Its all relative……
I know that I’ll look back on my age right now, and think that I was young………but, at this moment, I’m coming up on a birthday that is surprisingly hard. Many of you will think its rediculous that I”m having a hard time with this birthday. I’m turning 34 in a couple of weeks. In the past, birthdays have been no big deal, and haven’t been very important to me. This birthday feels different. For years growing up, I couldn’t see myself past 39, as if I wasn’t going to live past 39. Maybe that’s why coming up on 34, now officially in my mid 30’s, is feeling hard – I’m approaching my late 30’s. And, things are changing, like my skin, my body, the grey hairs that I secretly pluck off my head! So, the other day when a nice older man, maybe in his late 70’s, helped me load up the dinghy and treated me like a kid, I was thrilled. It made my day. He talked with me about living on the boat, where we were going to go, why it was so great that we were living on a boat now, when we were young and had more energy. Once I started the outboard motor and pulled away from the dinghy dock, he said, “Take care kiddo”! It was the “kiddo” part that made my day. Little did he know I have to secretly pluck the few grey hairs I have coming in.
So, as I write this, its snowing outside. Rain was predicted for today, but its dumping snow. Like fools, we’re wintering in Annapolis, MD. Its not that this isn’t a great place, but its not the best place to winter on an uninsulated steel boat. We thought it would be somewhat of an adventure. That is what we tried to convince ourselves of. Now we’re thinking we were overly optimistic and maybe just not as young as we used to be. Maybe we were never young enough to live out a winter here, on the hook (anchored)! Now, instead of thinking of this as an adventure, we’re thinking we were perhaps just plain silly. In actuality, it has not been bad, but all the locals around here say that winter has not come yet. We’ve already burned nearly a whole forest of firewood in our little Sardine wood burning stove, and its only the beginning of January! Hhmmmmm………..
But, when I think about all the things to deal with on the boat, all the little things I would have never imagined needing to learn or think about, like the condensation on the steel hull, the temperature being too cold for the outboard motor to start, or the water holding tanks freezing b/c one side of them is against the hull which is against the water, I still will take living on a boat over a house or apartment. For now. I can also see why, at a certain point and at a certain age, some people say they’re done with cruising or living aboard. It takes a different kind of participation in life than living on land. And, if you do it long enough, I can see that some day, land living would seem appealing again. I still feel like I’m just beginning this adventure. One winter in the cold won’t do me in. I feel like in the last year and a half I’ve learned so much, and am ready for so much more. This coming year for us will be the time to take all of this new knoweldge and skill and travel outside of the US. Finally.
Tell me again why we decided to stay in Maryland for the winter?!!!!!!
IN THIS BLOG:
Chilly winter in Maryland
Slowing down – who has time for that?
Lululemon photo shoot
Up-coming yoga teaching events
Media for Sale and About Yoga for Cruisers and First Ray Yoga
As the nights are getting colder, and I’m back to wearing 5 layers of clothing at all times, Tobin and I joke, “Why aren’t we in the Bahamas”? The reality is, for a few reasons, we needed to stay in one spot for a while. Annapolis, MD is a great place to be on a boat, so thats why we’re here. Although, it is getting chilly, and people around here say its not even winter yet! We’re keeping our little wood stove burning as much as possible right now. We don’t get up in the night to add more wood, so as a result, when we get up in the morning, its chilly. Yesterday, it got up in to the high 40′s here, and at night, outside the boat, it got down to 30 degrees. When I got up this morning, it was 37 degrees in the boat. It took a few hours, but we got the temperature up to 60 degrees. What will it be like when it gets down in to the teens at night? We’re hoping for an abnormally warm, warm winter. And, we keep reminding each other that we have to look at this winter as an adventure!!!!!
This is what I expect to see one of these days when I get up and look outside the window (kidding)
Slowing down – who has time for that?!
There is a lot of talk about slowing down, being mindful and enjoying the moment. I can think about that as a great theory, but nothing has slowed me down (in a good way) and made me more mindful than living on a boat. I’ve been forced to slow down in the best possible sense and to my betterment! I feel as if I’m experiencing more each day by this lifestyle. Everything takes longer on a boat. We have to factor in dinghying to and from the boat each day – usually a few times, filling our water tanks, filling gas and diesel tanks and general maintenance on the boat as you would have in any other living situation. I have to admit, the thing I miss the most from living on land is having a washer and dryer. Bringing laundry on and off the boat is a drag, but I’m learning to excpet it! I feel like for the first year on the boat I was resisting it all in some sense. I was still trying to live life as I had on land, trying to run too many errands, do too much, and have too long of a “to do” list. I’m becoming much more realistic in what can and should be done in one short day. For instance, when we don’t have a car and are running errands on foot, going to the grocery store is a half a day experience. It can become the “big event” of the day, instead of an insignificant errand which I would run on the way home from teaching. Running errands on foot or bike, and there are always errands, becomes the event of the day. Its my nature to try to cram in as many things as humanly possible to the day. I’ve always lived with this nagging sense that if I could just get it all done, then I would rest, read a book or watch a movie. I’ve always known that I’ll never get it all done, so as a result, I rarely rest. Living on a boat has magnified that to the extent that I’m finally starting to give up trying to do too much. So, I still am type A and am attached to a master to do list, but my list has become much more reasonable. I’m learning what it means to have a few things on the list for the day, instead of a million with unreasonable expectations. Its an interesting thing to notice – I feel as if by trying to be reasonable with the amount that I can accomplish and do, I’m actually living and experiencing more. I feel as if many of us live this life as if, if we just got enough done, then we would slow down and enjoy life more. Living on a boat forces the slowing down, and I’m certainly more aware of living in the moment each day. NOW is the time to slow down. The “to do” list is never, and will never be done. Ever. That is a fact. Now is the time to be present, take things one step at a time and enjoy what is. This is the ultimate yoga practice for me right now.
