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Greetings! Please consider coming to a wonderful event July 31st in just a few weeks, here in Bellingham! I have been volunteering with the Multifaith Network for Climate Justice; this organization is holding a Sacred Earth Fair at the end of July that promises to be both fun and meaningful, as we live into these days of the ever deepening need to address climate crisis. The focus of this fair is educational, fun, and community oriented with activities and music for all ages, as we find our way to adapt and transform together. I would be so happy to see you there! Often we are not sure what to do with our concerns about this beautiful earth as climate change looms so largely. Here is a great opportunity to be with others in the fullness of this experience, and the possible discovery of how to live into change with less fear and more action. If you feel called to volunteer, we could use some extra help for the taking down of the fair at 5 pm on the 31st! Happy High Summer!
Let me know if you plan to participate in yoga this summer! Zoom series begins this coming Tuesday, June 28th. I will send the links out tomorrow, June 27th. Recordings will be sent after each class for all who register. Happy Summer!
 Beginning Next Week on Zoom |
Dear Friends,
Happy Summer Solstice! What wonderful and synchronistic timing for the sun to shine more brightly today as we step into the summer season. Our friend Bodi who makes my yoga flyer has not been available, and time is drawing near for the intended start time of the quarter, next week on June 29th! So I am simply sending this email.
Here are the basics:
This summer I will only teach on Tuesday mornings, sending out the recordings from those Zoom sessions for those who wish to enroll but may be unable to make either a particular Tuesday, or this time in general. The numbers of COVID cases are still high enough that I imagine the Zoom approach to be best practice for the moment. I have sadness about not meeting in person, but am going with my sense of a correct path for the moment, still with an intention to eventually return to our beautiful sanctuary, the place where for so many years we were able to gather in person for our community practice. I ask for your understanding in the ongoing challenge as a teacher tasked with each season’s process of careful discernment in the face of COVID times.
Summer Zoom Class dates are all on Tuesday mornings, 9:45 to 11:15 am
No Wednesday evening classes for Summer session. THERE MAY BE SPECIAL OUTDOOR EVENTS ON AN OCCASIONAL WEDNESDAY IF THERE IS INTEREST. LET ME KNOW IF THIS WOULD APPEAL TO YOU!
Recordings available for all Tuesday classes, for use at any convenient time, for all who register!
Tuition: Tuition $108 to $135 for the series live, and recorded!
Dates of Classes: June 29th, July 5th, 12th and 26th
August 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th
PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY JUNE 25TH IF YOU PLAN TO ENROLL. ENROLL BY SENDING TUITION VIA VENMO @Elizabeth-kerwin-3, or by WECU transfer, or sending a check.
FOR ALL INQUIRIES, PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL, RATHER THAN ANSWERING VIA BLOG POST:
elizabethkerwinyoga@gmail.com or 360-303-3892
Bright and warm greetings of summer, Elizabeth
Classic Mary Oliver:
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean –
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down –
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Once late last summer when we were away, and had a friend housesitting for us, he sent us this photo! An ACTUAL Western Painted turtle visited our place! Such a blessing, though interesting that in 25 years of residing here, we ourselves had never been graced with a turtle sighting.
“Life After Death” by Laura Gilpin
These thinks I know:
How the living go on living
and how the dead go on living with them
so that in a forest
even a dead tree casts a shadow
and the leaves fall one by one
and the branches break off in the wind
and the bark peels off slowly
and the trunk cracks
and the rain seeps through the cracks
and the trunk falls to the ground
and the moss covers it
and in the spring the rabbits find it
and build their nest
inside the dead tree
so that nothing is wasted in nature
or in love.
We’re seeking help with cleaning our retreat house called the Forest Hermitage. Ideally, someone with a somewhat flexible schedule, wanting to earn some extra income, who would enjoy cleaning in a beautiful and quiet county setting would reach out to us for the details. Please feel free to share this information, or reach out to me, if you yourself are interested! The vast majority of folks who come to stay, are indeed on a healing and/or artist’s retreat of some sort, and leave the place in extremely good order. The cleaning therefore, tends to be less taxing. Thanks for helping us to find a good fit, so we may continue to offer this beautiful place of respite.
