Lughnasadh comes during the dog days of summer. The heat is thick and movement feels slow and languid. If you’re a gardener, you’ve been at it for months now and starting to reap the rewards with a harvest. Lugnasadh traditionally marks the beginning of harvest season and invites us to reflect on what is bountiful and abundant in our lives. Sometimes I can get so caught up in overwhelm and how ‘busy’ I am. But having a lot to do is a form of bounty and abundance too. Where are you full? How can you be grateful for that fullness? Lughnasadh is also a time to honor the hard work required to cultivate growth — the toil of our ancestors that made our lives possible, your own toil this past season towards your personal growth.

August also marks the moment, Ayurvedically, where we can begin to care for ourselves with an eye towards preparing for the Vata qualities of autumn. While it is still hot out, the dry Vata that has been accumulating all summer mostly stays in place. But when the air begins to cool, if we haven’t grounded ourselves, that dryness can spread come fall and send us into anxiety, constipation, and other Vata imbalances. This month, I resolve to spend more time with my bare feet on the earth, drink grounding date shakes with almond milk, and pay attention to eating and sleeping at regular times. Digestion can also become an issue if Vata is out of balance. For paid subscribers, I’ve included a link to my video series on caring for your digestion below.

As the seeds that we sowed earlier in the year begin to manifest, we can reflect on the lessons of the tarot’s 7 of Pentacles card.

The 7 of Pentacles:

In my garden, I’ve started harvesting cherry tomatoes and herbs. But I find myself gazing at other plants every morning with a bit of impatience, ready to partake but knowing I just have to wait until it’s time. If what you’ve been cultivating isn’t quite ready, whether vegetable or otherwise, you’re likely feeling impatient because you’ve been nurturing it for so long. Maybe you see the growth and wonder if you could rush the harvest. Have faith that the reward will be so much fuller if you wait a little longer and surrender control. There is a divine timing for everything and rushing that deprives you of the fullness of its beauty.

Ayurveda: Back to Basics

Sometimes trying to incorporate all these practices can seem overwhelming. Let’s revisit the basics. Some days, or weeks, just pick one and congratulate yourself on doing one intentional thing to take care of yourself.

1. Fast overnight. Try to have your last meal at least 2 hours before bed and give your body a chance to do its work to repair and rejuvenate overnight.
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2. Get some first morning sunlight as soon as you wake to boost your circadian rhythm and mood. Every system of your body benefits from this practice.
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3. Take a few minutes to slow down and do some intentional breathing at some point during your day.
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4. Eat whole, cooked meals at regular times each day with no snacking in between.
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5. Take a walk after you eat. No pushing yourself to strenuous exercise, just a gentle walk to assist your digestion. Learn more about digestion by joining as a paid subscriber and watching my video series, linked below.
.…
6. Connect. Give and receive love through laughter with a friend, a 10-second hug with a partner, snugs with a four-legged, or a mindful oil massage and bath for yourself.

PS ::

If any of my work resonates with you, my Elemental Reset Package might be the container you're looking for. It's a six-week experience weaving together Pilates, Thai bodywork, Ayurveda, and the tarot designed to help you create the conditions for your body and spirit to do what they already know how to do. I have a handful of spots open. Visit my website and inquire there if you’re curious.

If you’re reading this in Gmail Promotions, drag it to Primary and tell Gmail it belongs there. It means I’ll reliably land in your inbox.

VIDEO SERIES
Making Peace With Your Body: Caring for Your Digestion & Weight

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Litha - or Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere - arrives at the peak of the sun's strength, the longest day of the year, when light seems to linger forever before dusk. Here in western Colorado, that solar intensity meets our particularly dry brand of summer heat, and in Ayurvedic terms, this is prime territory for Pitta to flare. Without humidity to soften it, the heat here can feel more depleting — showing up as irritability, dried-out skin, restlessness, or that short-fused feeling when the smallest inconvenience suddenly feels unbearable.

Litha asks us to honor the sun's power while also finding ways to cool and soothe what it stirs up in us. Interestingly, the Chariot card, so often associated with willpower and forward motion, is ruled by Cancer, a water sign governed by the Moon. What can we make of that at this time of year? Perhaps real momentum doesn't come from force alone, but from balancing that drive with emotional reflection and the willingness to pause and feel.

As you move through Litha this month, consider where in your life you're all Pitta and no cooling. Where could a little lunar softness in the form of rest, reflection, and emotional honesty actually help you go further than pure drive could on its own?

As our card of the month is the Chariot, let’s look at some other aspects of this sometimes confusing card:

The Chariot:

As the final card in the first line of the Major Arcana, the Chariot finds you protected and confident, ready to break free on your own. This is the vehicle you have successfully built around you but has become an armor of protection around your softest self. It’s worked well so far but can’t take you any further. Explore the power of vulnerability – what can you shed in order to venture forward and grow? This card, ruled by Cancer, or the crab, brings to mind a protective shell protecting your soft underbelly from the turbulent water. There is much vulnerability in exposing that softness. Some people never do leave the shell and that’s ok too. This is a threshold chance to review what you’ve learned and to call upon the Fool’s optimism to move you into the next phase of your life.

Ayurvedic tips for Summer

Summertime is Pitta time and on the western slope of Colorado, we are in the thick of it. Here’s what Ayurveda says about working with excessive heat.

1. Slow down. Listen to your body and do less if you’re feeling lower in energy. Afternoon naps are encouraged in Ayurveda at this time of the year.
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2. Use cooling coconut oil for your daily pre-shower massage.
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3. Keep rose hydrasol spray in your car and around your house to use on your neck and chest to cool your temperature and temper.
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4. Favor sweet, cooling foods and spices like cucumber, coconut, cilantro, ghee, cardamom and fennel.
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5. Avoid ice cream (darn it). It seems cooling but your body produces a lot of heat to digest it so it isn’t as beneficial as it may seem.
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6. Use yoga intentionally with lots of restorative poses and forward folds.
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7. Learn Sitali Pranayama, or ‘cooling breath’.

PS ::

If any of my work resonates with you, my Elemental Reset Package might be the container you're looking for. It's a six-week experience weaving together Pilates, Thai bodywork, Ayurveda, and the tarot designed to help you create the conditions for your body and spirit to do what they already know how to do. I have a handful of spots open. Visit my website and inquire there if you’re curious.

If you’re reading this in Gmail Promotions, drag it to Primary and tell Gmail it belongs there. It means I’ll reliably land in your inbox.

Hailed as the beginning of summer, Beltane is that glorious time when winter’s chains are finally broken and the wheel of the year turns to its summer half (in the Northern Hemisphere, of course). May is also my birthday month so I am especially partial to this time of year and the newness it brings. Beltane is lush and abundant as we see in its representation with flower baskets, bonfires, and the colorful ribbons of that sexy symbol of fertility, the maypole.

This is generally my favorite time of year. This year, however, I’ve been in a rough season of illness and I don’t feel as robust as I am used to feeling. It has been humbling as well as frustrating. As I slowly build myself back and try to be gentle with myself, I am reaching for some of the tools that I know always help me — namely, caring for my senses. I have a morning ritual that cleanses and wakes up each of my senses in a way that (when I do it) always makes me feel more ready for the day.

