15 Years Blog 

Grief: One year after Larry had passed and one month after one of my boyfriends never woke up and we were supposed to have a date that day I found myself in grief counseling, that was almost 3 years ago. I wanted to take grief counseling to help myself but also as a yoga instructor to be self-responsible so I could help others. I find myself moving into the 5th stage which is acceptance. Acceptance is the hardest thing that I have ever had to do. It's harder than any of the other stages. Larry was a person in my life that actually got me, he pushed me in positive ways to work hard and practice yoga, we had a spiritual bond that exceed any type of physical relationship and that can be hard for other people to understand. Since he's gone I've bounced around other male relationships and I'll admit I'm a tough cookie to crack, I'm pretty deep and if I do let you in and you hurt me then I close myself off to the world because it's hard to match the love you have for your teacher. When I was down Larry would pick me up, there were no conditions of his love and no crazy exceptions relationships tend to bring out in people. Accepting that, that person isn't there on the other end of the phone to pick me up, accepting that they are not there to protect me and stand up for me is one of the hardest things that I have ever done. Accepting that today I begin at the beginning again. Accepting that loss is a part of life and we have it to become stronger better people from it. So I really don't care anymore what other people think of me, Bob Marley talked a lot about not judging other people until you've walked in their shoes. As I walk through the door of acceptance the story will begin to change and shift for me, the perspective will reflect more of my story and how it has shaped me to be the person I am and the person I am becoming. I want to thank the yoga community that has been there for me and continues to be there for me. The Yoga ah yogis are amazing, all the instructors that have taught selflessly at the studio and my new mentors that are rising like the phoenix from the ash and my family that keeps me going and has stuck it out with me in the really bad times and of course my two beautiful sons and I want to thank all the angels that look over us. Mostly I want to thank Larry for sharing such a powerful experience with me, I guess we are always together now, so thank you!!! May I hold my head high and accept this is my path, this is my heart, this is me.

Wow! what a ride. Today is March 3, 2015 and the final day of our Rocket intensive. It has been an honor to have such amazing yogis come for this training. This morning we practiced the Rocket 3 together, this is part of our motto that we love strong endings. It looked like a small army this morning, as we laid down our mats, placing mala's my our side, we came to Samasthiti and began our practice with our breath as our harmony. It was beautiful.

For the final essay we ask the Rocket trainers, whats is your Rocket? this is also a Yoga tradition from when we had our first Rocket training in 2011.

So, What is your Rocket?

For me the Rocket has always been about sharing the love of the practice with each other. The Rocket introduced me to the yoga lifestyle, it created a place for me to explore myself while meeting new people. The Rocket humbles me and makes me look at myself off the mat. I can hear Larry say, "what are you focusing on?" I am reminded to stay focused in my practice and also as I create a vision for myself and my life. The Rocket teaches me that anything is possible and that's what I want to share with others.

~Fast, fast getting into poses this means a lot because I have only begin practicing for one year. 

~Disapline with creativity and ease, courage, encouragement, peace within change and choice, yin and yang,

~accesable, dedication, a little goes a long way

~Guidence for myself and my teaching, we all have a starting point and we all grow

Today we begin our five day Rocket yoga training course. This will make Day 1 of getting to know each other and sharing our stories. We will hand out materials and begin to look deeper into the history of the Rocket. As these sequences are very well known to me, they also hold a sense of mystery for those that have never been introduced to them. The Rocket itself is a series of poses that will work your whole body during the course of a six days a week practice. The Rocket was taught directly to me by Larry Schultz, that is the very old school tradition of yoga. Ancient yoga was taught from teacher to student and student to teacher, it was mostly an oral tradition. 

Part of Larry's beauty is that he never wrote the Rocket book, what he did do is offer stick figures of the routines for his students. The more you practice the Rocket the more you will become familiar with these beautiful sequences. They will challenge your body and your mind, They will show you your strengths and weaknesses.

The Rocket itself is a philosophy of practice and it provides a method for the Ashtanga practice that will give you a well balanced body and mind.

My goal for this training is for everyone to leave with a deep understanding of The Bottle Rocket, because it is the most basic Rocket and contains the structure for all other Rocket practices. I would also like the trainers to have an understanding of the differences and similarities between Rocket 1 and Rocket 2 seated poses and have a basic understanding of some of the main Rocket transitions. Also, another big goal of the training is that the trainers understand the philosophy behind the Rocket, how less is more and how to nurture your Rocket practice instead of pushing through the poses. So here we go lets BLAST OFF!!

Amber Gean

ROCKET TRAINING 100 hours 

The next training begins Feb 27th and runs until March 2nd,2015 

We offer 50 - 100 hour advanced training methods in the Rocket Vinyasa System. These trainings are specialized for learning Rocket sequences, theory and practice. They can also earn you continuing education hours for Yoga Alliance. The purpose of Rocket advanced training is to share the Rocket philosophy, sequencing and transitions. This training will give you the tools to deepen your practice and refine your teaching. We are part of a network of studios that feature the Rocket System as taught by Larry Schultz.

Our mission is to give you a strong foundation for your practice to blossom on and off the mat. By practicing living "our yoga and our truth" you will be empowered to create a vision and follow your dreams. Some of our graduates go on to open their own studios as well as travel the world facilitating yoga classes and workshops.