As some events are unfolding in our city/state/country/world with tremendous rage and violence, you may find comfort in remembering that there is at least an equal amount of love, tenderness, joy and peace more quietly revealing itself throughout this world. Strangers still smile at one another, unexpected generosity and kindness flouish in both likely and unlikely ways, the miraculous sun still rises, and we each have many opportunities to pause, reflect, count our blessings and consider our actions. By responding appropriately to circumstances, rather than reacting habitually, we begin to see that each one of us has the power to contribute in a positive way to this world we share.
Coming to your mat is a priceless opportunity for you to decompress, to breathe in spaciousness and clarity, while exhaling tension, resistance and fear. The yoga studio is a sacred space in which you can find the courage to really examine the inner workings of your mind, to dismantle any negative thought patterns and create instead powerful metaphors to live into. The word 'yoga' itself means union, and through this practice we unite disparate aspects of ourself, shining light on our own darkness (jealousy, anger, greed) so that they no longer have unconscious control over our actions. Through the breath we also find union between ourselves and everything living. Prana, breath, both ignites and unites everything vital, and we come to feel that we are all indeed connected. This jouney of union continues on deeper and deeper levels until, eventually, we come to see, as Hafiz has said, "... there is just one flesh we can wound."
The yoga studio is also a haven of warmth, safety and laughter. It is a place you can come to remember that people are good, that life is incredibly valuable, and that each one of us is on a mission of manifestation. We're here to help you find your way, and enjoy the ride!
Please take a moment to look at our very exciting Special Events. I hope to see you soon and often, and wish you all the clarity, compassion and humor you need to savor your experience of now.
With Love,
Corina Benner
Director, Wake Up Yoga, LLC
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
Restorative Yoga and Easter Schedule
Hope this note finds you positively THRIVING as we collectively wait out the winter's last valiant effort to hang on, (mostly) confident that spring will soon prevail. At least the sky is still vast and clear, hinting at our mind's innate quality, and we can all relate with the delicate tree buds, so excited and hopeful to open, but needing the warmth and vibrancy of light to coax them out of their shells.
This note is to alert/remind you that tonight is our Once-a-Month Friday Evening Restorative Yoga Class from 7:30 - 9 pm, this month taught by the very lovely and joyful Jill Manning. This is a regularly priced offering, and a perfectly wonderful way to soothe yourself from the work week and prepare to open your heart to greet friends and family this weekend.
Speaking of which: in honor of Easter, we are happy to announce that our schedule at each studio will remain (mostly!) the same. The only difference this weekend is that the Sunday Evening Restorative Yoga Class at Wake Up Yoga West will NOT be happening. Please come on in to move and breathe and remember who you really are at either the 10 am class, or the 4 pm class at West.Of course, you could always get your Restorative Yoga Fix this evening in the Fairmount Studio!!!
And also, please save the date: on Friday, May 4, we will be celebrating Wake Up Yoga's 5th Anniversary with a most joyous celebration. We will have live music (sitar and tabla), a vegetarian potluck smorgasbord of really yummy food (bring anything you'd like to share), perhaps some chanting, dancing?, and a really good time. Please plan to come, to celebrate with your yoga teachers and friends all that this studio and this practice have brought into your life. And remember: it's really fun to see your yoga buddies in "real clothes." Dress for festivities! Hope to see you then ... and sooner!
That's it for now. Wishing you a beauty-full day in which you begin to discover the divine within everything manifest, and uncover the divine residing within your own heart! Jai!
This note is to alert/remind you that tonight is our Once-a-Month Friday Evening Restorative Yoga Class from 7:30 - 9 pm, this month taught by the very lovely and joyful Jill Manning. This is a regularly priced offering, and a perfectly wonderful way to soothe yourself from the work week and prepare to open your heart to greet friends and family this weekend.
Speaking of which: in honor of Easter, we are happy to announce that our schedule at each studio will remain (mostly!) the same. The only difference this weekend is that the Sunday Evening Restorative Yoga Class at Wake Up Yoga West will NOT be happening. Please come on in to move and breathe and remember who you really are at either the 10 am class, or the 4 pm class at West.Of course, you could always get your Restorative Yoga Fix this evening in the Fairmount Studio!!!
