The Yoga Connection Volume 1 Issue 1 by The Yoga Connection

Many different styles of yoga Classes in Egosque and Tai Chi Pilates Group Classes and Private Classes Offering the most up-to-date pilates equipment including: The Reformer, Chair and The Tower Equipment First Saturday of every month FREE PILATES EQUPMENT CLASS from 11-12

Fort Collins Club 1307 East Prospect Road, Ft. Collins CO 80526 Phone: 970-224-2582, Direct: 970-310-1477 E-mail: Ellen@ftcclub.net Website: www.fortcollinsclub.net

Editor’s Note

winter. We should take comfort in the slowing phase of the cyclical patterns, the slowing of the life forces and the subsequent slowing of our very lives. If we take this time to turn inward, to be introspective, to be reserved and to shed the withered foliage of our lives, we will sense greater harmony and attunement in our lives. If you have been practicing the asanas with loyalty, but have not ventured into the meditative side of your practice, now is the perfect time.

Welcome to the first issue of The Yoga Connection Magazine. Perhaps introductions are in order… The Yoga Connection Magazine is the sincere creation and expression of two local Yoga junkies.

Please enjoy this collection of thoughts and explorations of the vast spiritual science that Yoga is. And, please get out there and support the local Yoga scene. May all your sittings be still and any chitta chatter be dissolved.

TYC is dedicated to the exploration and discussion of the science, philosophy and practice of Yoga. We intend to promote accessibility to yoga in the community by offering class and workshop schedules in each issue. The article content will be focused on Yoga and Spiritual development. Our approach to a format has been influenced by the very process of yoga, which consists of eight limbs. So, naturally, in this issue you will find the opening articles to an eight part series titled: “The Process of Yoga and the Eight Limbs.” These articles will set up an on-going series exploring the limbs of yoga.

Blessings The Yoga Connection

The Yoga Connection is a quarterly publication. The information provided in this publication is intended for personal, non-commercial, informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement with respect to any company, product, procedure or activity.

Make sure you check out the Sun Salutation workshop in our “At Home Practice” section. Sun Salutations are a great way to explore some of the foundational postures of Yoga, increase circulation and promote vitality. If you are new to Yoga and have never had the pleasure of taking a class, but you are curious, then let us help to ease your first class jitters with an article that explains what to expect at your first Yoga class.

For advertising and editorial information, contact: Kate Stephens or Gary Pritchard Phone: (970) 482-5920 E-mail: kmskali@hotmail.com

Our first issue is dedicated to winter. Winter is a great time for introspection. The seasonal conditions are perfect for slowing down and internalizing ones awareness. We are reminded that there is a time for the passing of old expressions, habits, behaviors, beliefs and ways of being. All are necessary preparations for renewal and transformation. As we live our winter lives, we should allow ourselves to feel harmonious with the archetypes of

THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

Printed on Recycle Paper

Contents

Departments

Features

Healthy Kitchen Your First Yoga Class

Ginger .....................................

Attending your first yoga class can be a little intimidating, so we offer you a short guide to prepare you for your first yoga experience. pg. 8

Handcrafted

pg. 6

How to Make a Soothing Eye Pillow................ pg. 7

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your Style? Descriptions of many of the class styles available in our community...

pg. 10

At Home Practice Surya Namaskar to rejuvenate your soul for the new year...................

The Process of Yoga and The Eight Limbs Journey into a deeper understanding of the ancient science & philosophy of yoga.

pg. 17

Yogic Wisdom

pg. 14

Reflect on some words of wisdom in our quote section....................

pg. 23

Once Upon a Yogi Time Goswami Kriyananda offers insight in his re-tellling of the ancient yogi stories through the ages................

Meditation for Beginners

Health and WellBeing Directory................... pg.25

Curious about meditation, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where to begin? Start your exploration with this article on the basics of meditation.

Northern Colorado Yoga Class Schedules Winter 2010........................... pg. 26

pg. 20

ISSUE # 1

pg. 30

THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

Carrot Ginger Soup

Healthy Kitchen

Ingredients • 1 onion, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 inch ginger, minced • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 1 potato, chopped • 2 ribs celery, chopped • 3 carrots, cut in chunks • 1 quart vegetable broth • 1 tsp coriander (optional) • 1 bay leaf • Salt and pepper, to taste

Ginger Tis the season to feast with family and friends. We have a tendency to overindulge during the holidays, which can take its toll on our bodies, from taxing the digestive system to lowering our immunities. Ginger can provide the natural remedy your body needs during this time.

Saute onion, garlic, ginger, and oil together in a large saucepan on high heat until onions are translucent. Add potatoes, celery, and carrots. Add broth and spices and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook until carrots are soft. Remove the bay leaf and then puree soup in a blender. Do this in batches, never filling the blender more than halffull. Taste and season as desired.

Ginger is a native plant of southeastern Asia, and has been renowned for thousands of years in many areas throughout the world. It has been used in ancient Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern cultures for it aromatic, culinary and medicinal properties. We have the fortune of being able to find fresh ginger root at most grocery stores.

*Recipe found at www.simple-vegetarian-recipes.com

The many health benefits of ginger include: • Eases stomach cramps, improves digestion and relieves nausea • Reduces menstrual cramping • Helps regulate blood sugar • Boosts the immune system • Improves circulation and blood flow, helping support a healthy cardiovascular system making platelets less sticky which in turn reduces circulatory problems • Ginger oil used for massage can help relieve painful arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory properties • Ginger is often included in many herbal decongestants and can help to minimize the symptoms of respiratory conditions, colds and allergies. • Grated ginger root mixed with diluted lime juice can help to sooth the digestive tract and reduce flatulence.

Gingerbread Ingredients: • 1/3 cup soft or melted butter • 1 cup dark molasses or 2/3 cup blackstrap and 1/3 cup honey • 1 egg • 1 cup buttermilk or orange juice • 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 2 teaspoons powdered ginger • ½ teaspoon salt • ½ cup raisins • 1 tablespoon orange zest (optional) • 1 tablespoon mustard powder (optional) • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Mix butter and molasses. Beat in egg and add buttermilk or orange juice. Sift together the dry ingredients and combine everything together. Pour into a greased 9”x9” square pan. Bake 40 minutes.

Cold Remedy Ginger Tea Ingredients: • Mint tea bag • 1 inch piece of peeled ginger • Lemon juice • Honey • Water Add all ingredients to your favorite mug and pour in boiling water. Let the tea bag steep for 3-5 minutes and then remove. The ginger can stay in the cup while you sip your tea. The blend of the ingredients is not only a wonderful way to boost your immune system, but the mint tea and ginger help to soothe an aching belly. Enjoy! THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

*Recipe found in Laurel’s Kitchen

WINTER 2010

Cleanse Detox Balance

Handcrafted

and

ar e Y w e N e h t for

with

Lymph Drainage Therapy & Healing Touch

Soothing Eye Pillow Handcraft your own unique eye pillow to block out light and enjoy a gentle weight over and around your eyes. Use your pillow during savasana (final relaxation) in your yoga practice or simply when you want a little time to relax and soothe your eyes.

The Bodywork Experts

Advanced Lymph Drainage Therapy Therapeutic Massage

Carol J. McDaniel, RMT

On-line scheduling • www.LymphWorks.com 970-222-9421

Ingredients: ~Flaxseed ~Dried lavender and/or chamomile flowers ~A piece of soft fabric Step 1: Prepare the filling for your eye pillow: Choose either your lavender flowers, chamomile flowers, or a combination of both and place in a mortar and pestle or a small grinder (a coffee grinder works great!). This process is certainly not necessary as you can leave the flowers whole, but it will create an even softer pillow if you grind up the flowers a bit. Add the flowers to a bowl filled with flaxseed. A good ratio would be 2/3 flaxseed to 1/3 flowers. *If you are sensitive to scent, make your eye pillow with just the flaxseed. Flaxseed is a perfect ingredient because it does a great job of blocking out light and is heavy enough to provide a gentle weight that helps to relax the eyes and the temples. Lavender and chamomile are both known to be soothing scents, helping to relieve stress and foster a sense of peace and relaxation.* Step 2: Making the fabric cover: Cut out two equal pieces of fabric, 4-1/2” wide by 10” long, and place them together, using pins to keep the pieces in line with each other. Sew three and ½ sides together with the fabric side out. Then turn the fabric right side out and fill the pillow loosely with your flaxseed mixture. Hand stitch the last of the pillow together and voila, you have made yourself a beautiful, handmade eye pillow!

Your First Yoga Class Attending your first yoga class can be a little intimidating, so we offer you a short guide to prepare you for your first yoga experience.

Let’s start with what you wear.

Most important, you want to be comfortable. It’s not about buying the latest and most stylish yoga gear; it’s about feeling comfortable in your own skin and comfortable in class. You don’t want to wear something that is so loose that you might trip over it while in a standing pose, nor do you want to wear something that it so tight that you find yourself pulling at the material all through class. Put on something comfortable, then take a few minutes at home to move around in your chosen outfit. If you don’t feel self-conscious, it’s probably perfect! If you have long hair, pull it back so that you don’t constantly have to deal with tucking it behind your ear or blowing it out of your mouth. Get ready to tune in fully to the postures and your breath; that’s what’s important … not how your clothes and hair look.

First, ask yourself what type of experience you are looking for. Do you want a gentle class, one that will help you relax and provide some stressreducing techniques? Or, are you looking for an energizing, active class? Once you have an idea of what you would like, do some research. Using the guide and schedules within this publication, or going on-line, check out what the local studios are offering. It may be very helpful to call the studio ahead of time and chat with someone to discover more about the different styles and teachers. Talk to friends and co-workers and find out what their experiences have been, who their favorite teachers are. You are in the exploration period right now. You may need to try out many different studios, class styles, teachers in order to find the class that resonates best with you. Today, even within our community, there are many styles to choose from. Trust that you will find a style that fits your personality and needs.

How much does a yoga class cost?

