As most of you may know, Mike Hannum and his wife Erin are moving to Spokane! Mike is going to be building our mysore program and we are so excited to finally be able to offer you (for starters) morning mysore 4 days a week as well as plenty of other opportunities to be able to study with Mike. I asked him to write a short letter of introduction to help you all get a feel for these exciting changes:For me Yoga has been an incredibly inspiring and healing journey. My enthusiasm for practicing Yoga and sharing it with others continues to grow with each passing day. This enthusiasm is born of my deep belief in its efficacy … these practices really are healing and transformative. They help keep the body healthy, the mind clear and the heart open. And if we take the teachings to heart, we will surely find Yoga extending off our mats and into every corner of our lives. Each of our lives is an indivisible whole. It is in this way that daily practice and our own highest aspirations can transform our respective lives in very profound ways.
Since I began teaching Yoga I have had the intention to find a home shala, a studio where I could offer a Mysore program and help build a vibrant community of practitioners. As my wife Erin and I start our drive up to Spokane, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to fulfill this intention at the Spokane Yoga Shala. We feel as though we are coming home and we appreciate all that you have done to make us feel welcomed. Special thanks go to Katie and Shelley for their ongoing generosity and support. I’m also grateful for all the opportunities that I have had to teach and build community in the U.S. (especially in Encinitas, California as Tim Miller‘s assistant), Europe and even, most recently, in Istanbul, Turkey. These opportunities have shown me what is possible. They have deepened my resolve. They have given me a taste of the joy and value of being in one place for a long time, of sharing Yoga with inspired people day in and day out and of living in harmony and awareness with others.
As a teacher my goal is to help students gain a deeper enthusiasm and appreciation for the practice. My role is to offer input, adjustments and support so that each student can cultivate self-reliance, self-awareness and a passion for the practice. The reason for this is simple: when we are inspired and focused we consistently do the practice in a safe, appropriate and non-obsessive way. “The practice itself”, to use Tim Miller’s words, “is the best teacher.” We each have to show up and do the work to receive Yoga‘s many benefits. Or, as Sri K. Pattabhi Jois always said: "Practice and all is coming". I look forward to sharing the Ashtanga Yoga practice with you and joining your sangha.
See you on the mat!!
Namaste,
Mike
