Squaw valley, Lake Tahoe…
you are water
I’m water
we’re all water in different containers
that’s why it’s so easy to meet
someday we’ll evaporate together
but even after the water’s gone
we’ll probably point out to the containers
and say, “that’s me there, that one.”
we’re container minders
– Yoko Ono (Water Talk, 1967)
Volunteered at Wanderlust and then got to take 3 classes Saturday (here, me the student). Friday, assigned to “yoga rooms”? The yoga “room” assigned to me was not a room per se – it was The High Camp atop the mountain at elevation 8600ft. This yoga “room” was outdoors under a white bright tent atop Squaw Valley with heavenly view – sunny azure sky with fresh exhilarating breeze through your hair… The “room” overlooked the mountain and the valley the arial tram that brought us up. 3 completely different classes with distinctively different instructors (here, me the volunteer assistant) – each was fabulous in his or her own way. I feel lucky to really come in such close contact with some of country’s best yoga teachers and learning from them. There are so many take-aways when you learn from those who are so dedicated.
Beautiful People; Beautiful air; beautiful view… will post photos and description of classes later. Now back to elevation of maybe 40 ft. coming back from 8000 ft. The light-headed-ness, the light-heartedness – the bliss remains or at least the memory of it.
Here back in town, I already miss the crisp alpine infused air of the Sierra mountains – thin oxygen level, yes, due to the altitude but deeper richer quality of that oxygen from all those trees covered mountains … so energizing at the same time – relaxing – it’s a perfect balance where the air energizes you and at the same time, relaxes you. Highly recommended. Anyone will sleep well at night breathing and moving by that beautiful cobalt blue waters of Lake Tahoe. 4 hours drive with no traffic and in my case nearly 6 hours … due to bumper to bumper traffic at couple of bottlenecks … driving can be such a choir… but well worth the trip for yoga & nature lovers, people & tree huggers drawn to that special water of purest clarity. Purest clarity… is found in the crystalline water infused with ripples of light.
Lake Tahoe is located on the western border of Nevada and the eastern border of California. It is central to several National Forests and State Parks. It’s known for its purity and outstanding clarity. One can see objects clearly as deep as 100 feet beneath its surface. This lake has 72 miles of shoreline, with open beaches and shaded, sheltered coves alike.
Tahoe is the largest Alpine Lake in North America, and the second deepest in the United States. It is fed by 63 streams and two hot springs.
The water has a purity level of 99.9%, making it one of the cleanest natural water resources on the planet. It is 22 miles long, and 12 miles wide. The deepest point is 1645 feet, making it the sixteenth deepest lake in the world. The Lake Tahoe Basin floor is at an elevation of approximately 4580 feet.
By Michael Russell
