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"Kevin Alan Lamb", Belle isle, Bikes and Yoga, detroit, Pop Up Yoga, This Is A Good Scene, This Is A Good Sign
Through appreciation and attention to detail we learn to not only be grateful but express gratitude for the people, places, sounds and sights that encourage our hearts and souls that reciprocated love awaits us in this big and beautiful world we live in. Life is hectic and relentlessly distracts us from the passing present with worries of both the past and the future, despite the fact that it is unlikely to change either. Last night I was blessed with the opportunity to participate in Bikes and Yoga Weekly Ride to Belle Isle, for an uplifting yoga practice courtesy of Pop Up Yoga.
The beautiful collaboration is a result of the partnership between Bikes and Yoga founder, Mars Noumena, and Pop Up Yoga creator, Cindy Spires Sopar.
“What I love about the event is that people come from all over the City of Detroit AND the suburbs for this weekly event. I really like that we’ve kept it PURE and FREE, and that people are having fun each week and coming back. I love that we have a lot of regulars and that everyone’s so laid back. It’s a healthy way to spend your evening,” Yopa said.
Despite the daily grind required to gift the proud people of Detroit the opportunity to surrender their troubles and angst long enough to discover their breath, and be reminded of how unique our city and selves truly are, each embraces the challenge with kind eyes and a smile
“I knew that if I need to do yoga other people probably needed it as well. And I wanted to be able to stretch after all the bike riding I do,” Noumena said.
When I asked him what about the experience he wouldn’t trade for the world, Noumenia replied, “Being out in the sun with people I love.”
Passion is readily apparent in the eyes of all those who contribute to ensure the continued success of this collaboration, now two months in the running. Their efforts serve as a prime example of the life and enthusiasm flowing through the veins of Detroiters and Michiganiacs alike. While traveling the world people are generally shocked to discover that I live in Detroit: I tell them that I could live anywhere but I choose to be where I am at — this is one of many examples why.
“Bikes and Yoga is a loose affiliation of humans acting in solidarity by coming together to ride bikes and practice yoga. There are no membership fees, and anyone is welcome to attend our events. We believe that Bicycle and Yoga Culture go hand in hand and after you experience one of our consciousness expanding, soul polishing events you will surely agree.”
If you haven’t had the time or desire to bike the RiverWalk or Belle Isle and behold the beauty of our great city, I recommend you do yourself a favor and find it.
After meeting at The Wheelhouse on the RiverWalk we boarded our bikes and enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the Riverfront. While gazing out on the international waters I found myself manifesting the need to purchase a bike, and commit more of my time along the water which I’ve long been drawn to. With my Good Sign dangling from my camelbak, I breathed with great ease and peace while dwelling over those responsible for my presence at my first Bikes and Yoga Weekly Ride.
I would like to thank my friend Corin Cassa, who first told me about Bikes and Yoga last week, although I wasn’t able to attend because of work. One of the keys to life is recognizing the people and experiences we ought to make time for despite our hectic schedules. I am grateful for crossing paths with Kristina Pruccoli at Pig & Whiskey, where she informed me that she would be instructing the following weeks practice. If that wasn’t enough of a Good Sign that I needed to attend, she informed me that Michelle Oliver of WDLV channel 4 would be covering the event for Live in the D, and arranged for me to be interviewed while practicing. I am inspired by Cindy Spires Sopar and Mars Noumenia for illuminating both their passion and our captivating city, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for those who so choose to follow. I am grateful for having amazing friends like Kyle May, who let me borrow a bike to participate in the event for free. And last, I am grateful for those I shared collective breath with while bathing in the beauty of the sunset and it’s descension upon our great city on its birthday.
“One thing I wouldn’t trade for the world in terms of Pop-Up Yoga & Bikes and Yoga is that I have the opportunity to meet so many cool people. It’s refreshing to see how much positivity and how much of a sense of community exists in Detroit. People WANT to be a part of something; they like to be in little micro-communities where they can meet new, like-minded people with whom they can share experiences,” Sopar said.
Goodness surrounds us at all times but you must emit and seek it before you learn to recognize it when blanketed by darkness. Life is spectacular but it will not be realized while sitting on your couch. Within each and every one of you resides a great adventurer and wanderer that wishes to discover yourself in the natural wonder of the world around you. No matter the lives we live, the best any of us can hope for is a highlight reel of moments that remind us that we are alive and invested in the pursuit of love, the wild and wonder. My advice to you in these moments is to cherish them: take several deep breaths and open your eyes wide to see and feel and be infected by the phenomena which you will do your best to understand, appreciate and internalize, yet somehow inevitably let slip away with exposure to struggle, scrutiny, and the constant bitch of time.
“I want people to see the name Pop-Up Yoga and think ‘they help create fun, healthy yoga experiences.’ We want yoga to be accessible to people in Detroit, so we have a balance of free and low-cost classes,” Sopar said.
Namaste Detroit.
Email Kevin@thisisagoodsign.com for community event coverage.
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