Meet SDY Teacher Jillian Clark

Meet Jillian Corwin Clark, one of our fantastic teachers who was born and raised here in Folsom! Jillian’s top 5 favorite things about Folsom are: gorgeous bike trails, its growing diversity, its close proximity to Tahoe and the beach, its historical value and its family friendly environment. Jillian has been married to her husband, Danny, since 2012 though he was her childhood sweetheart as they first met in Kindergarten. They have a 3-year-old daughter named Halle and value family, community and love above all else. You’ll often find them riding bikes, doing house projects, playing in Tahoe and building Legos and forts. They describe themselves as simple and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Aside from yoga, Jillian’s hobbies include DIY home improvement, interior design, photography, reading, quality journalism and watching Netflix. She has been skydiving over the Swiss Alps, lived in London for a short time and attended college there, danced pre-professional ballet throughout most of her childhood/early adulthood and used to live 2 doors down from Nick and Katie.

Jillian has been practicing at SDY for over 2 years and is most inspired about teaching at SDY because of the students. Through her yoga practice, Jillian has discovered that she often worries too much about what people think, which gets in the way of her authenticity. She has realized that she has so much potential to connect with others and really shine when she is truly being herself. Jillian feels most grounded and present when she moves her body and breath simultaneously. She was a dancer many years ago, and yoga is the next best vehicle through which she feels present and alive.

Jillian loves SDY and calls it home because of the community and fun! She thanks each and every one of you for giving her the freedom to be herself and lead from her heart! Join Jillian for “Learn Yoga” starting Tuesday 8/15!

We love Jillian for her dedication to creating community at SDY! Her passion for teaching inspires us to share this yoga practice with as many people as possible!

She Loves YOGA….

Meet Emily B Kendall! Emily, or Em for short, is originally from Boulder Creek and currently lives in Orangevale with her husband, Jesse, and their two rescued Thai Ridgeback mix pups. Lisa rescued Em and Jesse in 2010 and is the pride of their family. She is mixed with a “Carolina Dog,” an avid hunter and actually works for Jesse in his handyman business (when a client has rodent problems)! After moving out of the bay area in 2015, they began looking for a second “Carolina Dog” but didn’t find one. After posting a video of Lisa last October, a ridgeback-mix who looks a little like Lisa found them! Ginny-bean is now the family’s baby…a cuddle bug and full of mischief! Nothing says love like 65 pounds climbing up on you while you sit on the couch.

Emily loves gardening, birding, hiking, paddling (anything that floats), road cycling, running and dog training! Emily has a degree in Applied Mathematics and climbed the corporate ladder (starting as a Marketing Associate and now a Senior Director) in less than 10 years. Emily had no problem eating chicken when they had a pet chicken but after her death she gave up meat. She back packed around Europe when she was 17 and has climbed Half Dome 5 times (once in the moonlight).

Emily and Jesse moved here almost 2 years ago and with only one local friend, plus working from home it could have been a very lonely transition. But Emily met so many amazing people and immediately felt welcomed the moment she walked into Spotted Dog Yoga! Emily’s yoga practice has brought her the awareness that she is not easy on herself and has helped her be ok with andcreate space for ease within her mind and body. With her full time job, early morning and evening classes work best for her schedule. Emily loves practicing in the early morning because it sets the tone for her day. She stays consistent in her yoga practice by looking honestly at her schedule and penciling in practices. Emily knows that when she is feeling “off” it’s because she hasn’t been practicing regularly. When she gets cranky, her husband even asks her if there is a yoga class she can go to…a lot of us can relate to this!

Emily completed “Light Up! Teacher Empowerment Program” at SDY this past February and began teaching her very own classes in March! Emily will tell you that, “If you are even considering the program, you are ready now.” DO IT! You won’t regret it! You will grow in unexpected ways beyond your yoga practice. If you feel stuck in any aspect of your life, Emily can’t recommend this program enough!

We are SO glad that Emily found SDY and is now such an integral part of our team and community! Thank you for all you do!

Africa Yoga Project. Handstands, Hugs and Happiness Tour at Spotted Dog Yoga

Join us for a very special evening as we host TWO teachers from the Africa Yoga Project at Spotted Dog Yoga! Admission to this class is $20 and goes directly to support the Africa Yoga Project! A VERY BIG thank you to Baptiste Yoga and Baptiste Yoga San Francisco for making this possible for our community!

Africa Yoga Project at Spotted Dog Yoga in Folsom, Ca

Hugs, Handstands and Happiness Tour at Spotted Dog Yoga in Folsom, Ca.

