Rest, Recreation, and Filling the Well
Take the break and unfurl.
About a month ago, I was decompressing at Wave Hill (one of my favorite places in the city), taking in the artworks on the grounds, refilling my creative energy stores, and noticing everything that was in bloom. One of the current installations featured there this summer, SuRan Song’s and William M. Weiss III’s You’re Soaking in It!, deals with rest, restoration, and mindfulness—specifically from the lens of self-care, which is typically not available to the vast unhoused population in this country.
This transformer-like sculpture prominently displayed QR codes for public interaction. After I took a ten-minute respite on its cushions beside the back fountain of Glyndor House, I left a comment on the site, pretty sure it would disappear into the digital abyss. Instead, I wound up making a personal connection with the artists.
Yesterday, they unfurled their sculpture in a delightful show of performance art. I believe SuRan and William are doing some semblance of this performance again at Wave Hill on August 2, and if you’re available, you should check them out. If you can’t get there, I recorded an audio meditation inspired by their work, which I’ve titled “Five Senses Mindfulness Meditation (with Jackhammer).” It’s available to all subscribers here in the spirit of public art. Enjoy!
Five Senses Mindfulness Meditation (with Jackhammer) - Amy Lee Pearsall
Speaking of R&R…
I’ll be taking a bit of that rest and recreation myself this month. I’m currently in a play (we have one performance left—scroll down for deets!), and then I’ll be out of town for a bit. As a result, I’m covering some group classes at different times, and/or you might find another wonderful teacher subbing for one of my usual classes. I also have reduced availability for private lessons until the first week of August. If you are a paid (vs. free) Substack subscriber, you’ll find a link to livestream a practice via a private YouTube link in my July 1 post, “Meeting Fear with Curiosity.” Thank you for your practice—and your patience!
Subscriber Bookclub!
Currently Reading: Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy
If you’ve been following along, you probably know that we’re working our way through Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy this summer here in the Substack chat feature (with our journals in hand!).
Still catching up on the reading? That’s just fine. You can join us in the chat when you’re ready by clicking this link or by clicking the chat icon at the bottom of your phone screen and/or on the left side of your desktop screen (it looks something like this 💬). Find Anima Sola Yoga in the sidebar - click that, and feel free to comment in the “Bookclub” chapter threads when you get there. It’s free to participate!
If you live in northern Manhattan, Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy is currently on the shelves at The Fountain Bookshop and you should be able to order from Word Up Books. Support your local booksellers! Also check your friend and mine, The New York Public Library.
Practice with Me In-Person | Group Classes
Heights Meditation & Yoga
Monday 7/14 6:30-7:30pm ET Lively Flow (subbing for Emma)
Monday 7/14 7:45-8:45pm ET Restorative (subbing for Emma)
Tuesday 7/15 12-1pm ET Slow Flow
Thursday 7/17 6:30-7:30pm ET Slow Flow (subbing for Carolina)
Tuesday 7/29 12-1pm ET Slow Flow (Back from my break!)
Interested in Private Yoga?
If you’re a Manhattan resident looking to build and/or deepen your yoga practice in the comfort and privacy of your own home, I offer 5- and 10-class packs. All class cards expire a year from purchase.
5-pack of 60-minute, in-home private classes = $450
10-pack of 60-minute, in-home private classes = $900
If you’re interested in private yoga classes, reach out. Venmo, Zelle and Paypal accepted.
If you’re already a Private Yoga client of mine with an active class card and are looking to book a time to practice, I keep my TidyCal updated:
In the Meantime…
For those of you who like theatre, we have one final performance of Robin Rice’s This Dream Has Teeth. Come see us Sunday, July 20 at The Tank NYC, 7pm.
I’ll see you on the mat!
AL