Check with the studio ahead of time, so you can bring the right amount of money. Ask if cash is required or if checks or credit cards are accepted. Classes range in price from $10-$20. There are a number of wonderful classes available at local health clubs and they are, in general, included with membership fees. Most studios will offer a safe and secure place to keep your purse or wallet.

Choose a class for beginners first.

It is vital that you start with understanding the foundational poses before moving into more advanced level classes. You may find that the beginning classes are too slow or too “easy” for you, but appreciate that these classes offer you an understanding of the basics. In many of the more advanced classes, these principles may already be assumed, and the teacher may not go into the kind of detail you really need as a beginner. Awareness and understanding of the basics is crucial to moving forward into the more advanced poses. If you cannot find a beginner class that fits into your time schedule, make sure to let the teacher know that this is your first class. Move through the class to the best of your ability and try not to be intimidated or to compare yourself to the other students. Continually remind yourself that this is your practice and you have come to learn about yourself.

What should I bring with me to class?

In general, you don’t need to bring anything special with you to class. Studios offer, at the very least, a yoga mat, and most provide all the props you will need to feel supported and comfortable through class. If using a communal mat doesn’t feel right to you, purchase one and bring it with you. You might also want to invest in an antiseptic spray to keep your mat clean. You can actually make a natural disinfectant out of purified water and tea oil; put it in a small spray bottle. But, all you really need to bring is yourself and an open mind.

Once you arrive at the studio

Check in with the front desk and let them know this is your first class. Often, the person at the front desk will also be the teacher, so this is a good way to introduce yourself and let them her know of any limitations you may have. This can be much easier than speaking to the teacher in front of all the other students.

Now that you have chosen a class, it’s time to get ready to actually go to the class! What do I wear? What do I bring with me to class? Where do I begin?

Find a safe place to leave your belongings. Depending on the temperature of the yoga studio and your comfort level, you may want to leave your socks on initially. But, it can be quite challenging to wear your socks while you are practicing. Now it’s time to find your own place to practice in the yoga space. Look around at the way others are orienting themselves in the room. This will help you determine where the teacher will be and where you would like to place your yoga mat. You will notice some students “centering themselves” with their eyes closed, while others are warming up with gentle stretches. There is no right or wrong thing to do before class begins; this is your time to prepare yourself mentally and physically for the class. If you are feeling a bit anxious, now would be the time to sit or lie down quietly, close your eyes, and take a few moments to center yourself.

Once the teacher enters the space,

He will most likely let you know a bit about the class and how it will progress. The first few moments of class are generally spent in helping the students get centered and focus on their breathing. If any of the techniques practiced don’t feel comfortable to you, just sit in silence and observe. After these first few moments of centering, you will be led through a series of asanas, or postures. Some teachers take a holistic approach, incorporating poses that stretch and work the whole body, while others focus on a certain area of the body and work with specific postures. In general, a teacher will start with a series of warm-ups that will encourage your body to THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

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Om. Most classes will end with the teacher saying “Namaste.” You’ll hear others say this back to the teacher, so it’s nice to know what it means. One translation is “the light and love in me recognizes and honors the light and love in you.” If you feel comfortable with this, you can join in with the others students in saying this back to the teacher. Get up slowly and gently and plan to take your time to move back into the “world.” You will feel more balanced and peaceful than you did when you came into class and will be encouraged to continue with your yoga practice. Take lot of classes, explore the many different styles and teachers available in our community. Find what feels right to you, but most importantly, be true to yourself, and tap into the vast benefits that yoga has to offer.

“Namaste ... The light and love in me, recognizes and honors the light and love in you.”

relax and lengthen. Depending on the style of class you choose, you will either hold poses for a few seconds or find yourself staying in a pose for several minutes. You might be in a class that incorporates a wide range of movements and holds, flowing in and out of postures for a portion of class, and then holding the poses longer during different sections of class. Continue to remind yourself throughout class that this is your practice and that the teacher is simply there to offer guidance and insight. If something doesn’t feel comfortable to you, move into something that does. Listen carefully to the teacher’s verbal cues and move into the poses slowly and with full awareness of your body. Alignment is most important when moving your body into a new position, so listen closely to your teacher. There is a principle in yoga called Ahimsa, which means “non-violence.” Ahimsa starts with you and reminds you to check in with yourself at all times to make sure you are not violating this principle. If something is painful, don’t do it. Let your breath lead you through the postures. If it is difficult for you to stay in a pose and keep breathing, back off a bit, find your breath, and then move deeper into the posture. Honor yourself, always. It is very important to realize that your yoga practice is not just a physical practice. Emotions and feelings may surface that you are uncomfortable with. Thoughts may come into your mind of past, even deeply hidden experiences. We spend much of our lives focusing our attention outward. Yoga is a practice of looking inward and truly seeing ourselves. There are bound to be things that we see that we don’t like. Persevere, push forward … this is the good stuff! We need to get into those dark corners of ourselves, we need to see our shadows, and we need to bring those things into the light. Continue your practice and watch as you transform.

There will always be a final relaxation at the end of class.

Most teachers and students will agree that this part of class is the most important, so be prepared to stay for these last few minutes and enjoy. Savasana, or final relaxation, is typically done resting on your back, lying flat on your yoga mat. There may be a few minutes in which the teacher guides you into a relaxed state, perhaps with a guided visualization. This is the time when you let go of your focus on the physical body and invite the subtler gifts of your practice to “sink in.” You want to be as comfortable as possible during this time. If you are chilly, cover up with a blanket. If you are experiencing any low back strain or discomfort, place a rolled up blanket under your thighs to support your lower back. If you have an eye pillow, use it to block out light and feel the gentle pressure on your eyes and temples. Take this time to just be, not worrying about where you need to be or what you are going to do later. Rest in this quiet and enjoy the relaxation. After a few minutes, you will be gently guided out of your final relaxation. Some teachers will verbally cue you to come out of savasana, while others will use a soft sound, such as a bell. Draw yourself up into a comfortable seated position. There may be a few moments in which the teacher will conclude the class with some personal words or share an insight or a quotation. Other teachers may end by chanting the universal

What’s Your Style

There are many different types of yoga classes available in our community. It can be a difficult task to choose the class most appropriate for you. Each and every person has a different body condition and needs to know which class would fit their individual needs best. Some of the most common types of yoga classes in our community are listed below and briefly explained. This will help serve as a guide for you to choose the best type of class for your specific needs. Anusara™ Inspired Yoga: This unique style of yoga blends John Friend’s eloquent Universal Principles of alignment with a life affirming philosophy of intrinsic goodness. These classes offer each student the opportunity to step into & celebrate their own unique gifts by cultivating an understanding of the outer body & the inner landscape of heart & mind.

Hot Vida Yoga: A class practiced in an 89-degree room for 60 - 70 min. Suitable for all levels, from beginner to advanced. It is a yoga class designed to deepen your Vinyasa yoga practice. This yoga series is very close to the same flow every class, so you will know exactly what to expect and clearly be able to gauge your progress. Lots of modifications and options are encouraged to help you make this class your own.

Ashtanga Yoga: Ashtanga yoga is a vigorous, fast-paced form of yoga that helps to build flexibility, strength, concentration, and stamina. When doing Ashtanga yoga, a person moves quickly through a set of predetermined poses while remaining focused on deep breathing.

Hot Yoga: Hot Yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a heated room. The room is usually maintained at a temperature of 95-100 degrees. As you can imagine, a vigorous yoga session at this temperature promotes profuse sweating which rids the body of toxins. It makes the body very warm, and therefore more flexible.

Beginning Yoga: The beginning yoga class is suitable for students who are curious about yoga and have little or no experience with the practice. In class, students will explore various asana’s (postures) which increase range of motion and flexibility. Asana practice increases self-awareness and provides students with a deeper level of comfort in their physical body. Self-awareness will also be explored through different mindfulness practices, which may include breathing techniques, visualizations and centering.

Integral Yoga: This is an all levels class that focuses on the unique needs of each student. Within the series taught, there will be ample opportunity encouraged for listening to the deeper meaning behind each pose. The series will be simple yet effective. The purpose of the simplicity is to bring the easily memorized sequence home for a personal practice outside the studio as well. Iyengar Yoga: Iyengar yoga is the yoga style that for some 65 years, the yoga master B.K.S.Iyengar researched, developed, and brought to yoga. It is deeply scientific emphasizing the integration of the body-mind-spirit connection. In addition, it is rooted firmly within the eight limbs of yoga as espoused by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. Iyengar yoga lays strong emphasis on the accuracy of the postures believing that alignment of the skeletal body brings alignment throughout the whole physical body - and further benefits the emotional and mental bodies as well. Iyengar yoga incorporates the use of props such as blankets, blocks, straps, pillows, chairs, and bolsters. The purpose of the props is to assist the student in attaining ideal alignment, even if the body is not yet open enough.

Bikram Yoga: Bikram Yoga is traditionally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. Classes are guided by specific dialogue including 26 postures and two breathing exercises. Classes last approximately 90 minutes. Core Power Yoga: This is one of the powerfully invigorating yoga styles and was born out of the American interpretation of Ashtanga Yoga. It is a definitively sweat producing, muscle - building, powerful workout. It is not for gentle yoga types and certainly those coming to it from a beginner’s point would be well advised to be cautious about throwing themselves into it without excellent instruction. A good power yoga teacher would be able to cater for such beginners. Unlike other yoga styles, there is little or no pausing between yoga positions (postures) and thus it is an intense aerobic workout routine. Many sports enthusiasts take to Power Yoga as its ability to balance opposing muscle.

Kid’s Yoga (for children 5-11): Kid’s learn to move their bodies improving balance, flexibility, and strength. They also learn how to calm or energize themselves through breath and positive thinking. They love the relaxation period (savasana) at the end! Kundalini Yoga - For many centuries, Kundalini Yoga was a well-kept secret known only to initiates and masters within the spiritual confines of one-to-one teaching and closed orders in India and Tibet. The power of raising the Kundalini energy that resides within was considered too powerful and, if misused, too dangerous to be given free access. Kundalini yoga is one of the yoga styles that allow a non-stressful way of working to help promote flexibility, energy, serenity and a sense of greater personal empowerment.