This month, for paid subscribers, I am providing access to a four-part video series I created on Ayurveda, essential oils, and caring for your senses. This is a perfect time of year for this as we continue to clear out Kapha’s excesses and wake ourselves up into early summer’s fun. If you aren’t already a paid subscriber, consider doing so this month!

This Beltane, I am grappling with the balance between accepting and needing help, and having an identity that wants to be of service to others. Anyone else recognize that duality? Let’s look at the Six of Swords for inspiration:

The Six of Swords:

This card is about finding balance in caretaking. Sometimes you can see over someone else’s baggage and self-talk to the truth and sometimes others can do the same for you. Are you available for letting others help? Look around for the empathetic souls in your life like friends and professionals who can help you cross over and hold space for you. To help another in this way you sometimes need to set emotion aside and be logical for them. Acts of service embody our values and sometimes simply mean walking our talk.

Ayurvedic tips for May
1. Balance grounding and cooling practices by putting your feet directly on the ground, covering your ears when it is windy, and favoring forward folds in your yoga practice.
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2. Switch to coconut oil for your daily pre-shower massage.
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3. Ramp up your hydration by adding a pinch of salt and lime juice to your water.
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4. Strawberries are cooling, hydrating, nourishing, and easy on your digestion. Enjoy them locally, organically, and with some whipped coconut cream!
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5. As a reminder as it gets warmer, ice will snuff out your digestive fire so skip it in your water.

PS ::

If you’re ready to get moving, join me on Sundays at 4:30 pm MST for a Zoom Pilates Mat class. The link to join is below. $15 to drop in or $60 for 6 classes within 2 months (Venmo Laura-Bradley-74) • JOIN ZOOM PILATES

View Below: Common Sense and Scents: Caring for Your Senses Through Ayurveda and Essential Oils

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It’s been an unusually warm winter here in Western Colorado and as we approach the Spring Equinox, or Ostara, the small signs of spring are poking up in my yard and my craving to dig in the dirt is right on cue. I love this time of year, the reawakening of the earth and my spirit, the chance to put things in order and start over again.

A big shift happens in the middle of this season. We start out in Pisces, the end of an astrological year that (for me) can feel emotional and even kind of heavy like I’m swimming in the dregs of the past year. Then the big shift into Aries season right on the Equinox/Ostara, which brings energy, creativity, and motivation. It’s finally time to start caring for yourself the way you vowed to in January but didn’t quite have the motivation for. Below, I have shared a self-guided, nourishing Spring Ayurvedic re-set complete with rituals and recipes for paid subscribers. There is also a 20-minute guided yoga and breath practice for reducing spring’s build up for paid subscribers. If you enjoy these musings every six weeks, please consider a paid subscription and give this ritual a try. It’s not a restrictive cleanse, as we still need nourishment to navigate the changing season. But a simplified, clean, and intentional diet for a few days along with some nurturing rituals is something we all deserve to give ourselves.

The Empress encourages us to reflect on any stories we have around our ‘deserving’ and ability to receive love, even self-love:

The Empress:

The Empress is ruled by Venus, bringing love, beauty, abundance, and mothering. What lights you up? Can you nurture that light the way an ideal mother would nurture it in her child? Expand your capacity for receiving the pleasures Venus offers. Do you have wounds around your deserving or the idea of “too much”? Reflect on the difference between taking and receiving. When you are open to receive, you are more resourced to give without burning out.

Ayurvedic tips for March and April

All the sturdiness we have built up over the winter for warmth and nourishment is starting to thaw into spring sludge. Get that stuff moving before it becomes spring allergies and summer inflammation!
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Get a big jar of raw, local honey and have a spoonful each day to get ahead of spring allergies.
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Do some daily, stimulating breathwork like Kapalabhati or Bhramari to clear out and strengthen your lungs.
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Take brisk walks in the midday sun - quick enough that you work up a bit of a sweat. Come to Pilates class to improve circulation and get energized - there is a new foundational reformer series starting soon - see below! Or become a paid subscriber and try the Kapha-clearing yoga practice linked below.
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Do a mild cleanse sometime this month. See the self-guided one below if you are a paid subscriber.
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Rise with the sun and take in the morning light just before dawn to ground your circadian rhythm.
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Establish your morning routine, even if it is just one thing you do for yourself every morning.
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Eat lighter foods like bitter greens and early shoots and sprouts; avoid or reduce heavier foods like dairy, meat, and root veggies.

Offerings::

New website! Visit openspaceswellness.com to check it out!

Self-Guided Spring Ayurvedic Cleanse (linked below for paid subscribers)

Kitchari is a simple and nourishing staple dish in Ayurvedic healing. As a healing practice, kitchari is very effective at supporting and promoting healthy digestion, which in turn supports a clear mind, radiant skin, better sleep, and greater enthusiasm and vitality. Kitchari is a balanced meal that contains both augmenting (or nourishing) foods like rice and root vegetables, and extracting (or cleansing) foods like mung beans and bitter greens. Giving your digestion a break with this nourishing and simple food strengthens your digestive fire in preparation for the months to come. Learn more by becoming a paid subscriber and downloading the PDF packet below.

:::::

6-Week Foundational Pilates Reformer Series
Centerline Movement, Fruita CO
Saturdays from 9-10 am
April 11-May 16
$150
This six-week series is designed to give you a solid base in the fundamentals of Pilates on the Reformer. Whether you’re brand new to Pilates or looking to deepen your understanding, this progressive, small-group series will help you develop core strength, coordination, body awareness, and a clear grasp of Pilates principles.
Register Here

Classical Pilates Mat and Tower Level 2-3
Centerline Movement, Fruita CO
Saturdays at 10:15 am
Register Here

:::::

The Open Spaces Tarot Deck
Hand-drawn illustrations based in the natural world and printed on demand for you or a loved one!
$50
Purchase a Deck

Read more

January always feels like such a void time, a hibernation. In the ancient calendar, there was a 13th month, a 13th moon, that was about total rest. Yet, in our modern times, it’s the beginning of a brand new year and at the end of the month, we get Imbolc, a time to sink into our hopes and dreams, to have faith in what we can’t yet see - that something is stirring underground. The motivation to act may not be high right now, and shouldn’t be, but it’s a nice time to consider what needs tending in order to create the fertile ground for growth as the light creeps back in.

Below, I’m sharing a video that takes you back to the basics of Ayurveda 101 for paid subscribers. If you have been enjoying this newsletter, please consider joining as a paid subscriber and learn more about this ancient healing system. The tips I share will resonate more deeply with that basic understanding shared in the video and you will be helping me continue doing this newsletter that I love! We also happen to be in the month of Aquarius, a great time for deepening learning.

During this ‘13th month’, pause and take a moment to assess your energetic patterns. We are entering a Magician year (2+0+2+6=10, reduces to 1 - the Magician!) and things are likely to feel much more action oriented and quickly moving than they have the past couple of years. It’s important that we are able to effectively work with the energy and resources that we have. Let’s consider the Ace of Wands::

The Ace of Wands ::

Inspiration may have struck or perhaps hints of inspiration are beginning to flicker in your periphery. The optimism of that flame won’t last long without protection. Are you resourced with the reserves of energy you need to start something new? Assess where you derive your energy and where you give it away. The fire is unformed at this point – you get to choose how to use it.

