About Opening Lotus Yoga
Opening Lotus Yoga opened in 2003 and moved to our current studio space Sept. 2008. With the new studio space, Opening Lotus Yoga embraced Eco-sustainability offering bamboo flooring, ‘clean’ paint finishes, use of organic cleaners and ‘green’ yoga props; cork, bamboo blocks and earth element yoga mats(latex free). The Eco-Green studio is a member of the national organization GreenYoga.org and pledges to offer education to our yoga community on reducing our environmental footprint by integrating principles of Green Living.
We are living in difficult and uncertain times with monumental levels of individual and global suffering. Fear and anxiety have become dominating forces in peoples lives. My aspiration is to continue to have the courage to ‘step into the fire’. To offer the unifying teachings yoga embodies, uniting body, mind and spirit. I aspire to daily cultivate ‘Fierce Compassion’, which defines the energy of a bodhisattva or Peace Warrior. I believe we can only achieve peace in the world, one individual at a time, one heart at a time and through the teachings of yoga, one breath at a time.
Through these efforts, I hope that Opening Lotus can be a refuge for those that may choose to teach and study here and that through our collective skillful efforts, we can expand the yogic community of Peace, compassion, love and joy.
The symbol of the lotus is sacred in India, Tibet, China and Japan. It represents the process of growth, beauty and purity of wisdom consciousness. The deeper the lotus roots penetrate down into the muddy waters, the richer the bloom. The lotus blossom reaches for the light, once warmed, it begins to open, one petal at a time until the golden seed pod at the center is revealed. This is a beautiful metaphor for the unfolding of our true inner nature, our true Self. Opening Lotus Yoga is intended to provide a sacred space for that gradual growth and opening of individuals true selves to occur.
I am grateful for the blessed opportunity to bring this action forward. I am grateful for those that join me in cultivating a more loving and peaceful world. I am grateful for all my teachers, past and present, embodied and in spirit that serve as my refuge. May we bring the joy and light of yoga to all we touch.
In Peace and in the Light of Yoga
Om Shanti
Anne Duffey-Founder & Director of Opening Lotus Yoga