Ebb & Flow Yoga: Energizing Vinyasa flow postures intermittently connected with relaxing static postures. Designed to significantly improve flexibility, balance & strength, focusing on proper alignment & breath to deepen postures. Hatha Yoga: Hatha yoga integrates the first four limbs of yoga, including asanas (postures) and pranayamas (breathing techniques). All classes will include both postures and breathing techniques with variations in style. Most Hatha Yoga classes are accessible to all levels. Designed to increase strength, flexibility and balance while alleviating stress and promoting relaxation.

THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

Mommy and Me Yoga (6 weeks to walking and their parents): Classes move slowly with emphasis on the needs of a new mom and the developmental needs of baby’s first year.

WINTER 2010

Prenatal Yoga: Prenatal Yoga is an excellent way to stay in shape during your pregnancy. It is also a great way to connect to your body during this very special time. This class, taught by certified prenatal instructors will gently guide you through postures specifically designed for women during all stages of pregnancy. No prior yoga experience is needed. Yoga is very beneficial to the body, especially during pregnancy. Some of the benefits include: improving balance, flexibility, strength, and circulation. Yoga helps to bring awareness and acceptance to the body and the changes that are taking place. Regular practice helps to reduce back and leg pain, insomnia and swelling. Breathing techniques help throughout pregnancy, as well as in childbirth and motherhood. Restorative Yoga: Restorative yoga is a passive yoga practice that encourages conscious relaxation. You relax in stillness, breathe with awareness, and practice the art of letting go, of being rather than doing. This state of deep relaxation strengthens the immune system, increases longevity, generates serenity, and brings peace of mind. Mind, body and spirit are deeply nourished by the use of props to support the body, along with gentle breathing.

Yoga Basics: In this class, each pose is explored for its physical, energetic, and mental benefits. Students will have ample time to feel their own breath and ability. Postures will be simple with clear and slower direction. This is an excellent class for beginners and those who want to review a few ideas and techniques that lay at the root of the beauty of yoga. Geared to provide an introduction to newcomers; an ongoing class that focuses on fewer poses, but deeper understanding. It will utilize breathing and stress reduction techniques.

Slow Flow Yoga: Slow down in your day and enjoy it. Feel the strength and fluidity of your body as you strengthen and lengthen your muscles. Slow Flow is a practice that will move you through the entire body gently, slowly and sweetly, building intensity gradually accompanied by soothing music. Suitable for all levels. Teen Yoga (for big kids 12-18): This expressive time of life is full of mixed feelings! Well-being is addressed through music, movement, breath, and sounds. Concepts of self-acceptance are cultivated and various techniques of quieting the mind.

Yoga Fusion: Flow series yoga that focuses on deep extended postures. This class will improve flexibility, strength and stamina and promote tranquility; excellent cross-training for all athletes.

Viniyoga Yoga: A gentle yoga style, Viniyoga encourages the student to practice the posture work so that it follows the appropriate movement for the individual's body and situation. This facilitates the function of the posture over its form. It is a yoga style that allows all aspects of yoga to adapt to the needs of the student integrating movement, breathing, and awareness in order to improve both physical and mental health. It encourages the individual to then move toward stretching their abilities, thus enhancing the state of attention. This develops an ability to become more positively responsive to external situations and acts as therapy to maintain optimum health in body and mind.

Yoga Tots (for walkers to age 3 and their parents): Toddlers join in at their readiness, and are invited to assist mom or dad in their yoga. No yoga experience necessary.

Vinyasa Yoga: This is a style of yoga that flows from one posture into another to the rhythm of the breath. Vinyasa is a term that covers a broad range of yoga classes. The word Vinyasa means “breath-synchronized movement.” In other words, the teacher will instruct you to move from one pose to the next on an inhale or an exhale. This technique is sometimes called Vinyasa Flow, or just Flow because of the smooth way that the poses run together and become like a dance. Yin Yoga: Great for beginners & beyond. A more passive & peaceful experience using breath, gravity, straps, blankets, & blocks to disengage & relax into longer postures held one to four minutes. In the yin practice, you explore how the slow, steady stretching of deep connective tissue can increase flexibility and gradually create more depth in poses. You focus on developing sensibility to your body’s subtle cues by quieting the mind and looking inward.

ISSUE # 1

THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

THE PROCESS OF YOGA & THE EIGHT LIMBS “When we begin to understand the total being that is man, we realize that he is no simple physical organism. Within him are many powers whose potential he employs in greater or lesser degree in accommodating himself to the conditions of this world. Their potential is vastly greater than the average person thinks.” –Paramahansa Yoganandature), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (contemplation). The first four limbs are traditionally considered Hatha Yoga proper. They deal with restraints, observances and the cultivation of the discipline needed for success in the latter four limbs. The latter four limbs are considered Raja yoga and their practice is dedicated to the development of the soul and liberation. The last two limbs are not as much a discipline or practice, as they are states of being. Success in these two limbs will expand and transform personal self-consciousness until it becomes free and unencumbered by the illusion of separation. This leads to the development of the “siddhis” or psychic sensitivites. Long before such lofty states are reached, we can acquire great benefits that help us to live in harmony. To put it simply: we become less emotional and more mature in deeper psychic ways. Thus, we begin a series dealing with the Eight Limbs of the process of Yoga. Each issue of The Yoga Connection will feature articles dealing with the limbs in sequential order. So we shall start, but where else-The Beginning…The Yamas.

Hidden deep within the being of humankind there is a gift. It is the gift of bliss brought on by self-realization.This gift of bliss is not something that requires your cultivation; it is self-existent, relying on nothing and waiting to be discovered. The method of making this discovery is by a process of removal and not by an adding to or an expansion of the persona/ego complex. By the removal of karma, ignorance, fear, limitation, imbalance, desire, and identification with the ego sense we are able to still the life and the mind. With this stillness we are able to realize ourselves as pure awareness. The work of yoga then is the careful and gentle removal of the encasement of the true self by the false self and the dissolution of the mind/ body complex as the limit of one’s sense of self. The process of yoga is a multifaceted intra-dimensional and holistic approach to establishing and maintaining health and well-being. It is multifaceted in that it consists of eight principle disciplines or practices. It is holistic and intra-dimensional because it is considerate of the whole being and does not limit its conception of the human being to physiological interactions. Instead of a limited focus on the physical dimension of our being, yoga emphasizes total life awareness from the very dense physical realm to the subtlest spiritual realm. It offers very powerful techniques to develop and increase our psychological and soulful wellbeing, as well as our physical health. When people hear the term yoga, their typical conception is that of Asana, or the physical postures. The yoga postures have gained in popularity and most have some idea what they are, at least generically. People new to the idea of yoga typically associate it with exercise. Asana work is indeed fun, challenging and very beneficial in many ways and is a fantastic form of exercise. However, asana work is only one part of an ancient and very effective system of self-development and self un-folding. In this series of articles we will be exploring the full spectrum of yoga philosophies and practices. Yoga requires practice, dedication, courage, self-respect, honesty, and mindfulness. Kindness, gentleness, sincerity and patience are also helpful in the blossoming of one’s self by the use of Yoga. What is not needed to effectively practice yoga, is contortionist-type flexibility or gymnast type strength. Strength and flexibility are benefits of the practice of Yoga, especially the asanas, but they are not necessarily the goal. Consistent practice will help to develop balance, mentally and physically. It will promote physical stamina and improve overall health. The nervous system will become soothed and calmed, bringing improvement to ones mood, accompanied by general feelings of well being. The mind and body will become less tense and the function of one’s total being will be enhanced. I like to call it getting “cozy” with yourself. The process of yoga, if practiced with dedication, can lead to deep knowledge of one’s self. It can transform and expand personal consciousness to such a degree that its quality and magnitude have been called “Cosmic” by the accomplished mystics and sages of the Yoga tradition. The eight disciplines that constitute the process of yoga are Yama (restraints), Niyama (observances), Asana (steadiness of posTHE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

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feel and what you think about yourself on a daily basis. What are some of the thoughts moving around in your head? So many of our thoughts are focused on whether we are good enough, worthy enough, smart enough, pretty enough, etc. Unfortunately, we usually spend more time beating ourselves up rather than building ourselves up. If we were to treat others the way that we treat ourselves, we would be ashamed. We have an opportunity while discovering and connecting with ahimsa to love ourselves more, to be gentler with ourselves. Then we can share this love outwardly.

THE YAMAS There is a cultural evolution going on in the Western world; a movement back to our selves, back to balance. People are sensing the urgency to repair the damage that has been done to our planet and feel intuitively that they need to find their own inner balance. Thus, we are seeing an ever-increasing population of people starting to explore the ancient science of Yoga. Yoga is a system of techniques in which a person moves towards a balanced state of self -awareness. Over the course of our lives, we have been conditioned and programmed to live outside of our true selves, taking on multiple roles in order to fit into the everyday world. With yoga, we move back to ourselves, we shed our masks and we find our center.

Once we start to develop an awareness of ahimsa and start shifting our thoughts to less violent ones, we start to examine the way we verbally practice ahimsa. The first step of changing our thoughts prepares us for changing our words. Do a little experiment with yourself. Start out your day mentally repeating the word, “ahimsa” or “non-violence.” Now, as you move through your day, keep track of all the things you say to others. Continue to mentally recite these words as you communicate with others. Be mindful of not only the content of what you are saying but also the feel of the words you choose. By setting the foundation of your day with the principle of ahimsa, notice how you choose words that are gentle and kind.

