Autumn - Slowing Down, Preserving Energy, and Discovering Preciousness

The Autumnal Equinox marks the transition into the four months that constitute the season of Fall.  Autumn is the time to harvest the nutritional gifts of the crops and gardens while the natural world redirects its energies back into its core of roots, seeds, bulbs and soil. 

By no longer sending energy outward to expand, mature, fruit or flower, the natural world contracts as it shifts into the season of reserve and rest. One obvious example is how trees pull back nutrition from the leaves and send out the chemical, auxin, to cause the leaves to release and drop. Attempting to maintain foliage through the colder months would be waste of precious resources and could even be the demise of the tree. The release is necessary for self-preservation. Fall and winter provide the time for all to be nourished by the minerals and moisture in the soils and gather a reservoir of energy so the cycle of life can unfold again the following year. 

According to ancient Chinese medicine, from which acupuncture arose, Autumn has a physical and symbolic relationships with the organs of the Lungs and Large Intestine as well as the element of Metal. Physically the lungs regulate the body’s energy through the quality of breath. Each inhalation filters, assimilates, and enriches the blood with oxygen that is ushered to the heart.  Every beat of the heart circulates oxygenated blood to organs, cells, tissues. Exhalation discards carbon dioxide and metabolic waste to protect and preserve the quality of life within. The large intestine is responsible for absorbing and storing water and eliminating solid waste. This organ functions to cleanse and detoxify on many levels protecting vitality through the excretion of toxic matter.  

Although these two organs do not physically connect, they are co-regulating each other and govern the skin. In utero, the lungs and large intestine develop and mature simultaneously. This is one primary reason as why it is desirable for a fetus to continue gestating to the 36-40 week point. During that essential time time the lungs and large intestine complete their development and fat begins to fill out the skin. One challenge of a premature birth is potential breathing and elimination problems. Conversely, a risk of going overdue is that the large intestine will finish development and have a meconium stool, a bowel movement, that is “breathed” into the lungs. It's a delicate, and miraculous balance. 

Throughout our lifetime the lungs and large intestine work together to regulate the pores of the skin, sense of smell, and are intimately connected to the immune system, ultimately protect the body from illnesses. Much like Autumn, the lungs are responsible for pulling life force energy deep into our system while the large intestine releases what no longer is useful to sustain the body’s health. 

In Five Element philosophy, Autumn and its corresponding organs relate to the element of Metal.  Metal is a product of the earth’s depth like iron, copper, nickel, gold and other minerals in the soil and stone. Metal is a conductor of energy. Oxygen interacts with metal and the quality of our breath aids in the binding of iron in the blood. Like the precious stones and gems, metal is associated with courage and reverence, symbolizing strength, value, endurance. The element of metal corresponds to the spiritual dimension of life’s mystery and corresponds how we process the emotion of grief that transforms to reveal the preciousness of life. 

When relating to the body anytime of the year, we must remember that the body has a voice but it does not speak to us through logical words but rather through emotions, cravings, sleep and eating cycles, sounds, and when weak or over-burdened, speaks to us with pain or disease symptoms.  

When Lungs, Large Intestines or their energy need support, the body communicates with any lung, skin, or large intestine challenge like chronic colds, asthma, bowel disturbances, and skin disorders like acne or eczema, cloudy, restless mind, or stubborn aches and pains that cannot be detected or explained by physical exams or blood tests.

When too much is being held onto emotionally, one isn’t having life-affirming experiences, or the to-do list is overwhelming, the body tends to make the sound of excessive sighing. Waking up with anxious or obsessive thoughts between the hours of 3-7AM are calls for attention from these organs. The early hours are the time that Lungs (3-5am) and Large Intestine (5-7am) are renewing within the cycle of each day. While these challenges can occur anytime during the year, one may witness an amplification or “rebellion” of symptoms in the Fall when the organs are detoxing and rejuvenating. 

Support for these organs are many, but the most meaningful resource is the breath. Taking pause to follow the depth of a slow inhalation until the lungs feel comfortably filled and then allowing the exhalation to gently fall out to its empty base can nourish the blood and expand lung capacity, overtime. Consciously elongating the exhalation is a key to calming and regulating the nervous system, ushering the body/mind to a more restful space. 

A useful breath technique consists of inhaling to the count of 4 and exhaling to a count of 6, encouraging the the out-breath to be slightly longer than the in-breath. Conscious breathing is especially beneficial to usher one back to sleep in the middle of the night or to calm and anxious mind or heart.

As a symbolic mentor, the archetype of the Sage can be a meaningful persona to reflect upon or cultivate to navigate the energy of Autumn and the well-being of the Lungs and Large Intestine.  The Sage is the steward of the sacred space and revolves around knowledge and truth. Therefore, this seeker regards life experiences as a means of learning, wisdom and making sound judgement.   We can cultivate our inner Sage by reviewing aspects of our life that need simplifying or shifting of attention order to protect our vitality. 

Autumn is a perfect time to sort through clutter in our homes and in our psyche.  As the season demonstrates a preservation of energy, we can review our commitments to others in order to shed unnecessary obligations. Becoming guardians of our personal time, refining our attention to the people and projects that are most close to our hearts, and devoting time resting and seeking life-giving opportunities can draw our emotional energies closer to what matters most to us.  

Other simple supports are to feed your senses with natural air, spending time with animals, and eating seasonally ripe and fibrous fruits and vegetables like pears, cauliflower, turnip, kohlrabi, kale, spinach, arugula, to name a few. Herbs and spices like cinnamon, tarragon, rosemary, time, fennel, parsley, dill, horseradish, basil+ promote energy circulation and a homey, warming sense.  

Also take time for tending the skin with massage, baths, or essential oils. Sesame oil is a great choice for most skin and energy types that can enhanced with rosemary, geranium, marjoram, orange, or cedar wood essential oils. 

A simple daily movement to stimulate and support the these organs and the flow of their energetic pathways comes from the Japanese tradition of Shiatsu in movements called the Makko-ho for the Lung and Large Intestine. This synchronized flow of breath and movement is a beneficial way to waken at the start of the day and to quiet the body and mind in preparation for bed.

Lung/Large Intestine Makko Ho

Exercise: Inhale arms overhead, exhale interlace the thumbs behind the back and fold forward. 

Intention: Harmonizing the life force through what is drawn in and what is released. Transforming grief to reveal the preciousness of life. 

Repeat for 6+ breaths.

Wishing you a blessed transition at this Autumn season.  Crossing this threshold, may we reflect upon those aspects of our year that we have sown, watered, nurtured to maturity and harvested at fruition. 

May we also begin to slow the pace to look inside with gentleness as we step into the season that reminds us to soften the hold and step into spirit through rest and renewal. 

Wishing you release that reveals the preciousness of life this Autumn season.

Nourishing The Earth Element In Late Summer

Yoga Friends,

In the last week or so, you may have felt a shift that left you feeling or thinking, "It is time for me to start prioritizing my own self-care!"

Perhaps you experienced a compelling desire to schedule a massage/therapy/energy work, take a couple of days alone, eat nourishing food, or get back into a meaningful routine.

Some may be feeling more fatigued, emotionally fragile, or foggy-headed. Or others may have gotten a surge of empowering energy to say "No!" and step away from someone or something that no longer feels like it aligns with what you ultimately want for your life. 

If you have been or are experiencing these kind of feelings, yes, they are uniquely yours AND you can smile and know that it is also part of a rhythm that is bigger than you, like how the moon pulls the tide!  

In Five Element Theory of ancient Chinese medicine, from which acupuncture was born, life is described as moving in a cycle through the elements of Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth and can be witnessed in nature, the seasons, and through our organs and emotions. 

In a generative cycle, Metal collects Water, and Water nourishes the growth of Wood. Wood is fuel for Fire. Fire's ash becomes Earth, Earth creates Metal deep under the Earth surface.

While we have the elements and organs within us all the time, throughout the seasons of the day and the phases of our life, the seasonal shifts provide energy for us to join and provide ourselves with the physical and emotional resources to move with greater health in each stage of the year. 

