Workshop includes:

Inspired by legends Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god who jumped across the sea, we will open up hamstrings finding greater flexibility. In this hour and a half workshop we will practice the patience it takes to open even the deepest layers of muscle. Releasing tight hamstrings lessens the chance for injury and can even ease low back pain. After a warming flow we will explore deep hamstring openers. And maybe, just maybe, you too will find the opening needed to jump across the sea in Hanumanasana, also known as the splits. This workshop is open to all levels of yoga practitioners.

As an everyday bike rider I notice that the backs of my legs really need a little extra attention. Sometimes holding deep hamstring stretches and hips can hurt, that is where the fun of a little mythology can help us out! Hanuman can offer us both guidance and inspiration as we dive into the story and the pose of this delightful monkey god.

I spent this past weekend taking a much needed bike camping trip with Tom of Seattle Bike Blog and my friend Danny. On Friday we biked out to Tolt McDonald State Park, about a 45 mile ride. We settled down by the river. In the morning the fog was heavy and the trees looked very Autumnal.

On Sunday morning we made the trek to Issaquah for the Cycle the Wave ride. It  was a great bike ride about 14 miles and we took some lovely, windy, hilly back roads. We finally landed at the high school where the event was in full swing.

Above I am standing with my brand new banner (homemade by the way)! As riders finished up I offered a mat-less yoga flow. Below we are practicing cat-cow breath in chair pose. This not only feels good for the spine, but also helps you stay in fierce pose a little longer than you might usually. Fierce pose is one of my favorite poses because it strengthens your quads, so you can keep on pedaling strong.

Other highlights involved connecting with people who I know through the virtual world into meeting them in person. I also had the chance to reconnect with an old student from when I was teaching back at the Fremont Abbey.

Our bike ride home from the event was pretty nice. The 1-90 trail is not nearly as scenic as those back country roads that ride by farms and forest, but ya know I am so thankful that I can just hop on my bike and go far.

This weekend I will be out of town going on a bike camping adventure that will end in Issaquah for the Cycle the WAVE event. But no need to worry, my classes are covered by wonderful teachers. Apparently when I get back it is time to start up the fall schedule. So, I am not quite sure how I feel about this whole “Fall” thing right now, but I am very excited for the the new schedule to start over at The Grinning Yogi. You can catch classes at 15th and Harrison

Mondays 6:45-7:45 am
Groovin’ Flow

Early birds will appreciate this new morning class!

Thursdays 9:30-10:45 am
Groovin’ Flow

A Groovin’ flow class for all levels

Friday 12:15-12:50 pm
Yoga Jolt

This 35 minute class offers a yoga break in the middle of your day
Drop in class is $5

The Cycle the WAVE ride is Sunday. Today is the last day for online registration ($75) or you can register the day of ($85) You can also support this awesome organization without doing the ride:  donate here!

In 2011, through Cycle the WAVE $100,000 of critical funding was donated to agencies serving Washington’s King County communities: Eastside Domestic Violence Program (now Lifewire), DAWN (Domestic Abuse Women’s Network) and New Beginnings.

Raising awareness about Domestic violence has been a very important cause for me ever since college where I volunteered at a safe house for women and children. It was my first encounter with a Take Back the Night rally, the theme for the evening was survivor. One of the tasks for set up was to tape little palm trees and coconuts onto the wall. Each cut out had an age written on it, the coconuts represented children and the palm trees represented women who had been served by the safe house in the past year. The youngest child was an infant only a few days old and the oldest an 87 year old woman. In total there were well over 600 people who were aided by this one small organization in rural Illinois in one year. That moment broke my heart. It was that same event that set me on a path towards feminism.

Ahimsa, or compassion for all living things, is the the very first precept of the Yamas which are guidelines for yogis to follow on a spiritual path. It is this quest to actively bring peace and compassion to ourselves, our families and our communities. There is a very real need to support people as they leave violent and abusive situations. It is challenging work, but we can all do our part. Raising awareness, taking personal accountability and donating to organizations in money or time is part of that process of healing.  I am honored to be joining this event and offering some post-ride yoga to all of the amazing cyclists participating in this fundraiser.

Here is the video for the event:

Meet at Saint Alphonsus Parish School, 6 pm on Friday

I am so excited to finally attend a Critical Lass ride. This is a great leisurely ride with mostly flat terrain, starting here and ending at the Shilshole Marina in Ballard. After we arrive at the marina I will lead a family friendly yoga class, where if the kids feel inspired they can hop in too. No need to bring a mat, we will do mostly standing and bike prop poses. Then we can watch a movie outside.