The whole system of yoga can be likened to a tree, the Tree of Yoga. The roots of our tree are the yamas and the niyamas, the first two “limbs” of the yogic philosophy. These roots set the foundation for our practice, upon which all the other limbs of our tree can grow. These are the ethical and spiritual observances that help us develop our humanistic qualities and which create the basis for our yoga practice. The yamas are used to describe a restraint that we willingly place on ourselves to focus our efforts. This self-restraint gives us the discipline we need to create a foundation for our practice. There are five yamas that focus on how we interact with others and with ourselves. Each yama should be practiced in three ways … in thought, speech, and action.

One of the best ways to practice ahimsa in action is on our yoga mat. Set the intention before you practice that you will not violate this basic principle. “Every day, in every way, I am practicing non-violence.” When you move into each of your asanas, look within and make sure you are not pushing to the point of pain. Honor your body where it is at that moment. This is practicing ahimsa. Let this first yama guide you deeper into a posture and listen to your body as it gives you the necessary cues to go further, or to back up. When you find yourself pushing too much, fighting against your body, this is going against ahimsa. We are disconnecting ourselves from our body when we fight against this principle. Use your breath as a guide to determine how far you stretch within a pose, listen to your body and honor the wisdom of ahimsa.

The five yamas consist of:

1. Ahimsa or Non-violence 2. Satya or Truthfulness 3. Asteya or Non-stealing 4. Brahmacharya or Celibacy

It is also very important to stress that practicing non-violence does not mean that you are practicing submission. Making choices that protect ourselves and others does not violate the principle of ahimsa. We certainly need to take responsibility for our own harmful behaviors, but we also need to work towards eliminating the harmful behavior going on around us as well. As a great yogi named Judith Lasater said, “it takes a great deal of love and compassion, two key elements of ahimsa, to step in and say no to what we see happening around us.” We need to be careful that we are not misunderstanding ahimsa and gently remind ourselves that we are instead coming from a place of pure compassion, love and acceptance in all that we do. We are all interconnected, spiritual beings. Once we can fully adopt this understanding, it becomes impossible to violate the principle of ahimsa.

5. Aparigraha or Non-greed

AHIMSA As we start to cultivate an awareness of these concepts and move toward living these principles, we begin to experience multiple changes. We stop reacting as much and instead find ourselves thinking through our choices more thoroughly and choosing the kindest, most honest ways to go about our lives. We recognize and connect with the concept of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” with deep conviction.. Let us take a closer look at the first yama, Ahimsa.

We will explore the four remaining yamas in future editions of The Yoga Connection Magazine.

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali states, “when nonviolence in speech, thought and action is established, one’s aggressive nature is relinquished and others abandon hostility in one’s presence”. Ahimsa means non-violence with a traditional context meaning to “do no harm”. Ahimsa means being kind and treating all things with love and compassion. When we practice ahimsa, we practice it in all that we think, all that we say and all that we do. This can be quite challenging because we live in a world that honors competition and promotes fighting and war. Most of us grow up accepting others beliefs as our own, taking on their paradigms as our own. As you practice yoga, you start to practice discernment and you weed out what does not feel right anymore and replace it with new beliefs that resonate with you. Yoga gives us the opportunity to develop our own sensibilities. We intrinsically know that we should “do no harm,” but we can lose sight of how universal this concept can be. So, we start from the beginning. We turn the light on ourselves and see how we do and don’t practice ahimsa with ourselves. Practicing ahimsa in thought is the most important place to start and perhaps the most difficult. Take a few moments to think about how you

THE NIYAMAS INTELLECTUAL PURITY

The Niyamas are known as the observances. These observances prepare the mind and body of the sadhaka (student) for growth and development in self-mastery and the unfolding of wisdom. Niyama is the partner practice of Yama and together they form the disciplines that are used to sculpt our natures, to soften our rigid behaviors and transform our limiting personality traits.A further set of sub-divisions is useful when we begin to look at the practical application of the observances. These divisions are intellectual, verbal, and physical. They should be applied to each of the five Niyamas.

Intellectual Shaucha is just as it sounds- clean thinking. It is the type of thinking that maintains a clear, light, focused and compassionate mental state. To practice intellectual purity is simple, but not easy. All you have to do is to pay attention to your thoughts, attitudes and intellectual/mental states of being then make discernments about them.Where do they spring from, how were they created, are they a segment of a larger complex, are they based on experience, does it honor and support my goal? These are the types of scrutinizations one should make. However, these are the simplest types and they are just the beginning. As you grow psychically and spiritually, the quality and types of intellectual purity measurements will mature by means of refinement. When you perceive that you are building or have built attitudes, thought forms, complexes, or whole paradigms that hinder your progress toward the goal, you first have to stop empowering them with the energy of acceptance, and then you have to remove it or them. This disempowering and removal are quite simple (not easy), after you become aware of them (the hard part). Simply recognize that you have just associated your reality with a hindering thought form and then use a counter thought or idea. It may take many run-ins with a particular thought or complex, but eventually you will have disempowered them to the point of removal. Once the limiting complex or thoughts have been counter-acted to the point of removal, your mind will be left with the harmonized thoughts and complexes. I want to stress how powerful this type of self-attention is for your entire life and not just yogic pursuits.

Proficiency in the practice of Niyama allows us to stop the creation and manifestation of imbalanced states. It gives our everyday lives a new course, one that facilitates accelerated evolution. Niyama practice empowers the student with a sense of virtue and frees up nervous and psychic (pranic) energy for sustaining the work of yoga. It settles the life and eliminates internal tension and struggle. Consistent practice provides the soul with direction as it removes confusion, especially the type we call “identity crisis”, which is a larger problem than most realize. It gives purpose to every act, causing the sanctifying of each event in our lives, no matter how mundane. The development of the Niyamas increases and releases human spiritual potential. It promotes self-reflection (Tarka) and establishes completely balanced self awareness. That is what it is all about. Niyama consists of five to ten “observances” depending on which school or philosophy one is studying. We will be using the five Niyamas as outlined by Patanjali, the ancient master and compiler of the yoga sutras (an ancient text that outlines the process of yoga). These five Niyamas are:

Further discussion on the recognizing of these hindrances will be helpful here and presents an opportunity to introduce one of the benefits of meditation. What makes the practice of intellectual purity so challenging, is that these complexes can be very subtle while also being exceptionally powerful. Add to this our tendency to have strong allegiances to these complexes because we usually sense them to be integral parts of our selves; we falsely sense them as the foundations of our personalities, sometimes even the foundation of our very being. This is the lie from which we seek to awaken. These complexes are not us; they are simply our personified associations. At deeper and more subtle levels of awareness, we begin to realize that we are not mail carriers, yogis, doctors, boys, girls, happy, afraid, sad or any type of name or label or even the states they represent. When we begin to have success in meditation, these subtle constructs and allegiances are revealed. This is because meditation facilitates awareness of subtler states of consciousness and patterns of the psyche/soul. We begin to become aware of the finer movements of the mind and subtle forces at work in our lives. With this new level of awareness the work of intellectual Shaucha becomes more effective.

1. Shaucha- Purity 2. Santosha- Contentment 3. Tapas- Austerity 4. Svadhyaya- Self Study 5. Ishvarapranidhana- Self- Surrender

SHAUCHA Shaucha, or purity, should be taken to mean cleanliness. The cleanliness that we are after is as much a practical necessity as it is a mystical one. If our goal is self-realization, then it is necessary to prevent our physical and psychic enviroments from becoming cluttered. Physically this clutter can take the form of toxins, muscular tension, phlegm and disease. Psychic clutter takes the form of negative thoughts and attitudes, emotionality and inability to concentrate. With practice, one begins to sense the states of being, interactions, social settings, foods, habits, etc. that serve to add disorder to the life and prevent ones lotus of blissfulness from blossoming. Not only does saucha practice improve the state of self-awareness, it also cultivates the centered reserve of psychic energy needed to resist entanglements, and to have the foresight to sense when these hinderances are beginning to manifest. One becomes free of the influence of the moment and becomes the wise influencer of the moment.

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Performing this work constantly will clean up the mental arena and promote harmony of thought and action. The intellect will become sharper, stream lined and less confused and diffuse. The mind and psychic energies will begin to align and the whole of one’s life will become improved. We will continue the discussion of Purity (Shaucha) in the next issue of The Yoga Connection where we will pick up with verbal purity.

WINTER 2010

At Home Practice

Surya Namaskar to Rejuvenate Your Soul For The New Year We perform the sun salutation to give reverence to the internal sun, the creative force that radiates inside the body, and the external sun, which shines outside the body.

The start of the New Year is a time of rebirth, inviting you to focus on what you want to accomplish and who you want to become. We take this time to not only reflect on the path we have walked, but also what lies ahead. We give ourselves permission to let go of the past and start anew. Let the power of the sun rejuvenate your soul and invigorate you as you move into the New Year.

We transition through the sequence of poses using our breath as a guide, breathing through the nose. The sequence is a bowing to the sun, both externally and internally. Turn your awareness inward towards your heart as you practice.

During the winter months, we retreat indoors and find ourselves a bit detached from our primary source of light, the sun. We practice Surya Namaskar (aka Sun Salutation) to warm and energize the body during this time of the year. There are countless benefits to practicing the different variations of Surya Namaskar. It provides us mental peace, helps improve our memory power and helps harness strength and courage.

Practice Surya Namaskar in the morning, when the sun is rising, and position yourself facing to the East. The sequence can be performed as many rounds as you feel comfortable practicing. Start with 5-7 rounds and then gradually build up to 12 or more. Take your time with the sequence, slow down the breath, and tune in to the meditative quality. If you are new to the sequence, stay in each pose for several breaths to learn about the alignment of each pose. As you start to feel comfortable articulating the poses, synchronize your breath with the movements of your body.

The Sanskrit word namaskar comes from namas, which means “to bow” or “to adore.” Our inner universe is an exact replica of our outer universe. Our inner sun is our heart.