The season of summer holds two kinds of elemental energy - Fire and Earth.  In the early summer, after the quick growth of Spring (Wood/Liver/Gall Bladder Chi)), the Fire element gives rise to sustained heat that is essential for maturing the plants to their fullest expression (Fire/ Heart/Small intestine/Pericardium/Triple Burner).  However, once the plant life fully manifests, there is a heaviness and even a humidity that descends that allows for ripeness to come to the foods before the harvest. This is referred to as the Second Summer and is associated with the element of Earth/Stomach/Spleen.  

The characteristics of the Earth Element are what you would think - qualities of grounding, nurturing, and nourishing.  This can be seen in the archetype of the Caregiver or Good Mother. When the Earth element is strong, we are able to turn to foods, relationships, and choices that deeply care for ourselves and others on every level so that choices/actions come from a more stable and clear mental-emotional processes. 

When our inner Earth element is challenged, it may manifest as being overly attentive to others at our own expense, denying ourselves of nourishment or time for self-care, or getting emotionally caught in a whirlpool of worry. 

I felt this in my own body/mind about a week ago. I had a couple of days where I felt I couldn't stay awake or concentrate. I heard the inner call to take a break and schedule an acupuncture appointment with Dr. Sam at Five Dances Wellness. She took my meridian pulses, looked at my tongue and reminded me that Second Summer was upon us and that it is the time of year that I could benefit from symbolically finding some shade under a tree, eating some peaches, and resting.  After the treatment, I felt so calm, cared for and clear. I took some time to reevaluate, to take time for some leisurely bike rides (while getting a calm breeze to cut the heavy humidity) and to take a long float on the river to soak up natural beauty. I turned to water-rich and cooling foods like cucumber, yogurt, watermelon and I am even eating a gorgeous purple plum while I share these thoughts with you.

There is SO much we could share about this seasonal shift into the element of Earth.

If you would like to explore me, join me for Yin Yoga this month as we deeply nourish the subtle tissue of joints and fascia and soothe the mind. We will explore the physical, psychological, archetypal, and poetic associations of the Earth Element, the organs of the Stomach and Spleen, and the virtues of transforming worry to deep trust.

In devotion, 
~Machelle

Welcome Summer and Some Studio Updates!

We have stepped into the summer, the fire element time of the year, and symbolically the season of the soul's maturation. The natural world is showing us how to take pure potential and bring it out to its fullest expression through the flowers, trees, vegetable gardens. It can be a great time to expand into what brings you joy and purpose and prune back what takes unnecessary amounts of energy or may hinder growth or fruition.

As I step back and witness our lovely Roots & River Yoga community, I see more and more people coming back into the studio and less attending online. To preserve energy and to cultivate where there is growth, we are cutting back on SOME of our online/recording options.

Since I used to live, teach, and even own a studio in other areas of the country, I am keeping most of my classes online in order to stay connected to long time yoga friends who live in other cities/states/countries, who cannot come in-person to practice, and who continue to enjoy the virtual option.

I asked and honored the request of some teachers who really prefer the intimacy of in-studio-only classes, were experiencing low virtual attendance, or who are ready to leave behind the extra overhead lights and technology that online classes require. I think that we have come up with a really good balance. I hope you think so too.

Check out this NEWSLETTER to see each of our beloved teachers, what they offer, and whether their class is in-studio-only or a hybrid (in-studio/online/recording). All who register for online classes receive a recording link for the class. The recording links are accessible for 6 days to practice with, once or many times, at your convenience.

We are also adding new classes as we move through the summer/fall so check out what we have below and stay tuned for more!

You can always see updated class and workshop information on our website!

We are here to share community and serve YOU. Drop me a message with inquires or feedback. I appreciate hearing from you.

With love,
~Machelle

In The Calm Podcast - It was an Honor to be a Guest on Georgiana Alexander's Show!

My heart swelled with joy when Georgiana Alexander reached out and asked if I would be a guest on her Podcast, In the Calm. It was a truly meaningful experience and such a profound honor.

Georgiana is a masterful guide and conversationalist. She led me easily into sharing my yoga origin story and accounting some of the twist and turns of my own road that brought me to where I am today as the owner of Roots & River Yoga, teacher of nearly three decades, and a forever student of the wonder of life.

We took deep dives into the Fascia System, Depth Psychology, Chinese Medicine Theory and how they flow through the Yin Yoga practice.

My personal practice of Yin Yoga has soothed my nerves, healed my overworked power-yoga body of the early 2000s and gave me a profound tool to aid in rewiring traumas of my childhood - and so much more. Yin Yoga continues to make the MOST SENSE when practically applying a physical practice with my 25 years of Chinese Medicine study and approaching yoga from a  psychological lens for grounded self-development.

I invite you to listen to our conversation HERE

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Transition into Summer

Can you believe that we are already in the second week of June? We are standing in the threshold between the season of Spring and Summer. The next few weeks, you may feel the shifts in your body and mind as you instinctively and intuitively adapt and adjust for the approaching Summer. Sometimes that comes with ease, and other times, it can be a roller coaster of emotions. We too are being pulled upon by the changes in the natural world. If you feel that your are betwixt and between, know that it is uniquely yours to work with AND it is something that is much bigger than you that we are all going through in our own ways.

In ancient Chinese Medicine, from which acupuncture arose, this is a shift between the Wood Element of Spring, that represents renewal and growth (liver/gall bladder chi) and the Fire Element of Summer that brings forth maturation (heart/small intestine, pericardium/triple burner chi)....And because we are transitioning from one season to the next, Earth Element is present (stomach/spleen chi) to assist us in getting grounded in a new routine and way of being.

Think of it this way, Wood Element assists you with your visionary self, dreaming and imagining what you want to do or be, what feels like it brings out the most true version of yourself (Liver Chi). This energy also assists you in taking those visions and turning them into tangible action or change (Gall Bladder Chi). Like the season of Spring, it symbolically takes life that has been hidden during the Winter and starts it on its outward growth and expression, this energy aids you in the beginnings of new ideas, projects and personal missions.

Fire Element is the transformative energy that brings maturation in your vision so that your actions (or feelings/inner dialog) align with the Heart. The Heart is the benevolent ruler on the throne of your inner kingdom. Like a good sovereign, Heart Chi nourishes all and yet controls nothing. Heart works in service of bringing calm and order to the inner realm. Heart's partner, Small Intestine, is like the "Hand of the Queen/King" and serves to discern so you can more easily sort what is important to preserve in you life as part of YOU... and what to acknowledge and release because it is not nourishing or serving you. As you can imagine, these roles get played out in many physical, psychological, and spiritual ways.

These teachings and concepts may be themes that you have explored on your own or with me in previous seasons/years, or these may be ideas that are really new or foreign to you. Either way, I am going to be sharing teachings from traditional medicine in my Yin Yoga classes over the coming 6 weeks. I promise it will be offered in a digestible, approachable and applicable way for you in your life.

These practices and explorations into the subtle energies can really anchor us through the seasonal shifts and provide tangible ways to support our bodies, minds, and spirit in grounded and meaningful ways.

Check out the schedule of class themes below! I look forward to taking a deeper dive with you in the coming weeks.

Yin Yoga Themes for the Coming Weeks

with Machelle Lee

Yin Yoga Classes are Offered

Saturdays 9:00-10:30am (EST)
Mondays 7:30 - 8:30pm (EST)
Thursdays 4:15-5:30pm (EST)

Themes for the next few weeks

Heart/Small Intestine - Physical Associations
June 11th, 13th, 16th

Summer Solstice, Heart/Small Intestine - Psychological Associations
June 18th, 20th, 23rd

Pericardium/Triple Burner - Physical Associations
June 25th, 27th, 30th

Pericardium/Triple Bruner - Psychological Associations
July 2nd, 4th, 7th

Archetypes and Storytelling for the Heart/Fire Element
July 9th, 11th, 14th

Poems for Summer Chi
July 16th, 18th, 21st 

These classes are offered in-studio, online LIVEstream, or you can register for the online class and receive a recording to enjoy for 6 days at your own convenience.  If you are reading this blog later and would like to request a copy of these classes, email machelle@rootsandriveryoga.com

Learn More or Register Here 

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Super Big (HUGE, actually) Announcement - #2

Hi Friends,

We did a thing… we did a very big thing. 

A few days ago, on Monday, April 25th, we signed papers and are now the proud owners of the J.J. Newberry Building in the heart of Brunswick. The Newberry sits across the street and two doors up from our current studio space, right next door to the Brunswick Heritage Museum. The Newberry is the future home of Roots & River Yoga, but after we spend about a year in renovation!