It certainly doesn’t help that most of us have smart phones and nearly constant access to the internet. I feel like, in many ways, the internet, and staying “virtually connected” gives us this false sense that we should be able to do more in a day. The reality is, is that although we have all of this technology, we’re still human beings with only the capability to do so much. We can’t keep up with the pace of technology, and therefore shouldn’t try. The ability to multi-task with our phones and computers gives us this false sense that we’re accomplishing more. In reality, its proven that multi-tasking makes us less focused and less productive. Its easy to forget the fact that we, as humans, are not at our best when multi-tasking. Again, this is yoga. Keeping a single pointed focus, and doing one thing at a time keeps us present, in our bodies, aware and better at whatever one thing we are focusing on. I’m constantly reminded of this on the boat, and that is the gift of living aboard!
LULULEMON Photo Shoot
A few weeks ago, when it was still warm enough to be outside in a t- shirt, Lululemon, Annapolis came out to the boat and did a photo shoot of their latest featured clothes. Here I am on the cabin top of our boat. They even got the Yoga for Cruisers Logo in the photo, and notice on the bottom right, B – Dog made her way in to the photo op! Its too bad Lululemon doesn’t make clothing for dogs. She felt a bit left out. www.lululemon.com
UP – COMING YOGA TEACHING EVENTS
This coming Saturday, December 17th, I’ll be teaching my HIPS and HAMSTRINGS – to relieve lower back pain workshop at Prana Studio in Annapolis, MD. www.pranastudio.com 2 – 4 pm. $35.00 please join me and spread the word.
New Years in Medford/Ashland, OR at Rasa Yoga Center www.rasayogacenter.com Join me December 31st (Saturday) and January 1st, 2011 (Sunday) for a fun weekend to bring in the New Year! I’ll be teaching workshops both Saturday and Sunday, and in town Monday and Tuesday, January 2nd and 3rd teaching yoga and/or walking privates. For complete details of the weekend and to sign up, please visit www.rasayogacenter.com
Please see Rasa’s site, under “events” for complete details of our 2nd annual Mexico retreat, February 19th – 25th, 2011.
MEDIA FOR SALE AND ON LINE CLASSES
First Ray Yoga has a Beginners DVD, an Intermediate Level Audio Yoga Class and Series 1 of Yoga For Cruisers DVDs (three sequence set) If interested please e-mail us at info@firstrayyoga.com – soon, Jamie’s This Is My Practice DVD, sequence 1 will be available. Stay tuned.
On line, you can find Jamie’s live classes filmed at Exhale, Center for Sacred Movement in Los Angeles on Yogavibes. Please visit www.yogavibes.com, search for Jamie Elmer and you can purchase the downloadable classes.
WHAT YOGA FOR CRUISERS IS – www.yogaforcruisers.com
Yoga for Cruisers is an idea born of necessity. As we’ve moved aboard our boat, full time cruising, we have learned much and managed to work our bodies in new ways. Different than sailing on the weekends or jumping on the ski boat on a sunny afternoon, or even living aboard at the slip, full time cruising works our bodies in incredible ways. Whether you are new to it, or have been around a few times, you know the demands that actively moving a boat has on your body. And whether 36, or 66, it’s a lot of work.
For some of us, we’ve found that we’re not as strong as we thought we were. Or not as flexible. Or not as quick. Yoga can help. Just like becoming a good navigator, or good sail trimmer, becoming a healthy body takes time, and practice.
That is where Yoga for Cruisers comes in. If you think you’re too old or too young, too tall or too short, or your boat is too small or too big, it doesn’t matter. We work with folks just like you. We practice on boats, on docks, on beaches, in hotel rooms. We work with groups, with one-on-one privates, with seniors (or boomers, if you prefer), with kids, with moms, with grandpas, even with the occasional dog.
With more than ten years of full time yoga teaching experience, we’ve seen just about all of it. Give it a shot. Try something new, and feel the difference!
Yoga for Cruisers is a part of First Ray Yoga, www.firstrayyoga.com, our international yoga teaching organization. Please see the page about Jamie Elmer for more information on her qualifications and experience. And visit www.firstrayyoga.com for a schedule of national and international events.
Learning By Doing on a boat – true yoga
Our High Tech Water Collection Devise!
I think our pets should be models, really……..but I’m ruled by my emotional connection I guess!
Views from The Canebrake in Oklahoma – www.thecanebrake.com
I’m often asked the question, “Whats it like to live on a boat”? Its a lengthly answer, and something I can’t quite explain simply yet. Now I’ve just started saying, “Its great. And its completely different from living on land.” In a way, everything is different. And in other ways, life goes on as usual. We still get up, make coffee, feed the pets, go to grocery stores, get on line, etc. Life goes on in many similar ways as it did living on land. And, there are some things that are completely different like, paying close attention to the weather, how much water we use, keeping track of different maintenance issues than you would in an apartment or a house, learning to use our dinghy to and from shore, instead of a car for commuting, etc. On a boat you have to be much less attatched to “things”, (because there isn’t any space to have them) you have to be more resourceful and confident in your own abilities, and you MUST obey mother nature at all times! One of my favorite definitions of yoga that I first heard from Erich Schiffman is, “aligning with the infinite”. The infinite in my mind certainly includes mother nature and the elements. I feel that our life aboard has expanded my definition of yoga ten fold.
