Goodbye
This photo was taken on a typical early morning rainy December day here in Victoria. I took it looking through the second floor bay window facing west down Johnson Street towards the blue bridge. This photo was taken just a couple of weeks before the shala closed for good.
The original owners and teachers were Jeff Lichty Jefflichty.com and Harmony Slater harmonyslater.com. Both are world class teachers.
I received this from Harmony:
“Jeff and I moved to Victoria in the summer of 2009 and we started the shala back in the Shambhala center in September of 2009.
We started with a one month 2 for 1 deal so that we could optimize how many students we had coming for our first month. I would say Rachel was also a rain-maker for us, in that she rallied the existing practitioners in Victoria, who were without a home, and told them about our new school.
Those early days in the Shambhala center were really special, with only a morning Mysore program. However, we felt if we were to make a living from the yoga, we’d have to continue to grow and offer more classes.
We moved into the Market Square location in December of 2010, with our grand opening in January 2011. I gave birth to our son Jediah at the end of that first month!
Rachel, Rachel, Darcy (whom I’m not sure if you ever met) and Susan were our steady supports as we slowly began to grow. Those early days in Market Square were challenging. Sometimes Jeff or myself would teach 8 hours of classes / day!
But meeting people like you and growing a community, watching people’s lives change and transform made all of the challenges worth it!”
This is where I was introduced to yoga, a new community, great teachers, and a new passion.
I’ve practiced in that room with one or two people and at times when it was so full the mats were touching. I’ve seen the windows fog up solely due to body heat.
I was welcomed into a community with open arms. And I had conversations with teach and a few end-of-practice participants that encouraged my belonging. I was honoured to be taught Pranayama there by Jeff just before he moved on. Harmony’s drive translated into my resolve and Rachel’s passion for practice evolved into mine.
I laughed often and in fact a rule was to smile at least once during practice – and Jeff made that easy. I made new friends and learned way more than I ever thought possible. I met Tim Miller there not knowing years later I would eventually end up at his shala in California learning how to teach. It’s been a trip to say the least.
One Saturday night at my diner table I discussed a plan with my son to take down (steal) the hanging wood Ashtanga Yoga sign that hung out over the top of the stairs. It was high and hung out over a 30 foot drop. I have ladders, tools, and a willing participant (son). It would be a challenge to get it but as we drank and discussed how to get it down we had a few too many, and the plan never took place. I love that memory of my son and I planning that caper with him willing to help me in that quest – I love a good caper. My plan was to present the sign to Jeff and Harmony as a keepsake before they left.
I was incredibly fortunate to absorb all at that shala including my teachers passion. To develop an appreciation for the beauty of the form; externally and internally. It’s been life changing.
Thank you so much.