Slow Yoga

Have you heard of the Slow Food movement?  It was created in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life.
I have created Slow Yoga in a similar vein: to counteract the high levels of rampant stress I see wreaking havoc on otherwise happy and healthy people.  The pace and expectations of living a modern life can wear us down and scatter our energies.  Slowing down, deep breathing and becoming mindful of the present gives us a chance to sew together the seeming fragments of our existence.  This class is open to anyone with yoga experience or not.  Give yourself the gift of deep relaxation, deep breathing and a profound connection to yourself.  See Schedule of classes

Summer Solstice Outdoor Yoga Event

Tues. June 21st from 7-8:30pm.

This is a benefit for Waterbury in Motion an all-volunteer group with a mission to help develop a safe, accessible, and active bike and pedestrian system in Waterbury and the surrounding area.  So walk, bike or run to the field behind Pilgrim Park which is behind the Waterbury train station and celebrate the beginning of Summer.  $10/person.  Bring your own mat or towel and maybe some bug repellent!

Free Yoga Class Every Wednesday at Noon

Field behind Pilgrim Park behind Waterbury train station

6/30 Design Your Own Home Yoga Practice Workshop

Thursday 7-9pm at One Studio Dance and Yoga
All levels welcome with some yoga experience necessary
Whether you are interested in vinyasa, moderate, gentle or restorative yoga, this workshop will help you create a routine that fits your body, mind, goals and your life!  We will explore how you want to benefit, how much time you have, where you will practice, and how to structure a routine.  You will take home one or two twenty minute yoga routines and a plan for when and how your practice will evolve.
Pre-register with me at indystewald@comcast.net
$25/person

Join me in Mexico this January for a Women's Retreat

How about a warm and sunny break from winter in Vermont that includes a daily yoga class and lots of free time to relax and rejuvenate?  January 24-29, 2012, I will be in Yal Ku Lagoon in Akumel, Mexico as the yoga instructor for a small women's retreat.  There are only a couple of spots left!  Reserve your January rest and renewal gift to yourself here: Jayalila Retreats

Santosha- Unconditional Happiness

Santosha is the yoga word for contentment, unconditional happiness.   Contentment is a happiness emanating from the inside out, not determined by outside circumstances.
In the last two weeks, I have had the opportunity to enjoy Burlington during Jazz fest.  One Saturday I was at the Burlington farmer's market.  There was awesome food and craft vendors, live music playing, and people of all ages hanging out on the lawn or walking around the booths.  I was loving the community feeling, music, good food, warm weather, and then....I scanned the faces of everyone there and I was shocked!  Not ONE person was smiling.  I looked more closely at every face in my field of vision.  There was no sign of happiness.  I was really confused.
This past Saturday my friend treated me to a VIP pass for the reggae show under the World Tent on the waterfront.  I was telling my friend about my observations at the farmer's market the Saturday before and so we did a scan of the folks in the VIP tent listening to live music and eating and drinking for free.  Again, there was not a smile or even a glint of happiness in any face.  In fact, we both agreed that everyone looked really serious and most had a furrowed brow. 
What's going on?  I am guessing people are stressed out and are out of touch with the beauty and blessings that surround them all day, every day.
These observations have moved me.  Although stress is ever present, we can choose to see the beauty, love, and blessings in our lives, in our families and friends, nature, in service to others and on and on.....we may need to practice this, diligently, every day.  And gently remind one another.  Life is too short and too precious to let slip by.....

Life is a Practice in Being Human

Life is a Practice in Being Human
Relax in the knowledge of your inherent goodness.
Relax in the knowledge that no person or supreme being expects you to be perfect.
Practice gentleness and compassion towards yourself and others.
Appreciate the ordinary of every day living.
Accept the reality of what is- not what you would prefer or what didn't happen.
Forgive your mistakes and the mistakes of others.
Acknowledge your deep connection to all beings.
Open to all possibilities.
Love, be kind, be of service.
Practice life- that's all there is.

A few ideas on self-acceptance

Here's a list of ideas I came across that were meaningful to me in my exploration of self-acceptance in the month of March.
1. Accept I am whole, as is, not broken.
2. Accept my imperfections.
3. "The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change." Carl Rogers
4. Cultivate Maitri- unconditional friendliness or loving kindness- to help self acceptance.
5. Realize that people everywhere experience joy and suffering and everything in between just like me.

The Guest House by Rumi
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

Awesome Workshop- Anatomy of Yoga

I am really excited about this 2 hour workshop I am doing Sunday March 13 from 10am-noon.  We are going to take a closer look at three of the eight limbs of yoga to get a deeper understanding of the structure  of asanas(postures), pranayama(breathing) and dharana(concentration leading to meditation).  We will focus on some of my favorite yoga postures like Half Moon, Triangle, Tree, Downward Dog, etc.; get to know the three dimensional structure and action of breathing and check out the basic anatomy of mindfulness meditation.  All in 2 hours!
You can expect some yoga flow practice to warm up and then we will  delve in to the beautiful  geometry of a few poses.  We will learn to visualize and feel how the body breathes and practice a few pranayama exercises.  And then, I'll take you on a tour of inner space according to the map of basic mindfulness.
Ambitious beginners are welcome as well as anyone with an interest!
Please register with me at indystewald@comcast.net.  The cost is $25/person.

Self Acceptance

What if you wholeheartedly accepted yourself right now as good enough, not broken, as is....including all your neurosis, talents, fears, accomplishments and those extra pounds?
Does this seem like an unfamiliar mind set?  I realized that for me it is.  Underneath my "feel pretty good about myself most of the time.... except when I yell at my children, don't complete a project on time, spend over budget,  blah, blah, blah"....that I have never really considered, forget embraced, that I am good enough as is.  That perhaps I do not have to constantly pursue self improvement because I am lacking or fall short.