The journey to buy the Newberry has been a long one with quite a story.

This August will mark the 6th anniversary of Roots & River Yoga opening its doors in the charming, albeit still a little gritty, historic district of downtown Brunswick, Maryland. The first month, I was the only teacher leading 1-2 classes each day - seven days a week.  Neighbors and friends said, “You opened a yoga studio in BRUNSWICK? Why Brunswick.”  My answer immediately was, “Because, BRUNSWICK!”

All one has to do is step back and see the reality of the this area to know how truly special it is.  

Brunswick is situated into the side of a pretty steep hill alongside the beautiful Potomac River.  This area has a long and rich history from the Susquehannock, Iroquoian-speaking people,  who resided here, to the early Germans who took up residence and called it “Berlin,” to being adjacent to many Civil War battlegrounds, a central hub of the the C&O Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad boom. Heck, even Patsy Cline performed here several times and met her first husband in Brunswick. Brunswick was historically a pretty bopping place. We are confident that it will be again… and soon!  

This area is a mecca for outdoor exploration and adventure. Not only is the Potomac River, the C&O Canal Tow Path, and the River’s Edge Trails just footsteps from the yoga studio, but also we are just minutes from the Appalachian Trial, the city of Frederick, and the states of Virginia, and West Virginia.  Historic sites, other charming towns, vineyards, breweries and so much more are peppered all around us. We have the slower pace and less traffic of small town living but we are still within an hour of all that DC and Baltimore have to offer. 

Why Brunswick?  BECAUSE BRUNSWICK!  

In late 2016 and early 2017, as word got out about our sweet little studio, people really began coming in to join us for meaningful practices. Soon more teachers joined us. I bow with so much love to the first incarnation of the studio with teachers with Lika, Ruthie, Danica (Ani), Alison and then soon after Sierra, Carrie, Jaclyn. So many other incredible people have been a part of our teaching tribe offering weekly classes, workshop, and teacher trainings. Some have moved on to other adventures. Many are still with us as we continue to flourish and build community and genuine friendships with people like you. 

Within the first two years, Eric and I knew that we wanted to stay in Brunswick, invest, and be a part of this river and railroad town’s rejuvenation.  A local church was considering selling their building with plans to build on a new location. We make them an offer but ultimately the congregation voted to stay and postpone new construction. Another church went on the market a few months later and again we made an offer, but someone else’s was accepted first. We started to look for land to possibly build a studio with a garden but then realized we really wanted to stay in downtown Brunswick and commit to its revitalization.  I called property owners of unoccupied buildings only to be met with rejection by landlords not wanting to sell.  

This has been the problem with Brunswick. Investors who bought up the commercial property years ago who neither renovated nor made their spaces habitable for renters. I assume it is because they can use them as tax write offs, but it leaves a place like Brunswick full of empty, deteriorating buildings and essentially holds the town’s commercial central hostage, unable to thrive.  

I started getting more involved and volunteering on local committees like the Brunswick Main Street Design Committee, working on projects to beautify the downtown. Eventually I joined the Main Street’s Board. I made it a point to pop in and regularly talk to city officials and develop relationships for how to best serve the downtown. Brunswick Main Street and the City of Brunswick have done so much for me as a downtown business owner. I am so grateful.

And when the JJ Newberry went up for sale in 2018, we jumped on it.  

JJ Newberry in Brunswick

Four years ago, Eric and I made a fair market value offer on the Newberry only to be countered with a number by the owner that would make anyone shake their head with disapproval.  We were so discouraged that I reached out to one of our newest city council members, Nathan Brown, who is now Brunswick’s amazing mayor. 

Mayor Nathan Brown at the Wine & Chocolate Walk

Our conversation and his vision for Brunswick sparked a fire in Nathan, and he took it to the top of the State of Maryland.  He learned that there are grant monies for designated towns, like Brunswick, that have incredible potential but are struggling for various reasons.

Right before Covid-19 began, the City of Brunswick began the process and applied for the Strategic Demolition Fund through the Department of Housing and Community Development. The name is deceiving because it is used not only for demolition but also for other improvement and rehabilitation projects. The City of Brunswick applied to use it for the acquisition of blighted properties in their city limits.

This grant would give the City the purchase price to buy the Newberry from the dead-beat landlord so they could turn around and sell it to a someone with a viable vision and plan for reviving business downtown, at a fair price.  As a requirement for the state grant, the City needed a small business to guarantee interest in purchase and commit to at least 100K of improvement on the building. We stepped up and started a process with our bank to secure that we could be the guarantor, though we knew that didn’t mean we would be picked as the eventual purchasers. 

The City of Brunswick was able to buy the building in December 2020. That news was tremendously exciting. My heart sang to see this beautiful building change hands away from someone who was not caring for it and towards a promising future.  The Newberry was going to finally get a chance to come back to life and it is a key player for revitalizing Brunswick. The City went on to apply for the grant the next year and was able to buy the most beautiful building in town, the Kaplan! That will be their next project to put a call out for proposals that can bring an investor(s) to open something extra special in the Kaplan (my fingers are crossed for an upscale restaurant or something similar).

It took a while for the City and the their lawyers to do all the behind the scenes work to be able to list it for sale, but when they did list it, our offer, proposal, and plans where in their hands just three days later.  We already had a couple of years of thinking, dreaming, and planning. 

Brunswick Mayor and Council minus Brian Sandusky

However, ours wasn’t the only offer!  There were three other offers - one of them being a great idea to expand the local bike shop. However, after meetings and presentations before the Major, local officials, even the community on live TV at the City Council meeting, our plan was chosen!

So here is our plan. 

The Newberry is just over 8000 square feet and currently it is a mostly an uninsulated, historic wooden box! From the street level, there are three store fronts and a private entrance to the second floor.  Roots & River Yoga will utilize one of the storefronts and inhabit about half of the building’s total square footage. We will expand to have two studio practices spaces so that we can accommodate a variety of classes at peak times. There will be three treatment rooms to offer healing modalities like massage and other body/mind services.  We will even have a little boutique, open as a regular downtown shop. 

The other two storefronts will be available for aspiring small businesses to rent the spaces. Although we are open to ideas and proposals, we would really love to have a visionary open a coffee shop/juice bar (maybe wine at night) that sells a variety of breads and goods from local bakers on one side and a retail shop of some kind on the other side. I so look forward to seeing what ideas come forward to elevate Brunswick’s downtown. 

Upstairs there will be an additional three spaces to rent that share a private stairwell entrance. I vision these serving counselors, therapists, artists, someone looking for a more affordable 2nd floor retails shop, or others who could benefit from an office space away from home. We are open for conversations with any interested parties.  

So here we are and it is nearly time to start the mighty renovation that will include every square inch of this historic structure including HVAC, electrical, plumping, insulation and more. We will keep a keen eye on preserving the character and history while elevating the look and use of this beloved building. 

Before we dive in, however, to celebrate the Newberry purchase and to settle our nervous systems after 2.5 years of this stressful roller coaster of a process, Eric and I are headed to Caye Caulker, Belize to visit his brother and our sister-in-law. Our wonderful tribe of teachers will be subbing my classes and holding down the fort at Roots & River Yoga from May 1st - May 12th.

When we return. the work begins.

If you would like to follow along with the transformation on social media - I would love to share with you. Check out and follow our Facebook and Instagram pages as we renovate the Newberry.

Before I close this epic post. I want to thank YOU!

Whether you live locally and started practicing yoga with us at Roots & River in the last 6 years, or you are a beloved friend from the other places I have lived/taught and we still share practices in-studio or online from places like Frederick, Silver Spring, and Kensington Maryland or South Bend, Indiana, or wherever you now live, you have given us so much encouragement and meaningful community and kinship to get us to where we are now. I adore you.  

It’s been quite the journey. With what started as my first tiny yoga studio that could only accommodate 8 people in my house in South Bend, Indiana, we have shifted, grown, and transformed. We had some major highs and lows, we made it through the shutdowns of Covid, and pulled through. We did this in part to due to our tenacity, love, and dedication to the practice and to our communities AND also due to YOU who continue to show up for yourself in your commitment to self-care and a grounded approach to self and spiritual development We have created something beautiful together!

