher I totally get it. You are privileged to be a part of these people's day or night when they slow down enough to come back to their breath and themselves, healing themselves, making themselves stronger, or more flexible and more at peace. That energy circulates around the room and you, as the teacher get to see it on their faces and in their bodies. You notice when they are uneasy with a stillness or when they are confident in a new pose. Tears are not uncommon here and neither are smiles. We definitely run the gamut in a good yoga class.


Tara has shared many moments on her yoga journey and though her path may be seemingly ending in Ohio, it's not true. The seeds that she has planted in people has changed their lives and so the journey continues onto places that she will never know, just like a river that flows does not know what it may give life to further down the way.


I am so happy to have found yoga. And I wish Tara the best and know that she has many more lives to touch!


Namaste.


E

Morning Joe

Good morning, blogoshpere! It is 8:47 in the morning and I am having an organic banana with all natural almond butter on it. And coffee.


During our weekend with Baron (I wonder how long I will be referencing it? lol) he mentioned coffee as if it were seen in a bad light with yogis. He asked us if we ever felt like we were a little bit hypocrites or inauthentic sometimes when we did something that was out of context with our yoga values. (He was also drinking coffee with a smile on his face while he asked us). Everyone was shaking their head yes and I didn't realize I was shaking my head no until he looked at me!! Inside I was dying. He was probably thinking, wow, this girl thinks she's perfect! NOT THE CASE, Sir Baron! :) I was just having a hard time even talking badly about my poor little coffee. 


If coffee is wrong, I don't want to be right.


I will say that I also drink hot tea and I have tried to incorporate hot water with lemon sometimes that Baron talks about in Journey Into Power and Kathryn Budig talked about in some internet video where she discussed her daily diet. The interviewer in said video asks Kathryn if she drinks coffee and she, literally, gasps. I love Kathryn Budig but when she gasped, my first thought was, 'oh, she must be allergic.' :/


I'm sorry. I'm just not there yet. If this were an asana (pose) I was trying to perfect, I would still be a MAJOR beginner. But that's life, eh? One step at a time. It may be already inside of me not to drink coffee but the moment has not come to fruition.


But how about that organic banana, huh?? Good stuff.


Love!


E

Shine On

As some of you know, I had this blog for awhile, deleted it and brought it back. I have in the past been afraid to let my voice be heard. I get shy in front of masses of people (even if I can't see them! :)).Yoga has helped me greatly with this, and I'm glad to be on here sharing with you.


I hope this journey is one you will join with me! Hope to see you in yoga class if you're local and if you're not, I hope this online community is one that you'll share with me. There will be lots to talk about!!


E

Recovering

So, I'm just last night recovering from my devil cold! I truly believe that I have run down my immune system and I keep getting the colds to prove it!


Physically, I'm in the best shape of my life! Mind you, that does not mean the lowest weight...skinny doesn't necessarily equal healthy!! I AM thinner than I've been in a long while and that is completely thanks to yoga. My abs are tighter, my BUTT is SMALLER! (this is huge people, as I've always had what my family refers to as the Owens butt, thank you mother's side genetics!). And there are a multitude of other bonuses including better posture! Yes!


But, I still have such a hectic lifestyle with my husband owning and running the restaurant. Besides, trying to open and jump start a yoga business, I get up early (ish) and we go to bed at 12p or 1a. Sleep has a lot to do with health, I have determined. For all of you that now know what a genius I am for this last statement....thank you. :) (sense of humor appreciated here!)


I have made some changes and I feel like they might stick this time! This is, in part, due to my weekend with Baron and my cohorts from Cleveland Yoga who all inspired me!

1. Fruits now not only occupy a bowl on my dining room table but in my belly as well. What a novel idea not just to DECORATE with fruit!! AND I am actually starting to be drawn to them!
2. I don't finish my plate just because the food feels good on my taste buds! This is a completely foreign concept to me and I am in awe of this person who is now inhabiting my body.
3. I'm in love with chocolate cake. There was a piece in front of me last night and I DIDN'T EAT IT. (what?).
4. I am taking vitamins on a daily basis. (again, what?)
5. What? There should be more? What do you want, my first born child?? (again, joking!) 

I'm so grateful to be a healthier me today and I hope that this alien who has taken over things around here is happy to stick around! I love her! And I love you guys, whoever you might be, for reading my post! I'll be back! I hope you will too. <3

Erin