Hugs. Handstands. Happiness. We can not think of three other words that describe walking into to the Africa Yoga Project Shine Center, the community based yoga center where hundreds of people practice yoga weekly. in Nairobi, Kenya.

We are very excited to bring the contagious energy, enthusiasm and effectiveness of AYP to Spotted Dog Yoga in Folsom, California.

The Africa Yoga Project  (AYP) transforms the lives of disadvantaged young people through expanding employment in the growing health and wellbeing sector, turning forgotten members of society into role models and community leaders. Drawn from ethnic and regional backgrounds from across Kenya and raised in the informal settlements of Nairobi, AYP teachers reach as many as 6,000 people per week through free outreach classes, and bring positive and transformative messages to communities!

DONATE MONEY TO PURCHASE TICKETS*

*Please put the name(s) of attendees in the comment bar to reserve your spot!

Beyond the Noise

In the world today it isn’t that often that we find the time to slow down, unplug, and connect.  As a society, we are constantly overstimulated by external noise, leaving little time to actually hear what’s going on inside. Your yoga practice is meant to provide you the space to connect and listen, not to be just another form of distraction.

Spotted Dog Yoga was created as a special space for you to re-connect to yourself and to build relationships with other people in this amazing community. The culture here reflects the experiences that Katie and I have had on our yoga mats and in our lives over the last 6 years. When we first started our journey with yoga, we only taught and practiced with music. After years of playing music in all of my classes, I had a breakthrough and observed that I was using the noise of the music as a way to hide from my students. My biggest concern was my music, not connecting with others, and I was spending more time putting together playlists than working on myself. Yoga teachers and practitioners alike can easily use the practice of yoga as just another way to distract themselves and disconnect. Sometimes we do this without awareness as a result of an internal fear that we might feel or discover something about ourselves that we’ve been trying to hide.

Through our training with the Baptiste Institute and our commitment to this practice at Spotted Dog Yoga, Katie and I discovered where we had previously been hiding as teachers and have taken on a new way of teaching and being. It was a big shift for me personally to stop playing music in my classes and simply hold space for myself and others. Since we made this shift, however, I have found more peace within myself, gained confidence in who I am, and developed real connections with others. I am no longer hiding behind the noise and I invite you to do the same. It is possible for all of us to gain insight into who we are simply by giving ourselves the space to listen.

When you roll out your yoga mat at Spotted Dog Yoga, you invite the possibility of big breakthroughs simply by creating the time to be present and listen. Below, discover three reasons why the majority of classes at Spotted Dog Yoga are taught without music.

1. Your Practice is a Moving Meditation.  Gaining access to the present moment can be as simple as listening to your breath and focusing your eyes. However, simple doesn’t mean easy. Your yoga practice will constantly push you to your limits and test your ability to remain present and calm throughout a class. Practicing in a noise free space allows us to actually hear our breath, which also helps with our practice of drishti (focused gaze). Your breath and drishti throughout a practice will help you build mental fortitude and create awareness around the distractions you create for yourself on the mat.
2. Observe Your Thoughts. When we take out external noise and distraction, we are able to notice our internal dialogue. Once you have created awareness around your thoughts and reactions, YOU have the ability to choose whether they are serving you or not. This new-found awareness creates the possibility of shift in your thoughts and in your life! How you do anything is how you do everything…your yoga practice will give you direct insight into how you are being and where you can grow.
3. Cultivate Connection. When music is played during a yoga practice, it can very easily be an “out” for us so that we don’t have to feel what is coming up. Our style of teaching  at Spotted Dog Yoga causes us, both as teacher and practitioner, to do the work necessary to create shift on and off the mat because there is nowhere to hide. Through this practice, you will gain a deeper understanding of who you are and what you stand for so that you can share yourself more powerfully with others. Your ability to create authentic connections with others requires that you first understand yourself in a real way.

Looking forward to seeing you at “The Dog!”

Nick

 

 

Spotted Dog Yoga has a lot of great workshops coming up this summer! Click Here to learn more about what is going on at SDY! 

Want to stay more connected with your community? Join our Spotted Dog Yoga community Facebook page by clicking here!

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond The Numbers Year #2

Last Wednesday Nick and Katie were guests on Beyond The Numbers radio show with host Rick Fergerson. If you happened to miss the broadcast, here is a link to enjoy the show:

https://filetransfer.salem.cc/message/bdsDuCJJTS73FGSUbqdGbb

Share your comments below!

A BIG Spotted Dog Thank You to Rick Fergerson with Fergerson Financial!