Cheers to what comes next! 

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Super Big Announcement - #1

Hi Friends, 

Eric and I have have our hands in a few very exciting projects that are about to come to fruition. There are three MAJOR things that I have to share with you. Because it is so much, I decided that I am going to tell you about them one at a time, to not overload you (or me). 

First, we have finally completed a 5 year labor of love, the Roots & River Guest House.

When we bought our home in Brunswick, 7 years ago, the little green house next door was in super rough shape. At night, from our back porch, we could see into the kitchen at the back of the house. A light was always on and there were "clean" dishes in the drying rack, but no one ever came or left.  We started asking neighbors and learned that there had been a lovely woman who lived in the house for years. However, she had moved in with her son and daughter 12 years prior, and since then, the house had just sat.  The front and back porches were severely rotted and falling apart. There was moldy cardboard in a window where clearly water was leaking in.  We wanted to save it!

One snowy day, a man was out front shoveling the sidewalks. It turned out to be the son of the previous resident. I tried to talk to him about our desire to buy and renovate the house.  He was not interested in talking or selling. The following summer, the daughter was there cleaning out the house and I learned that her mother had just passed and they were going to sell the house at auction.  We told her that we wanted the house and asked them to get an appraisal and skip the auction.

One month later, we were signing closing papers with a realtor in our dining room!  That afternoon, we were pulling down 70s wood paneling to reveal some partially crumbly plaster walls, old wainscoting, and ancient wall paper.  The journey of renovation was long and profoundly in-depth. We pulled down 4 layers of ceiling in the dining room, had the house completely rewired for electric, put in new HVAC, windows, and siding, repaired and gave a skim coat to every wall in the house, refinished the original hard pine, and painted every square inch.  Now the Roots & River Guest House is finished and is a little shiny gem of W. Potomac Street.  

Though my husband, Eric, did much of the work,  I want to thank so many people who helped up make this possible, like yoga-student-friends Pricilla and Frank, Cindy and Eric, and Judy who believed in our vision and fronted us the capital to get started on the electrical work. I am grateful for the blood, sweat and tears that our brother and sister-in-law, Greg and Liberty shed, with rebuilding the porch, interior walls, windows, drywalling, tiling and so much more.  You are amazing! We had many friends who came to lend a hand with mudding like Dan, Dave, Tom, Jenny, Patty and of course Marianne who has the most beautifully mudded corner in all the land!  We couldn’t wish for better friends.  I have to give a shout out to Eric too! This man can truly do just about anything. Between his Virgo nature, his mathematical mind, and a lot of Youtube videos, he did everything from drywall, to tile work, to putting every last piece of siding, gutter, and trim work in this house.

To tie this around to the beginning of the story - remember the “son” who wasn’t interested in talking or selling? Well, his name is Steve, and he actually has become a dear friend who has stopped by to watch and cheer on the process. He’s turned into a gift in our lives and wellspring of knowledge about the house and Brunswick history.

Now the house is ready for guests. Please know that if you would like a few days to retreat in Brunswick, have a place to stay for a weekend yoga immersion/training at the studio, or want to ride/hike along the Potomac River, or visit historic sites, breweries and wineries, we have a home away from home for you!

If you are on Facebook and  love before and after pictures and would like to see the the timeline of our progress these last 4 years, drop me an email with your Facebook info and I will invite you into our group where you can scroll back to the beginning. The transformation has been truly incredible!

I am sure that our little house next door will be a haven for guests for years to come.  Its just one more step towards the rejuvenation of the Brunswick and our vision for the downtown.  Shine Brunswick Shine!  

Below are few “before and after” of the sweet guest house’s transformation.

Remember - the guest house is just ONE of our THREE big announcements. I will write more next week!

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Spring - The Season of the Soul's Growth

The Vernal Equinox was this week, Sunday, March 20th and marks the time of equality between day and night, light and darkness and the astrological shift to Spring. Depending on your latitude, the evidence of Spring's emergence is evident or about to come. While there can still be erratic days of warmth, cold, and warmth again, there is no denying that the shift from the rest and quietude of Winter spouting into the the initial growth and blooms of Spring is happening all around us.

I teach yoga from a psychological lens that is greatly informed by Five Element Theory, born out of Taoism and ancient Chinese medicine from which acupuncture arose. This wisdom teaching states that the basic substances of the material world are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. All things are made of a single, or a combination, of the Five Elements. The elements are equally important and ultimately work together to create balance as all things constantly move through the cycles - like the hours of the day, seasons of the year, or phases of one's life.

Each element is associated with an organ pair (Lung/Large Intestine as Metal, Kidney/Urinary Bladder as Water, Liver/Gall Bladder as Wood, Heart/Small Intestine as Fire, and Stomach/Spleen as Earth. Each organ is said to be a “Minister” of the Kingdom of YOU and serves the Sovereign One on the Throne, Your Heart.

The foundations of Taoism demonstrate that we can find greater physical and psychological health when we align ourselves with the teachings of the natural world with the seasons. The Wood element is associated with the organs of the Liver and Gall Bladder and we are encouraged to lighten the body/mind through rhythmic active movement like yoga, walking, dancing, riding a bike, through creative expression that uniquely aligns with our interests and passions, introducing more fresh raw and sautéed greens and bitter foods to our diet, and making space for both dreaming and making choices for action in service of our own growth and what feels aligned with our heart.

Archetypally, the Liver is considered to be the Conscious Warrior, the Minister of Strategic Planning or the General of the internal Army. It is tasked, both physically and psychologically with keeping the kingdom within running smoothly by clearing toxins, defending the realm through immune and hormonal support, and thus cultivating clear vision for one’s life moving forward.

The season of Spring is represented by the element of Wood and the symbol of the tree is often used to demonstrate the qualities of the Wood element. As mentor, the trees teach us how to be deeply rooted and stable yet flexible enough to sway with the breezes of change. This time of year, there is a rising of growth, drawing life up from the reservoirs collected through the winter, and bringing that creative energy out into the lite through spouting green leaves and celebratory blooms.

The last few weeks in practice at Roots & River Yoga, we have been visiting the themes of the Wood Element, Liver/Gall Bladder, and how to support ourselves physically, psychologically, and even utilizing the archetypes and stories to guide us. If you missed those classes and would like to register for a recording - drop me a note.

The classes I have to share are:

• Yin Yoga and the Physical Associations of Liver and Gall Bladder - Wood Element

• Yin Yoga and the Psychological Associations of Liver and Gall Bladder - Wood Element

• Yin Yoga and the Archetypal Associations of Liver and Gall Bladder - Wood Element

This coming week I will reading poems inspiring us in the transition into Spring, especially in the Yin Yoga practices that I lead.

This is a broad subject but here are some interesting associations about the the Spring, Liver/Gall Bladder and the element of Wood.

THE HUN ~ THE ETHEREAL SOUL

Organs: Liver and Gall Bladder

Element: Wood

Season: Spring

Weather: Wind (can soothe or irritate -stirs movement to shake off and to simulate growth)

Color: Green

Voice Quality: Shouting

Sense Organ: Eyes

Secretion: Tears

Tissue: Tendons, ligaments, connective tissues, nervous system

Taste Craving/Dietary Support: Bitter and Sour (leafy and bitter greens like parsley, arugula, kale, lemons, limes)

Developmental Stage: Birth, new beginnings

Emotion: Transforming anger/frustration into compassion

Archetype: Warrior (think disciplined Samurai) Qualities of thoughtful action and defender of the realm

Alchemical Virtues: Benevolence, Justice, Inspiration

Chakra: sixth, third eye - Perception

Essential Oil: Bergamot, orange, mandarin, grapefruit, chamomile, lavender, neroli.

Movement: Rhythmic movement or sway, active enough to stir heat and a little sweat, but not exhausting. Here is a nice Yin Yoga pose, Dragonfly, that stimulates the Liver Chi through acu-tension.

Makko Ho for Liver/Gall Bladder Chi - Illustration by Amy Lefebvre

I will share more in the coming posts, but in closing for now you might enjoy this poem entitled

Vernus by Jesse Vice:

1. Equinox

Today most especially
we hover in the balance.
Day meets dark in
equal parts,
but we —
we are tipping into the light.