*illustration above from the Open Spaces Tarot Deck - purchase it here!

Ayurveda :: Back to Basics

Ayurveda is the system I use to guide my overall health and daily routines. Modern medicine has helped us to increase our lifespan. Ayurveda can help us to increase our health span so that we spend fewer years in decline at the end of life. Let’s get back to the basics.
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What is one change you can make now that you know you can implement and would make a difference? It can be very small, you’re looking for a quick win to kick start your year. Here are a few ideas:

• Increase the time between eating your last meal of the day and your first meal the next day by not eating when it is dark out. The overnight fast is when your body and mind processes, digests, cleans up toxins and does cellular repair.

• First thing in the morning, step outside to get some natural sunlight to keep your circadian rhythm functioning properly. Doing this will keep your hormones activating in the right way at the right time for all bodily functions.

• Spend 5-15 minutes each morning doing intentional breathwork and/or meditating to reduce stress and anxiety.

• Read on and become a paid subscriber to access Ayurveda 101, a 25 minute video explaining the basic principles of Ayurveda and why it works.
…
Consistency is key but please remember the 80/20 rule. If you have a goal for implementing anything into your routine and you are able to be consistent 80% of the time, consider that a win. If you’re starting from a generally baseline place of health, your body should be able to be resilient around the other 20%. If, however, you are trying to recover from an illness or condition, please work with a practitioner to find the practices and consistencies that will best suit you.

Offerings ::

Classical Pilates Mat + Tower Level 2-3
Saturdays 10:15 am
Centerline Movement, Fruita CO
$25 per class / packages available
This class is for beginning to intermediate Pilates students with a mild to moderate pace that covers the principles of Pilates and builds up to the original 34 mat exercises developed by Joseph Pilates. It is highly recommended that you complete either a 6-week introductory series or one private lesson before entering this class.
REGISTER» (find the Classical Tower and Mat Class on Saturdays)

The Open Spaces Tarot Deck
You’ve been seeing the illustrations, now you can have the full deck, rooted in the natural world and intuition. Purchase a deck
Digital prints of the major arcana drawings are also available for download on Etsy.

Ayurveda 101
If you’re a visual learner, you’ll enjoy this 25-minute video where I explain the foundations of Ayurveda and its relevance in our lives today. Become a paid subscriber to access the video and future exclusive content and help me continue my mission to help people find more intentionality and seasonality in their lives!

Read more

Winter is all about hibernation as far as I’m concerned. The earth is resting so it’s natural that we feel a pull to do the same. In our modern world, we may be expected to show up in the same way year-round but I say, give yourself permission to be a rebel and remember who you really are as a part of the natural world. Get cozy and snuggly, allow a more introverted and contemplative pace if that’s how you feel, and nourish your body. It’s not a great time for getting all the things done but it is a great time to plan and dream and consider. I do love to celebrate Yule and the winter solstice and all the rituals that come with the season. The sleeping earth is full of magic and mystery. Take some time to marvel at the beauty of the night sky and receive the hope that comes with the rebirth of light after the solstice.

Below, I’m sharing some back-to-basics tips for staying grounded and warm through the winter months from the perspective of Ayurveda. I have to remind myself at this year how important it is to move my body every day – but gently and without pressure to achieve. To help you gently care for all the facets of yourself through the winter months and to set yourself up well for the new year, I am offering a new program called the Elemental Reset Program which incorporates Pilates, Ayurveda, and tarot. See below for more information if you’re western Colorado local!

The Queen of Pentacles ::

The Queen of Pentacles is the embodiment of the kind of stubborn and radical self care that we need in the winter-time. The deep work of our lives is long and requires endurance. This queen embodies the ability to care for her own body, to be grounded and in harmony with the earth. Nurture your vessel and parent yourself. Return to earth and what nourishes you. At this holiday time of giving, remember that you can’t give what you don’t have.

*illustration above from the Open Spaces Tarot Deck - purchase it here!

Ayurvedic tips for Winter ::
As your body’s resources gather around your core to keep you and nourished through the winter, your limbs and joints can get stiff and the dryness can become ungrounding. Here are some of Ayurveda’s top tips for feeling your best this season.
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1. Oil your joints and nostrils before going out into the cold. Nasya oil is great for sinuses, mental clarity, and for relieving tension in the head.
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2. Massage sesame oil into your feet before going to bed. Sesame oil is warming, so great for keeping extremities feeling cozy.
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3. Drink a cup of warm water with whole cloves or ginger powder in the morning for an immune system boost.
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4. Eat lots of warm, cooked root veggies to stay grounded.
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5. Indulge in time in a sauna or steam room.

Practice of the Month ::

Nasya oil is a traditional Ayurvedic practice useful for moisturizing and soothing the nasal passages, especially in Colorado’s dry climate and during cold seasons. To use it, lie back with your head tilted, and place 1–3 drops in each nostril. Gently sniff inward so the oil travels up through the nasal cavity, then sit up and massage the cheeks and sinuses to encourage absorption. You can also simply swipe the inside of your nose with the oil before going out in the cold each morning. Regular use can ease breathing, reduce dryness, and protect against picking up seasonal viruses and bacterial infection. Skip this practice if you are in active infection or overly congested!

Offerings ::

Classical Pilates

The classical Pilates method is systematic, with low repetitions of each exercise performed precisely, focusing on breath control to stimulate and purify the body and enhancing circulation and detoxification. With a focus on dynamics, rhythm, and flow, classical Pilates helps you develop deep core strength, joint mobility, and endurance.

Read on to choose your Pilates path.

::

6-Week Introductory Series: Build a strong foundation for your Pilates journey
Saturdays 9-10 am (next series begins January 17)
Centerline Movement, Fruita CO
$130 per series
REGISTER»

Pilates + Pastries
Saturdays 10 am
Centerline Movement, Fruita CO
$25 per class / packages available
This class is for beginning to intermediate Pilates students with a mild to moderate pace. After class, we head down to Fruita’s Bread Mine for pastries!
REGISTER» (find the Classical Tower and Mat Class on Saturdays)

6-Week Elemental Reset Program
Step into the next season feeling grounded, energized, and aligned. The 6-Week Elemental Reset Program weaves together movement, mindfulness, and wellness to help you cultivate sustainable and empowering habits. You get weekly personalized and group Pilates instruction, one soul-nourishing tarot reading for clarity and direction, and two Ayurvedic consultations to bring your body and mind back into balance. This is your invitation to reset from the inside out so you can show up for your life and your people with strength, ease, and intention.
$625
CONTACT ME TO CLAIM YOUR SPOT IN JANUARY»

::

The Open Spaces Tarot Deck
You’ve been seeing the illustrations, now you can have the full deck, rooted in the natural world and intuition. Purchase a deck for yourself or as a holiday gift!

Digital prints of the major arcana drawings are also available for download on Etsy.

Moon and Water
by Mary Oliver

I wake and spend
the last hours
of darkness
with no one

but the moon.
She listens
to my complaints
like the good

companion she is
and comforts me surely
with her light.
But she, like everyone,

has her own life.
So finally I understand
that she has turned away,
is no longer listening.

