June and the Joy of Creation
Happy June to our fellow Yoga friends~ Welcome to the Pitta season! We revel in the joy of the fires of transformation, effortlessly turning a seed into a flower, an acorn into a tree, turning an idea into a thing, turning today’s you into a better, stronger, healthier you for tomorrow.
If we could see our body as a quantum physicist sees it, we would see a particle emerge from the void, move on a wave and then disappear back into the void. This process is how our body is recreating itself every minute of every day, new molecules are born and old ones die. We make a new skin every 30 days, new stomach lining every 5 days, new skeleton every 3 months, new strands of DNA every 6 weeks! Literally, 98% of our entire body is replaced in less than 1 year. This creative process is what keeps our body healthy and vital. The more creative we are, the more this process will be mirrored in our physical bodies, the longer we will live and the better our life will be.
There are certain qualities of the creative person that are worth cultivating, including:
1. They enjoy solitude, silence and being by themselves.
2. They enjoy nature and being in natural surroundings.
3. They trust their feelings more than their intellect. Feelings are the sensations of comfort or discomfort in your body. When you have a decision to make, become aware of them. This is intuition. Intuition is not a thought, it is the non-local, cosmic field of information that whispers to you in the silence between your thoughts and expresses itself as comfort or discomfort. (Listening to your “gut” or “heart” is actually a more accurate indicator of what is a right or wrong decision for you, as these body parts have not yet evolved to self-doubt like the mind has!)
4. They can enjoy themselves and function in the midst of chaos and confusion, (thus the stereotype of the disorganized artist). They are more process oriented than goal oriented. They truly love the journey and let go of the outcome.
5. They are child-like (not childish), enjoying fantasy and play.
6. They are self-referral, not object-referral; referring to objects, situations, persons or things to define who they are and what their worth is. (Remember the parable of Erasmus; ask me if you haven’t heard it!) If one seeks their identity through the eyes of others they will live on a rollercoaster of emotional instability. Your power will be relinquished to the object. The first symptom of object referral is fatigue, then discomfort, then dis-ease. In the Ayurvedic model this is the basic reason for unhappiness and ultimately disease, happiness being the most important factor in health. The self referral person feels wonderful all the time regardless of the situation or circumstance because he doesn’t identify with it. (This is the definition of Bliss; being happy and joyful for no specific reason). We cultivate more self-referral through yoga and meditation in all its many forms!
Cultivate your creativity in all possible ways this Pitta season. With the support of nature, you will find that this is the perfect time to allow those creative juices to flow, effortlessly, abundantly, and with joy.
A warm Namaste. Tess and Jackie
Yoga: Movement Meditation
Meditation involves a shift in consciousness, whether in stillness or movement. It elevates the awareness through the mind, the intellect and the ego, beyond thought to the field of infinite possibilities. This enables one to bring peace, clarity, and improved health to the body/mind. A simple practice of the beginning movements of Surya Namaskar, or Sun Salutation is a great little meditation that can be practiced for a few minutes that will refresh and restore your body/mind, shifting your emotional state, bringing balance and awareness.
Sun Breath Meditation
Practice seated or standing, do your best to link breath and movement, keep the movement slow, energized and mindful, awareness on each sensation, never pushing through discomfort. Adjust as needed, never straining in any way.
Begin with hands together at the heart in anjali mudra (prayer pose), take a moment to connect to the silent witness. On inhalation dive your arms overhead, palms to touch, on exhalation, draw the palms back to starting position down the center line of your spine. At the end of the exhalation let the weight of your head fall slightly forward lengthening your cervical spine and releasing tension from the shoulders. Try to make the exhalation a little longer than the inhalation. Imagine reaching your arms out and gathering up as much space as possible as you inhale and drawing it back into your heart center as you exhale.
Repeat this rhythm, inhaling as you dive the arms up, pause, exhaling as you draw this energy back into the heart for one to five minutes, (You can allow the gaze to follow the movement if this feels good to you). Let your awareness stay supremely concentrated in the present. End with a moment of stillness and recognition of the changes you created being grateful for this prana, this life force that rides on the breath. Enjoy!
Joyful Kids Yoga
The first session of Joyful Kids Yoga will begin June 12 for a 4-week series. It will conclude on July 3rd. There will be two classes for ages 3-5 and 6-13. In addition to all the benefits of yoga we know and love, with children there is the added satisfaction of creating self-nurturing habits before the stresses of life start to take their toll on the body/mind. This can make a huge difference in their health and well-being. We incorporate our knowledge of the science Ayurveda to understand each child's individual body/mind type. This helps us to understand how each child learns and interprets the world. If you know of a child that needs yoga please forward the attached flyer, or call the studio at 239-482-6677.
The Boutique
We have the cutest new yoga shorts from Be Present (in our much loved miracle fabric that stays crisp and new), in rich flattering colors.
We will soon be receiving a new shipment of yoga wear from Prana, with new styles and colors.
We received more French Dressing Yoga ribbed cotton tanks, in delicious colors, embellished with rhinestones or felt and proclaiming your love for all things yoga! We can order these tanks custom, with your choice of words, phrases or names (up to ten letters!). Contact the studio for more information.
Spring Cleanse
For those of you waiting for the Dr. Natura products to come in they have arrived! Thanks to Dr. Oz’s appearance on the Oprah show on May 21, 2007, telling the world that most people have intestinal parasites, we can’t keep them in stock. (Are we on the cutting edge or not?!?!) This is simply one more way to take control of your health and well being, and flatten your bulging belly! This product is a very gentle natural way to cleanse your entire digestive system over a 30 day period and depending on your need can be used up to three months. In addition, we sell the products for $10 less than the website, with no shipping charges AND instant gratification. We also now carry Toxinout to remove the heavy metals in your kidneys and liver. You can use the products together to offer your body a complete tune up and cleanse, leaving you feeling better than ever!
Since Dr. Oz demonstrated the Neti pot on Oprah on April, we have been challenged to get them from our supplier. We are happy to tell you that of this writing they are due to be shipped this week! We carry the very finest porcelain design from The Himalayan Institute. If you are prone to sinus headaches, allergies, or sinusitis, you will be amazed at the relief! We also carry the special salt and now Sinus wash with zinc to help ward off the common cold!
Men & Yoga
We are declaring June as Men’s Yoga Month. To celebrate, we are offering a special discount to all men to discover the benefits of yoga. If you have a man who feels silly, stiff, and uncomfortable or any other negative emotion when he considers trying Yoga, have him consider one or a series of four private instruction sessions at a discounted rate. With the private instruction he can get a personalized evaluation of his challenging areas, specific asanas for his body, and can familiarize himself with the asanas and then be able to attend group classes with less emotional and physical discomfort. We are also offering a special 10-class package for men of $99 if purchased by Father’s Day! (Save $31)
Year-Round Resident Discount
In honor of our year round residents and to celebrate the Grand Opening of our new Joyful Yoga and Ayurvedic Spa in August, we are offering a special Unlimited Monthly Class Package for the months of July and August, Normally $140 per month, for these two months only, $110 per month, or if you purchase both months only $200! Purchase before July 1st. This is our way of thanking you for your continued support!
Enjoy the Journey~
