“Every life has a moment where sweat meets fate." ~ Sugarland lyrics
Hello friends near and far,
Today is Beltane Day depicted in Celtic Lore as the sun god or Fire of Bel. It marks the midpoint in the suns progress between the spring equinox and summer solstice.
The winter months found me moving inward, staying close to home and enjoying the beauty of the desert which has now burst into being with a rainbow of wildflowers. As the desert expands itself I feel the urge to expand as well…
Mid March I journeyed across the ocean to Europe for my fourth teaching visit in Switzerland. So honored to be invited back again and to spend quality time with my soul sister Jessica! Everyday we took long countryside walks in the crisp clean air delighting in the first signs of spring; budding branches of blush pink overhead while deep purple and sunshine yellow crocus bloom under our feet.
On my final day in Pragnins , I awoke to a fuchsia sky rising above the dusk of dawn over the Swiss Alps. I opened the French doors and drank in the refreshing brisk of the early morning vital force while chirping birds stirred in their tree beds heralding in the majestic promise of a new day.
The new day was to continue on to London for a few days; to teach, meet up with new and old friends and take in the sights of this fabulous city for the first time! Special thanks go out to Lisa Sanfilippo and the Anusara community for hosting my class. I so enjoyed meeting every one of you! A big shout out goes to my new friends Margherita Dal Pra and Graham Burns from Para Yoga. I love the interconnectedness and intersection where the paths meet and kiss in sweet remembrance. Thank you all for your heartfelt welcomes! I can’t wait to return.
We called it “Lowri and Mary’s Big Day Out.” My dear, dear friend Lowri, a native of London decided to show me some of her favorite spots on a Saturday. We traipsed the city beginning at Borough Market in the morning. One blogger coined it the best farmers market in the universe. I am inclined to agree. It is located across the Thames between Waterloo and London Bridge. The Real Food market sprawls around mazy streets and walkways for blocks on end, showcasing local produce, artisan bakers and much, much more. At Lowri’s favorite coffee house I savored the most decadent, sweet cream truffle I have ever had !
Every sense alive we made our way across the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern Museum where all I can say is; if you have the chance to go, venture into the big metal box of darkness. You can’t miss it and it is a very interesting perceptual experience where you become an extension of the Art.
Next on the agenda was Portobello Road. Located in West London, it stretches for about two-miles right through the heart of Nottingham Hill. On Saturday’s this legendary street is host to a bevy of antique, fashion market and fruit and vegetable stalls. It is a superb place for shopping, people watching and listening to the amazing street musicians. A fabulous dinner and a train, tube and double decker bus later we are home. I leave the next day.
As I am writing this it is a gorgeous, blue-sky day. I am surrounded by rolling hills of green as I sit in the empty amphitheater in Concorde, CA. just outside of San Francisco. I love my life! “Every life has a moment where sweat meets fate.” These are lyrics from Wide Open, written for the winter Olympics by Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland. Check out the video by clicking here - http://www.youtube.com
In just a few hours they will be on this stage sharing their immense talent with thousands of fans eager to see the new show aptly entitled “The Incredible Machine.”
Four years ago I met Jennifer in Tulum, Mexico, at a yoga retreat led by Yogarupa, Rod Stryker. I didn’t know who she was at the time but we struck up a friendship and when her band came through Phoenix that year she invited me to their concert where I taught them yoga before the show. As Kristian came out of savasana (final relaxation) he had a yoga induced smile on his face and asked me if I wanted to live on a bus! An idea was born, dedication and sweat meet fate and here I am; hundreds of concerts and years later basking in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun of Northern California.
Last weekend we were in Santa Barbara where we practiced restorative yoga at the beach on a grassy stretch. Next time you’re outdoors try Viparita Karani (legs up the wall) against a tree! It is pretty spectacular to connect with nature in this way.
Speaking of Nature… In Wide Open Olympic Spirit where sweat meets fate, my destiny is leading me to Whistler, B.C. July 3-9 in association with Arizona Outback Adventures. During this adventure retreat we will explore the natural beauty of Whistler and the Coastal Mountain Range in Southwestern British Columbia. The region is home to a verdant coastal rainforest and a towering mountain range that is dominated by some of the largest glaciers in North America. Here we will practice yoga and explore this incredible landscape, hiking the alpine ridgelines, cycling through the flourishing forest past spring fed lakes and reaching aquamarine colored lakes resting at the bottom of looming glaciers above. Relax in the comforts of the Legends Lodge set at the base of Whistler Mountain with world-class scenery just outside our doorstep.
I would love to have you join me for this year’s spectacular offering that will stretch your mind and body and nourish your soul for many months to come. All levels of experience are welcome. Please check my website to download the flier with full itinerary and details on how to register - www.marybruce.com
Check out the sidebar for other upcoming events this summer and early fall. Please be sure to save the date September 17-19 for a special presentation of Living Tantra with Pandit Rajmani. Phoenix is one of only eleven destinations to receive these sacred and potent teachings. www.livingtantra.com
Even though I am traveling intermittently throughout the summer I will still maintain a local teaching schedule as well as be available for private sessions and workshops.
My heart is filled with gratitude for yoga and the students, teachers and mentors along the way that have nurtured me beyond my comfort zone; to grow into my own greatness and to understand as Marianne Williamson says, "your playing small does not serve the world." It is our light and our own power that most frighten us yet each one of us has a unique gift and talent to share with the universe. As I watch Sugarland grow and expand over the years, each time reaching new heights, I realize that there is no end to the creative expansion that lives within each one of us and I dare to stretch a little farther and let my own light shine. Thank you one and all for being a beacon of light in my life.
I hope you are thriving and loving life as much as I am. See you soon!
