Mettafy with Melanie Foust, LMP

AcroGratitude to my Eastside Crew...

2012-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Eastside AcroLoves,

Over the past 4 years it has been my joy to share AcroYoga with you in Issaquah and Redmond. (Anyone remember that fantastic Thai dinner we had on the boardwalk in Gilman Village during the summer?). It has been an incredibly loving and fun time, but I find it is time to move on. Find me in Seattle, where I teach at Kula Movement on Sunday nights and sometimes at Sutra, or on the fly...literally!...as I change my course in this wild and wonderful world adventure...

Special thank you to my teachers and friends: Lux, Jenny and Jason and our AcroYoga family, Tim and Gina Sala at Samadhi Yoga, Troy Lucero, Shiva Rea and my entire Prana Flow tribe worldwide (especially my mountain honey-shakti sister Kelly Doyle and graphic design maverick Scott Saltsman), Robin Clements in Baja, Jean and Mark at Village Green Yoga, Anna at Flow Yoga Redmond, Om Culture, Steve Gold Music, Heather at the RAC, Jennifer Hill, and Monica Mesa at Yoga for the Peaceful for believing me and giving me many opportunities to share my love for this practice in many wonderful forms. I look forward to sharing more with you in the ever-playing flow!

Onward and Upward!

AcroLove All Ways,
Melanie

Next Touchdown:
Baja, MX in April

Get Your Thai On in Ballard!

2012-01-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right! East-meets-Ballard! Don't have time for a trip to Thailand? Come on over to Ballard Health Center where I am happy to announce that I am now offering Thai Yoga Massage and Reflexology sessions in our beautiful, sunlit yoga space. Appointments are available Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call clinic reception at (206) 783-0404 to book your session. Visit www.ballardhealthcenter.com for more information.

Please Note: The clinic is extremely busy on Thursday evenings. Thai Yoga Massage may be the only service available during my shift!

Existing Mettafy clients: I am happy to arrange your session for you at either location. My home studio is still available for bookings.

Payments & Fees:
Cash (no insurance): $75/60 min. & $110/90 min. Sessions include complimentary 15 minute soak in the whirlpool if desired. Packages are available.
1st time cash paying clients: Receive $10 off.
Appointments scheduled before 2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays: $15 discount (mention the early-bird special when booking)
.
At Ballard Health Center, I am a provider on many health insurance plans including Regence BlueShield, Premera, Aetna, Uniform, Cigna, First Choice Health, PIP/Auto Accidents, and L & I. A co-payment may apply depending on your plan. Please fax your prescription to (206) 782-8955.

Move Into Manifestion: New Year's Sadhana

2011-12-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

Ignite your new year with Agni Namaskar, an ritual Prana Flow Energetic Vinyasa practice devoted to agni or "sacred fire." Agni is the sacred fire that activates your core, illuminates your being, and eliminates toxins. When you align your whole being with this inner fire, your are connecting to your own source of power and passion for life. You cultivate the ability to surf the waves that come your way.

This 1.5 hour hatha vinyasa practice will include movement, breath techniques, and meditation practices to help you engage your inner fire. Variations and modifications will be offered for beginners through advanced practitioners.

Dedicate your year to your personal evolution! What do you want to manifest?

When: Thursday, January 26th, 6-7:30 p.m.
Cost: $20

Location: 1138 NW Market St, Ballard.
The studio is located inside Ballard Health Center and Wellness Spa, right next to KFC. (Look for the neon sign that says "Limp in, Leap Out." Enter the lobby and head up the stairs to find the yoga studio and check in for class.
Complimentary tea, water, showers, mats, and props available. Plentiful free lot/street parking is available.

"Life is change, learn to surf."

New Year's Day Meditation Gathering

2011-12-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays, Friends!

Radiate into 2012 with a New Year's Day Meditation class! We will have a guided meditation practice and basic meditation skills will be shared that will help anyone thrive at meditating, whether new or renewing their practice. Cheeers!

When: Sunday, January 1st, 2012, Noon - 1 p.m.
Where: SeaLight Yoga studio space in Ballard Health Center & Wellness Spa, 1138 NW Market St.
Cost: No cost, but a $5 donation for the space is greatly appreciated

Radiance Sutras Workshop at Sutra Yoga, November 12th, 2-4pm

2011-10-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Wondering what meditation is or how to create your own daily practice? Whether you are new to meditating or desire to vivify what you already practice, this workshop will enliven your awareness and delight your senses. Join us for a delightful introduction to the nectar at the heart of meditation and one of the most loving, magical, and utterly practical yoga books ever: the Radiance Sutras by beloved mediation teacher and author Lorin Roche, PhD.
Lorin has been working with the ancient text known as the Vijana Bhairava Tantra for over 40 years and the book the Radiance Sutras is his fresh, original translation and interpretation of this text. In its 112 sutras, it describes many of the world's meditation techniques. We will explore the teachings found in the text and our own natural, instinctual meditations. All of the methods are practical ways of opening to the sacred and awakening to the pulsating currents of innate wisdom that are always present within and in everyday life. These currents are the flows of inner asanas that we practice when we meditate.

