tranquilosophy: celebrating tranquility

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually 

thrown out of the nest. - Pema Chodron  

{dearest readers: below is my march muse to the tranquil space community. i thought you may enjoy learning more about the journey. to be continued. x}

Welcome to March at Tranquil Space. After our snowy winter, it’s a delight to await the daffodils, tulips, and cherry blossom blooms within weeks. To help celebrate spring’s arrival, this month we’re hosting our second annual Open House on the 27th complete with free classes, complimentary chair massage, and inspirational talks on living yoga. Plus we’re unveiling a new 10 for $10 offering (stay tuned via our Facebook and Twitter pages), hosting numerous workshops to deepen your practice including Barre Flow, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and more. We hope you’ll join us on the mat for a tranquility-filled adventure.

2014 marks the 15-year celebration of Tranquil Space. What began as a seedling in my living room has grown into a movement playfully coined “tranquilosophy” that I strive to deepen each and every day. While the studio is housed within four walls in Dupont Circle and Arlington, the community spreads far and wide. We have Tranquil Space-trained teachers in Egypt, London, and LA, lead retreats internationally, and have giving back as a central component of all our efforts.

As we grew beyond our humble roots into teacher trainings, a locally-sewn clothing line, a non-profit, additional studio locations, a globally-consumed podcast, books, a Lab, online courses, and even the Tranquility Tour, the notion of tranquility has stayed at the core of all we do. It’s the thread woven throughout to create a full-fledged lifestyle that extends beyond the mat.

When I left my day job in 2000 to pursue teaching full-time, many thought I was crazy. After all, a 26-year-old should be saving for retirement and settling down. Not this one. I longed to pursue a passion, bring like-hearted people together, and offer "therapy" in the form of yoga, self-expression, and reflection.

The road to creating tranquility was not always smooth. There were longer days and more e-mail than I’d like to admit. There were bureaucratic studio opening delays. There were struggles creating optimal systems. There was a build-out budget that went over by 50% just in time for the 2008 economic crash. I could go on and on. However, this is not a sob story, but rather an opportunity to celebrate the tranquility we’ve created together despite life’s setbacks.

As Pema Chodron reminds us, "Everything that occurs is not only usable and workable but is actually the path itself. We can use everything that happens to us as the means for waking up. We can use everything that occurs—whether it's our conflicting emotions and thoughts or our seemingly outer situation—to show us where we are asleep and how we can wake up completely, utterly, without reservations."

As we count down to our 15th year celebration (save the date: October 24) over the next few months, I’ll be sharing stories of our journey, lessons learned, and tips to sprinkle more tranquility into your daily life. Pour a sparkling libation, kick up your heels into legs up the wall, and get ready for some old-fashioned storytelling. Thank you for being an integral part in celebrating tranquility. We’re truly honored to serve you. Namaste.