Personal Update

First of all, much gratitude to my friend Joe Orr who created the “One World Dharma” logo for me that now sits at the top of the page. The logo is of the Earth surrounded by an enso: a Japanese Zen symbol for freedom and enlightenment. The Wikipedia entry notes: “In Zen Buddhist painting, ensō symbolizes a moment when the mind is free to simply let the body/spirit create.” I think the new logo sums up the various threads that run through this blog: spirituality, concern for our globe, creativity, having an open-mind, etc. So, lots of thanks to Joe for the awesome artwork.

This time in my life has been filled with many personal highs and there is so much I feel grateful for. This past Sunday was the start of a 10-week yoga teaching gig at a local, grassroots yoga studio called the Sutra Shack. The Shack is the brainchild of Doug, a local yogi, who created an awesome yoga space in his backyard. All the classes are donation-based and the teachers get 100% of the profits. On top of that, he’s also got a vibrant organic garden happening in the backyard. I’m really excited about being part of a yoga community that is about making classes more affordable to the average person and giving brand-new teachers like myself a place to get their feet wet.

The class went really well! There were only two students – but they were fantastic students, believe me. All a new yoga teacher could ask for. One of the students was Emily, an awesome woman who does massage and bodywork, who had been coming to my friend’s Aaron free class at the same time. My other wonderful student was my intrepid girlfriend Jaime, who had also come out to a class with me at the Shack on Saturday.

This has also been a lovely time for Jaime and I. Right now we are both busy getting our applications done for our next two jobs in life: working at Yellowstone National Park this summer, then teaching English as a Second Language in Thailand come October. Needless to say, it is both exciting and scary to make such big moves… but mostly exciting! I’m excited about traveling the world with my sweetheart, as well as being in places of such natural beauty. In the case of Thailand, I’m also particularly thrilled about being in a place with such rich Buddhist roots. I think that, among other things, will create a very healthy culture shock in comparison with living in South Carolina.

But there a few more important things to experience and accomplish before leaving Charleston for good. I’m looking forward to joining forces with the awesome ladies of Charleston Karma Yoga to create another benefit yoga class for a worthy cause. Right now we’re thinking about doing a class for Thornhill Farms, an organic farm that offers therapeutic gardening experiences for students will special needs. Jaime has actually been there with her students (she teaches students with emotional disabilities) and had a great time planting seeds and working in the earth.

Above all, I’m looking forward to connecting with all my friends and loved ones here in Charleston over the next few months before we take off. There are a lot of people very close to me that I haven't seen much over the last year and I definitely want to amend that before leaving.

Well, that’s all for now. My next yoga class will be Sunday at 1 PM at the Sutra Shack. It’s free to all and will be a great time, I promise. The focus will be on twists and keeping our body/mind/spirit clear and open so that life can more easily flow through us. Hope to see some of you there!

Peace,
Matt