Its feels pretty dang marvellous for Karen, Samantha and I to continue to write emails each week literally about how this community can get involved in doing good, sharing the actual goodness and just all around love to serve and work together type of vibes.

This year for me has been the year of business books (my not so secret and a little embarrassing obsession), and I just started a new one this morning (my favourite time to listen to books is while the rest of the house is sleeping in) called "Who Not How".

Putting together 118 bags (we have a few more to pack before Friday so that number wil go up!) was very much a who rather than a how.

The project was lead by Mary who volunteers with Share the Dignity every single year and is a "Shero", someone who knows the drill on collecting the essential seven and can give the bags straight to those who need it most.

It all happened with the assistance...

Hello there! 

I’m Karen Gruber. We may have met at one of the Nin Yoga studios, or perhaps we are simply yet to cross paths.

Either way, I’m excited to start popping into your inbox each month along side Annika and Samantha to share a few thoughts and stories from my own yoga journey.

To start, I thought I’d tell you a little about how yoga led me here, typing away from my home in Western Sydney.

Since I was 16, I’ve practiced yoga and meditation in many forms, always drawn to self-discovery. I believe this is a part of my dharma (otherwise known as "life-calling").

This journey took me all over the world!

As I looked back while I was contemplating what to write in this newsletter, I realised that it often felt like I was on a solo quest for inner truth.

Sure, there were people, friends and even community...

The internet is FULL of inspiring quotes about charity.

You know the kind I’m talking about.

Ones that say the happiest people are the ones that give the most.

That it is through giving that we open ourselves to receiving.

These quotes are beautiful and profound and almost certainly true, but in condensing the words of great writers and spiritual leaders to "instagrammable" quotes, sometimes, the original intention is then lost.

The emphasis shifts.

We start thinking "I will contribute to charity so that I can be happy", or, "I will offer my love and care and attention so that others will do the same for me".

When we do this, we start to think about giving as an exchange, about what it can offer us, rather than how we can just simply serve someone else. 

Just FYI: I do this All. The. Time.

Do you know how many canvas bags I own, just because I wanted to look like a good...

Last week, I laid my yoga mat down for three oh-so-exceptionally restorative Yin Yoga classes.   I wish I could tell you this was a regular thing in my life, but alas, the last time I did three in-studio Yin Yoga classes in a week was before children    If you dont know what Restorative or Yin Yoga is Quinn, it's a style that is not so Insta worthy cause you literally sit or lay around on the floor and are told to relax. Breath. Just be. Let go.   What is the difference between Yin & Restorative Yoga?   Yin Yoga still gently stretches the connective tissues (the tendons, ligaments, and fushia). However, restorative yoga does not stretch AT ALL and is all about getting as comfy as possible to float into the ether as you soothe the nervous system.   Both are still exceptionally amazing to tap into our parasympathetic nervous system (our rest and digest).   I spoke to one ...

Hey 

It’s my first time writing this newsletter so I’ll start with a quick introduction (which, I’ve just realised, is awkward to write but hopefully less awkward to read! )

My name is Samantha and I’ve been coming to Nin Yoga since 2018. It’s the first space I ever practiced yoga in; where I did my first downward dog (with difficulty), my first child’s pose (with relief), my first savasana (with resistance – who knew lying still could be so challenging?). It’s where I completed my teacher training, and in one of those beautiful circle of life moments, it’s where I first held space for other students to flow through this practice.

I’m sure I’ve met and shared tea with many of you over the years, and if not – hello! It is lovely to meet you.

     ...

A farmer and his son had a beloved horse who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbors exclaimed:

Neighbor: “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!”

The farmer replied: “Maybe so, maybe not.”

 

A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild horses back to the farm as well.

The neighbors shouted out: “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!”

 

The farmer replied: “Maybe so, maybe not.”

 

Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the horses and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg.

The neighbors replied: “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!”

 

The farmer replied: “Maybe so, maybe not.”

 

A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through town, recruiting all boys for the army....

Last week, we had mufti day at kindy.

She got dressed in her black bunny rabbit tights and tie-dye Pokemon shirt and walked off, only to have baby daddy and her run back 10 minutes later to quickly change back into the burgundy school uniform. Whoops! Wrong date.

As we walked into the school gates yesterday, dressed in full burgundy shin-dig, we glanced at the glittery rainbow vomit which was a primary school fully decked out in its coolest of cool clothes. We all looked at each other, ran home, threw on the bunny tights, but this time a mini mouse shirt with matching ears because the Pokemon shirt was MIA, and raced back just in time before the school bell (its literally the song "Beautiful World" by Coldplay, that's her school bell song, and yes its stuck in my head every single day).

I remember moments like this happening often when I was in primary school. English was not my mother's...

With so many fancy new humans on this email list over the past couple of months, I thought I would take this time to re-introduce ourselves to you.

We are Nin Yoga. Three studios in Western Sydney, as well as a Yoga Teacher Training and an Online Platform.

We first started in the Colyton (my own local) Neighbourhood Centre, every Wednesday night first at at 6pm. I created a public Facebook event and was not expecting anyone else to come except my biggest cheerleaders at the time, my long term buddies. I obviously forgot what the word "public" meant and my first session required many nervous wees before teaching.

"Who are these people! They trust me to teach them yoga? ahhhh!" (otherwise known as good old and reliable imposter syndrome)

After two months of lugging cushions, yoga blocks, yoga mats, incense, tea, candles, speakers & singing bowls, I was curious to see how possible it was to find my own studio.

A few months ago, Penrith Regional Gallery approached Nin Yoga asking if we would feature in a documentary showcasing the stories behind Queen Street.

Queen Street is a totes wild card back in the day Annika. I grew up in the area (and still live down the road) and used to spend my days jigging high school to roam on these streets and eat copious amounts of sloppy gravy on chips from Red Lea chicken (education and health were obviously a huge priority for me in year 11 and 12).

I went to a decent school. They were not the problem. I just had trouble focusing, and the teaching style there was not right for me.

Plus, the bits and bobs that were Queen Street and the surrounds are just so much more interesting a 16 year old 

Fast forward a large handful of years later, and I have signed a commercial lease on the corner.

I especially remember asking the property manager, who had a striking resemblance to Gru from Despicable Me, if I needed...