Snowcreek Meditation and Yoga Studio - Leavenworth, WA

www.snowcreekhealth.com/yoga/

Snowcreek Yoga Studio from Charley Voorhis on Vimeo.

Next Stop...Snowcreek!

Snowcreek Yoga is housed in a Bavarian styled building in a gorgeous part of Washington state.

The Snowcreek studio has many beautiful elements, but one of the most immediately striking is the lighting, it's exquisite. This space is a re-purposed art gallery so the lighting is very well done.

The walls are painted a sunny yellow and some are the home of colorful art pieces, mirrors hang from others, and a ballet bar on another.

Chakra color inspired art ---

The wood floor and open beam detailing add to the warmth of this space.

Meditation with Marion ---

I was so very fortunate to practice both meditation and yoga at Snowcreek Studio. One of the co-founders, Marion Lodato, has been in regular contact with me from the beginning of 'The Trip and the Trade'. She has been very supportive and helpful along the way. Marion is the meditation half of Snowcreek Studio. Her business partner, Jenni Lund, is currently in Nepal so I didn't have the pleasure of meeting or practicing with her.

A little about Marion ---

Marion is a Co-Founder and Director of Snowcreek Integrated Health, LLC and is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist. Marion has been in practice for nearly ten years as a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, beginning with her Root and Branch Acupuncture practice in the Bay Area of California. Marion received her Master of Science degree from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco in 2001. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Denison University, Ohio. Marion has also been studying and practicing meditation since 1999. Her first yoga class was with her mother at the age of 7 and her love of yoga continues to this day. She became a certified Acu-Yoga teacher in 1996 at the Acupressure Institute of Berkeley. Marion is licensed in California, Washington, and nationwide. Continuing professional studies include Meridian Therapy of Dr. Richard Tan, obstetrics and pediatrics taught by nurse midwife and acupuncturist Raven Lang, and Internal Medicine studies with Tran Dzung M.D. at Bastyr University in Seattle. Marion believes in the body’s ability to heal itself. As a practitioner and teacher, she works to remind the body of this innate gift and gently guides the body back into health and vitality. When she is not spending time with her patients Marion spends time with her husband and young children.



I have dabbled with meditation on my own but have never attended a guided session. It was still dark when I arrived to the studio early Wednesday morning. The meditation started at 6:30 a.m. I was there about twenty minutes early so I could take some photos and speak with Marion before we began. When I met Marion I was instantly struck by the clarity of her eyes. It's always interesting how others perceive us ... here is how I perceived Marion (she'll probably chuckle at this). The minute I said hello to Marion I thought, "Uh oh...I better not be thinking anything but good things...because she'll know ... she'll know! Good things good things good things...channel good things...be sure to think good things! In our short conversation before class I was impressed with Marion's focus, her ability to be present, her willingness to listen.


People began to arrive for class and get settled. Marion explained that we should arrange ourselves however we felt most comfortable. A few people, including Marion, sat in chairs and the rest of us sat on the floor. I was a little nervous, to be honest, I wondered if I would be able to sit still for the full hour. I sat on a blanket with my back against the wall and waited. Marion talked us through our bodies giving us guidance in certain areas on ways we could visualize things, release tension, and rid ourselves of the unnecessary information and stimuli that we pick up every minute of every day of our lives. One thing that really struck me was when we got to our throats, specifically our voice boxes. Marion suggested that we picture our voice boxes and the contents. She suggested that we turn them upside down and let the contents spill out like butterflies - is how I believe she put it. Let all the communication we hold from thoughts, media, phone calls, etc. just spill out and dissipate. She asked us to visualize what our voice boxes look like. Immediately an image came to my mind of a rusted out old steel mining car - the kind that hung from cables and were pulled in and out of the mining shafts carrying whatever material their operators were seeking. This image was so clear - I could see the bolts and hinges that held the cart together. It seemed so obvious to me that that is exactly what a voice box would look like - of course! What else would it look like?? Everyone's looks like that. Then...Marion asked us, "Does your voice box look like a beautifully carved wooden box? Perhaps a decorative metal box?" What? Wait a minute! People have pretty voice boxes? Why the heck does mine look crappy and old?? Uh-oh... what could this mean? Is my communication rusty and old? Outdated? Ineffective? The jury's still out.


Marion guided us through our entire body and all of a sudden we were finished - the hour was up! Time had flown by and I had made it!