Come fall in love with the Radiance Sutras while we enjoy different forms of practice, including eating delicious treats such as chocolates and fruits and listening to the sound currents of live music! You can simply come and enjoy the workshop or purchase the text beforehand and start diving in. If you are familiar with the text, feel free to bring your favorite sutra to share with everyone.

"What is this delight-filled universe

Into which we find ourselves born?

What is this mysterious awareness

Shimmering everywhere within it?"

-from the Radiance Sutras

When:
Saturday, November 12th, 2-4pm.

Where:
Sutra Yoga Seattle
1605 N 45th St, Seattle WA

Cost:
$20 for workshop only
$40 for workshop + your own copy of the Radiance Sutras

Register at www.sutrayogaseattle.com under workshops. You can also contact Sutra Yoga at (206) 729-9642. Note that you can only pay for the workshop + book through the online store but you are welcome to RSVP for the workshop only.

To get your copy of the book before the workshop, please contact Melanie directly at melanie.foust@gmail.com or (206) 619-9330.

Fall Equinox & Global Mala Celebration

2011-09-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

"Let your love flow like water so that it cleanses the earth."

Sai Baba

Please join me and Cosetta Romani on September 23rd, 7:30-9:30pm, at Sutra Yoga Seattle for a celebration of the Fall Equinox. We will combine our Prana Flow teaching offerings and create an evening of ritual, fluid yoga and dance movements, sacred service, and community. Feel free to bring a mat and blanket and come prepared to sweat, pray, and play.

This is a donation based event. Proceeds will be donated to the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, a local organization dedicated to protecting the Puget Sound waters. By participating in this event, you have a direct impact on the health of the waters that surround you. Find out more at http://www.pugetsoundkeeper.org/

As we move in the fluid forms of our bodies, we attune to our inner water nature and connect to the essential element present in all life. The rivers of prana that flow through us as we experience the fluid movements with our bodies will evolve into the dance that awaken and revitalize us.

This event is in synchronization with the Global Mala for Peace Project, a collective of global events happening simultaneously around every year at the Fall Equinox that was catalyzed by our teacher, Shiva Rea, in 2007. We are honored to share this inspiration of yoga as activism for change, bringing more peace and well being into the world through our actions. We hope you will pledge your support as a Soundkeeper now!

Details:

Friday, September 23rd, 7:30-9:30pm

Minimum suggested donation: $25 (cash/check preferred)

Sutra Yoga Seattle, 1605 N 45th St (Wallingford)

http://www.sutrayoga.com/

Please call Sutra Yoga Seattle at (206) 729-9642 to reserve your space and Melanie at (206) 619-9330 if you have specific questions about the event.

Cosetta Romani is a fellow Prana Flow instructor with many beautiful offerings. Find out more about her at www.puravitayoga.com

Wanderlust Yoga in the City created with smartwater

2011-08-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

Come play in the park at Seattle Center this Thursday, August 4th 5-8:30pm as the Wanderlust Festival crew brings yoga, music, and community together under the sunny summer sky. I will be hosting an AcroYoga jam space. Look for our flying feet!

This is a free event to all, but please register online to save yourself a few minutes "at the door."

New Wednesday Prana Flow Class in Ballard!

2011-06-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

A hidden gem can be found upstairs at the Ballard Health & Wellness Center: a beautiful yoga studio with high, skylit ceilings and open windows. Enjoy your midweek rejuvenation practice here!

Class is 5:30-6:45pm. $15 to drop in. Just enter the clinic & head upstairs. Studio is at the top!

Location:
Ballard Health Center & Wellness Spa
1138 NW Market St
Seattle WA 98107
(next to KFC. Lots of street parking nearby).

1st Annual NW Yoga Fest

2011-06-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

Come play in the beautiful Pacific Northwest outdoors! The 1st Annual NW YogaFest the Eureka Center in northern Idaho is happening August 5-7th, 2011. This will be a rejuvenating, magical weeked of camping, sunshine, and community in an idyllic Northwest setting surrounded by trees and crystal clear glacial lakes. See http://www.eurekacenter.com/ for details and to learn more about the wonderful teachers that will be hosting classes, including my local AcroYoga sisters Jill Baumgardener & Angela DiMario of Kula Movement in Ballard, my Prana Flow sister Cosetta Romani, and our friends Colin Patterson & Amber Tande of Sutra. Hope you can join us for this magical weekend of fun and play!