She wants me
to refold myself
into my own life.
And, bending close,

as we all dream of doing,
she rows with her white arms
through the dark water

Liminality: the transitional period or phase of a rite of passage, during which the participant lacks social status or rank, and remains anonymous (Dictionary.com). The quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status (Wikipedia).

Our tarot spread for the month of November centers a theme of in-between-ness or liminality. In November, we must become deeply self-rooted in order to weather both the late fall season and whatever turbulence the holiday season has in store. We are between this world and that, which can be disorienting. But like a trapeze artist, we must let go of one thing in order to be caught on the other side. It requires a great amount of trust but we are never more free, freer than we realize. In this state, embrace complete self-acceptance and try to be available for all of your emotional experiences. There is always more to know. What seems impossible? Where can you surrender more deeply? Can you let in a bit of room for the possibility of possibility?

Subscribe now

I love the natural way the Celtic wheel of the year can pull you into its orbit. As summer winds down, I feel organically drawn to the energy of Samhein and the necessities of caring for myself Ayurvedically to counteract the changing season. The veil between the physical and spirit world thins and I feel myself going inward, focusing on my home, and thinking about my ancestors. I dream about my grandmother a lot, and see her when I’m out in nature — especially when I see a butterfly or a wild flower. I am also in the midst of rehearsals for a dance work I will be performing next week at the Asteria Theatre that explores the lifecycle of dragonflies. In the piece, we depict a death, a major theme at this time of year, and I can’t help but feel that I am drawn close to my grandmother and others who have passed as I immerse myself in the experience of the dying process in this piece. If you’re local, come see the concert! There is always such beautiful work in these concerts by faculty, guest artists, and CMU students. Here, we will look at the Star card of the tarot, represented in my new tarot deck by a dragonfly.

The Star ::

The Star is a time of rest after the intensity of big change and even trauma. Take your time, surrender to the natural rhythm the soul needs to allow for grief. In the Star, you are being offered a fresh supply of divine energy – the payoff for being willing to grow through hard experiences. Ruled by Aquarius, the Star is medicine for the nervous system and serves the community through individual and ancestral healing. Your healing matters. Surrender to its energy and take your time. The only contraction here is your resistance to relaxing.

*illustration above from the Open Spaces Tarot Deck - purchase it here!

Ayurvedic tips for Fall - A reminder ::
We are fully in Vata season and as I write this it is excessively windy outside. Summer’s heat and dryness have dehydrated our bodies, pulling moisture from our tissues and accumulating Vata. Think of Vata as that dry wind outside - destabilizing and even irritating. Keep your practices focused on grounding Vata so you can move through this fall season with steadiness and resilience.

1. Use warming sesame oil for your pre-shower oil massage.
…
2. Keep your drinks and meals warm, opting for easily digestible teas and soups.
…
3. As the temperature cools, and especially on more blustery days, cover your ears to keep the warmth in and to keep from becoming untethered.
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4. Begin to build more sturdy muscle through strength-building exercise like weight lifting or Pilates. Join me at Centerline Movement on Saturdays for Classical Pilates Mat Class. See below for a special, limited-time offer!
…
5. Come back to a predictable routine - eating at the same times each day, committing to a morning routine, and implementing one or two cozy evening rituals before bed like giving yourself a warm oil foot massage or getting on the floor for 5 minutes of stretching.

Practice of the Month ::

Find balance and grounding this fall with Sama Vritti — equal breath in, equal breath out. This simple 1:1 breathing practice brings balance to body and mind — perfect for the shifting energy of fall. As the season cools and things continue to be bonkers, this breath steadies the nervous system and invites calm. Just five minutes each morning can center you for the day ahead — inhale, exhale, and return to equilibrium.

Offerings ::

CLASSICAL PILATES MAT + TOWER CLASS
Centerline Movement Studio, Fruita CO • Saturdays at 10 am
The classical Pilates method is systematic, with low repetitions of each exercise performed precisely, focusing on breath control to stimulate and purify the body and enhancing circulation and detoxification. This class is building up to the original 34 mat exercises developed by Joseph Pilates. For a limited time, if you come to five classes in a row, your fifth is free!
$25 per class
REGISTER TODAY

::

The Open Spaces Tarot Deck
You’ve been seeing the illustrations, now you can have the full deck, rooted in the natural world and intuition. Purchase a deck for yourself or as a holiday gift!

Digital prints of the major arcana drawings are also available for download on Etsy.

To Autumn
by John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

For years, I studied tarot and collected decks as beautiful art. But the more I worked with the cards, the more I felt drawn to create something of my own: a deck rooted in felt experience and intuition.

This deck has been quietly growing for over three years. Each card is hand drawn in pen and ink with simple line work, mostly completed in a matter of minutes. I wanted to bypass the inner critic, to trust what came through, to not overwork or overthink.

The imagery is grounded in the natural world: animals, plants, and beautiful humans. You’ll find archetypes rendered as the beings and environments we already know: a fox, a hummingbird, a beloved’s crooked smile. Many of the court cards are spontaneous portraits of people I love. Real humans who have helped me explore aspects of myself through our relationships.

Tarot, to me, is not fortune telling. It’s a tool for self-knowing and a conversation with your inner landscape. A way to remember that the things you’re feeling — your hope, grief, anger, restlessness — are not strange or wrong. They’re human and you’re not alone in them. This deck is my reflection on the idea that we all pass through these archetypes in different ways and that we can be softened by seeing ourselves more clearly.

That intuitive art can be enough. This project has been a practice in trust. And now, I’m so excited to offer it to you. Send me a message by October 3 if you’d like to pre-order a deck. The first 20 pre-orders receive a free download for a mini guide to the cards.

With love,

Laura

Mabon is a Celtic word for the Autumn Equinox and a celebration of balance and gratitude. Across many cultures, this second harvest marks the clearing of fields and the gathering of what has grown, a natural moment to pause and give thanks. The equinox itself carries that same sense of suspension with the light and dark evenly matched and the weather hovering between summer’s warmth and fall’s crispness. You may have noticed it too: mornings edged with chill, afternoons still drenched in sun, an afternoon walk bathed in the perfect amount of warmth and stillness - a breath held just before the exhale. And yet, while nature suggests balance, I’ve been feeling anything but — juggling work, personal life, and the noise of the wider world. Perhaps you feel that, too. How can we manage our inner state and make our best effort towards coming into the balance when life tilts out of rhythm?For this, we can turn to the Justice tarot card for guidance.

Justice*::

Justice is ruled by Libra, the sign most attuned to imbalance and inequity. Yet, to be a true agent of change, we must first see things as they are, not as we believe they should be. When we resist reality, our energy scatters. When we accept it, we can channel our focus toward thoughtful, balanced action. Justice also invites self-inquiry - in what ways might you be complicit in sustaining the very imbalances you wish to correct? Trust that the universe has its own way of restoring equilibrium. Breathe, pause, ground yourself in the present, and let your next step arise from that clarity.

*illustration above from the Open Spaces Tarot Deck - coming soon, stay tuned!