I tried to stay present throughout the class but I have to admit, I think that I fell asleep for a few minutes here and there. After class I asked Marion if this was normal and she assured me that it was. She explained that she thought that sleep during meditation occurs when we hit "pockets" of conscious (or did she say sub-conscious) and that as my meditation practice developed, this would probably happen less frequently. After class a man new to the area but a veteran 'meditator' (can that be a noun?) asked if Marion and I were sisters. When we informed him that we had just met that morning, he suggested that perhaps our similar energies had made him think we were sisters. Boy, I can only hope that my energy is similar to Marion's because I think that she is pretty great.


Thank you, Marion, for the wonderful introduction to guided meditation ---

A few minutes after I left the studio, I pulled into an espresso shop by a fruit stand called 'The Country Harvester'. I asked the lady running the shop if she accepted debit cards because (as usual) I didn't have any cash. She said that she didn't take debit cards so I told her that that was okay and I would wait to get my coffee until I got back to Wenatchee. She suggested that, "She could just make me a coffee." Just give it to me? I asked. She smiled and said that she was pretty close with the owner (I took this to mean that she WAS the owner :) and that she was pretty sure that it was alright if she just gave me a coffee. What a kind gesture! As I travelled the highway from Leavenworth back to Wenatchee I noticed the beauty of the sunlight and the equally beautiful shadows it created. I made a conscious choice not to wear sunglasses and proceeded to enjoy contrast, my coffee, and the fact that I was so lucky to have connected with such wonderful people in such a wonderful place.

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Yoga at Snowcreek ---



I chose to attend the Power Vinyasa I/II class at the Snowcreek Studio. Typically, Jenni Lund co-founder of Snowcreek, teaches this class but while she is away in Nepal, Joanna Dunn is substituting.

Joanna Dunn...

"It was through Yoga that I first learned to really listen to myself, to tune in to my body-mind-spirit. Yoga continues to be my touchstone – whenever I feel ungrounded, I go back to the body, back to the breath and then I remember…Namaste.” It was while living in Massachusetts (and under the illusion that she was working on a Master’s degree) that Joanna began her study of yoga in 2000 as an apprentice to Lynn Kingston during Lynn’s forth decade of teaching. Under Lynn, Joanna practiced choreographed vinyasa (posture flow) and Yin Yoga. In 2001, she received a 200-hour certification through Kripalu Center for Yoga. In the course of the last decade, Joanna has studied restorative yoga, yin yoga, yoga therapeutics and has recently delved into alignment-based yoga. In May of 2010, she completed an advanced teacher training program through Pacific Yoga in Seattle. In addition to her weekly classes at Snowcreek Yoga Studio, she offers individualized therapeutic yoga sessions for those who are recovering from injury or illness, coping with chronic pain, stress or insomnia. Joanna also offers on-going group classes in Plain, as well as workshops and retreats. As much as Joanna loves her native state of Washington, when she gets the chance, she travels, abandoning her adorable dog and cozy home to wander and explore.





The Power Vinyasa class was my second visit to the Snowcreek Studio that day and after a full day of mowing and raking grass (long story - thanks, Stephen), I was definitely ready for some yoga! As I walked in I was greeted by the toasty room - so cozy! I was then, just as warmly greeted by Joanna. As I situated my mat I watched my classmates arrive and was glad to see that a few men would be attending.







Joanna took us through some challenging sequences that involved some great arm balances. The heat of the room really got us warmed up and helped with flexibility. The woman to my right had a beautiful practice which really motivated me! Once we finished these sequences, Joanna began to talk about inversions. Yay! This was the first class on my journey that was going to incorporate inversions - I was so happy! Joanna spoke for a bit about the benefits of inverting and some reasons why some people may not want to choose this option. Once she went through these items she explained the proper way to move into a hand stand. Now, I don't have a very developed handstand in my regular practice...okay...okay...I sometime overstate things...this was going to be my second time doing a handstand in class :). Joanna had us find a spot on the wall. I positioned my hands about 6 inches from the baseboard, elevated my tailbone, walked my feet toward my hands, bent one leg, straightened the other, kicked up and over with the straight leg, brought the bent leg up to meet it and ...voila! I was in a supported handstand! I slowly moved one foot off the wall and then the other and I was able to balance myself for a bit in an un-supported handstand - awesome! So, okay - for all you non-yoga peeps, this may sound like no big deal and let me tell you why... this is either because you're still living in your pre-12 year old glory days OR...you've never tried it. Now, I'm not saying this because I'm so awesome and yoga is above everything - quite the opposite. I'm saying this because I WANT you to try it, and try it, and try it - until you do get it because being able to trust yourself, your awareness of where you are in space, and your strength to not only GET you there but to KEEP you there is a great feeling of accomplishment. Try it!



Joanna's open and kind teaching style was a welcome end to my day. Thanks for a great class, Joanna!