Info on the Taming Dragons with Critical Lass from the Facebook event:

Hey all, we’re going to the movies! Join the Critical Lasses, Hope Heart Institute, and Cascade Bicycle Club for our final summer ride to the Port of Seattle’s outdoor family movie night. Invite friends and family to share our ride along the 58th St Greenway in Ballard to the Shilshole Marina to see “How to Train your Dragon”.

Meet up at St Alphonsus School parking lot and playground at 6:00–we’ll roll out at 6:30. Who knows what other fun stuff awaits? Be sure to bring your outdoor movie viewing gear and as always–your helmet.

Hope to see you there!

Last weekend I spent some quality time in Portland. To get to Portland, Tom (of Seattle Bike Blog) and I took the Amtrak train, which was a little buerocratic, a little bit late and maybe a teeny tiny bit more comfortable than the bolt bus. I did enjoy getting to be social with other folks who brought bikes on the train…in fact one person even bought a copy of my little book right then and there.

First on the agenda when we arrived to PDX was to celebrate the release of Pedal, Stretch, Breathe at Velo Cult. After reading an excerpt from the little book, I demonstrated a few poses that you can do with your bike and answered questions. It was great to chat with the people who were there and make good connections. Perhaps I will have to team up with a yoga studio in Portland to do a workshop similar to the one I am hosting in Seattle on Sept. 9th…

This was my third visit to Portland since moving to the Pacific Northwest and I feel like I finally have a grasp on the city. The quadrants definitely make it easy and following sharrows on the streets made it so we didn’t need a bike map and seldom had to use the smart phone to make our way to places.

Everywhere I went it seemed there were some Seattle connections to Portland. My friends, The Hoot Hoots were also playing a show in Portland at the all ages venue Backspace with a few other great local Seattle Bands. They claimed their mini tour was a battle between Seattle & Portland, but I would argue the relationship between the two cities is less battle and a little more crush.

Portland I think your easy to navigate bike greenways are swell and am intoxicated by the rose gardens. I am a bit envious of bars in bike shops and how cheap everything is without sales tax.  But then again I miss the sweeping vistas that Seattle’s hills offer and the density of Capitol Hill. Instead of a rivalry, I think we should just do a bit more cross-pollinating. After realizing how cheap and easy the Bolt bus is, I am ready to book my next trip the rose city.

Pedal, Stretch, Breath: The Yoga of Bicycling

Reading & Yoga Workshop

 5-7 pm, Sunday September 9th

Explore the connections between yoga, cycling and community with this unique event featuring Kelli Refer, local yoga instructor and author. Our adventure begins at Rainbow Natural Remedies with a reading from Pedal, Stretch, Breathe. Then we will migrate to The Grinning Yoga for an interactive yoga for cyclists workshop. The intention of the workshop is to demonstrate how yoga is a great compliment to bike riding. Develop a realistic and sustainable yoga based warm-up to incorporate into your daily commute. After that we will explore the joys of restorative yoga postures to nourish sore legs. There will be time for dialogue and questions.

This workshop is a safe space for first time yogis, cyclists and every body.

Space is limited, so please sign up here.

Workshop + copy of Pedal, Stretch, Breathe = $30

Workshop alone = $25

All are invited to enjoy a sip of tea at the reading before the workshop at Rainbow Natural Remedies.

Thanks to support from:

Celebrate the release of Pedal, Stretch, Breathe!

Still need to order your copy… get one here

To celebrate the release of the zine I am heading down to Portland to visit my publisher and mentor, Elly Blue. While I am there we might as well host a bike party!

Here are all the details:

When: August 16th 7-9pm

Where: Velo Cult, 1969 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, OR

What to expect:

Come hear Seattle-based yoga instructor and cycling author Kelli Refer read from Pedal, Stretch, Breathe: The Yoga of Bicycling. Refer will read from her small book (called a zine) and demonstrate a few basic yoga poses that you can do with or without your bicycle that will help you get up hills, breathe easier, and rise above road rage. Of interest to those with all levels of cycling and/or yoga experience. Come enjoy a beer and root beer on tap, meet the author, and learn about the union between body, mind, and bicycle.

Seattleites please stay tuned for a Pedal, Stretch, Breathe event in the Emerald City. Details coming soon…

Flow with me on Thursdays 9:30-10:45 am

The Grinning Yogi
345 15th Ave. Suite 102,
Seattle WA 98122

Gratitude fills me up this lovely Seattle morning! Pedal over to The Grinning Yogi tomorrow morning to join me for my first weekly class. I am so excited to be apart of The Grinning Yogi team. Read the bios of all of the wonderful teachers here and you will start to see what makes this studio so special. Classes at TGY are full of heart, fun and flow.

In this class expect sweet adjustments, warmth (the studio is heated, hovering in the upper 80’s and low 90’s) and smiles.

See you on the mat soon!