Ayurvedic tips for Fall::
It’s a good time to start shifting your daily practices towards grounding yourself in preparation for the fall season. Summer’s heat and dryness dehydrate the body, pulling moisture from our tissues and accumulating Vata. Vata is light, dry, and mobile, and these qualities accumulate in us during the hot months. By late summer and early fall, the dryer and cooler environment can provoke that Vata accumulation and it can become unanchored, spreading throughout the body and creating imbalances like anxiety, dry skin, poor sleep, constipation, and general instability. By grounding Vata now, you can move into fall with steadiness and resilience instead of imbalance.

1. Begin to switch to warming sesame oil for your pre-shower Abhyanga, or oil massage. Take your time, nourishing your body, not just with the oil but also with your attention.
…
2. Ditch your cold drinks and salads for warmer, more easily digested teas and soups.
…
3. As the temperature cools, and especially on more blustery days, begin to cover your ears in the morning to keep the warmth in and to keep from becoming untethered throughout the day.
…
4. Begin to build more sturdy muscle through strength-building exercise like weight lifting or Pilates. Join me at Centerline Movement on Saturdays for Classical Pilates Mat Class!
…
5. If your life has become quite variable from day to day, come back to a predictable routine - eating at the same times each day, re-committing to a morning routine, and perhaps implementing one or two cozy evening rituals before bed like giving yourself a warm oil foot massage or getting on the floor for 5 minutes of stretching.
…
6. This is a great time to mark the changing season with a nourishing cleanse and re-set. Download my self-guided Fall Cleanse and Reset. These cleanses will soon be available only to paid subscribers so grab it now while you can!

Offerings::

Get grounded and strong for fall
CLASSICAL PILATES MAT + TOWER CLASS
Centerline Movement Studio, Fruita CO • Saturdays at 10 am
The classical Pilates method is systematic, with low repetitions of each exercise performed precisely, focusing on breath control to stimulate and purify the body and enhancing circulation and detoxification. This class has a mild to moderate pace that covers the principles of Pilates and will build up to the original 34 mat exercises developed by Joseph Pilates. We will also explore the spring-loaded Pilates equipment to support uniform development of strength and mobility.
$25 per class
REGISTER TODAY

::

COMING SOON: The Open Spaces Tarot Deck
You’ve been seeing the illustrations, now you can have the full deck, rooted in felt experience and intuition. Stay tuned and follow me on Instagram @openspaces_arts for updates as the deck comes to life.

Nothing Gold Can Stay
by Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

::

Enjoy “Stay Gold,” by one of my very favorite bands, First Aid Kit.

For me, tarot has never been about predicting the future. It’s about conversation, listening inward, naming your experience, and remembering you’re not alone in your humanity. It’s also about imagery that sparks connection with your own inner knowing.

I created this deck to deepen my relationship with the cards by bringing my own imagery to life. It feels alive, present, and is a reminder that your intuition is always enough.

If you have a tarot deck of your own at home, here is a bonus spread for fall to help you spark your own inner knowing.

1-What is present for me right now?

2-What support is available for me in my current circumstances?

3-What am I particularly being invited to pay attention to?

4-What kind of aligned action can I take right now, if any?

5-What joy can I find in this moment?

Remember, major arcana cards are invitations to surrender and make space for energies outside of your control. Minor arcana cards are everyday situations that guide you on how to take action or tools to reach for. Court cards invite you into an energy to embody. Reach out if you’d like help with your spread!

Stay tuned to learn how you can have The Open Spaces Tarot Deck for your own collection. :)

Lughnasadh comes during the dog days of summer. The heat is thick and movement feels slow and languid. If you’re a gardener, you’ve been at it for months now and starting to reap the rewards with a harvest. Lugnasadh traditionally marks the beginning of harvest season and invites us to reflect on what is bountiful and abundant in our lives. Sometimes I can get so caught up in overwhelm and how ‘busy’ I am. But having a lot to do is a form of bounty and abundance too. Where are you full? How can you be grateful for that fullness? Lughnasadh is also a time to honor the hard work required to cultivate growth — the toil of our ancestors that made our lives possible, your own toil this past season towards your personal growth. Let’s reflect on the King of Pentacles for inspiration this season:

The King of Pentacles*:

The King of Pentacles is a fully integrated being in his integrity. Can you make choices not from your preferences but from what you are being asked to do by the universe? You are abundant in resources, solid and self contained.

*illustration above from the Open Spaces Tarot Deck - coming soon, stay tuned!

Ayurvedic tips for Summer
Summertime is Pitta time and on the western slope of Colorado, we are in the thick of it. Here’s what Ayurveda says about working with excessive heat.

1. Slow down. Listen to your body and do less if you’re feeling lower in energy. Afternoon naps are encouraged in Ayurveda at this time of the year.
…
2. Use cooling coconut oil for your daily pre-shower massage.
…
3. Keep rose hydrosol spray in your car and around your house to use on your neck and chest to cool your temperature and temper.
…
4. Favor sweet, cooling foods and spices like cucumber, coconut, cilantro, ghee, cardamom and fennel.
…
5. Avoid ice cream (darn it). It seems cooling but your body produces a lot of heat to digest it so it isn’t as beneficial as it may seem.
…
6. Use yoga intentionally with lots of restorative poses and forward folds.
…
7. Learn Sitali Pranayama, or ‘cooling breath’.

Offerings::

NEW CLASS: Get grounded and strong for fall
CLASSICAL PILATES MAT + TOWER CLASS
Centerline Movement Studio, Fruita CO • Saturdays at 10 am starting August 9
The classical Pilates method is systematic, with low repetitions of each exercise performed precisely, focusing on breath control to stimulate and purify the body and enhancing circulation and detoxification. This class has a mild to moderate pace that covers the principles of Pilates and will build up to the original 34 mat exercises developed by Joseph Pilates. We will also explore the spring-loaded Pilates equipment to support uniform development of strength and mobility.
$25 per class
REGISTER TODAY

::

COMING SOON: The Open Spaces Tarot Deck
You’ve been seeing the illustrations, now you can have the full deck, rooted in felt experience and intuition. Stay tuned and follow me on Instagram @openspaces_arts for updates as the deck comes to life.

Under the Harvest Moon
by Carl Sandburg

Under the harvest moon,
When the soft silver
Drips shimmering
Over the garden nights,
Death, the gray mocker,
Comes and whispers to you
As a beautiful friend
Who remembers.

Under the summer roses
When the flagrant crimson
Lurks in the dusk
Of the wild red leaves,
Love, with little hands,
Comes and touches you
With a thousand memories,
And asks you
Beautiful, unanswerable questions.

I still remember my very first Pilates mat class. Not because I was instantly transformed (I wasn’t), but because I left the class feeling rinsed clean from the inside out and energized rather than exhausted. As Joseph Pilates famously called it, it was an “internal shower.” I discovered muscles I didn’t know existed. I walked in as a dancer, thinking I had a solid understanding of my body. I walked out thrilled by how much I didn’t know.

I had visible scoliosis and my back tired easily. Pilates didn’t make the scoliosis vanish, but thanks to the uniform development of my musculature through the work, at 51 years old I often forget it’s even there. More balanced muscles now support me in a way that has managed discomfort and the kept the curve in check.