Living wide open and from love,
Mary
Hello friends near and far,
Today is Beltane Day depicted in Celtic Lore as the sun god or Fire of Bel. It marks the midpoint in the suns progress between the spring equinox and summer solstice.
The winter months found me moving inward, staying close to home and enjoying the beauty of the desert which has now burst into being with a rainbow of wildflowers. As the desert expands itself I feel the urge to expand as well…
Mid March I journeyed across the ocean to Europe for my fourth teaching visit in Switzerland. So honored to be invited back again and to spend quality time with my soul sister Jessica! Everyday we took long countryside walks in the crisp clean air delighting in the first signs of spring; budding branches of blush pink overhead while deep purple and sunshine yellow crocus bloom under our feet.
On my final day in Pragnins , I awoke to a fuchsia sky rising above the dusk of dawn over the Swiss Alps. I opened the French doors and drank in the refreshing brisk of the early morning vital force while chirping birds stirred in their tree beds heralding in the majestic promise of a new day.
The new day was to continue on to London for a few days; to teach, meet up with new and old friends and take in the sights of this fabulous city for the first time! Special thanks go out to Lisa Sanfilippo and the Anusara community for hosting my class. I so enjoyed meeting every one of you! A big shout out goes to my new friends Margherita Dal Pra and Graham Burns from Para Yoga. I love the interconnectedness and intersection where the paths meet and kiss in sweet remembrance. Thank you all for your heartfelt welcomes! I can’t wait to return.
We called it “Lowri and Mary’s Big Day Out.” My dear, dear friend Lowri, a native of London decided to show me some of her favorite spots on a Saturday. We traipsed the city beginning at Borough Market in the morning. One blogger coined it the best farmers market in the universe. I am inclined to agree. It is located across the Thames between Waterloo and London Bridge. The Real Food market sprawls around mazy streets and walkways for blocks on end, showcasing local produce, artisan bakers and much, much more. At Lowri’s favorite coffee house I savored the most decadent, sweet cream truffle I have ever had !
Every sense alive we made our way across the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern Museum where all I can say is; if you have the chance to go, venture into the big metal box of darkness. You can’t miss it and it is a very interesting perceptual experience where you become an extension of the Art.
Next on the agenda was Portobello Road. Located in West London, it stretches for about two-miles right through the heart of Nottingham Hill. On Saturday’s this legendary street is host to a bevy of antique, fashion market and fruit and vegetable stalls. It is a superb place for shopping, people watching and listening to the amazing street musicians. A fabulous dinner and a train, tube and double decker bus later we are home. I leave the next day.
As I am writing this it is a gorgeous, blue-sky day. I am surrounded by rolling hills of green as I sit in the empty amphitheater in Concorde, CA. just outside of San Francisco. I love my life! “Every life has a moment where sweat meets fate.” These are lyrics from Wide Open, written for the winter Olympics by Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland. Check out the video by clicking here - http://www.youtube.com
In just a few hours they will be on this stage sharing their immense talent with thousands of fans eager to see the new show aptly entitled “The Incredible Machine.”
Four years ago I met Jennifer in Tulum, Mexico, at a yoga retreat led by Yogarupa, Rod Stryker. I didn’t know who she was at the time but we struck up a friendship and when her band came through Phoenix that year she invited me to their concert where I taught them yoga before the show. As Kristian came out of savasana (final relaxation) he had a yoga induced smile on his face and asked me if I wanted to live on a bus! An idea was born, dedication and sweat meet fate and here I am; hundreds of concerts and years later basking in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun of Northern California.
Last weekend we were in Santa Barbara where we practiced restorative yoga at the beach on a grassy stretch. Next time you’re outdoors try Viparita Karani (legs up the wall) against a tree! It is pretty spectacular to connect with nature in this way.
Speaking of Nature… In Wide Open Olympic Spirit where sweat meets fate, my destiny is leading me to Whistler, B.C. July 3-9 in association with Arizona Outback Adventures. During this adventure retreat we will explore the natural beauty of Whistler and the Coastal Mountain Range in Southwestern British Columbia. The region is home to a verdant coastal rainforest and a towering mountain range that is dominated by some of the largest glaciers in North America. Here we will practice yoga and explore this incredible landscape, hiking the alpine ridgelines, cycling through the flourishing forest past spring fed lakes and reaching aquamarine colored lakes resting at the bottom of looming glaciers above. Relax in the comforts of the Legends Lodge set at the base of Whistler Mountain with world-class scenery just outside our doorstep.
I would love to have you join me for this year’s spectacular offering that will stretch your mind and body and nourish your soul for many months to come. All levels of experience are welcome. Please check my website to download the flier with full itinerary and details on how to register - www.marybruce.com
Check out the sidebar for other upcoming events this summer and early fall. Please be sure to save the date September 17-19 for a special presentation of Living Tantra with Pandit Rajmani. Phoenix is one of only eleven destinations to receive these sacred and potent teachings. www.livingtantra.com
Even though I am traveling intermittently throughout the summer I will still maintain a local teaching schedule as well as be available for private sessions and workshops.
My heart is filled with gratitude for yoga and the students, teachers and mentors along the way that have nurtured me beyond my comfort zone; to grow into my own greatness and to understand as Marianne Williamson says, "your playing small does not serve the world." It is our light and our own power that most frighten us yet each one of us has a unique gift and talent to share with the universe. As I watch Sugarland grow and expand over the years, each time reaching new heights, I realize that there is no end to the creative expansion that lives within each one of us and I dare to stretch a little farther and let my own light shine. Thank you one and all for being a beacon of light in my life.
I hope you are thriving and loving life as much as I am. See you soon!
Living wide open and from love,
Mary
