Well the New Year has been launched with tremendously warm and vibrant vibrations here at Wake Up Yoga — both locations! Our Brand New Beginner's Series are both overflowing with excited students, and the Pre- and Post- Labor Mamas have been easing their stress and increasing their connection with spirit and child, again at both studios. We have POWERFUL and TRANSFORMATIONAL workshops scheduled for the winter/spring and daily opportunities for you to drop into the depth of yourSelf, clear out the clutter, and restore/maintain your connection to the intention you hold for your life: perhaps to live powerfully, peacefully, with compassion and joy. For more details, click here to visit our workshops page.
Also, be sure to save the date for our Vernal Equinox One-Day Retreat on Saturday, March 17, from 9-5 at the Fairmount studio. Details to come... plan to be there! We will celebrate the beginning of springtime, when all the world feels ripe with possibility. The day will likely include: Pranayama, Yin Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Lunch and Snacks, Live Music and time to sit, calm the mind and cultivate gratitude in the heart. Promises to be rich and intoxicating!!!
We will also have a Vernal Equinox Morning Retreat in Fairmount, with Jill Manning, March 19—23. 6-8 am each day. Again, details to come; stay tuned! The week will include daily breath awareness/pranayama, asana practice, quiet contemplation and more.
There is definitely more, but I'm currently out of time as it is time to teach. You may find it amusing to know that I came to the studio hours early this morning. My intention was to send this email and practice yoga for 2 1/2 hours. When I arrived, the heat wasn't working, I couldn't connect to the internet, and the toilet wouldn't flush. Practice for me this morning has been a trip to the Home Depot for space heaters (and a heated conversation with the landlord!), an hour on the phone with tech support, and the very easy linking of a chain to a bar (thank God the toilet was easy to fix!). I've been smiling the whole time (wearing a hat, a scarf, a sweater and a jacket) thinking to myself and repeating out loud, "That's a good one, God!"
This practice could be likened to what is referred to in the Yoga Sutra as Praktipaksa Bhavanam. Essentially it means: when plagued by negativities, cultivate the opposite. We've all ruminated in our own negativities, souring our mood and poisoning our very cells, and very likely felt miserable the entire time. The practice of Praktipaksa Bhavanam encourages the dedicated student to notice the negative turnings (the judgments of others and self, delight we may take in others misfortune, any thoughts of revenge or even nursing our own wounds) and literally find another perspective. Choose another interpretation, or even as Paul JJ Alix has offered, "Imagine giving that person flowers." The practice, when steadfastly employed, can immediately shift your whole world. I'll invite you to see if this helps you maintain calmness in your field of consciousness so that you may come to see and know who you truly are.
Sending Blessings and Love...
Friday, January 19, 2007
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Happy New Year!
Welcome to 2007! Here's hoping your holidays were filled with warmth, joy and grace, and that you now find yourself refreshed, focused, and ready to sink your teeth into life and take a really big bite! We have lots to snack on here at Wake Up Yoga so please peruse these offerings to whet your appetite: Ashtanga-Vinyasa Primary Series Monthly Intensive Classes, Couples Massage Workshop, Body Rolling and Vinyasa Yoga Workshop, Brand New Beginners Series (Fairmount and West Philly), Mommy & Me Yoga, and Prenatal Yoga (Fairmount and West Philly).
That's it for the moment regarding special events. I would like to take a moment to tell you about some new classes that are being offered at Wake Up Yoga West:
We've added a 12 noon Tuesday Vinyasa class with the very lovely Lisa Joy Young, who will also be teaching a Thursday morning 9 am $5 flow. Jill Manning, freshly returned from India, will be teaching a Thursday, 4 pm Vira Rasa Flow class. And Angela Boltz, transplanted back to Philadelphia from San Diego, will offer a $5 All Levels Vinyasa class on Saturdays at 12 noon. Also, Biz Magarity will be teaching a Sunday, 4 pm Sringara Rasa Flow class, a lovely way to close out the weekend. This class on Sundays will be followed by a 6 pm Restorative Yoga class being taught by our very own Beatriz Avalos. We're also tremendously excited to offer a Wednesday, 4-5:15 pm West Philly Teen Yoga Class, also taught by Beatriz. The contribution for this class is by donation, and the class is open to individuals between the ages of 12-18. A parental consent form required!