When: August 5, 6, & 7, 2011

Cost: Early Bird $150 by 6/15 or $175 after. Includes all yoga classes and events, 6 meals, and camping.

(208) 263-2217

info@eurekacenter.com

Redmond AcroYoga Moves to the RAC!

2011-05-31T06:57:00.001-07:00

The Redmond AcroYoga class will be held at the Redmond Athletic Club starting June 8th! Wednesday nights, 7:35-9pm. $10 or free to RAC members. All levels. No prior experience necessary.

No class this week as I am away in LA! Looking forward to playing new week in our new, larger space.

Wishing Flow Yoga Redmond the best as it moves to the new location! So blessed to be a part of this friendly, fun community of yoigs!

Daryel Women's Wellness Center

2011-04-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

"Thank You" is the first word I learned in Somali. It was Sunday morning and I have arrived to provide four hour of massge at Daryel, a Somali women's wellness clinic in Seattle. My massage table was set up in a corner of the meeting room of a retirement center. The other clinic volunteers and I had hung sheets from the ceiling in order to create individual "rooms." The heat had not been turned on early enough and the room was still cold. I was glad I'd thought to bring my table warmer. I led my first client through the partition in the sheet. She was in her 40s and wore brightly colored, traditional Somali dress. She delighted in the scented oils I had brought and chose her favorites. "Thank you," she greeted me. After briefly pointing to her shoulders and hips, where she had the most pain, she climbed on the table. As soon as I laid my hands on her, she murmured a sigh of soft quick words, "thank you, thank you, thank you." Throughout our 30 minute session, she directed me to move on to the next spot she wanted worked by pointing or pulling my wrists to get more pressure. I was also also directed by a constant stream of thank yous. She wanted the deepest pressure I could give her. While I normally use my elbows for such deep work, I learned that she wanted me to use only the palms of my hands. From the way she guided every movement of mine, I felt like she was actually teaching me her culture's way hands on healing. I complied, adjusting my body to apply my full weight while doing the best I could to keep my joints from being injured. Wherever I could, I to her other techniques miming. She agreed to let me try them. When she liked something, she whispered, "thank you." At one point she started calling me "Ma." Ma, Ma, Ma. Thank you, thank you, thank you. She was especially interested in anything that would lengthen her neck, which was quite regal. Her adornments, a pair of long earrings and a multiple-stranded necklace, highlighted this feature. This lengthening she wanted around her upper shoulders and chest was about something important, a deep beauty that she wanted to free. I learned that all of my clients that day would demand the same opening. I guessed they were all trying to unlock voices and hearts that had been silenced too long. As Bria, the clinic director, brought me hot, milky tea and invited me to take a break, I sat in a circle with some women who were holding space for the group that was offering noon prayers while others chatted over their tea. Later on, there would be a yoga teacher arriving to teach a class. A few weeks later, the Somali women gave a luncheon for all the volunteers. They served traditional Somali dishes and gave all of the American women pashmina shawls and taught us how to wear them. We sat in a large circle and introduced ourselves. Everyone expressed their great gratitude for Daryel and shared stories. When it was my turn, I asked them to tell me the Somali word for "thank you." They answered, "Mahadsanid!" Daryel, the Somali women's wellness clinic I volunteer my massage services for, opens every Sunday for four hours. Women come for 30 minute appointments, to socialize with the other Somali women, learn about self-care and wellness, drink tea, pray, and practice yoga. Volunteering here has transformed my life, deepened my connection to the world, illuminated my heart, and provides great healing. The Seattle Times published an article about Daryel on April 11th, 2011. The great significance of a program is evidenced by the fact that the paper chose to run it on the front page. Read the article here: www.seattletimes.com/nwsource.com/html/health/2014740317_somaliyoga11.html Mahadsanid!

Last Class at Om Culture this Week!

2011-04-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

The wacky spring weather is here, but the second the sun appears all the Seattle AcroYogis rush outside to play! Outdoor jams are already happening at Gasworks park and stay tuned for a new outdoor, all levels AcroYoga class starting soon! We hope us tonight for the last indoor all levels drop-in class at Om Culture and keep your fingers crossed for sunny weather in the weeks ahead. We'll be in the park playing as long as the ground is dry! Thank you to Michael Suzzeris for continuing to host the Tuesday night open jam at Om Culture. If you are looking for classes, there are plenty of opportunties to study this amazingly dynamic and fun practice with the city's finest instructors. Check out Dynamic AcroYoga & Thai, Fly & Dessert on Sundays at Kula Movement, Lux's Intermediate Series focusing on acrobatic transitions (pre-registration by approval only), and AcroYoga on the eastside at Flow Yoga Redmond on Wednesdays. Also, visit the Seattle Acro + Yoga page on Facebook for up to the second info on jams, classes, and workshops ;-) COME PLAY!