We have to pay special attention to the things that make our basic needs on a boat possible, like heating, water consumption, how to deal with our waste. Yes, our waste. A topic that I didn’t think much about until living on board. When you use the toilet, where does it go? On our boat we hold 120 gallons of diesel for our engine, 200 gallons of water, 100 gallons of grey water, and we have a 100 gallon holding tank. The holding tank is for the waste. We’re set up like this…..the water that we use to shower, brush our teeth, drink and do the dishes with goes in to the grey water tank. The grey water tank is then what we use to flush the toilet. That water, along with our waste, is then pumped in to our holding tank, or black water tank as its called. Once every couple of months, we either need to be off shore far enough that it is legal to dispose of our black water tank, or call a pump out boat from the area which comes and sucks it out. The pump our boats charge a nominal fee of about $5.00 – $15.00 dollars for this. It all makes sense, is logical and fairly simple. But the whole process sure makes me think much more about just how much water I’m using.
On land, while living in Los Angeles and in our house in Colorado, I took longer showers and definitely didn’t turn the water on and off quite as much while doing the dishes. On the boat, every drop of water we use either has to be brought to the boat or collected through rain water. Lugging water often isn’t a fun or easy task. I automatically use less water in order to conserve. While doing the dishes, brushing my teeth and showering, we turn the water on and off every split second or so to help use less water. While on land, I thought of using less water, but certainly not to this degree. When was the last time you turned your shower on, just enough to get wet, and then turned the water off, lathered up, and then turned the water back on for just long enough to rinse off? It may sound like a pain in the butt, but the trade off is worth it. We’re self sufficient, don’t pay rent or a martgage, and are certainly more environmentally friendly than ever before. (No, we don’t pay rent, but everyone knows that boats are a money pit if you allow them to be, so there’s a trade off!)
Recently, after we built our hard dodger on the boat and installed solar panels on it, we noticed that we had a ton of water running down the dodger and off the sides. Tobin set up a gutter, a spout, and we got hose to attach to the spout for when we knew it was going to rain. We simply run that hose along the side of the dodger and straight in to the fill for our water holding tank. Today, it was drizzling all day, but raining enough that in one day we collected about 3 gallons of water. Considering we use only 200 gallons in about 6 weeks, 3 gallons adds up. Especially after only one day of drizzle. It made me think today about how we could have done this with certain areas of our roof in Colorado and how much rain water we could have collected.
We filter the water that we drink and give to the pets, and the rest we use for dishes, etc. Everything changes in terms of conservancy when you actually have to physically lug water to your boat/house. Once you start doing that, you automatically start conservering like you never thought possible! Try it.
TEACHING NEWS
2nd Annual Mexico Yoga Retreat! Last year we had a wonderful retreat just outside of Puerto Villarta, Mexico. Its a short and accessible plane trip to the retreat center. Dates for 2012 are February 19th – 26th. For more information and to register please visit Rasa Yoga Center’s site at www.rasayogacenter.com – events/retreats. This special and intimate ayurvedic retreat facility only allows for an intimate group in order to receive individual attention, so sign up early.
The past two weekends I had the absolute pleasure of teaching yoga workshops and part of a teacher training at two wonderful studios – The Canebrake in Oklahoma, www.thecanebrake.com, and East Meets West Center in Vienna, VA, www.eastmeetswestcenter.com. I highly recommend both of these spots. Great people in wonderful, yet very different, locations!
November 28th – December 4th I’ll be teaching in Los Angeles at Exhale, Center for Sacred Movement, www.exhalespa.com, Venice, location. Please come to a class or workshop or e-mail me at jamie@firstrayyoga.com to set up and reserve a private session.
Please don’t forget to visit our Yoga for Cruisers site and facebook page – www.yogaforcruisers.com and spread the word of our yoga DVDs for sailors and boaters to your friends and family.
Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving!
MEDIA FOR SALE AND ON LINE CLASSES
First Ray Yoga has a Beginners DVD, an Intermediate level audio yoga class and Series 1 of Yoga For Cruisers DVDs (three sequence set) If interested please e-mail us at info@firstrayyoga.com – soon, Jamie’s This Is My Practice DVD, sequence 1 will be available. Stay tuned.
On line, you can find two of Jamie’s live classes filmed at Exhale, Center for Sacred Movement in Los Angeles on Yogavibes. Please visit www.yogavibes.com, search for Jamie Elmer and you can purchase the downloadable classes.
Yoga for Cruisers is an idea born of necessity. As we’ve moved aboard our boat, full time cruising, we have learned much and managed to work our bodies in new ways. Different than sailing on the weekends or jumping on the ski boat on a sunny afternoon, or even living aboard at the slip, full time cruising works our bodies in incredible ways. Whether you are new to it, or have been around a few times, you know the demands that actively moving a boat has on your body. And whether 36, or 66, it’s a lot of work.
For some of us, we’ve found that we’re not as strong as we thought we were. Or not as flexible. Or not as quick. Yoga can help. Just like becoming a good navigator, or good sail trimmer, becoming a healthy body takes time, and practice.