Also, at the Fairmount location, we will continue with our once-a-month Buddhism Dharma Talks with Michael Carroll, one Friday evening a month from 7:30-9 pm, for a $10 suggested donation. The dates we have secured so far are: February 16, March 16 and April 20.
And finally we are resurrecting the Once-a-Month Friday Evening Restorative Yoga Class in the Fairmount studio, being offered from 7:30-9 pm, beginning on January 19. I'll be teaching the first one... and maybe subsequent offerings as well. Future dates are: February 2, March 2, April 6 and May 4. The Restorative Class will be regularly priced, and offered without pre-registration. Restorative Yoga is a sublime opportunity to surrender the weight of your body, as well as the weight of your thoughts and feelings, into the ever supportive and generous earth, as represented by creatively arranged blocks and blankets. You will unwind, de-stress, and relax. Restorative Yoga is a gift you so deeply deserve!
So that's what our Yoga Smorgasbord is offering to kick off the New Year. Hopefully your Yogic appetite has been duly inspired and you will be able to nourish yourself in body, mind and spirit with our offerings. If you are planning to enroll in a series that starts next week, a gentle request: please call by Thursday this week (January 4). I'm heading out of town for a long weekend to rest up and prepare for our very exciting Teacher Training program which officially kicks off on the 10th. If you can register before I'm gone, things will progress much more smoothly! Thank you for understanding. We at Wake Up Yoga are looking forward to spending our time with you, cultivating peace and equanimity in our collective heart so we all have that to share with the world; ever in search of truth and deeper levels of understanding. We are grateful to each and every one of you who shares your spirit with us, and wish you and your loved ones a New Year ripe with Inspiration, Vitality and Joy!
That's it for the moment regarding special events. I would like to take a moment to tell you about some new classes that are being offered at Wake Up Yoga West:
We've added a 12 noon Tuesday Vinyasa class with the very lovely Lisa Joy Young, who will also be teaching a Thursday morning 9 am $5 flow. Jill Manning, freshly returned from India, will be teaching a Thursday, 4 pm Vira Rasa Flow class. And Angela Boltz, transplanted back to Philadelphia from San Diego, will offer a $5 All Levels Vinyasa class on Saturdays at 12 noon. Also, Biz Magarity will be teaching a Sunday, 4 pm Sringara Rasa Flow class, a lovely way to close out the weekend. This class on Sundays will be followed by a 6 pm Restorative Yoga class being taught by our very own Beatriz Avalos. We're also tremendously excited to offer a Wednesday, 4-5:15 pm West Philly Teen Yoga Class, also taught by Beatriz. The contribution for this class is by donation, and the class is open to individuals between the ages of 12-18. A parental consent form required!
Also, at the Fairmount location, we will continue with our once-a-month Buddhism Dharma Talks with Michael Carroll, one Friday evening a month from 7:30-9 pm, for a $10 suggested donation. The dates we have secured so far are: February 16, March 16 and April 20.
And finally we are resurrecting the Once-a-Month Friday Evening Restorative Yoga Class in the Fairmount studio, being offered from 7:30-9 pm, beginning on January 19. I'll be teaching the first one... and maybe subsequent offerings as well. Future dates are: February 2, March 2, April 6 and May 4. The Restorative Class will be regularly priced, and offered without pre-registration. Restorative Yoga is a sublime opportunity to surrender the weight of your body, as well as the weight of your thoughts and feelings, into the ever supportive and generous earth, as represented by creatively arranged blocks and blankets. You will unwind, de-stress, and relax. Restorative Yoga is a gift you so deeply deserve!
So that's what our Yoga Smorgasbord is offering to kick off the New Year. Hopefully your Yogic appetite has been duly inspired and you will be able to nourish yourself in body, mind and spirit with our offerings. If you are planning to enroll in a series that starts next week, a gentle request: please call by Thursday this week (January 4). I'm heading out of town for a long weekend to rest up and prepare for our very exciting Teacher Training program which officially kicks off on the 10th. If you can register before I'm gone, things will progress much more smoothly! Thank you for understanding. We at Wake Up Yoga are looking forward to spending our time with you, cultivating peace and equanimity in our collective heart so we all have that to share with the world; ever in search of truth and deeper levels of understanding. We are grateful to each and every one of you who shares your spirit with us, and wish you and your loved ones a New Year ripe with Inspiration, Vitality and Joy!
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