I just got back on the grid. .internet access that is, after spending a week in my family’s home town of Newton Illinois, where to be fair, there is internet access in several homes, but lets just say at Grandmas house (where I was staying), you can tweet from your phone and get emails as long as there wasn’t anything attached, but there’s not enough juice to upload a pic 🙂

We (myself and awesome camera and production team) decended upon Newton with the goal of documenting the town, the people in it, and hopefully convincing some people to talk about and do some yoga!  I was pretty nervous going into the situation for a lot of reasons. First off, I have had a plan in my mind for years to do some sort of documentary, or video series, or anything yoga related in Newton Illinois.  If you live in NYC or LA or any other city or major suburb for that matter, you have options when it comes to yoga. If you live in Newton, to quote one townsfolk, yoga may be something you do on your Harley, not a yoga mat. . ohmmmmmmmmm. (you gotta wait to see the doc to see how fantastic that interview was!) I had no idea how people would react and I was a little worried people were going to think I was some wacky yoga lady, until I decided to change my mind, remember my mission to share, help, and connect, not to prove what I know or worry about what might or might not happen.

Fortunately when it came to organizing, and planning, I am related to a good portion of the population of the town of Newton, so if for instance we were needing a PA system for the Yoga Day event on the town square, you basically had to think about it in your mind and a city official would show up to help out.  This happened while we were outside of the Church interviewing the priest about yoga and meditation (which Father Al practices you’re going to love).  I asked my Mom to get ahold of my uncle PJ who works for the city to see about a sound system, and before she dialed, two of his co-workers rolled up to the church to help out.  Word travels through the grapevine that fast.

The whole week was one synchronistic moment to the next.  We were concerned that the delivery of yoga mats and dvds for Yoga Day wouldn’t arrive (or find Newton) for that matter in time.  While I was at the radio station doing an interview and also interviewing Bobbie Ashley on the Newton Eagle, where she won’t play Guns N Roses before 2pm but will honor the request with a John Mellencamp substitute, the Fed Ex lady rolled up to the radio office (which looks like a quaint but modest home from the exterior, very similar to the newspaper, on which Yoga Day made the front page!) in an unusually large van (too big for a usual day in Newton. We asked if by chance she had 200 yoga mats and 100 dvds set to deliver to my grandmas house.  And she offered them to us right there.  Ended up the team sent a camera with her to film her arrival and the arrival and dealing with dozens of large boxes to grandmas hosue, which is the tip of the farm.  Ms. Fex ex was amazing, and even allowed us to film her “arrival to grandmas house” several times so we had a few different angles and close ups of the arrival.

Everything was in place and as it should be and the synchronicities kept piling up and opening up space for the townspeople to feel fantastic from all the energy, excitement, and the yoga too!  This year has been the biggest drought anyone can remember and with all the flow happening I was hoping the townspeople would make it rain on Sunday (day after Yoga Day and of course, the day reserved for rest, reflection, prayer, and spirit).  I knew it was possible and with their collective energy .  Yoga Day was so much fun.  The mayor came, Moms, Dads, kids, and everyone inbetween came to have a good time and do some yoga!

And then, Sunday morning, very early it rained a bit.  The team picked me up for our last day of shooting, in my cousin Shelah’s barn, and the rain just stopped (good for our sound) when we began to roll.  The sun came up when we started shooting and synchronicity was still with us in full effect.  I didn’t want to leave because basking in the collective awesome vibe was too good.

The team filmed my folks and me saying goodbye to Grandma and leaving for the airport and on our drive, a huge dark blue cloud rolled in.  The threat of a giant storm loomed.  I arrived to the airport, went through security and got to the gate.  It started pouring.  Fights were delayed.  I got on about an hour after schedule.  It’s scheduled to rain in Newton next week as an affect of  Isaac making it’s wild swirl.

My point about the PA system, the Fed Ex lady, and the rain, is that we are powerful creators of what we see, what we experience, and what happens in the word.  If we are tense, those around us feel tense, things get stuck and don’t work.  Possibilities fade.  Energy drains and people get tired, and tired leads to sick, and sick leads to disease.  If we are open and relaxed, calm and focused, things flow, synchronicities happen easily, spontaneously, and constantly.  Possibilities widen.  People feel great and the people that are around the people that feel great also feel great.  We enter the flow state, and when people collectively enter the flow state, anything is possible.

Stay tuned for the 60 minute documentary, Heartland Yogi, on LiveStrongWoman!

Big thanks to my entire family and the town of Newton Illinois!

And the team.

xo Tara

About Strala Yoga Training

Strala combines the movement and healing wisdom of tai chi with the form vocabularies of yoga, tai chi, qigong, and Traditional Chinese and Japanese Medicine, to help people release stress, move easily through challenge, and live radiantly inspiring lives.

It begins with a mindset, that says our best way to get where we’re going is to feel good along the way. It also works miracles for whole health, helping us to find ease in our bodies and minds, and create the right conditions both for healing and optimal performance.

In our Strala Training Courses, you learn to shape your destiny on every level that counts, from your psychology, chemistry and neurology, to your chromosomes and even gene expression. The unique set of skills you develop – for connecting with yourself and others, unblocking your energy, healing what needs healing and accomplishing challenge with ease – uncovers your ability to create the life you want, and be an inspiring leader to the people around you.

Who’s What’s and When’s of Strala Yoga Training

Mike Cowan
Remi Guyton
Jen Roskind
Jody Lambert
Amanda (Macgyver) Beggs
Seamus Tierney + Friday