That is where Yoga for Cruisers comes in. If you think you’re too old or too young, too tall or too short, or your boat is too small or too big, it doesn’t matter. We work with folks just like you. We practice on boats, on docks, on beaches, in hotel rooms. We work with groups, with one-on-one privates, with seniors (or boomers, if you prefer), with kids, with moms, with grandpas, even with the occasional dog.
With more than ten years of full time yoga teaching experience, we’ve seen just about all of it. Give it a shot. Try something new, and feel the difference!
Yoga for Cruisers is a part of First Ray Yoga, our international yoga teaching organization. Please see the page about Jamie Elmer for more information on her qualifications and experience. And visit www.firstrayyoga.com for a schedule of national and international events.
Who knew a weekend in Baltimore could be so fun?
This past weekend we made a last minute decision to take the boat up to Baltimore. I’ve been flying out of BWI airport, but we still hadn’t spent any time in Baltimore yet. It takes about 30 minutes by car. It took us part of the day Thursday and part of the day Friday by boat………….! Sailing is the ultimate in the saying, “Its about the process!”
Here are some pics of the weekend. It turned out to be fun and a good change of scenery. After being on the move for over a year its been a bit hard to be in one place this long. Even a weekend away is enough to make me feel like we’re not “stuck” where we’re anchored.
These container ships makes me feel really small out there!
We first anchored Thursday night in a little cove instead of traveling in the dark – there were also gale force winds predicted so we called it an early night. Here, Tobin is bringing up anchor in 35 degrees. Its getting cold here!
Here is the dodger (helm cover) that we spent time here in Annapolis making. It was quite the project – now our solar is on top and secure. No storm is taking it down!
BALANCE under sail
Tobin at helm
Here we are, the only boat anchored in the inner harbor area of Baltimore. No wonder we were the only ones anchored out this weekend………..it was freezing! We were coming back from shore, out to the boat and a little girl started talking with us about where we were going. We said we were going home and told her we lived out on the boat. She seemed confused and then intrigued. A definite future sailor in the making! The aquarium is right here in the background. A really nice one!
Can you find us?
We went to my first ever professional football game – The Baltimore Ravens and the Arizona Cardinals were playing. Talk about a place to people watch!
Me in front of a coast guard ship in the inner harbor
TEACHING NEWS
This weekend I’ll be teaching in Oklahoma at The Canebrake – www.thecanebrake.com Please spread the word! Its my first time teaching in this location and area. I’ll be teaching workshops, walking yoga and privates while there.
On November 12th and 13th I’ll be teaching at East Meets West Center – www.eastmeetswestcenter.com my Applied Anatomy for Yoga training. It is part of their 200 hour teacher training, but the weekend course is open to the public for one or both days. Please visit www.eastmeetswestcenter.com for a full description of the course. And, as always please feel free to e-mail me with questions.
I have TWO on line classes at Yoga Vibes – please visit www.yogavibes.com and search for Jamie Elmer. The 2nd class was just recently added from my last trip to Los Angeles.
Hope you had a great Halloween! Stay warm and please stay in touch!
A man I’ll never forget
There are some people you meet in your life that you’ll never forget. Martin, from Holland, is one of those people for me. We first met Martin, aboard his 36 foot steel boat, in Nantucket last year in late August. We were anchored, outside, working on our first smaller boat, TRUST, when Martin sailed through the anchorage on his bright blue and yellow, unique looking boat. We waved, he waived, and a day later we met him as he was leaving his boat on his kayak headed for shore. He had a dark, permanent tan, thick accent, and huge smile that he wore most of the time. Over the course of that week we came aboard his boat and he came aboard our’s to check it out. At the time, his boat seemed huge inside compared to our 32 foot Laurin Koster, originally built for off shore racing in Sweden. It was just him aboard. He had been out cruising for nearly 6 years. He was an inspiration to us. He told us stories about where he had been, and how he had acquired many of the more “costly” items on his boat. He would go out, early the next morning after a storm, and look for things that had washed ashore. That is how he got his bimini (cover for the helm), radar, and multiple sails. The stories of what he found for free inspired us, and at the same time we knew we were not nearly as crafty or patient to find these prizes and figure out how to fix them until, as he described, they were “like new” again! We watched him sail off his anchor one morning, impressed that he barely ever needed to use his engine, and spoke of him fondly over the past year. One phrase he used often in that week that we got to know him was, “why not?” He would be describing how he would find various parts of boat remnants, engine parts, scraps, etc., would polish, fix or put them back together and they were “like new” again. And then at the end of most sentences finish by saying, “why not”?
Since meeting Martin we have sailed to Key West and are now back up in the Chesapeake Bay. At anchor last week, we were coming back to or boat, BALANCE, and Tobin said to me, “is that MARTIN”?!!!! It was definitely his boat. A one of a kind. We traveld past his boat to get to our’s and noticed baby diapers hanging out on the lifelines to dry. His kayak was not there so we assumed he had gone ashore. We got very excited by the fact that we were going to see him again. A few minutes later he, Anna and their nine month old baby, Mia came up to our boat in the kayak. Yes, the same kayak that we first met him on. This time, Anna was in the back, Mia in the middle and Martin forward to row. Since seeing him last year, he had traveled to the Carribean and then to Bermuda to meet up with Anna and their baby. Martin had his permanent tan, his thick accent and was all smiles. So was his baby, Mia. Over the past week we’ve had them over for dinner and Tobin and Martin have already started helping each other with projects.
