Welcome to the Bending Tree Mewsletter! What better time than meow to start tuning into your own purrsonal evmeowlution. What does this mean? Really get to the heart of who you are and how you want to live your life. Take inventory on past experiences and transform them into something mew, a mew way of seeing, feeling, being and creating. It’s time to get purrsonal. Enjoy! Sign up to receive it in your inbox here.

Yoga Cats Evmeowlution of the Meowth

Mini and Mellow

When talking about evmeowlution, what you need is time. So I thought I would highlight our 2 eldest cats Mini at 14 and Mellow at 15 and their purrsonal journeys that we’ve witnessed through the years.

Let’s start with Mellow, she was adopted from a local vet at about 5 or 6 weeks. And she was a snuggler in her kitten years, nestling in my arms or neck; sleeping on Omar’s chest.

Then she hit her “adolescence” where she became an adventurer. She was always outside. And loved being outside in the rain. She still snuggled every once in a while but she added a bite to her affection, where if you pet her too long you got a love bite. She’s became a sassy and it stuck.

As years passed, she settled inside, where she spent most of the time on our bed meowlaxing. But in the last 2 years she has ventured outside again and added some kitten shenanigans to her mix. She races through the house, playing in boxes and then darts outside for a bit. She’s hit a balanced meow mix of a life. We are loving every aspect of her purrsonal evmeowlution. Who meows what’s next?

Mini also was adopted from a local vet. After seeing her in a cage there, she won our hearts with her sweet meow.

Her kitten energy was very independent, but also very calm and even. And she did love to climb.

During her outdoor adventure years, we would see her on a neighbor’s roof a few doors down. She gave us her sweet meow as we passed by.

She developed a jealous streak in her adolescence, where she got pouty if I gave other cats attention or left for too long.

Now, in these later years she stays mostly inside in a box or on a chair or table, if she’s outside she is just chillin’ on our bedroom balcony.

She’s become understanding and accepting of sharing attention and more confident meowing that we always love her. She loves laying next to me (or on me) when I’m in the bed. That has become her signature mewve these days and I love it. Her purrsonal journey will hit another dimension soon as she was diagnosed with cancer a few meownths ago. She’s doing great, but there will be a day that she’ll let us know she is ready to go to the next level. What a meowgical evmeowlution that awaits!

Meowtastic Videos

What is Yoga Toolbox?

Yoga Toolbox goes beyond the physical practice. It is a class that I decided to create coming from a culmination of training, experience and intuitive guidance. A few years ago it started as an idea that “wouldn’t it be cool if we could have a few go-to, easy-to-use tools to help guide us in a variety of life situations.” Welcome to Yoga Toolbox, a methodology that grows and changes with you, something that stays with you for a lifetime.

Check out the Yoga Toolbox Sample Class Podcast and also the Yoga Toolbox Playbook that is a companion to the course.

The Yoga Toolbox class is currently offered as a private class with one or more people, but look for regularly scheduled sessions coming soon.

Contact Karen with any questions or to schedule an appointment.

Meowtastic Videos

Put Your Thinking Cat On

We love it when a Yoga Cat meowlaxes on our mat, but how do we go about our practice? See some helpful mewves and tips here with Yoga Cat T.C.

All views support the Bending Tree Animal Health and Wellness Fund.

For Your BODY, MIND and SPIRIT

Mews and Services

WAYS TO GET MEOWTIVATED IN YOUR PRACTICE

Living your yoga is about creating your own practice and comes from the inside — finding stillness, kindness, heart-centered living and peace. So what can help you get there? Maybe you need to burn some energy and running, spin class or YogaStrong are the ways to go. Maybe you just need to slow down and a gentle yoga class; walking at lunchtime; or even just taking 10 minutes to yourself is the answer.

There is an infinite amount of forms that your “yoga” practice can take and therefore living your yoga more fully, happily and freely. Take the time to find one or several and change it up as needed (it is natural to outgrow an activity or practice).

Over the years there have been different types of classes here from yogapilates to gentle yoga but I wanted to get to the heart of the matter. And this is the basis for Yoga for Life, our mew class concept going on meow.

Yoga for Life is a class built on fun and freedom in your body, mind and spirit. Through physical postures and creative sequences; petting yoga cats (or witnessing yoga can shenanigans); breathing techniques; and a meditative savasana will bring you to a mew level of being. How does this work? There will be strength and flow and gentle in a combination that you can get something out of it for yourself (sometimes without even meowing) that stays and sticks with you and that helps you in your life journey, wherever you are in that. Learn meowre about Yoga for Life sessions in this video.

Click here for Yoga with Cats Schedule and class pricing.

YOGA WITH CATS — We encourage you to enjoy your pet energy with your class. Ever since I started this studio here in 2011, cats have attended and this purrfect fit soon became known as Yoga with Cats.

Our pets provide a powerful energy to our lives, constantly teaching us to be better people in every way. Even when we feel frustrated by our pet’s behavior, this is a valuable lesson and insight into ourselves. Our animals tend to reflect our energy. If you’re stressed, they’re stressed. They live from the heart space always and they are just trying to help us. They force us to look within, even when it is uncomfortable.

I encourage you to practice with your pets, whether it is yoga at home, play time or snuggle time. Your practice is enhanced every time you interact with your animals. I’m not kitten you, this is living your yoga.

MEOW MIX OF OFFERINGS

The Bending Tree Menmew of Services includes studio and zoom sessions so you can participate even if you are not in La Manzanilla. Services include YOGA, THETAHEALING, MEDITATION, REFLEXOLOGY.

ADDED BONUS — When you purchase any one of our services you are automatically making a difference as a portion of each paid service goes to our YogaScholarship, YogaCommunity programs and our Animal Health and Wellness Fund.

BE A PART OF THE COMMEWNITY OF INSPURRATION TODAY. Read about our Bending Tree Expansion Project here.

Podcasts: Another MEW Podcast has been added to the Podcast Menmew featuring John Becker on guitar. Enjoy a meowtastic practice with a pawsome Yoga Soundtrack, that also includes some neighborhood standby’s — the bolillo guy; gas guy; parrots and other bird songs. Practice with this podcast here.

More pawsibilities: Did you meow you can work on Continuing Education Credits with Bending Tree? We have several classes that you can take as self-study for free or receive personal guidance and feedback with Karen starting at $20 USD. Currently classes available are Yoga Focus (how to find peace and stillness within) and Just Breathe (explore the power of breathing, the most important part of your yoga practice).

WAYS TO PRACTICE WITH YOGA CATS ANYTIME, ANYWHERE:
The Podcast menu here on our site includes a variety of practices from gentle to flow to half-hour of power to meditation. These podcasts are also available to download for free to you don’t need the internet to practice with them.

BendingTreeYoga Channel on YouTube offers several playlists with a mix of yoga and meditation in Yoga with Cats Create Your Own Practice. These playlists include several short practice segments from 4 to 9 minutes for a total of a 1.5 hour practice (that you can shorten on your own) or 30 minutes in the REMIX version.

Animal Health and Wellness Fund

Bending Tree Animal Health and Wellness Fund was established to help bring health and happiness to our animal friends. Anytime you purchase a Bending Tree class or service; or watch one of the many videos on BendingTreeYoga Channel you make a contribution to this fund. Monies go to suppawt the Yoga Cata Sanctuary along with a variety of venues to help with sterilization clinics; rescuing; and adoption services. Donations to this fund are also welcome at any time. Thank you.