Spring in AcroLova at Sutra

2011-04-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

Come play at Sutra on May 7th, 4-6pm. We will be exploring the unique interplay between the elements of AcroYoga in this all-levels workshop. Learn the FUNdamentals of this joyful, liberating practice that includes dynamic and therapeutic flying and Thai Yoga Massage techniques. Come solo or bring a friend. Beginners & drop-ins welcome. $20. Registration open soon at www.sutrayogaseattle.com!

Shiva Rea & Dave Stringer In Seattle this Weekend!

2011-04-07T10:59:00.001-07:00

Fire up & renew your practice! Shiva Rea is in Seattle this weekend offering her Embodying the Flow yoga teacher training module and an open level workshop for anyone that is interested in diving deeper in the flow of living yoga. If you're looking to transform your practice or anything in your life, these opportunities have much to offer. There are only a few spots left in the teacher training, so register now! Yoga Trance Dance has also been added for Friday evening, April 8th, 7:30-9:30pm and Dave Stringer and band will be giving a kirtan at Shakti Vinyasa on Saturday evening, April 9th, at 7:30pm. Join us!

Guest Teachers & Kerala Adventure!

2011-03-01T04:57:00.000-08:00

Namaskaram Y'all!

In a few hours I'll be in a plane headed for magical southern India! I will be joining Shiva Rea and the tribe in Kerala for a yoga & ayurveda retreat nestled in lush coconut groves near the beach. This means lots of chillaxing and healing ayurvedic treatments. We will also be touring the city of Trivandrum to visit sacred sites and study kalari, a beautiful Indian martial art.

If you're in Seattle, I hope you'll be playing! Wonderful guest teachers will be covering all of my classes for me so come check 'em out.

If you practice AcroYoga at Flow Yoga Redmond, Debbie and Jenn will be sharing partner yoga classes with space for practicing your favorite flying skills. Graeme & Lori will be rockin' the Thursday night foundations class at Om Culture and Angela will be hosting our delicious "Thai, Fly, and Dessert" night on Sundays at Kula Movement in Ballard. Come play!

If you want a glimpse into my Kerala adventure, I will be attempting to update my travel blog periodically. Check out http://www.mettafyadventures.wordpress.com/.

I will be back to teaching the week of March 28th!

India Love,
XO

"How Music Moves You" Contest

2011-02-22T22:37:00.000-08:00

How does music move you? Steve Gold Music wants to know!

Music is so powerful and can affect a person in ways unimaginable. Steve Gold Music wants hear about your musical therapy. Share how music impacts your life and the way you use music to heal your soul in a photo, video, or blog. You could win a $200 prAna gift, a yoga DVD from Shiva Rea, and the Steve Gold Music collection. The contest ends March 14th, 2011.

Click here to enter the contest:
http://apps.facebook.com/stevegoldcontest/?pbb_qsi=55445876

Let's hear it!

Time Change for Thursday Class at Om Culture

2011-02-15T20:42:00.001-08:00

Hey AcroLovers,

Thanks to all of you that came out for AcroYoga & Song with Steve Gold & band! Please note that this week the Thursday class at Om Culture moves to its new time, 7:05-8:30pm.

The Thursday class at Om Culture is an open level class where all practitioners are welcomed and encouraged to find their edge in the AcroYoga class. Our focus is on the fundamentals of AcroYoga: communication, trust, and play!

XO!

Meditation and Tantra Studies with Lorin Roche & Camille Maurine

2011-01-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

"Tantra is tending to the currents of life as they flow."

-Lorin Roche

Dr. Lorin Roche, PhD and his wife Camille Maurine, both supremely masterful and passionate meditation teachers, will be offering workshops at Sutra Yoga February 11-13th, 2010. They will provide a playful exploration of meditation and tantra, loving support, and deep inspiration. This weekend of discovery, exquisite poetry, and divine connection is highly recommended for all yoga practitioners, meditators, and the curious alike.