Today, Martin kayaked over to our boat with Mia in the late afternoon as his deck paint was drying. He was telling me about how expensive food and groceries were in this area and that now with Anna and Mia aboard he was spending more money than he was used to. He told me that he used to spend only $1,500.00 a year when he was out cruising alone. Yes, $1,500.00 in a year! I can’t quit fathom that, but that is why we like Martin. He is a one of a kind. He would not think of buying anything for his boat, or himself, at Westmarine or Home Depot. Of course not. Why would you when you can find it on a wrecked or abandoned boat for free?! And with a little work, make it “like new”. Because, “why not?” We noticed right away that he now has a roller furler on his boat. (A sail furler makes it so that you don’t have to go on deck, up to the bow, when you want to take down or put up a sail) Most boats we see these days have a roller furler. We don’t yet. Its a big money item. We asked him aboat it. He said he took it off a boat that had sunk and it had been submerged for over a year! He said he cleaned it up, sprayed some silicone on it and it worked fine. “Like new”. He said he would find us one. I believe him. He probably can. And we’ll definitely give him a good finders fee if we don’t have to buy one new for ourselves some day!
I’ve always admired “do it your selfers”. I’m not really one of those. Tobin amazes me with what he makes, figures out, constructs and crafts. Martin takes it to a whole new level. He not only finds most things for free but then knows how to fix them and make them work! It also comes down to having the will to do so. I guess I may just be a bit more “western” in my ways. Good for him. He is one of the happiest and smartest people I’ve ever met.
On a teaching note:
This past weekend I taught part of Easton Yoga’s teacher training. www.eastonyoga.com. It was a great weekend. I’m sad that I won’t be going back for another segment. Being there is great and the students are great.
This coming weekend I’ll be teaching a Master Class at Prana Yoga. www.pranayoga.com. This is an all levels class. Please check Prana Yoga’s website for time and price. I look forward to teaching there. Its where I have been slipping in to class since being in Annapolis.
The first weekend in November I’ll be teaching at The Canebrake. www.thecanebrake.com Its a wonderful restaurant and retreat facility outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Please spread the word. Its my first time teaching there.
For my Los Angeles friends, I really look forward to teaching at Exhale, Center for Sacred Movement November 30th – December 4th, 2011. www.exhalespa.com Please view the Exhale website for the classe and workshop times that I’ll be teaching.
Our Yoga for Cruisers DVDs have been released and are for sale. If you, friends or family live, work or play on a boat please check out our Series 1 set. There are three sequences for all levels. Please visit www.yogaforcruisers.com or send us an e-mail at info@yogaforcruisers.com
Here are a few pics of our friend Martin and his daughter, Mia. Martin’s boat, ROTOP, and of course, a pic of b dog, and Apollo and Tobin having a very strenuous afternoon nap.
Winter preparation with world’s smallest stove!
The little Sardine that could!
This picture doesn’t do this little stove justice. Actually, the picture makes our little “sardine” look bigger than it really is. We haven’t completed the installation yet, but soon this little guy will be heating our boat for the coming winter in Annapolis. Fingers crossed it does the job. Who knew a wood stove could be so cute? (and small?)
The Annapolis sailboat show was last weekend and it made this town a zoo! We anchored out near the main channel to get our Yoga for Cruisers banners on the boat seen by as many people as possible. We’ve had a good start at releasing the first Yoga for Cruisers Series 1 DVDs. This weekend is the power boat show so we’re hoping to get some more hits on the site, inquiries and interest in the DVDs. www.yogaforcruisers.com
This past weekend I taught in Vienna, VA for the first time at East Meets West Center – www.eastmeetswestcenter.com. I taught my Walking Yoga/Gait Therapy workshop. It was a great, but fast, two hours! It was clear to me after this past weekend that the workshop needs to be at least a part 1 and part 2 – perhaps in the same day with a lunch break in between. 2 hours and we’re barely getting started! My friend Mel wrote a great blog about the walking work. Its at http://lorton.patch.com/articles/the-gait-to-happiness. Thanks, Mel!
Often times on the boat I feel so grateful for living on the water and being able to travel. I also have many moments, like during these boat shows when I find myself thinking “Who ARE these people?” Tobin and I work hard to make our life doable on the water. We’re do it yourselfers and finding our way. Being in a place like Annapolis, and especially during these boat show weekends, there are so many HUGE, FANCY, EXPENSIVE boats. There is so much money wrapped up in these things! And it isn’t just here. Up and down the east coast, and all over the world are marinas and ports with tons and tons of boats. Some boats small and falling apart, and some boats huge and fancy. Again I wonder, “Who ARE all these people?” Here was one bigger boat that came in to Annapolis today. Right beside it was a 50 foot sailboat coming in. The sailboat looked miniature compared to this motor yacht.
So many people living so many interesting lives out there!
My dad at the helm of Schooner Woodwind here in Annapolis, MD.
B Dog Long Tongue at the nearby dog park – her retreat from the boat
Me teaching part of teacher training at Journeyoga in Arlington, VA last month – www.journeyoga.com
Lil’ boats racing around us at anchor
Nicest sunset we’ve had here in Annapolis – taken by our friend Greg visiting from Los Angeles
“Is Yoga for Cruisers for boaters or for poeple that ride beach cruisers?”
