Mariela’s Sunday Thoughts: Generosity

I was struggling to find inspiration for writing this week’s newsletter. On one hand, there’s a lot of really exciting things happening at the studio and that’s all I want to talk about. On the other hand, I can’t quite share that yet - so I need to fight the urge of writing about it.

There’s a little trick I came up with to help me when I start having feelings of fear, doubt, or anxiety around the studio: I close my eyes and I recall what the studio has been so far. I see the faces that show up every week. I see the teachers, the students, the neighbors that regularly come by to drop flowers or plants for the space. I see our handyman that’s always there to work with the unexpected. I see the good people at the UPS store that so quickly print the flyers we need, I see my manufacturers that can create any product I ask for. I see solidarity, community, support. And, above all, I see generosity.

That little trick often brings me a smile and a sense of peace. And it works.

Grounded was born out of many needs. One of them was the need to provide options.

When the teachers and I were putting together the first schedule, we kept adding more and more classes as more and more teachers were joining us. A question we kept asking ourselves was “should we start small and add classes as we grow or should we just offer everything we want to offer?

You can probably guess what option we ended up going with.

Grounded was founded in generosity. One of our missions is to give: give options, give choices, give opportunities.

As scary as it sounded at first to put 27 classes on the calendar knowing that I would do my best to have my teachers be the highest paid in town (and what that added up to monthly, along with the waterfront premium rent we pay, the commercial utility bills and the renovation and set up costs), I still decided to go for it. My husband asked me, as we were approaching opening day, “do you want to go into it with fear and caution or do you want to go into it because you need to create something that’s authentic, generous, and yogic?”. After hearing my answer, he simply said “then offer what you believe in”.

What I believe in is curiosity: we cannot go into situations with any expectations. We need to approach them with our purest, most open mind so we can get the chance of learning something new. What I believe in is opportunity: we have to give new things a chance. What I believe in is authenticity: we can’t hold back, we just need to express ourselves.

Hence, all the classes we have, all the events we offer, all the teachers that are part of the weekly schedule, all the teachers that come in every now and then with special offerings.

The fall schedule starts on Tuesday and with it, a bunch of new classes and teachers. It is all done with the premise of offering options for everybody, every day.

The act of sharing is inherent to our human nature. I’m sure we all had at one point a baby offer us a bite of their snack. We are naturally generous.

You’ll notice that, in the fall schedule, some classes that used to take place at noon are now in the afternoon. Some classes that used to be taught by me are now taught by other teachers. Some classes have changed time, day, or duration.

All these changes came from generosity: the generosity of flexibility that Lexi and Ashley offered Grounded when their class times changed. The generosity of thinking of the student first when Kim decided to move her class to Mondays at 6pm (instead of Tuesdays at 7pm) so people wouldn’t have to drive home in the dark winter nights. The generosity of Devyn and Jenn, bringing options in the afternoon so people would have a fun activity to do after work. The generosity of Nicole, Ellie, and Ashley, moving their classes even earlier in the morning (6:30am) just because their students asked for it. The generosity of Suzanne, constantly training and finding the newest and most avant garde thing out there for us. The generosity of Ruby and Likhita, taking over my Tuesday and Thursday classes when I asked for help. The generosity of Laurie, asking for her class to be 5 minutes longer so people do not feel rushed. The generosity of Anne, when she offered to add the Sunday candlelight flow. The generosity of Meredith, that took the time to put together a series to help people understand Yoga and practice it safely. The generosity of the numerous other teachers that have come by and asked to be included on the team, offering their talent, time, and expertise. The generosity of their understanding when I had to turn them down (for now) due to a full calendar. The generosity of their openness when they told me they’d be happy to join whenever we were ready to add more classes.

And then there’s the generosity reflected within the space: all the plants, flowers, musical instruments, and most of the decoration have been gifted to the studio by the community. You’ve probably sat on the rocking blocks around the coffee table, made by Paul. You’ve probably hit the lovely G tune of the chime Patt made for us. You’ve probably enjoyed the incense we hold in the lovely vases Laurie hand-crafted. You’ve probably appreciated the fragrant, colorful flowers Hallie brings us every week from her garden, or noticed the red Buddha Patti brought to the studio during our opening party, or the Quan Yin figurine that Ann added to our altar. You’ve probably used the weighted bags that Kim took care of filling (and fixing). You’ve probably noticed the moss art Ashley made for us, or the many, many other aspects of the space brought to life so lovingly and with all the generosity of every single teacher and student that’s part of Grounded. There wouldn’t be Grounded without Jamie’s generosity of her time and expertise, or Lyndsey’s generosity of perspective.

But the generosity that gets me the most is the one that shows up in my memory when I close my eyes and think about Grounded: it’s you, your time, your trust, your support, your vulnerability.

Dāna, in Yoga, speaks about selfless generosity. It is about openness and our capacity to embrace others with compassion and love. It teaches us the importance of mindful giving, where the act itself brings joy and fulfillment. It can be practiced in numerous ways, both big and small.

In a 2025 article of the Yoga Bridge Magazine, Richard Miller wrote “From a personal perspective, Dāna teaches us what it feels like to give freely and without attachment. It shows us the contrast between holding back and letting go. When we find ourselves giving reluctantly, it’s an opportunity for reflection. In this way Dāna is considered a part of our spiritual practice whereby we shine the light of awareness on the aspects of giving that can bring great joy, and where we experience suffering caused by our attachment and difficulties in letting go.”

A simple journaling (or thought/meditation) prompt to connect with Dāna:

• Morning: this time, your morning prompt is actually a dare. I dare you to selflessly be generous today: maybe with your time, your patience, your resources, your attention, your curiosity. Do it with absolutely zero expectation of return, recognition, or a "thank you."

• Evening: think (or write) about how your acts of generosity impacted the recipient of such generosity. You’ve made a change, make sure you feel it.