Many facets and facts of meditation will be presented. On Friday evening, February 11th, the Radiance Sutras will be artful revelled by Lorin while dazzling Camille asks "Devi's questions" and Steve Gold accompanies with his soulful musical rendition one of the sutras. On Saturday, February 12th, the twenty-one indriyas, or senses, will be explored through Lorin's text, the "Radiance Sutras: 112 Tantra Yoga Teachings for Opening to the Divine in Everyday Life," which explores the rich, loving language of the classic tantric text, the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra. These senses are what guide us into meditation. The life-affirming practices found within the sutras reveal meditation to be part of life's natural rhythms. Camille will also offer a workshop uniquely for women on Sunday, Februrary 13th.

For registration and more info on the workshops and related events with Steve Gold at Sutra Yoga, visit http://www.sutrayogaseattle.com/. We hope you can join us for this amazing weekend!

Lorin's websites, http://www.meditation24-7.com/ and http://www.lorinroche.com/, offer lots of cool info on meditation. Camille's lovely offerings, including information on meditation secrets for women, can be discovered at http://www.camillemaurine.com/. Both have offered incredible books on meditation that can be found on Amazon or in bookstores. Copies of "The Radiance Sutras" are available for purchase online or at Sutra Yoga. Morye on Steve Gold's music can be enjoyed at http://www.stevegold.com/.

Fly on Golden Wings!

2011-01-18T16:22:00.000-08:00

Join us for AcroYoga and song at Om Culture on Thursday, February 10th from 6-7:30pm. Enjoy a guided flow yoga practice with Thai Yoga Massage and flying massage elements accompanied by Steve Gold, who will sing us into the highest states of bliss!

No prior AcroYoga experience is necessary. All levels of yoga practitioners are welcome. Come solo or bring a friend. Cost is $15 drop-in/Om Culture class pass + $10 for the music.

Please see www.omculture.com for studio info, including details on my new weekly AcroYoga class offerings starting in February. Also visit www.stevegoldmusic.com for more on Steve and his wife Anne-Emilie's music including their new single, "Om Shree Shriyei," available at www.cdbaby.com. This is my third engagement with them and we are delighted to share our love of flying and song with you.

Steve and Anne-Emilie will also be giving a concert with bhaktified sing-along kirtan on Sunday, February 13th at Sutra Yoga from 7:15-9:15pm. $20/$25 day of. Pre-registration for this event is highly recommended. Visit www.sutrayogaseattle.com for details.

New Class- Thai, Fly,and Dessert at Kula Movement!

2011-01-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

I am delighted to announce a new weekly AcroYoga offering at Kula Movement in Ballard. Please join us for a delicious evening of Thai Massage and therapeutic flying followed by a dessert potluck and space to share bodywork or jam. Class is from 6:30-7:45pm. We look forward to creating a luscious space to relax, play, and connect. See http://www.kulamovement.com/ for studio & class details.

AcroLove, Always!

Autumn AcroYoga at Sutra

2010-11-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

The leaves are falling and the "folded leaves" will be flying as AcroLove returns to Sutra this month. We hope you can join us for these playshops!

November 20th, 4-6pm:
An in-depth exploration of therapeutics as the foundation of AcroYoga. Specific Thai Yoga Massage sequences will be offered. The playshop is open to anyone interested in deepening their practice, even if new to AcroYoga. $20/discount for Sutra members.

December 4th, 4-6pm:
The focus of this playshop is to provide a foundation in the full spectrum of the AcroYoga practice. We will cultivate core strength in the mandala of the body, learn to apply basic acrobatic principles, and enjoy blissful Thai Yoga Massage sequences. Beginners are welcome and practitioners of all levels will discover something that deepens their practice. $20/discount for Sutra members.

Drop-in or visit http://www.sutrayogaseattle.com/ for more information.

We look forward to playing with you in the cozy studio. If you're hungry afterwards, consider joining us for dinner at the restaurant. Advance reservations are recommended. Call (206) 547-1348.

AcroLove, Always!

The Power of Global Intention for Peace

2010-09-16T00:39:00.002-07:00

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power,
the world will know peace."

-Jimi Hendrix

This weekend marks a global celebration of arising peace in our world. In honor of UN International Peace Day on September 21st, families, yoga and dance communities, and individuals all over the planet will be sharing the intention to create practical acts of peace.

We are arriving at the Autumnal Equinox, a point in the ever-shifting cycle of the year experienced as an opportunity acknowledge the peace of arriving at a moment of balance. All beings experience the shifts of seasons in our bodies and we sense them in local and communal ways. This is an ancient awareness, which we all feel intimately within our our beings, that calls us to gather together in collective rituals of prayer, dance, song, and celebration.