We have our Yoga for Cruisers DVDs available! We’re excited about being able to offer our Series 1 dvd series. What I think is special about these sequences is not just the locations that we’ve filmed them in (Miami, Key West and Annapolis), but also that they can be done by just about anyone. Yes, they were designed for the cruiser/boater in mind, but they’re appropriate for people to do at home, at the office, etc. When we are around fellow “cruisers”/boaters, they know that Yoga for Cruisers is for them, but I’ve had quite a few non boaters ask me if Yoga for Cruisers is for people that ride beach cruisers. Nope. But those people could still do the practices, too! Please check out our Yoga for Cruisers site for more info (www.yogaforcruisers.com) and e-mail us to order a copy of the series for yourself or a friend. These dvds are also fun with Tobin’s dinghy tour at the end of each – showing you around the harbor, sunken boats, fancy boats and other interesting tid bits about the area.
This past weekend we went to our first Seven Seas Cruising Association GAM just a little south of us here in Annapolis. It was nice to take the boat out for a few days, meet more fellow cruisers and be in a new location. The special speakers were Lin and Larry Pardey. Long time cruisers with over 45 years of sailing experience together under their belt. They’ve written many books and are a great inspiration to those of us choosing to live abaord. The two are them sat at the front of the arena and she spoke while Larry chimed in jokes under his breath once in a while. Their pecific topic was about cruising on a budget and little and big ways to save money. Obviously, the biggest way to save money is to do things yourself instead of hire boat projects out. They also talked about less obvious ways to save – like not sailing with a group since you’ll end up spending more on entertainment and feeding others in the process. They showed pictures from all over the world in the last 45 years, and of them when they were younger building their second boat together. At this point I can’t imagine all the miles they’ve put in together and all that they’ve seen. That is one of the special things I think about being out on a boat with someone – no matter how many pictures you take, how much you write or talk about the experience, you can’t explain all the places you’ve seen or experiences on the boat to others. It makes for a special bond between people to have done it together. A few of our friends from this past year that are out alone have all told of us their plans to stop cruising for a while. Basically, because they’re lonely and want to share what they’re seeing with someone.
For the past few days my dad and his partner, Robin have been visiting us – seeing us on a boat for the first time. We went out and took a harbor cruise on one of the Woodwind boats – historical schooners – www.schoonerwoodwind.com. One of the pics in this blog is of my dad at the helm. We’ve anchored the boat for the next couple of weeks right beside the main channel so that our Yoga for Cruisers banner and sign on the boat can be seen by as many people as possible while the Annapolis Boat Show takes place next week. Everywhere we go on the boat people start to refer to us as the people from “The Yoga Boat”. Not a bad title to receive!
We’ve seen some other cruisers arrive on boats in the last few days – traveling from near and far for the boat show. One family arrived early yesterday morning. They’re a family of a mom and dad with two kids – a boy and a girl. They travel all over during the year and have a booth at certain boat shows. They’re business is Trans Marine Pro – they install and help people design electrical systems for their boat. (www.transmarinepro.com) They live oboard full time and home school their kids. They’re a great example of a family living the dream. I’ve often heard people say to me when they find out that we live on a boat, “You must not have kids”. We don’t, but there are many, many people out there cruising that do. Its great to see. The kids for the most part that we’ve seen are independant, self reliant and resourceful to say the least! I think its a great way to grow up.
Yoga News
A couple of weekends ago I was teaching at Easton Yoga in Easton, PA and then at Journeyoga in Arlington, VA. If you’re ever in one of these areas please check these studios out. They’re wonderful yoga schools with great teachers. www.eastonyoga.com, www.journeyoga.com On Saturday, October 8th I’ll be teaching my Walking Yoga/Gait Therapy workshop at East Meets West Center in Vienna, VA. www.eastmeetswestcenter.com) Its a two hour workshop based on the principles of Sherry Brourman’s work (www.walkyourselfwell.com) If you know anyone interested in healing injuries and becoming more physically balanced, please send them my way.
Yogaearth has a new powdered coconut water out thats great. Here is the link to check it out:
http://www.yogaearth.com/shop/nourish/coconut-water-purity/?ap_id=jamieelmer
Other News
A friend of mine, Maria Gillespie, who I used to be in a modern dance company with in Los Angeles, is now taking on new Pilates clients. She has been teaching for years and years and I think one of the best teachers of any discipline I’ve known. I’ve copy and pasted her flier below. Please spread the word to anyone you know in the area.
with Maria Gillespie
Pilates Instructor, Dance Educator, Body Mechanics Specialist
13013 Montana Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90049 onidance@gmail.com 818.599.0425
My home studio is between 26th St. and Princeton with plenty of easy parking!
Private Pilates Sessions
are designed specifically for your own needs and personal goals. Maria guides and teaches her students to understand their bodies and facilitates change by offering nuanced focus on alignment, concentration, joint function, rehabilitation, and sports & dance conditioning.
Introductory Package or Refresh Rate
3 sessions – $210 ($70 per session)
Regular Rates
Single Private – $80, Series of 5 – $375 ($75 each), Series of 10 – $700 ($70 each)
Maria Gillespie holds a BFA in dance (SUNY Purchase) and an MFA in choreography (UCLA) and is the artistic director of Oni Dance. She was certified in Pilates and Dance Rehabilitation at Long Beach Dance Conditioning under the tutelage of master teacher and kinesiologist, Marie-Jose Blom Lawrence. Maria taught in fitness and pilates studios from 1989- 2000 (BUS, Spectrum, Rapid Rehab) and started her own in-home private practice in 2000. She has been teaching Pilates and Body Mechanics at UCLA since 2005. Maria brings to her practice a keen eye for movement, vivid imagery, gentle cuing, and specializes in postural analysis and injury rehabilitation.