2. Winter’s End

Out of a season
of pruning, pause, prudence,
of waiting waiting waiting,
we emerge:
bony, ashen creatures
lapping at dregs
weary of cold
hungry for light,
wringing gray flake from our creaking limbs.

3. Below

I want to plunge deep roots
putting out blind tendrils that grope for more
to entwine and bind —
with you —
together holding our dear Earth.
We will weave her a shining net,
gold in the broken places.

4. Above

I want to spread my fingers into the sun
to cup it into the pale curved leaf of my body
swallow down the liquid light
course it through my secret channels
and greedily nourish each twining limb.
Draw the ancient promise deep
into my tree heart.
The light is coming.

Deeper Dive Into Yin Yoga with Machelle Lee

Hi Friends,

Are you wanting to take a deeper dive into Yin Yoga and learn more about the science, the psychology, the anatomy, the poses, and the practice as a whole? I have several upcoming offerings that you might like to check out.

My dharma is to share these teachings that have inspired growth in my life through these nearly 30 years of yoga practice and study.

I discovered Yin Yoga in 2004. I had already been teaching yoga with a Chinese Medicine and Yogic lens for about 7 years, when my friend, Christine, asked me if I had heard of Yin Yoga. She explained that Yin Yoga focuses is on the unique needs of the connective tissue and subtle energy lines. Christine was sure I would appreciate the approach, and clearly she was right.The next week, I traveled to another city to take my first class. Truthfully, as a Vinyasa teacher, it felt super foreign to spend 90 minutes on the floor, holding the postures muscularly relaxed for several minutes at a time, however, I was intrigued by the theory and method. After that first class, WOW! I felt light and easeful in my bones and in my mind. I had to experience and learn more! Little did I know it would totally transform my life and my teaching.

I sought out the developer of Yin Yoga, Paul Grilley, and ordered his DVD Yin Yoga: Foundations of a Quiet Practice. I watched, practiced, took notes and started introducing the principles into my personal practice and the classes I taught. It wasn't long before I signed up for his in-person trainings. I traveled to Chicago several times a year, whenever Paul was in town guest teaching in studios and yoga conferences. I took everything he offered, whether a single three-hour class, day-long practice or 5 day immersion. Here is a picture of Paul and me back in 2006. :)

Beyond the physical benefits of the practice, I became increasingly inspired by how Yin Yoga aligns so well with the nuances of Depth Psychology (my other love and the field of my graduate work). The primary teaching of yoga is "union," and the goal of psychological study is “individuation,” which is the integration of our unconsciousness with our consciousness, allowing the True Self to be more clearly experienced and expressed.

In the midst of our busy lives, something profound occurs in the Yin Yoga practice when we can slow down and enter the still, quiet place to allow ourselves to feel, witness, release, resolve and renew. It is an alchemical process. Coming into our body as we process our thoughts and emotions is psychology at its best... and Yin Yoga may be the body practice that is most equivalent to depth psychology - consciously seeking wholeness by giving expression to what is the most subtle within, the unconscious.

It is important to clarify that Yin Yoga is different than the stillness in Restorative Yoga that is aiming to really wind down the nervous system into a relaxation response. Yin Yoga is unique in that we are still modestly stimulating tissues and energy lines with intentional traction or compression. There is a meeting ground and harmony between action and relaxation. The long held, muscularly relaxed poses provide a consistent beneficial tension that stirs a chemical response and essentially speaks the unique language of regeneration for fascia (throughout the body) and the ligaments (that hold bones together and create joint capsules).

There is a juxtaposition of creating a strategic tension while softening into that sensation. In my experience. Yin Yoga provides a physical expression of what Carl Jung coined the Transcendent Function, "The cooperation of conscious reasoning with the data of the unconscious...progressively uniting the opposites."

So, whether you are a yoga student looking to immerse yourself in learning and broaden your relationship to your practice, or you are a yoga teacher wanting to expand your knowledge and practice while earning continuing credit hours (CUE), or a bodyworker/therapist who looking to skillfully recommend yoga exercises for your clients, or all of the above, I am sure you will enjoy joining our explorations into the science and psychology of Yin Yoga together.

Please note the some of these workshop/immersions are taking place at my studio, Roots & River Yoga, in Brunswick, MD and others are being offered at other studios in Maryland and Washington, DC. This list of events below shows what has been scheduled between now and June. I plan to add a 50 hour Yin YTT and an immersion into the Science and Psychology of Meridian Theory and more to the calendar for fall/winter. I will keep you posted and feel free to check our website event page anytime.

Drop me a note with any thoughts, inquires, or simply to share your story of how Yin Yoga has been a gift in your life.

With love and adoration,
~ Machelle

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Valentines Day: Loving Self, Loving Another, Loving Community

Roots & River Yoga opened its doors in August 2016 and that first February, I decided to offer a Valentine's Yin, Wine and Chocolate event as a special self-love treat. It was such an enjoyable night that our community came together again the next year, and the next, and now here we are celebrating our 5th annual gathering! It has become a meaningful yearly ritual and one that I look forward to with joy and anticipation. Last year, we invited friends to join us virtually too, as we are this year, broadening our collective community-love. However, the origin story of this gathering has roots that go back many years.

Enjoying wine in the Yin Yoga class actually started about 14 years ago when I had Shakti Yoga and Sacred Movement, two yoga studios that I founded in Indiana. One was a 1200 sq/ft space in a downtown South Bend office building and I set up as a donation-based community yoga studio. There was no set price for classes and people would pay what they could each week, dropping money into a basket at the entrance.

I also had a much smaller studio built off the back of my home. The home studio could only accommodate 8 student-friends, so we ran the classes in 7 week sessions and people would have to sign up for the whole series in advance. When a new session was about the start, the people in the current class would get first right to continue to hold their spot for the next round.

There was a class on Thursday nights in that home studio that met at 7:30pm and the women in that group were so devoted that we would go a year or more without any turnover. There was a waiting list. When someone would have to leave and we would invite another person in, we would envelope them into the belonging of the group. We became remarkably close and sometimes would talk for the first 30+ minutes of class about life, love, kids, and work, and then finally start the practice. Class was scheduled for 7:30-9:00pm but we would often end class at 9:30pm or later.

The Thursday class was on a three-week schedule. We would practice Vinyasa for two weeks and then on the third week we would enjoy a long, nourishing Yin Yoga practice. That Thursday night group was extra special.

After a year or so have having this every three week Yin class, some genius said that the only thing that could make the night better was wine! We agreed, and then someone else said, "Yes, but we will need STRAWS with bendy necks to sip while in the Yin Poses." There was an uproar of laughter and pact was made.

The next Yin practice, people brought bottles of wine, and bendy straws (that I snipped to make them shorter for the wine glasses)! It was a team effort and there was a lot of giggling. Three weeks later, when it was time for Yin again, everyone wanted to continue and so we added chocolate.

A ritual was born!

Here a picture that someone captured from one night in our super dark, candlelit studio!

Now keep in mind, while Yoga at a winery or brewery is now totally commonplace, back then NO ONE was doing this. Truthfully, a yogi either didn't drink or would never admit to enjoying the "sprits" from time to time. The rise in popularity of yoga into mainstream culture has shifted the casual perception of this, although devout linage-yogis still do not partake. For us, a decade and a half ago, this was scandalous (at least for me) and we all promised this would be our super secret society to preserve my reputation. Haha!

In 2010, our family made the move to Maryland. It was heartbreaking to close the studios and leave such a loving community. One silver lining of Covid has been that virtual yoga has reunited many of us!

I reflect back about starting a new life-chapter and the beautiful journey of meeting so many new friends through yoga in Maryland. I first started leading weekly classes at a local middle school dance studio, that I rented through the County, and offered low-cost community classes (some of you remember that). Then I began offering workshops and classes at local studios (where I met others of you). The community class really grew and we moved over to the Pathways Magazine's studio space where many more of us met and practiced together for years. It was there that Yin, Wine and Chocolate re-emerged yearly around Christmas. We would come together, talk, laugh, sip, nibble and Yin together in communion. What a meaningful time.

All of these experiences, events, and relationships have brought us to NOW. Its been 14 years of special Yin-ing with wine and chocolate across two states, three cities, several studio venues, and is now a beloved tradition of spending Valentines together at Roots & River Yoga for these last five years. It has evolved to include poems of about wine and devotion from Rumi, prose from Mary Oliver about the eminent transition of the resting phase of winter to the promise of rebirth in spring, all while deepening connection to our own self and our commitment to caring for others.