When we gather together with intention, the effect is powerful. Our consciousness has a physical, measurable effect. The Global Consciousness Project at Princeton has been measuring this using an "electrogaiagram " or EGG. The EGG graphs shows significant changes during global events such as 9/11, Earthdance, and the Global OM:

The Global Consciousness Project has revealed that as our rivulets of consciousness intention flow together, it is possible to create a sea of change. For more information on the GCP, visit; http://noosphere.princeton.edu/

Global events such as Global Mala, catalyzed in the world yoga community in 2007 by Shiva Rea and Earthdance, during which a synchronized Prayer for Peace will be offered at 12 GMT on September 18th, invite us to connect through yoga and dance. Through these ritual practices, we heal schisms and unite as a global family.

Amazing events are happening locally and all over the world that give us the opportunity to connect and lovebathe the Earth with our intentions. Join in and let peace rise with your love!

Explore the links below for possibilities.

Participate Globally-
http://www.peaceweek.info/
http://www.earthdancenetwork.com/
http://www.globalmala.org/
http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/

Participate Locally-
http://www.samadhi-yoga.org/ (Yoga Trance Dance)
http://www.balayoga.com/ Global Mala event
http://www.shaktivinyasa.com/ Global Mala event

"The age of nations has past. Our task before us now, if we should not perish, is to build the Earth."

-Teilhard de Chardin

AcroYoga Dazzles During 2010 Vogue Fashion Week

2010-08-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

The Bellevue lululemon athletica is celebrating its 5th anniversary on August 26th, 2010 with a spectacular fashion show during the Bellevue Collection's 2010 Vogue Fall Fashion Week at the Bellevue Hyatt. Their show, entitled "5! Fitness / Function / Fun / Fearless / Fashion," will feature the store's ambassadors and thrilling performances by the area's most high-flying AcroYogis.

100% of the show's proceeds will go to Islandwood, a non-profit outdoor learning center on Bainbridge Island that provides amazing outdoor experiences for children & families. You can find out more about Islandwood at http://www.islandwood.org/.

Tickets to the show are $40, include two complimentary drink tickets, and may be purchased by cash or check at the Bellevue Square store or by calling (425) 462-5530. Doors open at 7:30pm. The pre-show events include special lobby performances and cocktail party. Show begins at 8:30pm. Be prepared to be dazzled right off your seat!

The Bhakti B-boys Are Coming to Town!

2010-08-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Namaste Seattle Bhaktas!

It is with great delight that I announce the arrival of renowned kirtan artists Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits, the Mayapuris, and Swami Radhanath in Seattle this week. This is their first tour to the Pacific Northwest and this is your amazing opportunity to join them in their bhakti mission to spread the love and sound of kirtan everywhere.

I first met Gaura Vani and the Mayapuris in LA last year on their tour together. Gaura Vani has one of the biggest hearts and some of the funniest stories I have ever heard. He is dedicated to the proliferation of the kirtan lifestyle and definitely succeeds at making it a joyous and hip way of being. You can find more information on his offerings at http://www.gauravani.com/.

The Mayapuris are so cool that I have affectionately nicknamed them the Bhakti B-boys of kirtan. Their fantastic dance moves are sure to astound and their mridanga drum out the true heart beat of kirtan in pulse-surging rhythms. Shiva Rea had discovered them at Burning Man the previous year and invited them to join our Prana Flow tribe and share their music. It was truly love at first sight! They deliver the freshest, earth shaking bhakti rhythms guaranteed to enchant your heart and ignite a dancing flame of love within you. More information on the Mayapuris can be found at http://www.mayapuris.com/

Swami Radhanath, a beloved teacher to Gaura Vani and to thousands of devotees throughout the world, is one of the sweetest, warmest, and most humble beings I have ever met. His book, The Journey Home, describes his epic spiritual quest into mystic yoga and his magical journey through India. He will be at book signings on Thursday, August 12th, 6:30-8:30pm at Soul Foods Books in Redmond and Saturday, August 14th, 11am-2pm at Borders Books on 4th Ave in downtown Seattle. You can learn more about him at http://www.radhanathswami.com/.

The Mayapuris will be rockin' a kirtan at the Vedic Cultural Center in Sammamish on Tuesday, August 10th at 7pm. Check http://www.vedicculturalcenter.org/ for directions. They will be joining Gaura Vani and Swami Radhanath for "Dance to the Source of Love," an ecstatic summer evening of dancing and chanting, at the Center for Spiritual Living in Seattle on Friday, August 13th. There will be a book signing at 6:30 followed by kirtan at 7:30.

Hari Bo!

First Ever AcroYoga Festival!

2010-07-16T22:09:00.000-07:00

Attention All AcroYogis!