“Your inner sun represents the light of consciousness, without which nothing would exist – just as our physical world wouldn’t exist without the sun.” (Richard Rosen) Model: Ena Burrud, E-RYT, IAYT; Director & Owner of Treetop Yoga Ena has been practicing and teaching yoga for over ten years. In 2000, she was privately certified in a White Lotus style with that year’s S.C.Yoga Teacher’s Assoc. president and then went on to her second certification with Erich Schiffmann. She has also earned a certificate in Yoga Studies from UC Irvine and Loyola Marymount in LA. She spent 5 years teaching for the renowned Yoga Works studios originating classes in Mommy and Me, Teen Yoga and Yin for the Huntington Beach studio. She has studied with diverse luminaries including Kaustub Desikachar, Rod Stryker, Angela Farmer, Sharon Gannon, Ana Forrest, Gary Kraftsow, and many others. She specializes in customizing a therapeutic practice for small groups and individuals. ISSUE # 1

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1. 2. 3. 1. Tadasana (Standing Mountain Pose)

Start with the feet together, facing forward. Arms at your sides, with the shoulders back and down. Root down through all four corners of your feet and lift up through the crown of the head, chin parallel with the floor. Take a few, deep breaths here at your center.

2. Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Salute)

Inhale your arms up and over head, while maintaining Tadasana. Let the palms lightly touch together.

3. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold)

Exhale and fold forward, reaching the palms down towards the earth. If necessary, bend the knees slightly. Press your forehead in towards your shins.

4. Ardha Uttanasana (Half-Standing Forward Fold)

Inhale and lift upwards, arching your torso into a slight backbend with the fingertips or palms placed to the floor or your shins, gaze slightly lifted.

5. High Lunge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Right Leg Back

Exhale while bringing your right foot back into a high lunge

6. Phalakasana (Plank Pose)

Inhale and step your left foot back in line with your right, palms flat on the floor, shoulder-distance apart, and feet hip-distance apart. Press back through the inner heels and out through the crown of the head, gazing downward.

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WINTER 2010

11.

12. 7. Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)

Exhale and lower yourself towards the floor, keeping your legs straight and pushing back into your heels or bringing your knees to the floor. Keep your elbows bending back and tucked in towards your ribcage.

8. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose)

10.

On an inhalation, arch your torso up as you straighten your arms and press your heart forward. Place the tops of your feet onto your mat and either rest your legs on your mat (Bhujangasana) or keep your legs slightly lifted (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana), pressing down into the tops of the feet.

9. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

Exhale, turn the toes under and push back into Downward-Facing Dog. Ground through your hands and your feet as you lengthen the spine and reach up through the sitting bones. Stay here for 3 full breaths

10. Lunge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Left Leg Back

On your next inhalation, step the right foot forward into a lunge.

11. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold)

Swing the left leg forward to Uttanasana on an exhalation.

12. Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Salute)

Lift your torso and reach your arms overhead on an inhalation.

Back to Start - Tadasana (Standing Mountain Pose)

Lower your arms on an exhalation and return to your starting point.

7. ISSUE # 1

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MEDITATION FOR BEGINNERS “Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment” - Morihei Ueshiba

It’s cold and dark outside. The frigid air sends us indoors as we retreat from an unfriendly environment. We seek the familiarity and comfort of the warm and cozy inner environment of our homes. We light a fire and bathe in its radiance, as if to clean the cold from our bones. It is a fire of sustenance and it blesses us with feelings of well being. We feed it wood and it brings forth the sun, as if by means of nostalgia or some other force as equally magical and mysterious. Then, just as we settle into our sanctuary of delicate delight, in our warm and soothing atmosphere, and everything is jussst right- we remember…

subtle mental disturbances can be overcome by breath control, that is, until you are trying to overcome the super-subtle obstacles to meditation proper. When you approach the fringes of meditation there is less of a technique that you may apply through effort of will. Instead, there is a type of surrender and a transformation of the quality of consciousness. There will be a state of concentration/attention with effort, which will transition to attention without effort. This experience is very enjoyable and quite comfortable. One of the peculiar things about the state of meditation is that it is noetic; it is knowledge bearing. Meditation is revealing of whatever is being focused upon. So once one begins to truly meditate, the subject of meditation becomes very important.

Before we delve into a technique for practicing meditation, let’s take a moment to discuss what meditation is. Meditation is a state of consciousness that one reaches and not an act. It is not the stilling of the mind, per se, but stillness of the mind can produce it. Meditation is the quality of the state of consciousness that arises as your attention is held to an object or subject exclusively without tension or effort. When meditation is reached, you will know it because all distinction between you (the meditator) and it (that which is the object of meditation) will be dissolved. The state of meditation is deeply subtle and can be challenging to reach. However, the Yogis have developed an incremental system of techniques that make sublime meditational states accessible to everyone. So now we know that when we sit or lie down and begin to still the mind and internalize our awareness, we are not “technically” meditating. We are simply setting the stage for accessing the state of meditation. The actors on that stage are relaxed stillness of body, subtle rhythmic control of the breath, gentle withdrawal of awareness from the senses or their objects and delicate focusing of the mind (concentration). These are the pre-meditation phases and it will be necessary to gain mastery of them. Until a state of meditation is reached, we will be gaining in experience and development in one or more of these areas. The key to success in these stages is founded in breath control (pranayama). Breath control allows us to still the body as well as to withdraw attention from the senses. It establishes rhythm and settles the activity of the mind. Imagine this: you begin to sit with the intention of experiencing the meditative state. As you close your eyes and begin to internalize your awareness, you will most likely begin to encounter annoyances of a predominantly physical nature. Your eye begins to twitch, your leg begins to cramp, you have an itch in your ear while your feet slowly scoot away from you. These physical disturbances can be overcome by the practice of breath awareness. As you begin to align your awareness with the breath, you will notice that you are becoming more still in your posture, you begin to settle into the posture with great steadiness and comfort, but without tension. After some degree of success overcoming these types of disturbances, you will notice subtler types of disturbances that steal your attention. Little sounds and smells cause the attention to wander. Thoughts are racing, or you can’t stop thinking of a song. Most

Practicing meditation can bless us with many gifts. With consistent practice, you will notice that you are becoming calmer and more pensive as an overall condition. If you are prone to reactionary behaviors, feelings of hyper-emotionality and/or anxiety, you will notice yourself having reflective influence over these types of imbalances.You will notice the intellect begin to sharpen and your concentration and memory recall will improve. The imagination broadens and creativity flourishes while being supported by the revitilizing psychic energy being tapped into. You may even find yourself experiencing extra sensory phenomenon. Your sense of connection to the universe and all of life will deepen. Not only are these developments handy for your everyday use, they are also critical tools for anyone seeking to cosmolize and expand their awareness. Time for a disclaimer… There are many schools of thought and practices. The method that I will outline here is not the only way to approach the practice of meditation. If you are completely new to the concept of Yoga and/or meditation, I encourage you to embark upon further study. Dig into this science and read whatever you can on the subject. Go with whatever resonates with you. Now let’s discuss how we approach the techniques of meditation. Bear in mind that this is a beginner’s lesson and you will eventually have to add to this technique in the way of understandings and refinements.

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1) PLACE: Have a place that will be used exclusively for the purpose

the hands to rest in the lap with interlocked fingers or if you prefer the hands may rest on the knees.

of meditation. This place should be free from general noise and disturbances. The goal is to minimize stimulants that can break the thread of attention or disturb our subtle awareness. There will be plenty of internal disrupters without adding the external to it. So make sure that you will not be disturbed. Use the same place as much as possible. This will have the effect of sanctifying the space and the mind will become trained to be prepared for meditation upon entering the space. Make sure the place is kept clean and that no one else will be using the space but you.

c) Lying on the Floor- When lying on the floor, you should be careful to make sure that you are in alignment. Start by sitting on the floor with the knees bent. Grab a hold of your knees with both hands and gently pull your chest towards the knees slightly. Begin to roll the back to the floor slowly one vertebra at a time. Keep a hold of the knees without lifting the feet while allowing the arms to extend. When you get to the point where the arms are fully extended, let go of the knees and slowly come to rest with the back on the floor and the arms at your side. There should be a little space between the arms and the body. Slowly extend the legs one at a time by sliding each foot along the floor. Once the legs are fully extended allow the feet to turn out just slightly.

2) TIME: The best time for meditation is early morning before or as the sun is rising. At this time, one’s consciousness is generally more conducive to the meditational state. The consciousness is still attuned to the subtler planes and there are fewer disturbances lurking about. There is also deep symbolism associated with practicing while the sun is rising. The next best time for practice is in the evening after all the responsibilities of the day are complete. The time of one’s practice is not as important as the consistency of one’s practice. It would serve your development (as a meditator) better if you practiced each day at the same time instead of sporadic times once or twice a week. Meditation is the same as any other activity; if you want to be good at it and you want the benefits of practice to bless your life, then you have to be committed and repetition is essential. Practice often!