Feel free to join us Valentines Day. Let's keep celebrating community and the life-giving essence of LOVE together! I raise my glass to you and settle into a long sphinx pose.

In much adoration for our friendship, whether new or deeply forged.

~ Machelle

Here is a 90 minute Yin Yoga class focused on Self-Love for you to enjoy!

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Tenderness in New Beginnings

Yoga Friends,

Welcome to the new year!

I resonate with the promise of fresh beginnings and potentiality. However, for the last 25 years, I have not set new year resolutions in January... I have saved them for March!

Let me tell you why.

The Winter Solstice was just two weeks ago, so here on January 1st, we have JUST stepped into winter, the season of nature's stillness and rest. I like to think of this as the gestation and dream time.

Winter isn't a time of death, but of rather of transformation occurring in the hidden realms. This was evident to me a couple of weeks ago when I planted some hyacinth bulbs for spring flowers. As I dug in the soil, I encountered a few daffodil bulbs that were busy in their winter process. They were not void of life, quite the contrary, they were a stunningly white, filled with moisture and sending out new root tendrils. They were busy gathering inner resources and slowly changing in the hidden realms. We are invited to do the same.

In Taoism, the fundamental principle for fostering physical and psychological harmony is to look to the natural rhythm as our wisdom teacher. With that in mind, winter is demonstrating the necessity to do less in order to replenish our inner reservoirs, to recharge our symbolic battery back.

Coming out of the gate running, sort to speak, in January, may cause us to dissipate our resources before they have time fill up. We may loose momentum or follow through. An important teaching in traditional medicine is - how you care for your energy in this season will influence your energy resources in the season six months from now.

In traditional medicine, essential vitality is said to reside in the Kidneys. Kidneys work with the Urinary Bladder to govern the water element and they need hydration, sleep, and unctuous oils, like the Omega oils found in nuts, fish, brussels sprouts, avocados, some beans and more. Physical rest and eating warm, moisture rich foods replenish energy reserves that can then be tapped into for creativity and clear thought. In the spring, we can harness that quick rising and expanding energy to ensure greater success in our endeavors... thus, taking action on resolutions in March!

We can challenge what we have been conditioned to think - that January is the time to diet, increase our physical activity and burn off the weight from the holiday season. I am all for shifting the food after the holidays, but do so with the seasonal support. Eat warm food like roasted vegetables, soups, stews and chili and avoid cold and raw foods (save those for summer). Keep the body well hydrated with water and hot herbal teas. Yes, move your body, but do so with a slower pace with walks and gentle yoga. Sleep a little longer at night, nap from time to time, enjoy a sauna or long soak with Epsom salt and frankincense, ginger, clove, or peppermint.

Consider allowing January and February be the time to turn attention back to yourself in a meaningful and kind way. Reflect and dream and then use the growth and expansion energy of spring to move more, sweat, and put those plans into action.

Winter allows us to turn attention back to our selves in meaningful ways. That can be taking the time to remember, honor, grieve, rejoice, and shake your head at the wonder of it all. It can be a time to reflect on bends in the road behind you and prepare intentionally for what lies ahead - known and unknown.

We will keep talking about the physical and psychological associations with Winter, the Kidneys/Urinary Bladder, and the Archetype of the Wise One in the coming weeks in all the yoga classes I lead (especially the Yin Yoga classes). For now, let me leave you with these words from the IChing that describes well this call to doing by not doing (wu wei) in winter:

"The winter season has always been celebrated as the resting time of the year - as custom that survives in the time of rest observed at the new year. In winter, the life energy, symbolized by thunder, is arousing in the underground. Movement is just at its beginning, therefore it must be strengthened by rest so that it will not be dissipated by being used prematurely. This principle of allowing energy that is renewing itself to be reinforced by rest, applies to all similar situations like the return of health after illness or the return of understanding after an estrangement. Everything must be treated tenderly and with care at the beginning, so that the return may lead to a flowering."

To support your easeful approach to your body and inner reservoirs, you may enjoy this Joint Care class that offers a bit of gentle yoga and Yin Yoga. A small token from me to you as you find ease in this new year.

Joint Care: Gentle and Yin Yoga Practice

Warmest regards and much love,
Machelle

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The Joy of Winter's Stillness

Beloved Yoga Friends, 

Tuesday, December 21st, marked the Winter Solstice, the astronomical shift from autumn into winter, and the days of the most amount of darkness during the course of the year. On the Winter Solstice, and for the following three days, the sun appears to stand still in this low part of the sky before it begins to rise incrementally on the 24th, brining a bit more light each day, like a birth of the sun.

If we look to nature as our guide and wisdom teacher, winter symbolizes a time of stillness and deep rest. The natural world is in a gestational state, nourishing roots and the hidden energetic realms to fill inner reservoirs. This time of quietude fosters the life force so that sprouting and re-growth is possible in the coming spring. One can reflect upon how we tend ourselves during the winter season and the way it can affect our vitality and expression in the coming spring and summer. 

In traditional Chinese medicine, the winter season is associated with the water element, the organs of the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder, and psychologically transforming fear into wisdom through introspection and understanding. I will dive deeper into these teachings in the next email....and this theme that will be weaved into all of the classes I lead in the coming weeks, as we settle into winter and the new year.

But for now, even in the midst of your potential holiday plans, meals, and get togethers, consider moving with intentionality, take time to pause, and see if you can offer yourself some moments of nourishing rest.  

This poem from Brother David Steindl-Rast is such a wonderful invitation into the subtleties of this season:

May you grow still enough to hear the small noises earth makes in preparing for the long sleep of winter, so that you yourself may
grow calm and grounded deep within.

May you grow still enough to hear the trickling of water seeping into the ground, so that your soul may be softened and healed, and guided in its flow.

May you grow still enough to hear the splintering of starlight in the winter sky and the roar at earth's fiery core.

May you grow still enough to hear the stir of a single snowflake in the air, so that your inner silence may turn into hushed expectation.

Winter blessings, 

Machelle

Honoring the Ones Who Came Before Us

Today, as the sun moves across the sky and the stars align in their yearly dance, we sit at this threshold that is halfway between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice, in the Northern Hemisphere. This marks the midway point in the descent of Fall and is celebrated as the holiday of Samhain or Halloween.

Autumn leads us in the downward, YIN, shift of the natural world. We have moved through the upward and outward energy of the birth and growth of Spring (wood element), the maturation of Summer (fire element), and the harvest season of Second Summer/Late Summer (earth element). Now we are in the downward cycle of Fall (metal element), which relies on shedding and releasing in order to preserve energy as we transition into Winter (water element), the time of deep rest and gestation so that life can renew again.

That descent downward into the metal element (think all things precious, valuable, resilient, meaningful, and soulful) reminds us to connect with our breath and spirit. There are traditions throughout the world that take time to honor this liminal dimension when the veil between spirit and matter is said to be "thin." It marks a meaningful time to honor our ancestors and the souls who came before us, who brought meaning to our lives in known and unknown ways.

Today, October 31st is Samhain a day to celebrate the seasonal rhythms, harvest, and the liminal with bonfires and community. It is Halloween, the hallow eve, when the realms are permeable and we wear costumes to play with identity and to ward off negative energy and protect us through the darker months. Tomorrow, November 1st is All Saints Day and Dia de los Inocentes - a day to honor the saints, martyrs, and the infants and children that passed too soon. Tuesday, November 2nd is All Souls Day and Dia de los Muertos where all those who have passed on are remembered and rejoiced. On these days, we can join these ancient traditions to celebrate the natural world and honor the dearly departed.

If there are special people in your life-history who have passed on from this earthly plane, it could be meaningful to say their names out loud, to light candles, place flowers, make special food, share stories with loved ones, or simply breathe with gratitude for how they influenced your life. It is a truly energetic time for both feeling the grief of loss and the joy of life's preciousness.

It is through these pauses and rituals that we infuse meaning and connection into our life. I am so grateful to move through these seasons and life-affirming experiences with all of you, on and off the mat!