I am very curious about this idea of self acceptance and for the month of March I have collected a few books to help me look at this idea from various angles.  I am learning, through my relatively new meditation practice and study, that the lessons of Buddhism have a strong message of acceptance in general.





Perhaps, then, it is not so surprising that 3 out of 4 of these books have a mindfulness meditation/Buddhist background.
Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth

Pocket Pema Chodron by Pema Chodron

The Wisdom of No Escape by Pema Chodron 





Relax and breathe in the goodness that you are....

Free Mindfulness Meditation Training

This is a special opportunity to explore mindfulness meditation with a world renowned teacher and scholar.
Shinzen Young leads a free Saturday retreat once a month at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

This Saturday, March 5th from 9am-1pm and 2-6pm at the Engineering Offices 81 Demeritt Place Waterbury, VT.
The next free retreat is Sat. April 2nd.  All you have to do is show up!
Link to Shinzen's retreat schedule
Link to Shinzen's info on mindfulness meditation

My favorite stretch ever

Stand with feet shoulder width apart.
Interlace your fingers behind your back or hold a strap/belt/scarf.
Roll your shoulders back and down.  Squeeze shoulder blades toward each other.

Bend forward, knees slightly bent.  Continue to lift arms away from back and shoulders away from ears.  Breathe deeply and feel the lower back and back of legs lengthen while you open the chest and shoulders.

3 Short Book Reviews

Back to Basics
12 Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong
In this book, Armstrong beckons readers to take responsibility in their own lives for cultivating compassion for themselves, within their family, work place, community and the world.  Her basic premise is that the common thread of all religions is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."   I love that she states the obvious while providing fascinating historical information on the cultural context and manifestation of various world religions.  Armstrong is the creator of The Charter of Compassion, an instrument to impel individuals and religious organizations to recommit themselves to the practice of the Golden Rule- i.e. "Love thy neighbor as thyself."  ( Have you often wondered why this concept has seemed more theory than practice)? 1000's of leaders from religious organizations all over the world have signed this charter.  And we all know, actions speak louder than words!

Feeling Self Righteous?  
In Her Own Words by Mother Teresa
Almost every one of the short excerpts I read in this book I am either moved to tears or feel like getting down on my knees.  I am humbled and inspired by Mother Teresa's pure love and devotion to the care of the poor, sick and dying.  Seeing a glimpse of her work in this world through these pages helps me to let go of my self importance and move me toward a deeper understanding of unconditional love, compassion, and understanding.  A daily dose of humble pie is a perfect antidote to a "what's in it for me" culture.

On a Lighter Note...
Poser: My Life in 23 Yoga Poses... by Claire Dederer
Entertaining and honest memoir by a mother/wife/daughter/friend, commingled with her new found yoga practice.  Dederer writes with humor and insight about her growing relationship to motherhood; her marriage now with children; her relationship to her parents now with children; the parenting culture of Seattle, WA where she has lived all her life; and reflections on her own un-traditional childhood.  Currently my bed time reading book.  I appreciate Dederer baring her real life in a thoughtful, funny memoir and how yoga played a role in her journey.

One Studio Yoga Schedule 1/3-5/13/11

The Drop in Yoga Classes at One Studio Dance and Yoga are:
I-Beginners and up    II-Advanced beginners and up
Mon 8:00am-9:15am I
        Noon-1:00pm I
Tues 5:30pm-6:30pm I
Wed 8:00am-9:00am II
        Noon-1:00pm II
Th    5:30pm-6:30pm II
Fr     Noon-1:00pm I
 
Restorative Yoga & Massage
January 16 10am-Noon
Relax in supported yoga postures while receiving a massage.
What could be better? Pre-register  $35/person.

Why We Love Yoga

We love yoga because it never fails to make us feel better.
Yoga makes space in the body for ease and vitality and space in the mind for clarity and inspiration.  No need to hold on to the inevitable stress of everyday life.
Do Yoga!
Oh yeah, practicing yoga also lowers blood pressure, relieves back pain, neck pain and lots of other kinds of pain.  Yoga improves posture, blood flow, balances hormones, improves thinking and motivates positive choices.  Not to mention, yoga makes us nicer people who get along better with others because we feel better ourselves!
Yoga- maintenance tool for living a happy life.

The Joy of Appreciative Living

The Joy of Appreciative Living, written by Jacqueline Kelm, is an excellent resource and motivator for increasing joy in your life and creating what you want in your life.
The concepts in this book are simple and effective.  Essentially the author recommends focusing on what you appreciate in your life every day and revising and refining your "ideal life."  There is a 28 day plan outlined in the book that takes 5 minutes every day.  I recently finished my 28 days.  Every morning, before I even got out of bed, I thought of 3 things I was grateful for and what one thing I was going to do that day to increase my joy.  Then, when I was drinking my morning cup of coffee I would write down my appreciations and joy activity for the day.  One thing I noticed is that by focusing on what I appreciate as my first thoughts of the day set the tone of my thinking for the rest of the day.  Although appreciation is something my family and I do around the dinner table every night, I feel the Joy of Appreciative Living 28 day plan really strengthened my attention on the positive.  Plus, taking time once a week to write down what I envision for my ideal life was very powerful in clearly connecting with what I want to create in my life.  I have no doubt I will manifest my vision because it is already happening.
At the beginning of my January yoga classes,  I will be inviting everyone to think about 3 things they are grateful for that day and one thing they can do to increase their joy.  I encourage everyone to get a copy of the book Joy of Appreciative Living to get the details and background on the 28 day plan.  This book will help you move in a positive and happy direction!