And also, please save the date: on Friday, May 4, we will be celebrating Wake Up Yoga's 5th Anniversary with a most joyous celebration. We will have live music (sitar and tabla), a vegetarian potluck smorgasbord of really yummy food (bring anything you'd like to share), perhaps some chanting, dancing?, and a really good time. Please plan to come, to celebrate with your yoga teachers and friends all that this studio and this practice have brought into your life. And remember: it's really fun to see your yoga buddies in "real clothes." Dress for festivities! Hope to see you then ... and sooner!
That's it for now. Wishing you a beauty-full day in which you begin to discover the divine within everything manifest, and uncover the divine residing within your own heart! Jai!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Jagarata Newsletter
Those of you who are on our email list have seen our new newsletter format! As Wake Up Yoga approaches our five year anniversary, and the studio(s!) continue to grow, I frequently need to expand my own ideas about who we are, who we affect, and how we can best present our offerings to the students who will most benefit from our efforts. The new newsletter has added graphics, color, and inspiration that I hope convey even more of the warmth, sincerity and passion we at Wake Up Yoga have for all things yoga, and that you will find within our offerings something to inspire you, to challenge you, and to spur on your own growth and transformation on this shared but individual journey toward Self knowledge! If you are not on our newsletter and would like to join, simply go to our home page and enter your email address in the sign-up form there.
Regarding the name of the newsletter: Manorama brought to my attention that Jagarata means "Wake Up!" in Sanskrit. In the Katha Upanishad, an earnest student is encouraged by Yama, the God of Death himself, to "Get up! Wake Up! Seek the Guidance of an illumined teacher and realize the Self!" It is our most profound wish that, through these offerings, each and every student will come ever-closer to that Self realization, the Awakened State, Enlightenment ... by any name, the experience of Heaven on Earth, of peace ... of laughter, happiness and joy.
And about that 5-Year Anniversary: Yes, we will have a party! Please save the date: Friday, May 11. Details to come, but please plan to come and celebrate this studio, this community, and the many ways in which your life (and the lives of your loved ones!) has been enhanced through what you learn and practice within these golden walls.
Jai (victory!) to you!
Regarding the name of the newsletter: Manorama brought to my attention that Jagarata means "Wake Up!" in Sanskrit. In the Katha Upanishad, an earnest student is encouraged by Yama, the God of Death himself, to "Get up! Wake Up! Seek the Guidance of an illumined teacher and realize the Self!" It is our most profound wish that, through these offerings, each and every student will come ever-closer to that Self realization, the Awakened State, Enlightenment ... by any name, the experience of Heaven on Earth, of peace ... of laughter, happiness and joy.
And about that 5-Year Anniversary: Yes, we will have a party! Please save the date: Friday, May 11. Details to come, but please plan to come and celebrate this studio, this community, and the many ways in which your life (and the lives of your loved ones!) has been enhanced through what you learn and practice within these golden walls.
Jai (victory!) to you!
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Jagarata: It Means Wake Up!
Wow! I can't believe February is over. Hope this note finds you secretly enjoying the darkness of winter with its introspective invitations, while mentally planting seeds to manifest in the Springtime!
And about Wake Up Yoga... (here's a shameless marketing ploy) there is a contest happening with Philadelphia Style Magazine, and it is an opportunity for people to vote for their favorite everythings. Wake Up Yoga is on the ballot this year in a run for the best Yoga Studio. If you'd like to go to their website and vote on your favorite businesses, bartenders and massage therapists, you can visit this website and click on the "Vote Now" tab to begin clicking options. You don't have to answer each one! It can be kind of fun to support restaurants and beauty parlors (and yoga studios!) if you have the time and believe in the cause.
In the meantime, please go to our workshops page and check out the new events we have planned for this month, including an Early Morning Retreat Week with Jill Manning; Nada Yoga: the Yoga of Sound, with Thomas Flanagan; and our Urban Yoga Mini-Retreat: Celebrate the Vernal Equinox and the Return of the Light, with Corina and Beatriz.
I hope that some of our offerings are calling out to your own heart, and that you will be able to join us for these spectacular events. If there are other workshops you would like to see presented here at Wake Up Yoga, please let us know. Also, if you are a workshop presenter in the healing/holistic/yoga traditions and would like to explore the possibility of conducting an event here, please submit a proposal to Corina@WakeUpYoga.com.
