Recently Rina Yoga announced that we are merging our Coral Way classes to the Roads studio for November and December. It’s exciting news because we will all be able to practice together in one room and build up the yoga community in this one space instead of splitting us apart.
I have heard some people mention how the parking situation is difficult and that they find this an obstacle for them in terms of coming to that studio. I understand how you feel because it is also a challenge for us staff to park at that studio and I am hearing you loud and clear!!! Because of this concern, we have decided to share with you the plethora of options for parking around that studio. We printed a map of all the codes for parking plus some free residential areas as well. In addition, I found it important to write this blog so that maybe it’s the little nudge we need to put things into perspective. 🙂
I know that we were all very comfortable with the easy parking at 2490 Coral Way, and that has always been a luxury. I am grateful that I have been able to provide this easy and accessible service for the nine years that Rina Yoga has been open. I huge perk for sure. Anywhere else you go to in Miami, we have to pay to park, we need to consider the walking distance plus the possible ticket we might get when we return to our car. It’s not fun but it’s our reality in Miami.
So, this is my plea for you all…
If something as trivial as needing to find and pay for a parking place in order to come to yoga stops you from coming to class, then consider that you may need yoga more than ever. If you have a car, which is a beautiful luxury we luckily have, then we should feel grateful for being able to find a parking spot and pay for it! This is just a minor adjustment to your routine which, when we apply our deeper yoga principles, is a great lesson to being able to adapt and adjust to our surroundings, accepting changes with an open mind and an open heart. We also let you arrive late as long as you are quiet and respectful of those in class.
I’ll share a story that happened to me many years ago when I first started yoga and I was going daily to class. I lived up by the North Miami and would drive 40 minutes minimum to a yoga studio in South Miami. I had an unlimited pass so I came all the time. I was dedicated.
As you know, there is plenty of traffic around that time plus for that commute. There were some days that made it difficult to arrive on time and this studio had a rule that you couldn’t enter 15 minutes after the class had started.
So on this very traffic-heavy day, I finally got to the studio but there were no parking spots and I was driving around for like 10 minutes trying to find parking. Finally I paid for a spot in a garage where I payed more but said “Fuck it! I gotta get to class!” So I ran into the studio 16 minutes after the class started and I shit you not, I was not allowed into the class. The owner of the studio would not let me in no matter what. So it is because of that beautiful traffic-heavy, hard-to-find-parking day that I have no rules about when you can arrive to class and when you can leave class. I, as a dedicated yogi, was trying to make mountains move to come to class and I was rejected for being 1 minute late.
Yes, it’s important to get to class on time as part of your discipline for your practice. If you are a chronically tardy person then you might want to reassess your time-management skills, but shit happens and we all want to experience some of the community lovin’ that we feel when we go to the studio.
With that being said, please remember that the studio lives to serve you and the community. As yogis, it is important you also apply that same intention for your studio. Don’t let a small thing like parking or traffic bend you out of shape. (Pun-intended. 😉 ) Rise above the smaller external obstacles and stay committed to your practice and your studio – even if you have five of them that you go to. Make it a point today to park on your mat because in the truest sense, you are never late for yoga. It’s always present.
I am a former student and for various personal reasons I had to stop going to class but I always look at your emails, it felt good to “keep in touch”. I am afraid that the profanity you used on this blog just blew my mind – makes me wonder how sensitive/serene/wise you truly are. It’s very disappointing to find out this weak point in your character. So sorry to bring this to your attention and I am possibly the only person bothered by this, but profanity is no substitute for the intelligent transmission of your thoughts and ideas.
Dearest Josie, I hope that a few letters put together won’t keep you away from keeping in touch. Words are just words. And I am never using them with anger or intent to hurt. Sometimes the “nicer” words people use are just a facade for the deeper resentment and anger people carry so those to me are more hurtful than the occasional “bad” word that society has told me is “bad.” If you read for the meaning behind the words, there lies the true wisdom. We do wish you could come back to the studio more often but understand if personal reasons keep you away. But please know that we only share with love as our actions are much more powerful than the few words expressed on this blogpost which was meant to help inspire those to practice their yoga regardless of any obstacles. We all have those obstacles and sometimes it just means we need to get real with those as a community and call it what it is. But we are here to help everyone get up and step up for themselves. And not let little obstacles get in their own way of true growth. Whether it be parking or profanity. 🙂 Wishing you love and blessings always Josie, Yours, Rina