Category: Behind the Scenes

It was as a grad student in Social Work that I formally started taking into account a person’s stage in life when working with them. I was studying developmental psychology and applying it in the field. As I progressed in my studies and career I began to more actively notice the ways, within a family […]

One of my primary charges as Executive Director is to bring our mission to life – are we doing what we’re saying we do in a way that we say we will? A core question implied within this charge as an Executive Director of a yoga studio is – within this mission work, are we bringing […]

Towards the end of 2015 the 8 Limbs admin staff dedicated 2016 to be a year to internally and externally hold space for difficult conversations. The foundation upon which we rested this commitment was a particular awareness––recognition of our consistent willingness over the years to move beyond our comfort zones and dive deep into what we’ve […]

“The bud stands for all things, even those things that don’t flower, for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing; though sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness, to put a hand on the brow of the flower, and retell it in words and in touch, it is lovely until it flowers again […]

I’m in charge of a lot of meetings at 8 Limbs. Some of you may be taking pity on me when reading that sentence but no need; I’m also one of those people who like meetings, at least usually. I like the sum-is-greater-than-individual-part-outcomes they often generate. I enjoy watching people thinking and pondering and co-creating […]

Last week, 8 Limbs, along with a handful of other Seattle area yoga studios*,  hosted a cultural competency training for yoga studios, teachers and staff. The decision to pursue such a training was born out of a number of factors: racially-inspired incidents this past Fall in the Seattle yoga community; an increasing un-ease with the […]

Every year, towards the end of winter, we hold an all-day 8 Limbs admin staff retreat. Studio Managers and those of us working in the back offices gather at Owner/Studio Director Anne Phyfe Palmer’s house for a day of reflection and a home-cooked meal. We talk about what we did well in the past year, […]

I distinctly remember the first class I took at 8 Limbs as an employee. It was 9am on an unseasonably sunny Saturday morning, just a couple of days after my initial orientation. It was by no means my first class at 8 Limbs, but as my first time attending as staff the moment felt auspicious. […]

Our mission at 8 Limbs Yoga Centers is to create a supportive, inclusive, and non-competitive atmosphere in which yoga practitioners can learn and grow. We recognize that each individual is unique and has a different approach to life. Thankfully there are many ways to practice yoga. Mission statements are essentially commitments. They are a way […]

We’re a group of double dippers, those of us working behind the scenes at 8 Limbs, that is. What you all see in terms of 8 Limbs offerings––our marketing campaigns, our general communication––is a direct reflection of the work and conversations we’re having behind the scenes. We’re not reinventing the wheel in what we outwardly […]