Toni Kuhn

Yesterday at the gym I made the announcement that I am moving to Pine Mountain Club on February 14.  I am giving up my Sunday classes so that I can enjoy my new home with my husband on his days off from work. I have been teaching on Sundays for over 15 years and it is time to take them off. One of the places I teach at has a two class minimum and so in giving up my Sunday class, they said I could no longer have my Friday class unless I picked up a second class with them. As of right now, they don’t have anything that fits my schedule,  so February 8 is my last class there. This was a very hard decision for me and I agonized over it for a long time.  I am very sad to give up my Sunday & Friday classes  and I will miss  my gym family very much.  Thank you all for the years of dedication to my classes and for making my job so much fun.

On a good note,  I will still be teaching in the Santa Clarita Valley. I will be teaching down here on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. I will be keeping all of my other classes and may be adding more from other facilities. As of right now I will be teaching at Yoga Works, Total Women, and Princess Cruise.  I will still be seeing my private clients out here and up at my new home. Additionally, I will be hosting Wellness/Yoga Retreats out of my new home! Look for more information on that in the Spring.

You can contact me through this website, Facebook or cell phone. My email on my business card may be changing with the move, but I will be sure to add the new one Facebook. I am pretty sure I will be keeping my gmail account so you can reach me at this email address too.  toni4yoga@gmail.com

Thank you all for the love and support during this transition in my life. I am very excited to begin a new chapter in my life with my family.

Here are some pictures of my new home. Maybe you will come up for a visit!

View from upper deck

drive way

Toni & Doug
New home, new Mini in the snow

View from the lower deck

View from our bedroom

New home at sunset

I have been working on learning how to receive without guilt and to enjoy the generosity/sincerity of others. So many times I find myself speechless and humbled by the kind words and actions of my students. I am so happy that I am able to touch peoples life in such a positive way, yet I still feel inadequate at times. My mind shuffles through thoughts of “I am just doing my job””, or “I am just a yoga a teacher”,   and even ” Am I worthy of such gratitude and grace?” Recently a student posted a note on my website that stirred these thoughts again. Only this time, I stopped the shuffling and simply enjoyed her words. I let myself be open to them. And you know what? My heart swelled, my self doubt lessened, and I let myself receive her sincerity.

During the next few weeks, as you are busy preparing for the holidays, pause a moment and make sure your actions are sincere. Are you doing all of these things out of obligation or because you genuinely want to? And then, notice if you are receiving someone else’s sincerity with an openness and taking the time to truly appreciate their efforts. Try not to let the busyness of the holidays take away from the purity of what we give to each other.

You may find yourself trying to balance more things in your life as we enter the holiday season. In order to remain calm and happy, you must learn how to decide what to hold on to, and what to let go of. Ask yourself questions like:

” Do I really need to make such an elaborate meal for my family”?

“Do I really need to have so many people over for a meal”?

“Can I ask for help with hosting the party this year”?

“Why am I holding on to this anger and frustration with this person”?

“Why am I working so hard only to find myself exhausted”?

Sometimes we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to entertain, host, and please our family and friends. Ask yourself if your are doing this out of obligation or the shear joy of it. If you find that you do enjoy it, but it is very hard to do on your own, ask for help. Split up the work and let some of the things go.

Sometimes we find that certain people in our lives cause us pain and frustration. This could be a family member or a friend. You have to decide if you want to hold on to the relationship or let it go. Remind yourself that you always have a choice in a relationship. No one has to stay in a relationship, even if it is a family member.

Sometimes you have to ask yourself very difficult questions to bring balance in your life. It is never too late.

• Sit.
• Contemplate.
• Breathe.
• Let go of what is no longer serving you and balance will be restored.

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I were taking a walk in Pine Mountain. We were enamored by the beauty of this place and each step we took made us feel more and more peaceful. As we were taking in the sights, I noticed this heart shaped rock on the ground in the front of someone’s home. I happen to collect heart shaped rocks and my first inclination was to take it home. I actually picked it up and carried it for a few moments. We began walking some more and a few minutes later we saw a deer. He was a full grown magnificent animal that took our breath away. As soon as he saw us a leaped, and I mean leaped, away. It was one of the most beautiful things I ever saw!  I began to understand that this was a sacred place and that I should respect it and put the heart rock where I found it.  It was like this rock belonged where I found it. So I took this picture of it, and put it back. I no longer felt uneasy and I actually felt completely at peace. I took this as a sign that this rock was meant to be seen by others so they too could experience it’s beauty and peace.  That’s why it was right there in front of someone’s home, in plain sight. Just like the deer was only meant to be seen for the briefest of moments. Deer sightings are extraordinary, so I feel blessed that I had the chance to cross his path and to see this amazing heart rock, all in 10 minutes. I believe the signs were telling me to appreciate all the beauty in my life and surrounding it.

Look around, what do you see? Are there things in your environment that are truly awesome and bring you peace?  The sunrise, the sunset, the ocean, or even the smiles of your friends and family.  Look around, see the the signs, and appreciate the beauty in your life.

Namaste.