4) WHAT TO DO- First thing to do is to decide how long you will practice. If you have never sat for meditation before than I would suggest that you start with 5-10 minutes. Time this with a countdown timer that has an alarm (I use a Timex watch). Set it for your chosen duration and try not to break your sitting until the alarm sounds. Use this duration for one week. The following week, add one minute to the duration of your sitting. Do this weekly until you reach about 20-25 minutes for each session you have. From there you will most likely want to pursue a less aggressive duration extension schedule. At that point try to add a minute once a month. Begin your practice by assuming your chosen posture. Take notice of its feeling. Does it feel steady? Is there spinal alignment? Is the ribcage free to operate smoothly? When you first begin to practice it will be very unlikely that your posture feels perfectly comfortable, but with repetition and duration extension, you will begin to establish great steadiness and a deep familiarity with the posture. Your chosen posture will feel like home. So, make whatever initial adjustments you need to. Take a deep breath, turn your head toward the left shoulder, and exhale with slight force twice through an open mouth. It should be an audible exhalation sounding like Ha...Haaaaaaa. When doing this imagine that all the accumulated stress and negativity of the body and mind are being expelled. Turn the head to face front again. The next inhalation is of normal force, but you should imagine it to be your first breath of this life. Close the eyes. Close the mouth and allow the tongue to rest in the lower jaw. Breathe through the nose. Begin to center your awareness on your breathing. Do not interfere with the rhythm of the breath; just delicately focus upon the breath as it moves. Notice the internal sound of the breath. Feel the sensation of air moving in the nostrils and down the esophagus. Feel the ribcage gently expanding and contracting. After making this connection with your breath, add a mantra to the technique. Mantras are phrases that are repeated which give the mind something to circle around. There are many mantras and the subject of mantra is far too vast to enter into here. A good mantra to start with is Haung (pronounced hong) Sau (pronounced saw). On an inhalation mentally intone Haung and on the exhalation mentally intone Sau. You will notice that this holding of the awareness upon the breath and mantra is harder than it sounds. The body and mind will begin to give you cause for distraction. There will be itches, twitches and all manner of palpable sensations rising to thwart your effort. As the body presents these thieves of attention, resist the temptation to scratch, squirm or adjust quickly. Instead, ignore them by returning your awareness to the breath and mantra. Of all the body sensations only one is worthy of paying any attention to and that is slouching. If you notice that the spinal alignment is being compromised, than very slowly correct it. The mind will also present every type of distraction. There will be thoughts and feelings that will arise and demand your attention (I call them chatter). As you notice that this is occurring, simply acknowledge that your attention has wandered and gently return your awareness to the breath. Keep these cycles of focused attention/ lapse/focused attention going for the duration of the sitting. With practice you will notice that the length of focused attention will be greater and stronger than the thieves and the chatter. If you practice often, your progress will be swift and you will be well on your way to experiencing the meditative state. In future issues we will discuss ways to refine, adjust, deepen and use your blossoming state of meditation. ~blessings~

3) POSTURE: Meditation may be practiced in a variety of postures,

ranging from lying down to the famous “lotus position”(padmasana). There is no “right” position. Each person’s body is unique and we all have different abilities and limitations. Someone who sits in the lotus is not accessing deeper meditational states than someone who lies down for meditation. So, do not be discouraged if your body is not cooperative in folded leg sitting postures. If your joints are stiff, you are not less spiritual. However, if you are going to practice lying down, then you may want to establish a practice in the early evening. This will help because one of the subtle obstacles that will have to be overcome will be falling asleep. What is important about your meditation posture is that it feels solid and it allows for the spine to be held in proper anatomical alignment. It is also important that the breathing be unencumbered. Good postures for meditation include sitting upright in a folding chair, lying on a flat even surface, kneeling or sitting on the floor in any of the cross legged positions. Note: because space is limited, I can not fully explain the postures as technically or specifically as may be needed by the reader. I would suggest supplementing this article with a good book on yoga postures. Specifically the meditation postures. a) Cross-legged on the Floor- When sitting on the floor in any folded leg posture, other than the lotus, you should use a prop to help roll the pelvic cradle forward. A folded blanket works well for this. Fold a blanket in thirds and sit on the edge of it. You should feel that the natural curves of the spine are supported. Maintain the spines vertical alignment for the duration of your practice. Hold the head steady with the chin level to the floor. Allow the hands to rest in the lap with interlocked fingers or, if you prefer, the hands may rest on the knees. Because this is a beginners practice you should not be concerned with yogic mudras (hand postures) yet. What is most important is solid, steady, vertical alignment. The subtle refinements can be developed once you have built a good foundation. If you choose to use one of the cross legged postures, make sure that you alternate which leg is on top each time. This will prevent imbalances from occurring. b) Folding Chair (Egyptian Pose)- When using a chair it will be important to notice where the hips are in relation to the knees as far as height is concerned. If your hips are below the knees in elevation than you will have a difficult time maintaining the vertical alignment of the spine. Ideally the hips would be level with the knees or just slightly above them. If you are tall and you find that your knees are higher than your hips, use a folded blanket to correct this. Scoot the butt so that it is close to the edge of the chair. You should not feel that you are sitting right on the edge, rather the intent is to pull the back away from the back support. This will force you to be mindful of the condition of the spine. The chin should be held level to the floor and the head held steady. Allow THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

WINTER 2010

Yogic Wisdom

“Peace is not won by those who fiercely guard their differences, but by those who with open minds and hearts seek out connections.” ~Katherine Paterson “Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.” ~Buddha “Kriya Yoga is an instrument through which human evolution can be quickened...the secret of cosmic consciousness is intimately linked with breath mastery.” ~Paramahansa Yogananda “If you open your heart, love opens your mind.” ~Charles John Quarto “Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one’s being, from bodily health to self-realization. Yoga means union - the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one’s actions.” ~B.K.S. Iyengar

“Seeing into darkness is clarity. Knowing how to yield is strength.” ~Lao Tse

“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” ~William Faulkner

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; for it becomes your destiny.” ~Upanishads

“To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things everyday.” ~Lao Tse “If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty. If you want to be reborn, let yourself die. If you want to be given everything, give everything up.” ~Tao Te Ching

“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness towards the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.” ~The yoga sutras of Patanjali

“What yoga philosophy and all the great Buddhist teachings tells us is that solidity is a creation of the ordinary mind and that there never was anything permanent to begin with that we could hold on to. Life would be much easier and substantially less painful if we lived with the knowledge of impermanence as the only constant. ~Donna Farhi

ISSUE # 1

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” J Krishnamurti “Don’t just do something - sit there!” ~Author Unknown

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HEALTH & WELL-BEING DIRECTORY Yoga & Pilates Studios

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Sarada Erickson Om Ananda Yoga Fort Collins, CO 80526 (970) 581-8825 omanandayoga.com

Big Toe Studio 3710 Mitchell Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 377-0028 www.bigtoestudio.biz

Old Town Athletic Club 351 Linden St. Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) 493-7222 www.oldtownathletic.com

Bikram Old Town 159 W. Mountain Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80542 (970) 472-5700 www.bikramyoga.com

Old Town Yoga 237 1/2 Jefferson Street Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) 222-2777 www.oldtownyoga.com

Michael Lloyd-Billington Yoga Instructor and Personal Trainer Fort Collins, CO 80526 Website: http://alternativepersonaltraining. bravehost.com/ E-mail: michaelmadhavan@hotmail.com

Breathe Yoga 353 W. Drake Rd. Fort Collins, CO 80526 (970) 223-9642 www.gotoyoga.com

Pathways to Wellness 134 W. Harvard St., #6 Fort Collins, CO 80525 970-556-3050

CorePower Yoga 2700 S. College Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 224-4615 www.corepower.com

Raintree Athletic Club 2555 S. Shields Street Fort Collins, CO 80526 (970) 490-1300 www.fortcollinspulse.com

Fort Collins Club 1307 E. Prospect Rd. Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 224-2582 www.fortcollinsclub.net

Treetop Studio 111 N. College Ave., Upstairs Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) 484-0828 www.treetopstudioinfo.com

Loveland Yoga & Core Fitness 100 E. 3rd St. Loveland, CO 80537 (970) 292-8313 www.lovelandyogacorefitness.com

Windsor Health Club 655 Academy Ct. Windsor, CO 80550-4314 (970) 686-2582 www.windsorhealthclub.com

Miramont - Central 2211 S. College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80526 (970) 225-2233 www.miramontlifestyle.com

Yoga Center of Fort Collins 210 E. Oak Street Fort Collins, CO 80521 (970) 231-0496 www.cwrightyoga.com

Mountain High Massage 200 East Swallow Road Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 215-8821 E-mail: MHMB@me.com www.mountainhighmassage.com

Miramont - North 1800 Heath Parkway, Fort Collins, CO 80524 (970) 221-5000 www.miramontlifestyle.com

Yoga Refuge LLC 3706 Cleveland Ave. Wellington, CO 80549 (970) 568-8022 www.theyogarefuge.com

Sacred Healing, LLC Jamye Richardson 134 Harvard, Suite 6 Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 566-3050

Miramont - South 901 Oakridge Dr. Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 282-1000 www.miramontlifestyle.com

Yoga Works 2530 Abarr Dr. Loveland, CO (970) 663-2213

Traditional Chinese Medical Clinic 700 West Mountain Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80521 (970) 416-0444 www.tcmclinic.org

ISSUE # 1

Janna Pijoan Yoga Teacher 700 West Mountain Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80521 (970) 222-8528 Jamye Richardson Sacred Healing, LLC 134 Harvard, Suite 6 Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 566-3050

Therapists Sharon Greenlee Professional Counselor Consultant Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 224-1810 E-mail: sharongr104@aol.com Lymph Works Carol J. MacDaniel, RMT Fort Collins, CO (970) 221-9421 www.lymphworks.com

THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

NORTHERN COLORADO CLASS SCHEDULES

Monk Yoga

Monday

class schedules are subjecct to change- please verify before attending

10-11am

Hatha Flow

Melisa Po

12-1pm

Vinyasa Flow

Melissa Elder

5:30-6:45pm

Dharma Yoga

Liz

7:05-8:05pm

Zumba

Adriana

Tuesday

WINTER -2010

Treetop Yoga

10-11am

Hatha Yoga

Jennifer

5:30-6:30pm

Vinyasa Yoga

Shihomi

6:45-8pm

Restorative Yoga

Vickie

10-11am

Vinyasa Yoga

Melissa Po

12-1pm

Hatha Flow

Melissa Po

5:30-6:30pm

Mat Pilates

Amber

Wednesday

Monday 10:15-11:30am

Spiritual Book Club

Alan

1:30-2:45pm

Level 1 Yoga

Ena

4:20-5:20pm

Kid's Yoga Play

Taylor

5:30-6:45pm

Hatha Yoga

Kate

6:45-8pm

Intro to Yoga (6 week workshop)

Vickie

Thursday 5:30-6:30pm

Vinyasa Yoga

Shihomi

Friday

Tuesday

10-11:15am

Dharma Yoga

Liz

10-11:25am

Level 1-2 Intuitive Vinyasa Ena

Saturday

(with Pukkah Playtime)