Please visit and pass on our sites:
www.firstrayyoga.com – www.yogaforcruisers.com – www.jamieelmer.wordpress.com
Yoga for Cruisers DVDs out, Tropical Storm and a Personal Profile
Yoga for Cruisers DVDS available soon! Please send us an e-mail at info@yogaforcruisers.com to purchase the first series and we’ll get one out to you!
The world has been a happening place when it comes to weather this season. After the earthquake here in the Cheaspeake Bay area a couple of weeks ago, we had tropical storm Irene come through. We took the boat up the Severn river and anchored behind a little island in a bay called Little Round Bay. The weather was predicted to be very rainy, with a tidal surge in the Cheapeake along with gusts of wind up to 60 or 70 mph. We spent a day getting the boat ready for the wind and moving to a more protected area. I definitely had a pit in my stomach. The night before the storm hit it was beautiful and calm. We took B dog to the island so she could run around and we went swimming. It was the calm before the storm. Then, for the next day and a half we mostly stayed inside the boat as the rain poured and the wind howled. Everything was fine. A storm like that is much easier to handle when you have time to prepare and you’re in protected waters!
A few blogs ago, I mentioned that I was going to do some profiles of fellow cruisers that we’ve met. There are so many “boaters” of all kinds – power and sail. Some race, some own a boat they’ve been fixing up for decades in their front yard, some go out on the weekends, some live aboard and some people are “cruisers”. In this past year and nearly a half, from Maine to Key West and back to Maryland, we have met some really interesting people. People from all places and walks of life.
Here in Annapolis is the US Navel Academy. We see it every day from the boat. It often makes me think of a Veteran we met down in Key West named Tommy. Tommy lived aboard a Catalina 30 with his best friend. They had grown up together, hiked and biked huge distances together, and now are living aboard a sailboat together with plans to go to the Caribbean. I didn’t grown up in a military family. My dad and uncles had all served in Vietnam, and the veterans in my life were all at least my parent’s or grandparent’s age. I grew up going to arts high school and college. None of my friends have ever been in the service, and I still usually nievely and wrongly associate veterans with people that are old enough to be my parents. Not the case. I’m 33, Tobin is now 37, and Tommy was 36 when we met him a few months ago. A veteran from northern Florida. He had served 15 years and worked his way up in ranks. In Afghanistan, his plane was shot numerous times. The back end ripped off killing half his men on board. He landed it safely. He survived with some incredible wounds. Both his lower legs were shattered along with damage to his torso. He now has tons of metal and parts that have been used to piece back his legs. He has many, many scars, but you actually have to look for them to see them. You wouldn’t know how injured he was by how he walks or gets around. You certainly wouldn’t know it from his disposition. He’s positive and generous. But, he talked with Tobin about how it takes him 30 minutes of stretching and breathing to get out of bed in the morning before he can stand up. By the end of the day he’s in tons of pain. He had been released from the hospital before he could walk on his own and feels like he was released too early. Tommy received military benefits for only three months after he was released and then those ran out. 15 years of service, 36 years old with three kids, shattered legs, chronic pain and benefits that lasted three months…………seriously? Thats all he gets?
So, he’s now on a sailboat. Getting work where and when he can. Why a boat and why plans for the Caribbean? The climate and heat are what makes his body feel best. And, he’s fairly frustrated by this country.
Starting to meet more and more veterans my age and younger (!) is strange. Meeting ones who devoted their life, gave up their youth and now don’t have financial support, much less stability, is sickening.
You just never know who’s on the boat next to you. Everyone has a story. Never make assumptions about them.
On a practical note:
Our Yoga for Cruisers DVDs are going to be available very soon. Within the next couple of weeks. If you are a boater/cruiser or have one in your life, please be in touch and contact us at www.yogaforcruisers.con or info@yogaforcruisers.com. We’ll be selling the dvds via the mail and in person at first. Thanks for your support! We’ll also have a dvd coming out soon entitled “This is my practice”. Students often ask me what my yoga practice is like. Well this is it!
Also, in the coming 12 months I’ll be teaching in ten different states and teaching privates and workshops here, locally in Annapolis, MD. To view my yoga teaching schedule please visit www.firstrayyoga.com and on the right click on “schedule”.
PS
If you haven’t already seen it, please check out www.retreatyourselfwell.com Its a great site for yoga events that you can attend all over the country (and beyond) for a discounted amount for members.
Also, if you didn’t see it a few months ago, I have a couple of classes on line at www.yogavibes.com – go to the site and search for my name, Jamie Elmer. Thanks for practicing with me!
Tobin’s birthday, a power boat ride and the earthquake
This past weekend was Tobin’s birthday. We spent part of the day with our new friends Johnny and Kristie. Mid day a storm came through the area that left us with zero visibility. After an hour or so the clouds and fog lifted, we went out on their power boat and had a beautiful afternoon.
