On Wednesdays in July at 9am, Going to My Happy Place Yoga will host free community yoga sessions on our front lawn. Bring a mat or a towel and meet on the front lawn about five minutes before the 9am start time. Sessions last about 40 minutes. No need to register.

Laurie Milbourn, Going to My Happy Place Yoga owner and instructor, stopped by our blog to answer some questions about the upcoming sessions.

What gave you the idea for free Community Karma Yoga sessions?

Laurie: In traditional yoga, which is what we teach at Going To My Happy Place, the instructors have all learned the importance of giving. What better way to give than to our own community with what we do best—yoga! And it’s free to all at the Happy Place Community Karma Yoga sessions  at Little Traveler this summer.

Why did you choose The Little Traveler as a location? 

Laurie: I had been searching for a place in Geneva that offered a setting conducive to an outdoor yoga session. While there were several places that could have worked, my eye kept going to The Little Traveler. The history associated with LT and the impeccable grounds drew me to ask owner and fellow Geneva Chamber member, Mike Simon if we could hold our Happy Place Community Karma Yoga sessions there last summer.

LT has the perfect space in the front lawn—flat ground, shade trees, lovely landscaping and a beautiful building, which adds to the refreshing and tranquil experience. Mike has been wonderful to work with, incorporating this community event in the heart of Geneva’s historic district. The yoga participants and Happy Place teachers alike, love it!

Not only are we offering Happy Place Community Karma Yoga again at Little Traveler this summer, we have come up with very interesting ways to incorporate yoga into The Little Traveler! We’ve had several photo shoots with yoga students, teachers and Mike—quite a combination when you might normally think that shopping and yoga have nothing in common. Well, we have found a way, as shown in our recent, very fun commercial video “Going To My Happy Place Yoga visits The Little Traveler".

 What are the benefits of doing yoga outside?

Laurie: Yoga was founded several thousand years ago—outside, of course! There weren’t too many places with floors and air conditioning back then.  It has always been about the mind and body and becoming aware of  Mother Earth, your surroundings and yourself. Breathing the fresh air, feeling the breezes, seeing trees, sky, sun, rain are all life affirming factors which help complete the yoga experience. Remember the last time you just laid on the lawn and watched the clouds go by? It’s probably been a while for most of us, so going into Savasana (the final resting pose of yoga) outdoors, after opening the energy channels with a yoga practice…well, the rewards are worth it.

You did  a few sessions of yoga on our front lawn last year. What's been your favorite thing about hosting yoga sessions there?

My favorite thing about hosting yoga sessions at Little Traveler is having the opportunity to appreciate the wonderful community in which we live and work. To have our Happy Place programs welcomed by the  Little Traveler in our mission of spreading happiness in the community, is something I never expected when I opened my studio. It has been a pleasure to work with Mike and the LT staff. We can truly say that we have found a Happy Place at the Little Traveler.  We look forward to meeting new yoga enthusiasts this summer at our Wednesday/Saturday  sessions….and one more thing…it’s a really nice front lawn!

Sessions held July 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 + a Super Saturday session on August 8. See you there!