Taylor

10-11am

Vinyasa Yoga

Jessica

Mairi-Jane

11:30-12:45pm

Prenatal Yoga

Vickie

5:30-6:45pm

Dancing from the Heart

(free form dance w/ guidance)

*please pre-register at mjfox@gmail.com

Wednesday

The Yoga Refuge

9:45-10:45am

Yoga Tots

Taylor

11-12pm

Mommy and Me Yoga

Ena

1:30-2:30pm

Preschooler Yoga (3-5)

Ena

4:20-5:20

Teen Yoga

5:30-6:45pm

Prenatal Yoga

Thursday

Tuesday

10-11:25am

Level 1-2 Intuitive Vinyasa Ena

6-7:10pm

(with Pukkah Playtime)

Taylor

Wednesday

5:30-6:45pm

Beginning Yoga

Christy

6-7am

Hot Yoga

Zeek

5:30-6:30

Vinyasa Yoga

Guest Teacher

7-8:30pm

Hot Yoga

Zeek

Hot Yoga

Zeek

6-7am

Hot Yoga

Brad

8-9:10am

Vinyasa Yoga

Zeek

5:30-6:30pm

Vinyasa Yoga

Stephanie

Hot Yoga

Landry

Monday 6-7am

Hot Yoga

Zeek

8-9:10am

Vinyasa Yoga

Zeek

Ena

5:30-6:30pm

Vinyasa Yoga

Zeek

Sarada

7-8:30pm

Hot Yoga

Landry

Vinyasa Yoga

Zeek

Friday 9:45-10:45am

Swinging Stars Yoga

Christy

11-11:45am

Friday Morning Club

Joanne

1:30-2:45pm

All Levels Vinyasa

Sarada

2:30-3:30pm

Postnatal Yoga

Sarada

(with Pukkah Playtime)

6:30-7:45pm

Satsung

(last Friday of each month)

7-8:30pm

Saturday

Thursday 6-7:10pm Friday

Michael

8-9:30am

Free Yoga by New Teacher Training graduates 1/23, 24, 30, 31 â&#x20AC;Ś Go to website for selected times.

8-9:30am THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

Hot Yoga

Held upon request

Hot Yoga

Zeek

Sunday

WINTER 2010

Loveland Yoga and Core Fitness

The Yoga Center of Fort Collins

Monday

6-7am

Fusion

Christi

6:55-7:30am

***Zen Meditation

Cathy

9:15-10:15am

Fitness Fusion

Amy

12-1pm

Vinyasa

Christi

9:30-11am

Mid-morning Wake-Up

Cathy

4:30-5:30

Vinyasa

Heather

12-1pm

Yoga for Neck/Shoulders

Cathy

6-7pm

Vinyasa

Christi

4-5pm

***Special Issues

Cathy

7:30-8:30pm

Candlelight

Heather

5:30-7pm

Intermediate Yoga

Cathy

7:15-8:30pm

Continuing Basics

Cathy

Tuesday 9-10am

Gentle Yoga

Pam

12-1pm

Yoga Pump

Christi

4:30-5:30pm

Vinyasa

Christi

6-7pm

Fusion Flow

6-7am 9:15-10:15am

***Please call before attending Tuesday 5:30-6:30pm

Beginning Yoga

Connie

Christi

7-8:15pm

Viniyoga

Cheryl

Fusion

Christi

6:30-7:30am

Sunrise Yoga

Cathy

Fusion Flow

Christi

9:30-11am

Mid-morning Wake Up

Cathy

12-1pm

Vinyasa

Jill

12-1pm

Yoga for Strong Backs

Cathy

4:30-5:30pm

Detox Flow

Christi

6-7pm

Vinyasa

Kim

6-7:30pm

Continuing Yoga

Cathy

7:30-8:30pm

Candlelight

Heather

Beginning Yoga

Paige

9-10am

Gentle Yoga

Pam

12-1pm

Yoga Pump

Christi

Beginning Yoga

Paige

4:30-5:30pm

Vinyasa

Kim

6-7pm

Fusion Flow

Kim

8:30-10am

Restorative Yoga

Connie

(last Saturday of the month)

Wednesday

Thurday 5:30-6:30pm

Thursday

Friday 12-1pm Saturday

Friday 6-7am

Fusion

Christi

9:15-10:15am

Fusion Flow

Marcy

12-1pm

Hatha Yoga

Lila

9:15-10:30

Detox Flow

Christi

12-1pm

Yoga Pump

Christi

Saturday

Viniyoga at Pathways to Wellness with Jamye Richardson

From Feb. 6th thru May 8th: 9:15 class moves to 7:45 Noon class cancelled during this time

Monday

Sunday 9:15-10:15am

Vinyasa

Christi

10:30-11:30am

Chakra Vinyasa

Heather

5:30-6:30pm

Lunar Flow

Christi

5:30-6:30pm

Integrated Viniyoga

Jamye

Saturday 10-11:15am

Therapeutic Viniyoga

Jamye

***A Journey into the Chakras with Yoga Workshop*** Thursday Evenings

Yoga Classes with Janna Pijoan

Tuesday 3-4:30pm

Beginner Yoga

Janna

5:30-7pm

Intermediate Yoga

Janna

6-7:30pm

January 21, 28,

Feb. 4, 11, 18, 28,

March 7

To enroll please contact Jamye 970-556-3050 or e-mail sacred.healing4u@yahoo.com

Saturday 9-10:30am ISSUE # 1

Intermediate Yoga

Janna

THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

Old Town Yoga

Yoga/Pilates Center at The Fort Collins Club

Monday 9:30-10:30 10:45-12pm 12-1pm 1:30-2:30pm 1:30-2:30pm 5-6pm 5:30-6:30pm 5:30-6:30pm 6:30-7:30pm Tuesday 8-9am 9-10am 10-11am 11-12pm 11-12pm 11-12pm 12-1pm 12:30-1:30pm 4-5pm 5:30-6:45pm Wednesday 6-7am 8-9am 9:30-10:30am 10:45-12pm 12:15-1:15pm 1:30-2:30pm 5-6pm 5:30-6:30pm 6-7pm 7-8:15pm Thursday 8-9am 9-10am 10-11am 11-12pm 11-12pm 12:30-1:30pm 12:30-1:30pm 4-5:15pm 5:30-6:45pm 7-8pm Friday 6-7am 9:30-10:30am 10:45-12pm 12:15-1:15pm 1:30-2:30pm Saturday 9-10:15am 10-11am Sunday 9-10am 10-11am 2:15-3:30pm 4-5:15pm

Monday 9-10:15am

All Levels Yoga

Jake

12-1pm

Viniyoga

Henrietta

4-5:15pm

Intermediate Hatha

Jake

5:30-6:45pm

Beginners Hatha

Samantha

7-8:15pm

Yin Yoga

Alan

9-10:15am

All Levels Vinyasa

Katelyn

12-1pm

Ashtanga Yoga

David

4-5:15pm

All Levels Hatha

Amy

5:30-6:45pm

Intermediate Vinyasa

Gwyn

7-8:15pm

Beginners Hatha

Rachael

Tuesday

Wednesday 7:30-8:30am

Classic Beginners Pilates

Lacey

9-10:15am

All Levels Hatha

Jake

12-1pm

All Levels Hatha

Jake

4-5:15pm

Prenatal Yoga

Sarada

5:30-6:45pm

Yoga for Strength

Somer

7-8:15pm

All Levels Hatha

Sarada

8-9pm

Yoga for Climbers

Samantha

9-10:15am

All Levels Vinyasa

Gwyn

12-1pm

Ashtanga Yoga

David

4-5:15pm

All Levels Hatha

Amy

5:30-6:45pm

Intermediate Vinyasa

Jake

7-8:15pm

All Levels Hatha

Rachael

6-7:45am

Ashtanga Mysore

David

9-10:15am

All Levels Hatha

Jake

12-1pm

Viniyoga

Amy

4-5:15pm

Yoga & Meditation

Sarada

5:30-6:45pm

Prenatal Yoga

Sarada

6-7pm

Prenatal Yoga

Sarada

8-8:45am

Meditation

Michael

9-10:15am

All Levels Hatha

Henrietta

12-1:15pm

Intermediate Vinyasa

Jake

10:30-11:45am

All Levels Hatha

Henrietta

9-10:30am

Ashtanga

Dana

12-1:15pm

All Levels Hatha

Michael

5:30-6:45pm

Intermediate Vinyasa

Teressa

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

Pilates Equip. Format Yoga 2 Pilates Reformer Pilates Intern Ref. Gentle Yoga Pilates Tower/Chair Pilates 1-2 Pilates Reformer Pilates Reformer

Karyn Andrea Heidi Julie Will Heidi Julie Matthew Heidi

Senior Yoga Pilates Tower/Chair Pilates 2-3 Pilates Reformer Pilates Tower/Chair Pilates 1 Pilates Essential Back Pilates Tower/Chair Pilates 2 All Levels Yoga

Margie/Pam Maila Maila Lee Gary Maila Maila Marissa Julie Paul

Yoga 1,2 Senior Egoscue Pilates Equip.Format Viniyoga Intro Egoscue Sen. Bal./Pil. Pilates Tower/Chair Pilates Reformer Pilates 2 Yoga 2

Patti Barb Helene Marsha Barb Margie & Julie Heidi Marissa Heidi Christy

Senior Yoga Pilates Intern. Ref. Pilates 2-3 Pilates Tower/Chair Pilates 1-2 Pilates Tower/Chair Pilates Reformer Yoga 2 All Levels Yoga Tai Chi

Lisa Ellen Julie Gary Ellen Lee Marissa Gwyn Patti Rich

Yoga 1,2 Pilates Equip. Format Yoga 2 Pilates 2 Senior Yoga

Patti Karyn Andrea Frank Will

Yoga 1 Pilates Equip. Format

Jill Ellen

Tai Chi Pilates 1 Yoga 1 Yoga 1,2

Rich Joan Gwyn/Deb Gwyn/Deb WINTER 2010

Saturday Cont.