Our most recent on going project is the dodger on the boat. After our storm experience back in June we went for full protection and also a structure that could hold our solar panels on! Please keep your fingers crossed that hurricane Irene does not make it up to the Chesapeake and say a prayer for all those further south right now. Speaking of mother nature, we experienced an uncharacteristic earthquake here in Annapolis a couple of days ago. We were on the boat and all of a sudden our mast started shaking, things inside the boat started shaking, it felt as if we hit ground for a second with a thud, and then we had a few large rolling waves go by. Tobin and I ran up on deck and said the same thing – “that felt like an earthquake”. Then we both discussed the fact that there aren’t earthquakes in this area and that it couldn’t have been that! Sure enough, an earthquake. The world and mother nature is an ever changing place!
So, here are the pics of the week. This coming weekend I’ll be teaching at Easton Yoga in Easton, Pa. www.eastonyoga.com And again, if you’d like us to let you know when the Yoga for Cruisers DVD’s are available please send us an e-mail at info@yogaforcruiser.com
Tobin on his b day
Storm coming
Not so great visibility…..
An hour later – weather goes fast. I’m still so surprised by how weather can change so rapidly!
Our view of the navel academy here in Annapolis. They kindly wake us up each morning with their exercise routine going on over a loud speaker!
Kristie and Johnny on the boat
Up the river
Old house on the river
Sunset from the boat
Our dodger in pregress
Tobin at work
Me painting dodger – coat 1
Tobin taking a turn…….he’s much faster at stuff like this but convinces me that I should paint under there because I’m more flexible. Good point. I’ll let him take care of the grinding and sanding!
Yoga for Cruisers – what it is and how to spread the word!
I returned to Annapolis, MD and the boat from teaching in Los Angeles two days ago. It was a great trip on the west coast. To all of you I saw in class, thanks for coming out and showing up! I hope to see you again in early December when I return to teach in the L.A area.
In the coming months we’ll be focusing a lot of our attention on Yoga for Cruisers. Here’s what it is, where we’re going with it in the near future and how you can help.
As you know we live on a sailboat. We not only live on the boat but travel on the boat. So, it makes things like going to a yoga class consistently a bit more challenging! There are thousands of people all over the world that not only live on a boat part of the year, but also full time weather they stay in one spot or travel. Life aboard any kind of boat, sail or power, is much more demanding than living in a house, condo or apartment on land. In a nut shell, people on boats, either full or part time become much stronger and tighter in our upper bodies and weaker and tighter in our lower bodies because of how we have to move around a boat. In addition to this, many boaters/cruisers don’t have a lot of space for exercise, including yoga, on their boat. So, we’ve started Yoga for Cruisers.
In different cruising areas up and down the east coast we’ve filmed yoga sequences specifically designed for boaters, that we (boaters) can do on and off a boat. To begin, we’ll be releasing our first series which includes three different yoga practices/sequences. The practices in this first series are appropriate for all levels, most ages and even beginners. What we really like about the series is that they are very accessible, even if someone hasn’t done yoga before. Included at the end of each one of these videos is a dinghy tour, guided by Tobin, in three different popular areas to cruise on the east coast. In his dinghy tour he not only shows good places to anchor or dock, but also where to get the best fuel prices, good restaurants nearby and interesting facts about the area.
Often times, wherever I teach in the country, I have people say similar comments about yoga. For starters, many people, before meeting us, have said that they thought yoga people were “weird”(!), and also, more often than not, people think yoga isn’t for them because they aren’t flexible, they have back issues, etc. These are the reasons to do yoga! Cruisers and boaters are the perfect candidates for gaining the benefits of yoga. Yoga is balancing, healing, strengthening and opening for the body.
So, to move forward in the near future, we’ll be spreading the word and selling our first series of Yoga for Cruisers DVDs by word of mouth. If you know friends or family that live on a boat, go out for a day or a weekend of boating here or there, send them to our site or consider the Yoga for Cruisers series 1 for them as a gift. We appreciate your support and your help in spreading the word. If you’d like to be on our Yoga for Cruisers e-mail list please let me know by sending an e-mail to info@yogaforcruisers.com We’ll send you an e-mail when the first series is available and in the future when we have more media.
And, as many of you know we’ll be in Annapolis, MD for a while longer – maybe a year or more is the current plan. I’m seeing privates here in the area if you would like to connect any friends or family with yoga. (cruisers or non – cruisers!)
In the coming months I’ll be teaching at Easton Yoga, Easton, PA (www.eastonyoga.com), Journeyoga, Arlington, VA (www.journeyoga.net) and at East Meets West Center, Vienna, VA (www.eastmeatswestcenter.com) Please check the studio’s on line schedule for details. For my complete travel/teaching schedule, please visit www.firstrayyoga.com
Currently, the media we have for sale is my Yoga for Beginners DVD, A new (recorded in January) yoga audio class, and soon in addition to the Yoga for Cruisers series 1 I’ll be filming the first DVD in a series called This is My Practice. Often students ask me how I practice yoga, what I do when I practice on my own. This new DVD will be my practice – what I do and how I do it. I’ll let you know when its available.
The pictures below are a few from our time in Annapolis – Proof that it was really as hot as 120 outside a few weeks ago (only 94 inside the boat!), Tobin playing around in a Force 5, our view from the boat and a funny picture that I saw in town.
PS. If you’re interested in having more of the boat theme in your life, check out these bags from Yogaearth – http://apps.facebook.com/yogaearth-specials/jamieelmer
www.yogaearth.com
Jamie Elmer