On October 8-11th, 2010, the AcroYoga community will be hosting its first ever festival! This will be the biggest AcroYoga gathering to date. We hope that you will be able to join the 40+ AcroYoga teachers, 10 master teachers in the fields of Yoga, Acrobatics, and Thai Yoga Massage, and 250+ students who will be in attendance. The event includes classes, a Bollywood carnival jam, kirtan, ecstatic dance, and more and will be held at the Historic Sweet's Ballroom in Oakland, CA.

The festival will offer a broad spectrum experience of AcroYoga on all levels, from beginner to advanced practitioner, and in all three disciplines of the AcroYoga practice- Yoga, Acrobatics, and Thai Yoga Massage. Day-long intensives will be offered on Friday October 8th and the main conference will run Saturday October 9th-Monday October 11th with 1.5 hour classes running throughout the day. Public events include the Bollywood carnival jam on Friday night, ecstatic dance on Sunday morning, and kirtan with Jai Uttal, MC Yogi, and the Mayapuris on Sunday night.

The mission of the festival, as defined by AcroYoga co-founders Jason and Jenny, is to cross-pollinate and unify the existing AcroYoga community, deepen our collective knowledge and experience, and celebrate and expand our circle of friends.

Tickets are now on sale and details can be found through the festival website: www.acroyoga.org/festival.

I will be offering two classes: a blissful, "chillaxing" flow class incorporating Thai Yoga Massage and a Thai Foot Reflexology class for happy feet.

COME PLAY!

AcroLove,

Summer AcroLove at Sutra

2010-07-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Seattle AcroYogis!

Its a sweet summer in Seattle and the AcroLove is gettting ripe and juicy on the vine. We invite you to come play, relax, and enjoy a blissful, mettafied afternoon of Thai Yoga Massage and therapeutic flying. If you'd like to join us for dinner afterwards at Sutra, please remember to make reservations at the restraunt.

Details:
Saturday, August 14th, 4-6pm. $20. Beginners welcome. Come solo or with a friend. Register with Sutra Yoga or just show up! http://www.sutrayogaseattle.com/

AcroLove!

Yoga for Hope

2010-06-30T17:45:00.001-07:00

On July 10th, 9 wonderful Seattle yoga instructors and a number of dedicated assistants will guide a yoga mala of 108 sun salutations outdoors under the Space Needle at Memorial Stadium in Seattle Center. The intention of this ritual mala practice is to gather people to practice yoga together in support of City of Hope.

City of Hope is a biomedical research, treatment, and educational center for cancer and other life threatening diseases. All of the teachers leading the mala are partnering up with City of Hope to raise funds and awareness.

The $30 registration fee for participation in the event goes directly towards funding cancer research and treatment at City of Hope. For more information, please visit www.cityofhope.org.
We hope you will consider joining us at this amazing event under the bright Seattle sun!

AcroLove Joins Powers this Weekend!

2010-06-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a super fun filled evening of flying & yummy Thai Yoga Massage, please join us at Motion & Rest in Ballard this Friday, June 11th 6:30-8:30pm. I will be joining forces with my lovely Seattle AcroYoga soul sister Angela of www.kulamovement.com.

Also, Seattle is about to undergo a radical weekend transformation into a shining Emerald City. The rain plans to yield to the sun & this means we will be jamming outside! The Seattle Acro + Yoga group on Facebook has all the up to the moment jam updates.

All AcroLOVE!

AcroAppreciation!

2010-05-24T05:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the 27 amazing AcroYogis that gathered this past Saturday at Sutra. We had a super fun & blissful time together! Special thanks to Sutra Yoga & Restraunt for providing such fertile ground for AcroLove to flourish! We are certainly in love!

This week I am travelling to LA and New York. Wednesday night's AcroYoga class, now officially from 7:15-8:45pm, will be taught by my friend & ROCKIN' AcroYoga instructor Angela. Check her out at http://www.kulamovement.com/

See you all soon! All AcroLOVE! XO!

2010-05-20T00:26:00.000-07:00

Delighted to announce that Steve and Anne-Emilie Gold will be coming to Flow Yoga Redmond! Join us for a blissful Prana Flow yoga class accompanied by the sweet golden sound of their singing on June 16th, 5:45-7pm. Regular class pricing plus a suggested $10 donation for the music. We hope that you can join us for this wonderful opportunity to bathe in the sacred sound of mantras mixed with soulful blues and American spirituals! Find out more about the music at http://www.somuchmagnificence.com/

Steve and Anne-Emilie will also be offering a kirtan at 8 Limbs Yoga on Saturday, June 19th.

Seattle's Got Bhav!