~ Machelle

Samhain Song by Silvano Franco

And the campfires burn
And the moon bleeds red
And the trees are hushed
And the ground is spread
With the feast for the dead

It is Samhain night

The elder’s eyes shine bright
As she calls to the quarters
And the Lord and the Goddess
And moon so pale
To pull aside the veil

Inviting forth our dearly departed
Arms wide and open-hearted
To feel in our soul
The wisdom our loved ones
Wish to disclose

It is Samhain night

It is the day of the dead
A cause for celebration
The fire and drums
Are a potent combination
For ancestral invocation

And the campfires roar
And the moonlight pours
Making trees cast shadows
On the feast below
And they join hand-in-hand
With unearthly spirits
Empty eyes aglow

It is on Samhain

That the dead and the living roam
The same earthly plane
And the Wheel of the Year
Groans and turns again

Second Summer - A Time of Ripeness and Rest

As we transition into the second half of August, the energy of summer is shifting. In ancient medicines, this is a threshold from the fire element season, the drive of growth and maturation, and into the earth element season, the quality of emerging ripeness.

Personally, you might feel a sense of wanting to get grounded as routines may be changing. You may feel a call to explore and reprioritize what is most important and nourishing in your life - where you place your precious time and attention.

This late summer, or second summer, is a vital time of year to consciously feel your feet on the earth. Yoga and mindful practices that link breath with gentle movement are meaningful ways to settle body, mind and emotions. Remember yoga comes in many forms and there are countless ways to slow down and connect easeful breaths with awareness, whether in movement or stillness, and get grounded. Spending time in nature, taking time to play and rest, creating simple daily routines and rituals are powerful medicines.

In the Five Element teachings of ancient Chinese medicine, the second summer is associated with the organs of the stomach and spleen, with the sense organ being the lips. This physically and symbolically connects us into drawing attention the ways we nourish ourselves through food and on every level, physically or emotionally. The color associated with the earth element is yellow. The psychological virtual is authentically transforming our worry into deep and lasting trust, trust in ourselves and in the processes we move through. The sound quality is singing - so letting a song come to your lips can lift the mood and settle the heart. We will root deeply into these themes in the Yin Yoga classes I will be leading for the next few weeks.

Here in late summer, the harvest time is near and represents a valuable time to step back and appreciate what you have planted, nourished, and witnessed coming to fullest expression. Take time to step back, really see and appreciate what you have created - whether physically with your gardens or a project or more symbolically in any arenas of your life.

Everything is physically or symbolically following the five element cycle of - release/letting go for something new to grow (Fall/Metal), resting, gestating, gathering energy (Winter/Water), brith and beginnings where new and quick growth sprouts (Spring/Wood), the sustained growth into maturation or fullest expression (Summer/Fire), and the ripeness that nourishes, offering the celebratory gifts of the cycle (Second Summer/Earth). Maybe look at any story in your life and see what "season" or stage it currently is. It can be a great tool for giving us guidance of how to proceed with what comes next.

As for where we are right now in the physical season of late summer, Dr. Sam Francis from our neighboring business, Five Dances Wellness, offers this sage advice, "August is the time of year to pause, celebrate what you have accomplished, and eat peaches under the shade of the tree."

With Love,
Machelle

Study of SELF in Wholeness

You know when you have an encounter that you keep running over and over in your head, diving deeper into what it means to you? I had one of those experiences the other day. 

I was at a local nail salon getting a pedicure. Beyond the fact that I live and work barefoot most of the time and enjoy having tidy, pretty feet, I have a what seems to be a genetic in-grown nail problem with both of my big toes. This is something that my aunt and grandfather share(d) in the same big toe location. So, when I begin to feel the pressure or pain, I head to Lovettsville where Gai gets my toe back in order. 

This last week, however, Gai had another client and so my time was spent with a lovely young woman who was new to the salon. After some inquires, I learned that she has just moved to the area from Vietnam in order to be with her new husband, the owner of the salon and son of Gai. We talked a bit about culture shock and the joys and challenges of joining the family business. She then asked me what I did. I told her that I owned a small yoga studio across the river.  

Here’s where things get interesting. She asked if I also taught yoga classes. I said that I do. Her head tilted like a curious puppy and said, “I thought that yoga teachers were young!” My eyebrow lifted and I responded, “Well, I started teaching when I was in my 20s, so I was once a young yoga teacher. However, the yoga practice has supported me throughout my life, now I am a well seasoned yogi.” 

Truthfully, what has been stirring around in my head for a week about this story was not that someone referred to me as “not young,” I can bow to that as I turn 51 in a few weeks and in the lens of her 20 something eyes, I am much older. It is not even that the comment seemed rude to my American sensibilities, as age is something less taboo in Vietnam or other countries. Cultures have different norms. Heck, I lived in Venezuela for two year and people would actually TOUCH a pimple on your face to make sure you know that it is there. “Yeah, I KNOW!” would be my common answer.  I swear that that was (is) totally normal cultural behavior. 

This encounter instead asked me to take a deeper dive into the perception within her mind, and even within our own culture, of yoga being primarily a fitness-based practice, pursued in dynamic forms for the young, instead of yoga being a study of SELF in it’s wholeness, with all its complexities. Yoga is a practice to mature with throughout one’s life. There are so many different directions that I could go in talking about the truth of the yoga practice. But simply, yoga is a tool for spiritual, mental/emotional and physical health. 

The word “health” comes from “heal” and “thy,” that is, health is healing one’s own Self. The word 'Yoga' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Yuj' which means “yoke, unite, bring together.” Yoga is essentially a practice of healing ourself through unifying our body/energy, thought/emotion with the mediator of the breath which connects us meaningfully to life and thus our spiritual place in the scope of it all. 

Long before the tantric renaissance that brought about the birth of utilizing the body postures in yoga to discharge tension, create more supple tissues, and prepare the body for deeper states of meditation, yoga was defined through meditation, devotional singing, philosophical exploration, and selfless service. 

In the second century CE, Pantanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras, a Reader’s Digest-like compilation of the great teachings of the ancient Vedas and Upanishads. The Yoga Sutras provided a broader accessibility to understanding the foundations of yoga. In the 196 sutras (collection of texts) he includes only one brief mention about the asanas or postures. In sutra 2.46, Pantanjali wrote, “sthira sukham asanam” which translates to “experience the asana (posture) as having both sthira (steadiness) and sukham (comfort and ease).”

If find that single sutra to be my own personal mission in every arena of my life. Whenever I can hold a balance between effort and ease, structure and sweetness, grounding and sway, there is a state of embodied integration that manifests and YOGA is present - a union of mind, emotions, body, breath and spirit. I have learned so much more about this union with each passing day in my 30 years of yoga practice. I can experience yoga when I take a walk, when I hold the listening space for someone, weed the garden, shop for groceries, clean the bathroom, lift weights, have a good cry, when I navigate the inner dialog within my own heart and mind, while I teach a class, or as I write this email. Yoga is as much a psychology, as it is a physiology, as it is a study of spiritual nature.

The time ON the mat, we can:

• utilize asana that tugs on tissues and moves the life force

• witness thoughts ride the waves of emotions as they rise, peak and resolve

• focus on the breath as the thread that unites body and mind

• supplant unproductive inner and outer dialog with beneficial ones through the use mantra and intentionality like “Sat Nam” (truth is my essence)

This YOGA re-wires and conditions us for more connected and meaning-filled experiences OFF the mat. 

When we combine meditation and breath with our movement practices, we can experience first hand shift of health on all levels, the self-healing through uniting, the re-membering Self in wholeness. 

Yoga has gifts for every age, at whatever stage of life that we begin. Yoga, and applying it through the lens of traditional Chinese medicine meridian theory, is the practice that been my consistent thread for psycho-spiriutal and physical health and well being for 30 years. I am ready to keep exploring, diving deeper, evolving, and sharing for another 30 years.  

You might like to know, after my conversation with the young woman at the salon, we shared emails and I sent her three free class recordings of different styles for her to enjoy with her mom, and maybe experience “yoga” from a broader perspective. We will see.  

When we each can enter our practices as a vehicle of insight, we can move through experiences by softening the judgmental mind and cultivate the ability to explore this life with curiosity, compassion and connection. That is the heart of yoga.

With love,

~Machelle

Reconnecting with Joy!

