Hard Times, Soft Signs | How Cancer Season’s Kindness is Power

Tenderness is a Tool for Tough Times

Much like a challenging asana, difficult moments call for us to meet them not with force, but with tenderness. When we soften toward ourselves—offering care instead of critique—we strengthen not only our relationship with the challenge, but with our own resilience, and with one another.

It may feel counterintuitive, but compassion is a kind of courage. As Patanjali reminds us in Sutra 1.33, cultivating loving-kindness toward those who suffer isn’t a detour from strength—it’s the very path to sturdy peace. Or as June Jordan so beautifully put it:

...Or maybe the purpose of being here, wherever we are, is to increase the durability and the occasions of love among and between peoples. Love, as the concentration of tender caring and tender excitement, or love as the reasons for joy. I believe that love is the single, true prosperity of any moment and that whatever and whoever impedes, diminishes, ridicules, opposes the development of loving spirit is "wrong" / hateful.

This Cancer season invites us inward, toward feeling, toward care. When we practice tenderness—in the face of difficulty, in the direction of ourselves and others—we help build the kind of community that endures. One breath, one soft sign, one pose at a time. Just like Ardha Chandrasana, our Asana of the Season: steady, strong, and open to the light.

You Got Me Feeling Emotions, Deeper Than I've Ever Dreamed of (aka Cancer Season Workshops & Community Events)

A warrior-like Aries, Mariah Carey reminds us that there is depth and power in tapping into the emotional side of Cancer season. Join us for a "sweet, sweet fantasy" at a variety of donation-based classes designed for community care, info sessions to take the next step toward deepening your practice and connection, sound events to tune inward and align, and so much more:

• ODDGIVES | Co-Led Pride Donation Classes: We're celebrating Pride with three co-led, donation-based classes across two studios! Flow it out, celebrate unity and harmony with dynamic teaching duos, and support AwareHaus in their mission to expand access to resources, spaces and relationships that support healing, creativity, and personal transformation in the queer community.
  • Fri, June 20th | 8:15-9:30am: FLOW + SOUND for PRIDE w/ Hallie Anoff and Tamara "Mars" Beck in Eagle Rock
    • SIGN UP >>
  • Sat, June 28th | 11am-12pm: SWEAT for PRIDE with Asia Martin and Emmett Patton in East Hollywood
    • SIGN UP >>
  • Sun, June 29th | 11:30am-12:30pm: SLOW FLOW for PRIDE with Emmett Patton and Asia Martin in East Hollywood
    • SIGN UP >>
• Sips & Staircases | Community Hike + Coffee Break: Celebrate the Summer Solstice with a soul-nourishing community hike through Silver Lake and Echo Park’s secret stairs, blending movement, mindfulness, and connection—plus a cozy coffee stop at Cafe Nido! Sun, June 22 | 11am-1pm w/ Lani Engstrom. Save My Spot >>
  • Reminders and meetup details will be emailed Sat, June 21, so be sure to pre-register by Friday! 
• ODDGIVES | Juneteenth FLOW: Join Asia Martin for a Juneteenth FLOW class honoring Black freedom, culture, and community, with proceeds supporting the Los Angeles Black Worker Center’s fight for equity and justice. Sun, June 22 | 3-4pm in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>
• Fall 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Info Session: Deepen your yoga practice and share your passion with others. Join our informative Q&A session for our immersive 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training starting in September. Spots are limited, so reserve yours today! Attendants of this info session will be eligible to save $500 with early-bird registration and an extra $100 sign-up bonus! Wed, June 25 | 7-8pm w/ Cindy Godell in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>
• Cancer Season Sound Bath: Immerse yourself in a transformative 75-minute sound bath led by Dylan Wallace – fresh from a retreat in Tuscany – using crystal bowls, chimes, and a gong tuned to the vibrations of Venus to achieve deep relaxation and stress reduction. Sun, June 29 | 7:30-8:45pm w/ Dylan Wallace in East Hollywood. Save My Spot >>
• Yoga Talk: ODD's Lead teacher and 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training architect, Cindy Godell, takes over our weekly open-hearted, philosophy-driven discussion in July and the first half of August. It's like a little taste of her upcoming retreat in Costa Rica! Wednesdays | 7:30-8:30pm in Echo Park. Save My Spot >>

Details coming soon for more exciting community events and workshops in July, like an info session to learn more about August's Yin Yoga Teacher Training, an all-new Somatic Voice Workshop, and a neighborhood Sound Bath in partnership with our friends at Creature's Plants & Coffee. Stay tuned to our newsletter and socials!

Move over Brat Summer, this year it's MAT Summer (aka Summer Specials)

• Seeking clarity amidst the chaos but can't commit to a membership because you're only in LA for the summer? These specials are for you, grads, and anyone else summering in the city. Tuesday, June 24 is your last chance to give or get the gift of a Mat Summer 💚😎🌴 Save $108 on a flexible-use 12-class pack and practice once a week or save $50 on 2 months of unlimited yoga, fitness, and membership perks without the commitment! Shop The Specials >>

Playlist of the Season: Dancing on My Own

A yoga playlist for a cathartic solo dance party or a gentle class that refills your cup and reminds you that tender is the new tough. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: can you be soft and kind with yourself and to others when things feel especially hard and uncomfortable?

You can't dance well with others until you can dance on your own

Asana of the Season: Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon)

Here's a Quick Guide to Getting into Half Moon:

• Build your foundation: Begin by standing with your feet wide apart, front foot facing forward and back foot at a 45° angle pressing into the knife edge, similar to a triangle pose.
• Launch: With weight on your front leg, lift your back leg and place your hand on the ground or a block in line with your front shoulder. Keep your back foot flexed and parallel to the floor.
• Open your heart: Open your chest towards the ceiling and reach your top arm up, creating a long line of energy from your standing leg to your top arm.
• Hold on: Hold the pose for a few breaths, focusing on balance and alignment.
• Exit the pose: Gently lower your raised leg and return to extended triangle pose.

Tenderness begins within ourselves, so we're encouraging our students, especially those who lean toward high-intensity classes, like FIT and MAT PILATES, to find a tender sweetness and awareness in the deeply grounding and connected YIN classes we offer.

Yin is a slow paced class that works deeply into the connective tissue (fascia) mainly through non-standing poses that are held for 2-5 minutes. In this class props are used for supportive and sustainable holds to ease into sensation and patiently let the body work, soften and create space.

If you're interested in teaching YIN or deepening your experience, Sarah Helt will lead a Yin Yoga Teacher Training in August that's filling up fast!

Sutra of the Season: 1.33

Yoga Sutra 1.33 reminds us that compassion (karuṇā) toward those who are suffering is a key to cultivating peace of mind. This aligns beautifully with the energy of Cancer season—a time of emotional sensitivity, deep care, and nurturing connection. When we soften toward others and ourselves, we create space for healing, understanding, and a stronger sense of community. Just like Cancer’s protective shell guards a tender heart, we too can build resilience through kindness.

Extra Credit: this week, reach out to a neighbor, friend, or fellow student with a small act of care—a kind word, a thoughtful check-in, or a shared moment of presence.