Miramont Lifestyle Sports Monday 8-9am

Int. Pilates

Julie

South - 2

9-10:15am

Vinyasa Flow Yoga Kimberly North - 2

10:30-11:45am

Yoga All Levels

Clara

South - 2

4-5pm

Yoga All Levels

Kendra

Central - 1

9:15-10:15am

Fluid Power Yoga

Marianne North - 2

Sunday

9:15-10:15am

Vinyasa Yoga

Sam

Central - 1

9-10:15am

Hatha Yoga

Tonya

Central - 1

Yoga All Levels

Kim

North - 2

9:15-10:15am

Pilates - Basic Mat

Julie

South - 2

9-10am

12-1pm

Pilates - Basic Mat

Karyn

Central - 1

9-10:10am

Anusara Yoga

Stacey

South - 2

5-6pm

Yoga for Climbers

Stacey

North - 2

5-6:30pm

Guided Yoga

Leah

Central - 1

6:15-7:15pm

Pilates - Basic Mat

Kadie

South 2

6:30-7:30pm

Yoga All Levels

Kendra

North - 2

7:15-8:15pm

Yoga Basics

Julie

South - 2

Raintree Athletic Club

Monday

Tuesday 5:30-6:30am

Yoga

Clara

South - 2

8-9am

Int. Pilates

Jenny

North - 2

8-9am

Gentle Anusara

Tomi

Central - 1

9:15-10:15am

Yoga All Levels

Carrie

South - 2

9:15-10:45am

Anusara Yoga

Stacey

North - 2

9:15-10:15am

Pilates with Props

Karyn

Central - 1

10:15-11:30am

Anusara Yoga

Tomi

South - 2

5:30-6:30

Yoga All Levels

Kate

Central - 1

6:15-7:25pm

Guided Yoga

Leah

South - 2

10:30-11:45am

Hatha Yoga

Beth

12-1:15pm

Hatha Yoga

Jim

4:30-5:30pm

Tai Chi

Ken

6-7:15pm

Yoga with Weights

Colleen

6:30-7:45am

Hatha Yoga

Mansing

8:30-9:30am

Pilates

Matt

10-11:15am

Hatha Yoga

Faith

12-1pm

Beginning Pilates

Helene

4:15-5:30pm

Restorative Yoga

Marsha

Beginning Yoga

Paige

Tuesday

Wednesday 8-9am

Pilates - Basic Mat

Hope

South - 1

6-7:15pm

9:15-10:15am

Yoga Basics

Terese

South 2

Wednesday

9:15-10am

Gentle Yoga

Marianne North - 2

8-9:15am

Viniyoga

Kathy

Beginning Hatha Yoga

Faith

Hatha Yoga

Jim

10:15-11:15am

Fluid Power Yoga

Marianne North - 2

9:30-10:45am

10:15-11:45am

Ebb & Flow Yoga

David

Central - 1

12-1:15pm

12-1pm

SS Yoga

Ariella

Central - 1

1:30-2:45

5:30-6:30pm

Vinyasa Yoga

Betty

Central - 1

4:15-5:15pm

Pilates

Jenny

5:30-6:45

Yoga All Levels

Kate

North - 2

6-7:15pm

Viniyoga (1st 2 weeks)

Kathy

6:15-7:25pm

Vinyasa Flow Yoga Kimberly South - 2

Thursday

6:30-7:30pm

Pilates - Basic Mat

8:30-9:30am

Intermediate Pilates

Lee

Karyn

Central - 1

Thursday

Yoga for People Living w/ Cancer Faith

10-11:15am

Hatha Yoga

Jim

7:30-8:30am

Pilates/Mat

Matthew Central - 1

12-1:15pm

Yin Yoga

Faith

9:15-10:45am

Anusara Yoga

Tomi

9:15-10:15am

Yoga All Levels

Kimberly North - 2

4:30-5:30pm

Body Flow

Michelle/Lynette

9:15-10:45am

Yoga All Levels

Clara

Central - 1

6-7:15pm

Yin Yoga

Faith

6-7pm

Guided Yoga

Carrie

South - 2

6:30-7:30pm

Yoga for Climbers

Tomi

North - 2

6:30-7:45am

Yoga with Weights

Colleen

8-9:15am

Viniyoga

Kathy

10-11:15am

Hatha Yoga

Jim

12-1pm

Pilates

Helene

4:30-5:45pm

Anusara Yoga

Tomi

8:30-9:45am

Hatha Yoga

Faith

10-11:15am

Yin Yoga

Faith

11:30-12:45pm

Beginning Yoga

Paige

Hatha Yoga

Jim

Friday

South - 2

Friday

8-9am

Pilates Basic Mat

Julie

South - 1

9:15-10:15am

Yoga for Fitness

Terese

South - 2

9:15-10:45am

Anusara Yoga

Tomi

Central - 1

10:15-11:15am

Vinyasa Yoga

Kendra

North - 2

11:45-12:45pm

SS Yoga

Julie

South - 2

4:30-5:40pm

Ebb & Flow Yoga

David

Central - 1

Saturday

Saturday 8-9am

Vinyasa Yoga

Danny

Central - 1

9-10am

Pilates - Int. Mat

Karyn

Central - 1

ISSUE # 1

Sunday

10:30-11:45am

THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

“I must leave,” he said. “No, you promised you would wait,” she retorted. “That’s right, I did. I’ll wait for you,” he replied. Week after week, month after month went by. One morning before dawn, Balance called out in the night. “Master, are you there?” “I am. I am here,” he answered. A very soft, gentle voice replied, “Master, I am now crossing over!” And the little maiden walked across the river. The guru checked her ankles and said, “You have crossed over without getting your ankles wet!”

Once Upon a Yogi Time “Once upon a yogi time, there was an ancient teacher. The teacher, like all teachers, grew tired and old. One day he thought, “it is time for a disciple to pick up my Flame and to carry it to the next generation. Who shall it be?”

You see, winter had come, and the river had frozen to ice, enabling her to walk across the river without getting her ankles wet!

The old man thought. He thought of so many wonderful disciples that he did not know to whom to pass the flame. He decided that the only right and proper appointment should be by means of a spiritual contest.

Moral: Whatsoever you need to cross the “river of life” to the feet of Goodness, nature has provided you. You do not have to depend upon man, machinery, or miracles, but rather upon the laws of nature. The little girl understood the nature of things. She knew it was only a matter of time until the conditions would be right for her crossing. Life is not so much preparation as it is patience. To everything there is a season; a time to be born, and a time for illumination. Knowing this truth, your life becomes days filled with the patience of waiting for the right moment. Knowing this, you may move towards understanding, and your life now, patiently and diligently, becomes a preparation for that moment of Truth. You begin to understand that all you do is a preparation for the next cycle, the next wave. The great preparation is learning patience. This is what life is all about: to understand that there are cycles, to understand the necessity of becoming aware of these cycles, to know what you need to physically, mentally and spiritually meet that experience head on. Patiently and harmoniously, you must do what must be done while you wait for tomorrow. But what of today? Today is a preparation for tomorrow. Live for today!

So, he went to the outskirts of a village where most of his disciples lived. Early in the morning he called out, “Hello there! Hello there! How are you?” Slowly, the town woke up. It was a beautiful, beautiful fall day. The multicolored leaves were on the trees. As everyone came to the edge of the river, he said to them, “I am looking for a successor. Anyone who can cross this stream without getting their ankles wet shall be my successor.” Immediately, one Taurean disciple ran over to get into a rowboat. The guru said, “No, no, you must come across with your body alone – no tools, no implements, no physical man-made objects to help you. You must cross this river by yourself, without your ankles becoming wet.” There was a very faithful disciple, filled with religiosity, who came running to cross, but drowned. Another disciple said, “He was running too fast, I’m holier and can make it.” He walked quietly to the edge of the river, stepped in and fell on his face, and got all wet. Another disciple said, “Oh, he didn’t chant the mantra and I really know my mantras.” So, he started chanting the mantra and walked toward the water. But, before he knew it, his ankles became wet. Many people tried many different techniques. Everyone’s ankles became wet and their faces red. Finally, the voice of a little girl rose from the crowd, “Oh guru, is that you over there?” “Yes, who it that?” asked the guru. “Oh, my name is Balance.” “Oh, Balance, how are you?” “Guru, I would like to come across, but I’m only a child. I’m only a female, and it will take me a little longer to cross this stream. Master, will you wait for me?” “Oh, Balance, certainly I will wait for you.” “It will take me a little while.” “That’s alright, I’ll wait.” “Are you sure?” “I promise.” “Thank you for that promise.” She then turned and went back upon the beach and built a little fire. She called over one of her friends, whispered something, and the little friend hurried away. A little later, the friend returned with a number of books. Then Balance whispered to another friend who also scurried away, returning with some fruit. Balance sat reading books, eating and keeping the fire going, for it was becoming chilly. Nighttime came and she built a larger fire and went to sleep. The next morning she continued to read. A week went by and the guru said, “Balance, what you are doing?” “I’m getting ready, be patient!” she answered. A month went by and the guru said, “I thought you were coming across.” “I am coming across, Master, I’m preparing to cross over,” she answered.

THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE

“Once upon a Yogi Time” are stories told by Goswami Kriyananda. This excerpt can be found in his book, The Beginner’s Guide to Meditation.

When a soul has severed hatred and lust, that soul walks on this earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crust. Senses controlled and under the will, that soul is illumined, and that mind tranquiled. The uncontrolled mind cannot feel that the spirit is real or at the wheel. How can such a soul meditate or steer towards that cosmic gate? Without meditation, can peacefulness abound? Without tranquility, where is happiness found? Without inturning, there can only be strife, without happiness, what is life? ~from The Bhagavad-Gita

ISSUE # 1

THE YOGA CONNECTION MAGAZINE