Here is a link, if you would like to see images and text from our Turtle Haven website, describing the environment, and its intended purpose!
http://www.turtlehavensanctuary.com/forest-hermitage.html
PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR THE NEXT EFFORTS TO PRESERVE FORESTS, AND WATERS; THE UPPER RUTSATZ AS WELL AS OTHER FORESTS NEED OUR CONTINUING ATTENTION AS THEY ARE NOT TRULY PROTECTED YET– SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW, AND SIGN A PETITION TO ACT ON BEHALF OF OUR FORESTS, AND WATERS, AND OUR EARTH HOME IN GENERAL! PLEASE ALSO CONSIDER CONTRIBUTING TO THE CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE FORESTRY, WHICH IS MAKING SUCH STELLAR EFFORTS ON OUR BEHALF, WITH AN ALMOST ENTIRELY VOLUNTEER STAFF AT THIS TIME.
Whatcom County Carbon Project Petition
– Please Sign –
Dear legacy forest advocates,
Thanks to your engagement and pressure, Bessie Unit 2 has been included in the new DNR Carbon Project! This means it will generate revenue on the carbon market instead of being clearcut. This Carbon Project also included 1398 acres of ecologically important forests in the Lake Whatcom Watershed!
The DNR Carbon Project has 2 phases. Phase 1 protected 2,500 acres. Phase 2 will protect an additional 7,500 acres. DNR said they welcome public input on what forests to include in Phase 2.
There are a number of legacy forests we would like to see included that are currently unprotected in Whatcom County, most notably Upper Rutsatz. In addition to Upper Rutsatz, we would like to see Box of Rain, Brokedown Palace, Orion, and Over the Hills be included in the carbon project. These five native, mature, naturally regenerated forests are located in the Nooksack Watershed, which is in significant ecological peril.
Please sign our petition to add these legacy forests to Phase 2 of the Carbon Project
And please share this petition widely to your networks so the DNR can understand how important these forests are to our Whatcom County communities.
- Here is a Bellingham Herald article on Bessie’s inclusion in the Carbon Project.
- Here is a Seattle Times article that describes the Carbon Project.
- Here is an excellent Seattle Times op-ed by CRF board members Peter Goldmark and Mary Jean Ryan on CRF’s position on the Carbon Project.
In order for CRF to continue the work of protecting legacy forests, please consider making a tax deductible donation:
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Greetings to All! Many of you may remember Kelly, who originally studied yoga with me here in Whatcom County. She came to Turtle Haven a few years ago, and offered therapeutic classes! Kelly now resides in North Carolina, after some time in the Midwest, studying and teaching, and undertaking intensive Iyengar Teacher Training; she has truly become a shining star in the yoga community, and a Senior teacher. Kelly has utilized yoga for many years in working with her own extensive health challenges, and studies with Lois Steinberg who is among the most esteemed and profoundly experienced therapeutics teacher in the Iyengar tradition. Kelly still has deep affection and ties, here in Washington.
This is a partial description of the health challenges Kelly has been for years facing, and for which she needs financial assistance, as she undertakes medical care for her own healing : Chronic repercussions of Lyme Disease, Migraines, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and Ankylosing spondylitis.
Kelly has a courageous and vulnerable video embedded in her Go Fund Me page, and I encourage you to listen and watch, and see if you feel moved to help her in funding some of the expensive health care she needs. Kelly is intent upon continuing to fulfill her compassionate calling in offering yoga as a path of deep healing— and in this moment needs help to be able to sustain herself, to continue along her path.
May Kelly be blessed in her request for resources in her healing journey.
Here is the link for the Go Fund Me page:
Greetings! I am excited to share with you a local online event focussed on the essential preservation of our beautiful and precious Pacific Northwest corner, and specifically our forests and Southfork Nooksack watershed. I have heard many people speaking of despair, and not knowing how to contribute towards change that will help mitigate the worst environmental degradation of our times. Acting locally can bring a sense of purpose and contribution that can be food for your own soul, while contributing to profoundly needed attention to the climate crisis, and actions we must take. I hope you will consider joining in on this Zoom event! Please see the flyer below for details.
Spring quarter, which was to begin this past week, will now begin the week of March 28th, and extend out an additional week from the original schedule to make up for the “missed” classes. If you have yet to sign up, and would like to, please let me know. Many thanks to those of you who have sent for well wishes and understanding. If you are currently enrolled and have questions or concerns, please let me know.
Elizabeth Kerwin Yoga 