2010-05-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

"Yoga is being in harmony with the sacred vibration." ~ Shiva Rea

Seattle is blessed with many musical yoga events this weekend. Our lovely Gina Sala is signing at Samadhi Yoga, Wade Morisette is in town sharing live music classes and kirtan this weekend at Be Luminous, and my sweet friend Paul Millage is hosting a yoga & sacred sound gathering this evening at Om Culture. Come on out and bathe in the vibrations!

Plus, my wonderful friends Steve and Anne-Emilie Gold will be back in Seattle in June. In April they blessed our community with many wonderful singing gatherings and soulful bhakti flow classes!

Soon I will be sharing more on the amazing, interconnected field of yoga, science, and sound that we delved deeply into during the Pulse Immersion in San Francisco with Shiva Rea last weekend!

Stay Tuned :)

PS-
Check out these awesome yoga and music festivals happening this summer:
http://www.harmonyfestival.com/
http://www.wanderlustfestival.com/
http://www.bhaktifest.com/

Seattle AcroLove Blossoms

2010-05-06T15:20:00.001-07:00

Hey AcroYogis! Mark your calendars for May 22nd, 4-6pm. I will be hosting an all levels playshop at Sutra Yoga in Wallingford. Come explore the aspects of this playful practice and then consider continuing the celebration of connection with us at Sutra Restraunt next door at 6:30pm. Dinner reservations are separate from the playshop and required. Please join us!

The Seattle scene abounds with AcroLove theses days. Our local teaching crew offers three all-access classes weekly in addition to several free weekend jams, plenty of in-depth playshops, and the opportunity for the most acrobatically inclined AcroNinjas to study acrobatic transitions at an intermediate/advanced level. Check out these links to stay in the loop:
http://www.seattleacro.com/ (full calendar of all local events & workshops)
http://www.kulamovement.com/
http://www.ezakind.com/

And please feel free to contact me if you want to be added to the emailing list for all updates, including summer weather outdoor jams!

With Much AcroLOVE! XOXOXOXO

Practically Ecstatic

2010-04-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

"Wonderful!" According to many, this is one of the names of God. So is F*ck, according to Osho: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D7rWLzloOI. But I'll gladly stick with "Wonderful!" because as my friend Steve Gold says, it sounds far less mad than going around saying "God!" (or "F*ck" for that matter) all day long. Not that I am not in with the crazy-god people. In fact, I am full on devoted to living my life ecstatically. As Shiva Rea brilliantly mentioned once in a workshop, "being ecstatic is practical." This motto has stuck like a smile on my heart ever since. Its very true. Letting your true soul shine, even through just a small crack of a moment, allows you up to progress with far greater results. Ever try to discipline yourself to do get something done or commit to a new resolution and then find yourself exhausted, lazy, and going back to your old ways all too soon? It is hard to make a switch when you approach it with a tense or heavy mindset. Your body will literally drag itself towards a destination and likely fall short of the goal, whether it be a deeper dhanursana or more household chores checked off the list. If instead you simply let yourself feel the mojo arising from your heart, the spark of that inner uprising will bring a change in your body and life far more easily and more radically than you ever imagined. This is the power of letting your heart be known: its Practically Ecstatic.

Be Mettafied!

2010-04-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Attention Bliss Addicts:

Mettafied AcroYoga Therapeutics Workshop on April 24th, 2-5pm!

What's all this "metta" about and how can I create more of it, you ask? Find out during this blissful afternoon of giving and receiving Thai Yoga Massage and therapeutic AcroYoga flights. Geared especially for bodyworkers, yoga teachers, and AcroYogis, we will explore ways to incorporate Thai Yoga Massage and AcroYoga techniques into your practice of uplifting others into a heightened state of bliss. We will also address specific situations regarding working safely and effectively with a variety of conditions such as injury or chronic structural imbalances.

If you are currently injured and would like to participate but unable to give, some spaces are available for attending as a recipient only. Please let me know if you are interested in this opportunity.

Prerequisites: Bodyworker, yoga teacher, or experienced AcroYogi. Some experience flying recommended, so that you can more fully enjoy the content presented :)

When: April 24th, 2-5pm.

Location: The Yoga Den, 514 12th Ave, Seattle (Capitol/First Hill), www.theyogaden.com

Cost: $40 if registered by April 18, $50 after.

Contact Melanie at melanie.foust@gmail.com or (206) 579-4839 to register or if you have any questions!

Melanie Foust, LMP, Prana Flow, AcroYoga, Massage Therapy

2010-03-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

The Mettafy mission is to provide the ultimate mettafy-ing experiences that allow you to attune to your deepest sense of well being, joy and playfulness though rejuventating bodywork, movement, and connection!

Mettafy -verb:

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Ignite, Evolve, Play...Mettafy!