I will be sharing stories from teachers, students, professionals, and myself of moments from our former physical location, our experiences through covid 19, and what is driving our motivations to keep teaching, practicing, and staying together as a community.

When I first started to practice Yoga. I found him next to our favorite bar we used to frequent...

In 2014, as I started my yoga practicing life... I found Effy after a night of drinking debauchery trying to sober up next to a bar very popular with my friends and myself.
He looked like this...

Beat up, Run down, but still loving

When I first found Effy, I was almost certain he was going to die. Skin and bones, and mangled from fighting other cats.
Although he looked anemic and afraid, he was still brave enough to play with us on that night in that parking lot. As we played loud music and laughed into our drunken stupor, this cat slowly crept up and rubbed his dirty paws and flea ridden coat all over us.
There was something about that attitude that won me over. I said to myself, here is a cat that clearly has had a hard time, a hard life, and very recently has lost. But he still wants to play, he still wants love, and he is risking his life to get it.
I cut the tone of grab ass and laughter with a serious "guys, I'm taking this cat home, on 3 I'm going to pick him up and someone drive to the house fast."

Who saved who though?

At the time I had been recovering from a hard break up. I almost married this woman from this break up marked the first dive into Alcoholism I had ever experienced. I had been using Alcohol as a means to cope.

Effy was the first pet I had ever had. I had fish and stuff before but not something like a cat or dog.

The first few nights with him was a lesson. Pisting and hissing on and at everything in my house. I said wow, I am not ready for this. I ran to get him nurtured after a few days and he started to settle down.
During those days I couldn't drink, and I couldn't drink very much there after as I was so focused on taking care of him and nursing him back to health. I also had started practicing yoga a bit more seriously.

Very soon, with yoga practice and a new friend, opportunities to drink became less available and my well being and Effy's well being became the priority.

It was clear in retrospect Effy was a huge part of my recovery from my first stint into Alcoholism. And he would continue to provide moments of silly play and love that would help curb my future traumas.