Yoga Friends,

I hope your summer is offering moments of play, joy, and lingering sunsets. It has been a while since I dropped you a note as Eric and I just made it to the other side of hosting an EPIC family reunion. We managed to bring together, in Brunswick, Eric's mother, all four of her sons, and their adult children and grandchildren! Even some in-laws and long time friends made an appearance. My count was 28 human souls, 2 canine, 1 feline and 1 lovely hen soul in total who arrived from 4 states and 3 countries!

Although the reunion stretched across 10 day and people were coming and going, over the weekend we had 22 here at the same time for 4 days. We had people sleeping in every room of our house, the little Roots & River Guest House that we are working on next door, an Airbnb house we rented down the street and a couple of hotel rooms up the hill. I made dinner almost every night and you should have seen my Costco CARTS as we stocked up for the week. We certainly have it good!

One day I walked back from the studio after class and approached the front of the house. Before entering I reflected on how quiet and ordinary the house looked from the sidewalk and what I would find on the inside. I opened the door and there were pods of people whom I love in every room sharing stories and laughter. What a delightful sight.

Because I live on the main street in Brunswick, I got texts from student-friends who said their jaws dropped when they drove by and saw so many people spilled out over the porches and sidewalks in front of our houses. :)

We spent most every evening at the edge of the river to cool down and even took a mighty 4 hour float down the potomac with 14 tubes. Glorious.

It was wildly successful, joyful and chaotic. I had some waves of overwhelm with all the activity and noise. I kept anchoring myself in the teaching of traditional medicine for the heart/small intestine energy for summer with a mantra, "center at the heart in calm, order and joy."

As some of you have joined me in the last weeks when we explored topics and practices around the physical and psycho-spiritual associations of the heart energy, I kept leaning into that story of the heart being like a nest, creating inner calm and stillness so the birds felt safe to land and rest. That assisted me in staying connected to others and to myself in the midst of so much activity.

In the coming weeks we will continue this journey around the heart, taking a deeper dive into the heart's protector, the Pericardium, and the distributor, the Triple Burner, as taught in traditional medicine practices.

The last of our guests packed up and drove away today. I am combing the house for all the things they left behind. We are going to sleep extra well tonight. And my summer heart is filled with love.

~Machelle

Summer Solstice: Connecting with Cycles

Yoga Friends,

Eric and I have arrived home from an incredible journey to Maine. What a rich, diverse landscape we have in this beautiful country! With each new encounter, I was reminded of a poem by Rumi:

I am so small I can barely be seen.
How can this great love be inside me?
Look at your eyes. They are small,
but they see enormous things.

Here in mid-June we are at a seasonal threshold, crossing from Spring into Summer. The Summer Solstice is tomorrow, Sunday, June 20th. The solstices marks when the Earth's axis is pointed most toward (Summer Solstice) or most away (Winter Solstice) from the sun.

"Solstice" comes from Latin meaning "sun stands still." The Summer Solstice begins three days when the sun appears to stay in the same location in the heavens and shines the most amount of daylight in a 24 hour period in a one year calendar. On June 24th, the light gets shorter by a single second and then gradually the daylight period gets shorter and shorter until the Winter Solstice.

In ancient Chinese medicine, out of which some of the earliest comprehensive health studies arose, including acupuncture, summer is the essential time for the natural world to expand and come to fullest expression and maturation. Each plant is following out its destiny as written in the code of their unique seed.

Summer is associated with the fire energy of the Heart and Small Intestine (think digestion, circulation and love). Archetypally, the heart is considered the Benevolent Ruler that nourishes all but controls nothing. When heart energy is harmonized, we feel that we are aligned with our personal truth and path - that our skills and passion match the life we are creating. The associated emotion of heart energy is joy and the voice quality is laughter.

In the next several weeks, we will explore these topics in depth in all of my classes, but especially the Saturday 9am Yin Yoga, the Sunday 10am Vinyasa and Yin Yoga, and the Thursday 4:15pm Yin Yoga practices.

Here are the themes of the next few weeks as we usher our body, minds and emotions meaningfully into Summer.

• June 26th, 27th & July 1st The Heart and Small Intestine: The Physical Organs and Their Functions

• July 3rd, 4th & 8th The Psychological and Spiritual Associations of Heart and Small Intestine (Fire Element)
  
  

• July 10th, 11th & 15th The Fire Element Archetype: Benevolent Ruler
  
  

• July 17th, 18th & 22nd Pericardium and Triple Burner: The Physical "Organs" and Their Functions
  
  

• July 24th, 25th & 29th The Psychological and Spiritual Associations of Pericardium and Triple Burner (Absolute Fire)
  
  

• July 31st, August 1st & 5th The Absolute Fire Archetype of the Alchemist
  
  

• August 7th, 8th & 12th Poems to Stir and Soothe the Heart

As you create rituals of meaning in your life, you may enjoy joining me for practices and exploration through the physical, emotional, symbolic, and poetic realms of the Fire Element of Summer in nourishment of the Heart.

With love,
~Machelle

Live Each Season Infused with Meaning

Photo by Miikka Luotio on Unsplash

Seasonal transitions are my most favorite times of the year. Sharing the yoga practices infused with the seasonal symbolism and ancient traditions brings me tremendous joy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Right now we are holding two seasons at the same time. We have a foot in Fall and a foot in Winter and ever day brings a bit more of that Winter quality forward. 

The Winter Solstice is Monday, December 21st, which marks the beginning of the season as the sun moves through the sky in the northern hemisphere (and the Summer Solstice for the southern hemisphere).
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In traditional medicines, the few weeks leading up to the formal change of seasons is a liminal space were energy shifts are occurring. These thresholds serve as excellent times for us to consciously prepare our bodies, minds and spirits for what will unfold next in our lives. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In Chinese medicine, the winter season is associated with the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder and the Spirit of the Water element. Psychologically, these energies assist us in moving with the flow of life, adapting to change, and getting in touch with our deep meaning, personal will, and drive for life. Rest, stillness and introspection are key for working with our shadows and fears, cultivating greater understanding of self and others, and thus filling our internal wellspring with insight and wisdom, which prepares us for more meaning in life ahead. ⠀⠀

Sharing these insights that I have gained through 23 years of formal study of traditional medicine, and seeing them play out in my own body, mind, and life as I move through the seasons, has been a fascinating journey. It infuses meaning into each season uniquely. I look forward to sharing more with you in these coming weeks, seasons and years! 

~Machelle⠀

Preparing for Winter 

Each weekend in December, I will lead the Saturday morning (Yin Yoga) and Sunday morning (Vinyasa and Yin Yoga) practices with a focus on the Winter, its associated organs of Kidneys and Urinary Bladder, and the element of water as taught in traditional medicine 5 Element Meridian Theory.

The theme will be the same for both the Saturday and Sunday morning classes, but because of the nature of the long, quiet holds of Yin Yoga, the Saturday morning practices will allow us to go that bit deeper into the material. Both classes will be sequenced with poses that offer acu-pressure and acu-tension for the meridian lines.

In Saturday, Dec 5th's Yin Yoga class and Sunday, Dec. 6th's Vinyasa and Yin practice, I offered an overview of the 5 elements, their organs and seasons. If you didn't attend but would like to post-register and receive a class recording, drop me an email at machelle@rootsandriveryoga.com.

Here our our schedule for the rest of the month

Saturday, December 12th Yin Yoga 9:00-10:30am
Sunday, December 13th Vinyasa and Yin Yoga 10:00-11:30am
We will examine the physical function of the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder and why Winter is an especially important time to support these organs in diet, lifestyle, and psycho-spiritual awareness.

Saturday, December 19th Yin Yoga 9:00-10:30am
Sunday, December 20th Vinyasa and Yin Yoga 10:00-11:30am
In these practices, we will dive into the more nuanced psychological associations and expressions of Kidney/Urinary Bladder and how to hone emotional care through the quiet season.

Saturday, December 26th Yin Yoga 9:00-10:30am
Sunday, December 27th Vinyasa and Yin Yoga 10:00-11:30am
I will read to you poems on the spirit of winter and speak about the archetypes we can reflect upon during the dark months. You can rest into the imagery and self-care within the meditative experiences.

Yin Yoga - Joint/Fascia Support
Vinyasa and Yin - Active flow practice with 30 minutes of Yin Yoga
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