I have decided that we are going to add some things to our yoga availability. When we start our next set of classes, I will be featuring a yoga pose of the week. This pose will be worked on in all of the classes that I teach. I will be posting information about the pose and from time to time a you tube link to even more information. In preparation for the next set of classes I would like to offer a video about karma from the founder of the temple at which I studied.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEm8o1Si8tA
I hope that you enjoy it!
Six Week Classes Begin March 1st
Cat Pose
Begin on hands and knees. Check to ensure that your hands are directly under your shoulders and your knees are directly under your hips. Inhale as you look up and release your belly toward the floor. Exhale as you move through neutral spine to arch your back up and look at your bellybutton. Once again, inhale as you look up. Exhale as you look down. Continue the movement of the pose with the breath for a few moments.
If your shoulders are tight, try to focus your arched spine more into the shoulder blades. By separating the shoulder blades the tension in the shoulders will begin to release.
Follow this pose with either cobra and/or child's pose.
If your shoulders are tight, try to focus your arched spine more into the shoulder blades. By separating the shoulder blades the tension in the shoulders will begin to release.
Follow this pose with either cobra and/or child's pose.
Modified Pigeon
Suffering from lower back or outer hip pain? Try this modification of the classical pigeon pose.
Begin on the floor on hands and knees. Place your right knee in between your hands. Bring your right foot up in front of your left hip. Lengthen the left leg back. Lower the torso over the front of the pose and bring your elbows to the ground.
Notice how this lengthens the right lower back. From here, play with dropping the right hip toward and away from the ground. Notice how that changes the stretch in the back and the hip. Stay here as long as you like.
Repeat on the other side.
Begin on the floor on hands and knees. Place your right knee in between your hands. Bring your right foot up in front of your left hip. Lengthen the left leg back. Lower the torso over the front of the pose and bring your elbows to the ground.
Notice how this lengthens the right lower back. From here, play with dropping the right hip toward and away from the ground. Notice how that changes the stretch in the back and the hip. Stay here as long as you like.
Repeat on the other side.
Rumi Quote
Recently I was looking through a magazine and I found a wonderful quote by Rumi. In it Rumi says to
"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do."
After reflecting upon it some more, I found that it is more wonderful than just first glance. At first read you think, "okay, do what I love." We have all heard this before and many of us have said it to those we were mentoring. If you are helping to guide a child, a friend, or a student this could have graced your lips more than once. One of my high school teacher, when asked what I should do with my life, repeated the ever useful, "If you love what you do for a living, then you will never work a day in your life."
I have had jobs that I loved and jobs that I resented. But even working the best job in the world, you will surely encounter days that you will work. And work your butt off. I have been blessed enough to have the opportunity to train to teach yoga. I love it. Some classes are better than others. And many of you will contest that great classes seem to fall from the skies into our practice space. Some times the energies of those I teach combine to create the most amazing atmosphere. For all of these things I am grateful.
But that is not what Rumi was saying here. Read it again and this time listen. "Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." We are told to do beauty. And not just any beauty, but the beauty of love.
When you love something, just purely love something, that is beauty. You smile. Your heart is light and your mind is focused. Think of the love of a new child or the love written across the face of newlyweds. This is the beauty that we are to do. By doing beauty, you are showing the world the love within yourself.
"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do."
After reflecting upon it some more, I found that it is more wonderful than just first glance. At first read you think, "okay, do what I love." We have all heard this before and many of us have said it to those we were mentoring. If you are helping to guide a child, a friend, or a student this could have graced your lips more than once. One of my high school teacher, when asked what I should do with my life, repeated the ever useful, "If you love what you do for a living, then you will never work a day in your life."
I have had jobs that I loved and jobs that I resented. But even working the best job in the world, you will surely encounter days that you will work. And work your butt off. I have been blessed enough to have the opportunity to train to teach yoga. I love it. Some classes are better than others. And many of you will contest that great classes seem to fall from the skies into our practice space. Some times the energies of those I teach combine to create the most amazing atmosphere. For all of these things I am grateful.
But that is not what Rumi was saying here. Read it again and this time listen. "Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." We are told to do beauty. And not just any beauty, but the beauty of love.
When you love something, just purely love something, that is beauty. You smile. Your heart is light and your mind is focused. Think of the love of a new child or the love written across the face of newlyweds. This is the beauty that we are to do. By doing beauty, you are showing the world the love within yourself.
Happiness
There are many of us who are looking for happiness. Though we may have 'lost' happiness, it is not lost for all time. We just tend to look in the wrong places.
We look for moments of happiness in food, shopping, drinking, and other vices. We look for lifelong happiness in family, spouses, friends, and careers. While some of us can make very valid attempts at forcing happiness from these areas of life, we are still forcing happiness.
Happiness is something that just comes once you have accepted a few things. First you need to be content, pleased, at peace with yourself. If you don't like who you are at your core, you will never find lasting happiness. Second, you need to accept that just like moments, happiness is fleeting. Moments pass. Both good and bad. Anything that you feel, can be felt again. Both good and bad. Third, you must accept that happiness is not the goal. If it is your goal, than you are on the wrong path. The goal is peace and truth. Once you have found these within, they can last. They are the foundation that all wonderful emotions are built upon.
Find contentment within and focus on peace and truth. Then happiness will find you.
We look for moments of happiness in food, shopping, drinking, and other vices. We look for lifelong happiness in family, spouses, friends, and careers. While some of us can make very valid attempts at forcing happiness from these areas of life, we are still forcing happiness.
Happiness is something that just comes once you have accepted a few things. First you need to be content, pleased, at peace with yourself. If you don't like who you are at your core, you will never find lasting happiness. Second, you need to accept that just like moments, happiness is fleeting. Moments pass. Both good and bad. Anything that you feel, can be felt again. Both good and bad. Third, you must accept that happiness is not the goal. If it is your goal, than you are on the wrong path. The goal is peace and truth. Once you have found these within, they can last. They are the foundation that all wonderful emotions are built upon.
Find contentment within and focus on peace and truth. Then happiness will find you.
Eagle Arms
The arms part of Eagle Pose is great for relaxing. It helps open up the shoulders and relieve stress that is held in the shoulders.
To perform Eagle Arms, stick your right arm straight out in front of you. Take the left arm across the body underneath the right arm. Bend the left elbow so that the hand is sticking straight up. Bring the hands together. Inhale as you lift the arms up. Exhale as you lower the arms in front of you. Relax through the shoulder blades. Hold for a few breaths. To come out of the pose, unwind the arms and roll the shoulders back.
Repeat with the left arm sticking straight out in front of you and the right arm underneath.
This is a really good pose for people who work on the computer for many hours. After the release of the pose, the shoulders want to roll back into their natural position, which may be farther back than you are used to having them.
The World is Beautiful
When was the last time you looked out your window and really saw what was going on? How recently have you watched the sun set?
I love early fall. The leaves are at their greenest, the air seems crisper, and the sky goes on forever. Fall approaches with all the excitement of upcoming holidays and family gatherings.
Take a moment each day to let the beauty of the world envelope you. Let the goodness of life penetrate into the depths of you soul. My soul is at peace and the world is beautiful.
I love early fall. The leaves are at their greenest, the air seems crisper, and the sky goes on forever. Fall approaches with all the excitement of upcoming holidays and family gatherings.
Take a moment each day to let the beauty of the world envelope you. Let the goodness of life penetrate into the depths of you soul. My soul is at peace and the world is beautiful.
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