Summer Sings - Tending the Fire, Rooted in the Heart
When we ask a rose or an orchid. "Why are you here? What is your purpose? The flower might answer, 'I am here to make life more beautiful. I am here to bring you joy.' But the flower could also answer. 'I am simply here.' I am here just to be here. To be is already enough." - Thich Nhat Hanh
Hello dear friends,
If you're looking for upcoming classes, events, and ways to practice together this summer (Outdoors in Sellwood Park begins today!!), feel free to jump to the bottom or visit classes. Today's letter is from the heart this morning.
Please enjoy this soundscape from the Coming Home playlist for today's read. For me, it captures this dance of energies beautifully. Aptly named Earth Is Singing—the hum of the nervous system, music for the spirit.
As you listen, allow space for whatever is present. The joys and the struggles. The gratitude and the grief. The hopes, questions, and uncertainties. Let this moment hold all of it. Breathe a little more intentionally. Arrive just as you are.
It's a beautiful Wednesday morning here in Portland.
After the heat of the past few days, the air feels softer. The gardens are thriving, the birds are busy, and I've spent part of the morning tending plants and helping find new homes for a few chickens and our sweet duck. Life continues unfolding in its ordinary and extraordinary ways.
Summer is arriving.
The light lingers longer. The days feel fuller. Gatherings, projects, travel, celebrations, and responsibilities all begin to stretch outward.
As Gemini season draws toward a close and we approach the Summer Solstice, I keep returning to a question shared by Andrea Rare:
"What in your life is ready to be fully expressed? What helps you stay rooted as it unfolds?"
For fullness is not something we force.
It is something we allow.
So I offer a few questions to revisit for reflection:
How are you tending your fire?
How are you feeding your spirit?
In Ayurveda, summer invites us to pay attention to our inner flame. Sometimes we nourish it through meaningful work, connection, creativity, movement, purpose, and rest. Other times there is simply too much wind—too much doing, too much movement in too many directions.
Perhaps you've felt both.
I know I have.
The past few weeks have been full of teaching, planning, gardening, community building, and preparing for summer offerings. Through it all, I find myself returning to the same medicine I share through yoga:
Simplicity.
Nature as teacher.
A few conscious breaths.
A hand to the heart.
The reminder that our worth is not measured by how much we accomplish.
This past weekend, I had the privilege of supporting yoga therapy students as they completed a final training module. As they prepare to step more fully into service, many shared a familiar feeling: not quite ready.
And perhaps none of us ever feel completely ready.
Yet the invitation remains the same—to return to the heart, trust what is sincere, and take the next step anyway.
For it is not as much about what we do but who we are, how we are able to be in the doing.
May we stay rooted as we express ourselves more fully.
May we tend our passions, responsibilities, relationships, and well-being with equal care.
And when the world feels overwhelming, may we remember that the heart remains a trustworthy compass.
Through that which is both expansive and reverent,
That welcomes vitality and resilience.
With radiance & rest, garnering love & light,
Maya
Summer Practices all Season Long
🌿 Heart Spring Health — Sellwood SE Portland
Small-group therapeutic wellness, community, and movement.
New! Outdoor Yoga Begins Today
☀️ Sellwood Park Yoga
• Weekly Wednesdays Slow Flow • 6:15 PM
• Monthly Saturdays • 9:00 AM - 10:00AM with Refreshments!
• All Levels Welcome
• Yoga • Fresh Air • Connection
Saturday Dates: 📅 June 28 • July 11 • August 8 • September 12
Suggested Rates– $20 No one turned away!
Advanced Registration Greatly Appreciated!
Weekly Classes:
• Root & Rise — Tues & Thurs 7:00 AM
• Somatic Strength — Tues & Thurs 8:15 AM
• Yoga Therapy (Small Group) — Tues 10:00 AM
• Slow Flow — Wed 4:45 PM
Heart Spring Intro Offer:
• $40 Unlimited for 14 Days
• 50% Off First Drop-In
• Memberships from $79/month
🌿 Online
• Community Circle (Free) — Wed 11:00 AM
• Friday Flow (Pay What You Can) — Fri 8:00 AM
🌿 Root & Rise: Mountain Park Select Saturdays
An outdoor gathering for movement, connection, and seasonal nourishment.
☀️ Saturdays • 9:00 AM – Register Here
Select Dates: • July 4 • July 25 • August 15 (+ possible pop-up dates)
Yoga • Tea & Treats • Community
🌿 Additional Community Offering
Providence St. Vincent (Free + Accessible)
Mondays | • 9:00 AM Rise • 10:00 AM Stability @Basecamp
(No classes June 29 & July 6)
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