I keep coming back to the mat because it works. Not in a flashy “abs in two weeks” way, but in a quiet, consistent, grounded kind of way. After nearly 30 years, I still return to those deceptively simple movements. They’re honest, elegant, and they do what they say they’ll do (including give you strong abs).

Pilates helped me stand taller—measurably taller. I began to feel more confident, more at home in my own skin. My posture isn’t perfect, but it supports me now instead of holding me back.

It’s also how I shake off the day. That twisty, stretchy, spirally magic wrings out my body and resets my nervous system. I breathe easier. Stress is more manageable.

And yes, I am strong. Nothing, not even weight lifting, has ever made me feel stronger and more capable than Pilates.

And maybe most importantly as I get older—my body is smarter. It catches me when I trip. It adjusts when I carry groceries. It supports my dancing, my hiking and kayaking, my too-many-hours-at-a desk work.

Do I always feel like getting on the mat? Not even close. But I never regret it. Even five minutes can make me feel like I did after that first class 30 years ago. The work always circles back to breath, alignment, and circulation—foundational stuff that doesn’t go out of style.

Yes, I get busy. Even as a teacher, I sometimes spend weeks hunched over a laptop before realizing something’s missing. Then I come back to the mat and start again. Every time, it meets me exactly where I am—sometimes back to the very beginning, sometimes ready to take on an advanced exercise.

If you’ve ever wondered if Pilates is for you, I’d gently say: try it. You might meet a few new muscles. You might grow an inch. You might, like me, keep coming back just because your body quietly requests it.

Classical Pilates Mat and Tower
Saturdays at 10am starting August 9
Centerline Movement, Fruita CO

Hailed as the beginning of summer, Beltane is that glorious time when winter’s chains are finally broken and the wheel of the year turns to its summer half (in the Northern Hemisphere, of course). May is also my birthday month so I am especially partial to this time of year and the newness it brings. Beltane is lush and abundant as we see in its representation with flower baskets, bonfires, and the colorful ribbons of that sexy symbol of fertility, the maypole. This Beltane, let’s look at the Queen of Pentacles for inspiration:

The Queen of Pentacles:

Soul work is long and requires endurance. The queen embodies the ability to care for her own body and resources, to be grounded in harmony with the earth in order to have robust stamina. Nurture your vessel and parent yourself.

Ayurvedic tips for May
1. Balance grounding and cooling practices by putting your feet directly on the ground, covering your ears when it is windy, and favoring forward folds in your yoga practice.
…
2. Switch to coconut oil for your daily pre-shower massage.
…
3. Ramp up your hydration by adding a pinch of salt and lime juice to your water.
…
4. Strawberries are cooling, hydrating, nourishing, and easy on your digestion. Enjoy them locally, organically, and with some whipped coconut cream!
…
5. As a reminder as it gets warmer, ice will snuff out your digestive fire so skip it in your water.

Offerings::

Classical Pilates Classes and Private Lessons
Donation-based mat classes 5:30-6:30pm:
Wednesday, May 7
Wednesday, May 21
Space is limited - email me to register
A limited number of private lessons on the reformer and other equipment are available. Email me for more information.

::

Tarot Readings (in person or phone): $85
Email me for information/bookings

Spring and all its flowers
by Hafiz

Spring and all its flowers
     now joyously break their vow of silence.
It is time for celebration, not for lying low;
You too -- weed out those roots of sadness from your heart.

The Sabaa wind arrives;
     and in deep resonance, the flower
     passionately rips open its garments,
     thrusting itself from itself.

The Way of Truth, learn from the clarity of water,
Learn freedom from the spreading grass.

Pay close attention to the artistry of the Sabaa wind,
that wafts in pollen from afar,
And ripples the beautiful tresses
     of the fields of hyacinth flowers.

From the privacy of the harem, the virgin bud slips out,
     revealing herself under the morning star,
branding your heart and your faith
     with beauty.

And frenzied bulbul flies madly out of the House of Sadness
     to unite with the flowers;
its love-crazed cry like a thousand-trumpet blast.

Hafiz says, and the experienced old ones concur:

All you really need
     is to tell those Stories
     of the Fair Ones and the Goblet of Wine.

We’ve just passed the Spring Equinox, or Ostara, and the small signs of spring poking up in my yard and my craving to dig in the dirt are right on cue. I love this time of year, the reawakening of the earth and my spirit, the chance to put things in order and start over again. A big shift happens in the middle of this season. We start out in Pisces, the end of an astrological year that (for me) can feel emotional and even kind of heavy like I’m swimming in the dregs of the past year. Then the big shift into Aries season right on the Equinox/Ostara, which brings energy, creativity, and motivation. Here is our tarot card to reflect on for the next month or so:

Ace of Wands:

Inspiration has struck! The flame is lit but won’t last long without protection. Are you resourced with the reserves of energy you need to start something new? Where do you derive your energy? Where do you output energy? Think about how you balance input and output.

Ayurvedic tips for March and April

All the sturdiness we have built up over the winter for warmth and nourishment is starting to thaw into spring sludge. Get that stuff moving before it becomes spring allergies and summer inflammation!
…
Get a big jar of raw, local honey and have a spoonful each day to get ahead of spring allergies.
…
Do some daily, stimulating breathwork like Kapalabhati or Bhramari to clear out and strengthen your lungs.
…
Take brisk walks in the midday sun - quick enough that you work up a bit of a sweat. And come to Pilates class to improve circulation and get energized! See below for class schedule.
…
Do a mild cleanse sometime this month. See the free self-guided one below - my gift to you for a Happy Ostara!
…
Rise with the sun and take in the morning light just before dawn to ground your circadian rhythm.
…
Establish your morning routine, even if it is just one thing you do for yourself every morning.
…
Eat lighter foods like bitter greens and early shoots and sprouts; avoid or reduce heavier foods like dairy, meat, and root veggies.

Offerings::

Free Self-Guided Spring Ayurvedic Cleanse (PDF packet)

:::::

Classical Pilates Mat Classes
Donation-based mat classes 5:30-6:30pm:
Wednesday, March 26
Wednesday, April 9
Wednesday, April 23
Space is limited - email me to register

My Worst Habit
by Rumi

My worst habit is I get so tired of winter
I become a torture to those I’m with.

If you’re not here, nothing grows.
I lack clarity. My words
tangle and knot up.

How to cure bad water? Send it back to the river.
How to cure bad habits? Send me back to you.

When water gets caught in habitual whirlpools,
dig a way out through the bottom
to the ocean. There is a secret medicine
given only to those who hurt so hard
they can’t hope.

The hopers would feel slighted if they knew.

Look as long as you can at the friend you love,
no matter whether that friend is moving away from you
or coming back toward you.

Who else is in hibernation mode? It’s normal to feel sleepier and less motivated at this time of year. Yet it’s the beginning of a brand new year and at the end of the month, we get Imbolc, a time to commit to our hopes and dreams, to have faith in what we can’t yet see - that something is stirring underground. Consider what seeds you will want to plant for the year during the coming months and what will need tending in order to create the fertile ground for growth as the light creeps back in and our energy increases. 2025 is also a Hermit year (add up 2 + 2 + 5 to get 9 = Hermit). Growth and progress can seem slower in a Hermit year when all we can see is the step the lantern we are holding is illuminating. The future may seem vague but Imbolc helps us have hope.

Consider the pages of the tarot:

All pages invite you to pause, check in with yourself and consider how to be in service of the energy of the suit.

The Page of Cups:
Water, love, emotion
The 10 of cups left us learning to have gratitude for the present moment. In that presence, there is room for imagination and connecting with your inner child.

The Page of Wands:
Fire, energy, creativity
The 10 of wands left us carrying heavy burden made up of our own success. Consider a new way to work with your energy - ask it what it wants from you rather than pushing it to accommodate your will.

The Page of Pentacles:
Earth, soul work, manifestation
The 10 of pentacles left us learning to share the wealth and resources that we have gathered. Continue that work through considering in what way you can be of devotional service using your gifts. What did your soul come here to do?

The Page of Swords:
Air, the mind, communication
The 10 of swords had us leave an old story behind. What is beyond your fear? How can you expand into a new way of thinking that can reach beyond you and serve others?

Ayurveda :: Back to the Basics

Ayurveda is the system I use to guide my overall health and daily routines. Modern medicine has helped us to increase our lifespan. Ayurveda can help us to increase our health span so that we spend fewer years in decline at the end of life. Let’s get back to the basics.
…
What is one change you can make now that you know you can implement and would make a difference? It can be very small, you’re looking for a quick win to kick start your year. Here are a few ideas:

• Increase the time between eating your last meal of the day and your first meal the next day by not eating when it is dark out. The overnight fast is when your body and mind processes, digests, cleans up toxins and does cellular repair.

• First thing in the morning, step outside to get some natural sunlight to keep your circadian rhythm functioning properly. Doing this will keep your hormones activating in the right way at the right time for all bodily functions.

• Spend 5-15 minutes each morning doing intentional breathwork and/or meditating to reduce stress and anxiety.
…
Consistency is key but please remember the 80/20 rule. If you have a goal for implementing anything into your routine and you are able to be consistent 80% of the time, consider that a win. If you’re starting from a generally baseline place of health, your body should be able to be resilient around the other 20%. If, however, you are trying to recover from an illness or condition, please work with a practitioner to find the practices and consistencies that will best suit you.

Offerings ::

Pilates Mat Classes and Private Lessons
Donation-based mat classes - January schedule:
Wednesday, January 22; 5:30-6:30pm
Space is limited - email me to register

Private lessons $85:
Having a teacher to help aid your Pilates practice using the reformer and other Pilates equipment can help you access the exercises correctly, enhance your body awareness, and develop your body uniformly.
Limited sessions available - email me for availability

:::::

Donation-based Yoga: Aquarius New Moon
Sunday, January 26; 4:30-6pm

What to expect:
• Ayurvedic tips for the season
• Vedic chanting
• Meditation and breathwork
• Alignment-based asana to harmonize the body and mind with the astrology of the new moon and the energy of the season
• Collective tarot pull

• Space is limited - please reserve your spot by emailing me at laurabradley974@gmail.com

:::::

Tarot Readings: $85
Email me for information/bookings

:::::

Ayurvedic Wellness Coaching: $250 for two sessions
Email me for information/bookings

Snakes in Winter
by Mary Oliver

Deep in the woods,
under the sprawled upheavals of rocks,

dozens lie coiled together.
Touch them: they scarcely

breathe; they stare
out of such deep forgetfulness

that their eyes are like jewels—
and asleep, though they cannot close.

And in each mouth the forked tongue,
sensitive as an angel’s ear,

lies like a drugged muscle.
With the fires of spring they will lash forth again

on their life of ribs!—
bodies like whips!

But now under the lids of the mute
succeeding snowfalls

they sleep in their cold cauldron: a flickering broth
six months below simmer.

I must have been a bear in a previous life. For me, winter is all about hibernation, getting cozy and snuggly, contemplation, and going inward. It’s not a great time for getting things done but it is a great time to plan and dream and consider. I do love to celebrate Yule and the winter solstice and all the rituals that come with the season. The sleeping earth is full of magic and mystery and reminds us that we also need to slow down. Take some time to marvel at the beauty of the night sky and receive the hope that comes with the rebirth of light after the solstice.

Below, I’m sharing some back-to-basics tips for staying grounded and warm through the winter months from the perspective of Ayurveda. I have to remind myself at this year how important it is to move my body every day. To that end, I am returning to my roots and offering twice-monthly Pilates mat classes on a donation basis. See below and please join me for an invigorating and whole body strengthening work out. New moon yoga is also back for those of you who need some chanting and breath-based yoga flow in your lives. And if you’re doing any planning or visualizing for the year ahead, I have a special on Celtic cross tarot readings - email me to learn more about any of these offerings!

Our tarot card for Yule season: The Hermit - #9 in the major arcana:

The Hermit’s lantern lights the way but only as far as the one step in front of you, the next right thing. Trust in each step you take, being present with those choices, knowing that each step is taking you where you need to be, in no hurry. The Hermit’s journey is a solo one and only you know what that next right step is.

Ayurvedic tips for Winter

As your body’s resources gather around your core to keep you and nourished through the winter, your limbs and joints can get stiff and the dryness can become ungrounding. Here are some of Ayurveda’s top tips for feeling your best this season.
…
1. Oil your joints and nostrils before going out into the cold. Nasya oil is great for sinuses, mental clarity, and for relieving tension in the head.
…
2. Massage sesame oil into your feet before going to bed. Sesame oil is warming, so great for keeping extremities feeling cozy.
…
3. Drink a cup of warm water with whole cloves or ginger powder in the morning for an immune system boost.
…
4. Eat lots of warm, cooked root veggies to stay grounded.
…
5. Indulge in time in a sauna or steam room.

Offerings::

PILATES IS BACK!
In my 30+ adult years of dance, exercise, weight training, yoga, and everything in between, I always return to the Pilates practice I started and was certified in 27 years ago. It continues to be the most reliable way for me to build real strength, manage pain, and feel energized.

Donation-based mat classes in January:
Wednesday, January 8 and Wednesday, January 22; 5:30-6:30pm
Space is limited - email me to register for a class

Private lessons $85:
Having a teacher to help aid your Pilates practice using the reformer and other Pilates equipment can be essential to developing strength for your unique needs. A teacher’s trained eye can spot subtle, inefficient movement patterns that make your exercise less productive and can help you access the exercises correctly, enhance your body awareness, and develop your body uniformly.
Limited sessions available - email me for availability

:::::

DONATION-BASED YOGA: Aquarius New Moon
Sunday, January 26; 4:30-6pm

What to expect:
• Ayurvedic tips for the season
• Vedic chanting
• Meditation and breathwork
• Alignment-based asana to harmonize the body and mind with the astrology of the new moon and the energy of the season
• Collective tarot pull

• Space is limited - please reserve your spot by emailing me at laurabradley974@gmail.com

:::::

TAROT READINGS
Celtic Cross Year Ahead Tarot Reading Special (in person or phone): $85 $60
The Celtic Cross is one of the oldest patterns for reading tarot and one of the most in depth, which makes it perfect for a once a year reading. I will pull a 10-card spread for you and spend up to an hour on the phone with you walking you through the cards, helping you assess their meaning and implications for you, and pulling additional cards as we talk if necessary. The tarot is a life-coaching tool the way I read, not divination - so I won’t be predicting your demise or any lottery-winnings!
Email me for information/bookings

:::::

AYURVEDIC WELLNESS COACHING (in person or phone): $250 for two sessions
Email me for information/bookings

From Ceremony by Brianna Wiest

I am a temple unto myself
my body is my home
I am my own safe space
within me is the access point
to all that is and will ever be
I greet it not to amend it
but to return home for a moment
to distill myself to my source
to ease the line between
where my skin ends
and the world begins

I’ve been in a season of work. It’s been very difficult to have continuity in my practices and in living the intentional, cyclical, and nature-led life that I prefer while being so immersed in the job that I have that pays the bills. However, it has been a great reminder that there are seasons in life and sometimes you just lean into what needs you for awhile. Plus, the rewards have been great too. I’ve been fortunate to have had a large part to play in the opening of a new theatre in Grand Junction and as art and performance are a huge part of my life and values, I am very proud of my contributions and in the result. If you’re in town and you haven’t already, make sure to check out the Asteria Theatre — come to Fall for Dance in a couple weeks, where I’ll be presenting a choreographic work, my first since the pandemic. The piece explores the Mother Maiden Crone archetype and it has been an inspiring process.

As for Samhein season, it’s amazing how these holidays can pull you into their orbit. Summer winds down, the veil between the physical and spirit world thins and I naturally feel myself going inward, focusing on my home, and thinking about my ancestors. I dream about my grandmother a lot, and see her when I’m out in nature — especially when I see a butterfly or a wild flower. But lately, I’ve had more of those dreams and I feel her close. Who do you feel with you during these wispier days of fall?

Our tarot card for Scorpio and Samhein season: Death - #13 in the major arcana:

It’s time to let go of something in order for it to become something else. In the moment of release, transformation that we could never dream of becomes possible.

Ayurvedic tips for Fall

Dry heat has been accumulating in us throughout the summer and as the weather cools, the dryness (Vata) can start get aggravated and cause problems like constipation or anxiety. Keeping that in check is about warming, grounding, and nourishing right now.
…
1. Think warm and moist: get out the hot water bottle, do more oil massage, transition your diet to include more soups and stews.
…
2. It’s stylish hat time. Keep your ears covered as the air cools, especially on windier days.
…
3. If you’ve been doing a lot of cardio, start to emphasize more strength building types of exercise and slow down your pace a little.
…
4. Look at your evening routine and get cozy. Massage your feet with sesame oil, get to bed by 10, try Yoga Nidra at night.
…
5. Do a nourishing fall cleanse and reset. Download a free self-guided cleanse here.

Offerings::

Fall for Dance
November 8-9 • Asteria Theatre, Grand Junction CO

Featuring works by legendary choreographer Bill Evans, additional guest artists and faculty, and a new work choreographed by me and performed by six lovely dancers around the theme of the Maiden Mother Crone archetype.

Tickets at CMUstages.com/tickets

Free Self-Guided Fall Nourishing Cleanse :: Download PDF packet

Tarot Readings (in person or phone): $85
Email me for information/bookings

Ayurvedic Wellness Coaching (in person or phone): $250 for two sessions
Email me for information/bookings

This poem inspired the title of the dance work I am presenting in Fall for Dance next month.

Sleeping in the Forest
by Mary Oliver

I thought the earth
remembered me, she
took me back so tenderly, arranging
her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds. I slept
as never before, a stone
on the riverbed, nothing
between me and the white fire of the stars
but my thoughts, and they floated
light as moths among the branches
of the perfect trees. All night
I heard the small kingdoms breathing
around me, the insects, and the birds
who do their work in the darkness. All night
I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling
with a luminous doom. By morning
I had vanished at least a dozen times
into something better.

Hailed as the beginning of summer, Beltane is that glorious time when winter’s chains are finally broken and the wheel of the year turns to its summer half (in the Northern Hemisphere, of course). May is also my birthday month so I am especially partial to this time of year and the newness it brings. Beltane is lush and abundant as we see in its representation with flower baskets, bonfires, and the colorful ribbons of that sexy symbol of fertility, the maypole. The Empress seems the perfect tarot card to look to during the season of Beltane:

The Empress - #3 in the major arcana:

Ruled by Venus bringing love, beauty, and abundance, the Empress asks, “what lights you up?” Expand your capacity for receiving the pleasures Venus offers. Do you have wounds around your deserving or the idea of “too much”? Reflect on the difference between taking and receiving. When you are open to receive, you are more resourced to give without burning out.

Ayurvedic tips for April

It’s time to put our ducks in a row and lighten up. It’s spring cleaning time for a reason!
…
1. Rise with the sun. Get a whiff of fresh air and take in the morning light just before the sun rises to ground your circadian rhythm.
…
2. Establish a nourishing morning routine, whether that is sense care, a yoga practice, meal prep, or all of the above if you are lucky enough to have the time!
…
3. Put things in order. I just cleaned out my fridge for the first time in way too long. Ew.
…
4. Eat lighter foods like bitter greens and early shoots and sprouts.

Offerings::

New Moon Yoga
Sunday, May 5 • 4-5:30pm MST • Taurus New Moon

What to Expect:

• Ayurvedic tips for the season
• Vedic chanting
• Meditation and breathwork
• Alignment-based asana to harmonize the body and mind with the astrology of the new moon and the energy of the season
• Collective tarot pull

• Free Class, donations accepted
• Space is limited - please reserve your spot by emailing me at laurabradley974@gmail.com
• Address in Grand Junction, CO provided upon reserving

Tarot Readings (in person or phone): $85
Email me for information/bookings

Ayurvedic Wellness Coaching (in person or phone): $250 for two sessions
Email me for information/bookings

Spring and all its flowers
by Hafiz

Spring and all its flowers
     now joyously break their vow of silence.
It is time for celebration, not for lying low;
You too -- weed out those roots of sadness from your heart.

The Sabaa wind arrives;
     and in deep resonance, the flower
     passionately rips open its garments,
     thrusting itself from itself.

The Way of Truth, learn from the clarity of water,
Learn freedom from the spreading grass.

Pay close attention to the artistry of the Sabaa wind,
that wafts in pollen from afar,
And ripples the beautiful tresses
     of the fields of hyacinth flowers.

From the privacy of the harem, the virgin bud slips out,
     revealing herself under the morning star,
branding your heart and your faith
     with beauty.

And frenzied bulbul flies madly out of the House of Sadness
     to unite with the flowers;
its love-crazed cry like a thousand-trumpet blast.

Hafiz says, and the experienced old ones concur:

All you really need
     is to tell those Stories
     of the Fair Ones and the Goblet of Wine.

What to expect:
• Ayurvedic tips for the season
• Vedic chanting
• Meditation and breathwork
• Alignment-based asana to harmonize the body and mind with the astrology of the new moon and the energy of the season
• Collective tarot pull

• Free Class, donations accepted
• Space is limited - please reserve your spot by emailing me at laurabradley974@gmail.com
• Address provided upon reserving