Hope to see you soon and often... and if our paths don't cross, here's hoping you give yourself the gift of your own attention, kindness and compassion, which will very naturally infuse your every interaction with others!
And about Wake Up Yoga... (here's a shameless marketing ploy) there is a contest happening with Philadelphia Style Magazine, and it is an opportunity for people to vote for their favorite everythings. Wake Up Yoga is on the ballot this year in a run for the best Yoga Studio. If you'd like to go to their website and vote on your favorite businesses, bartenders and massage therapists, you can visit this website and click on the "Vote Now" tab to begin clicking options. You don't have to answer each one! It can be kind of fun to support restaurants and beauty parlors (and yoga studios!) if you have the time and believe in the cause.
In the meantime, please go to our workshops page and check out the new events we have planned for this month, including an Early Morning Retreat Week with Jill Manning; Nada Yoga: the Yoga of Sound, with Thomas Flanagan; and our Urban Yoga Mini-Retreat: Celebrate the Vernal Equinox and the Return of the Light, with Corina and Beatriz.
I hope that some of our offerings are calling out to your own heart, and that you will be able to join us for these spectacular events. If there are other workshops you would like to see presented here at Wake Up Yoga, please let us know. Also, if you are a workshop presenter in the healing/holistic/yoga traditions and would like to explore the possibility of conducting an event here, please submit a proposal to Corina@WakeUpYoga.com.
Hope to see you soon and often... and if our paths don't cross, here's hoping you give yourself the gift of your own attention, kindness and compassion, which will very naturally infuse your every interaction with others!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
News and Gratitude
How about this for a St. Valentine's Day? Wahoo! Hopefully lovers of all kinds are able to spend time safe and cozy with their beloved(s), as we are all slowed down and even humbled by the immense power of nature.
A reminder that this Friday we continue with our Once-a-Month Buddhism Dharma Talk with Michael Carroll. This week's topic: the Sharp Edge of Compassion. This topic will explore the unsentimental side of love and compassion, its more fierce edge. We meet from 7:30 - 9 p.m., sit in meditation for some time (with instruction given to anyone who needs it!), have the talk and Q&A. Suggested contribution: $10. This event takes place in Fairmount. For more upcoming events be sure to check out our workshops page.
In the meantime, I want to extend a heartfelt and sincere "Thank You!" to everyone in the community who has extended well wishes my way, dedicated a practice to my health and well being, and expressed concern for my 'condition.' I am happy to report that things are improving. I saw another surgeon for a second opinion, and, as things are improving, he's recommending physical therapy and a 6-week check back.
If you hadn't been by the studio lately, I was out for about 10 days with tear-inducing 'shoulder pain,' accompanied by an inability to sleep/get comfortable, and drastically reduced mobility. I couldn't even brush my teeth! An MRI revealed some disc concerns in my cervical spine, and the first doctor recommended a 3-level discectomy (removal of the discs) and spinal fusion. My husband and I were shocked by the severity, and rocked by the implications.
After many cranial sacral treatments, acupuncture, consultations with very smart, informed, dear friends, bubble baths and rest, I'm feeling more 'like myself.' There is still some pain and tingling in my right arm, but I'm feeling more and more confident that this body can be inspired and encouraged to heal without such drastic, invasive assistance.
There was no trauma immediately precipitating the 'event,' but during the course of my life time, I have 'totaled' four cars in accidents, before MRIs were available for consultation (and before yoga practice came into my life!). It's very likely that discs have been bulging for quite some time, I just unfortunately have an anatomically, genetically narrow spinal column, which seems to be further narrowing with trips around the sun, and results in infringement of a nerve root. We're hoping that an MRI of my brain will reveal that previous brain trauma (swelling of the brain and unconsciousness for 3 days after a particularly bad car accident when I was 17) will explain my hyper-relexivity. If not, the 2nd opinion doctor is concerned that my spinal chord is irritated, and would recommend surgery to relieve the pressure.
As with all injuries, alleged setbacks, and the things we generally regard as 'bad,' this is a ripe opportunity to inquire, investigate, surrender and receive. The lessons are rich as I am being invited to slow down, required to ask for help, and truly inspired by the amazing community we have to draw from at Wake Up Yoga. My husband, Paul, and I have never been closer, and our priorities/values have never been more clear. It's amazing to discover that beneath everything: minor irritations at work or crumbs on the counter or the occasional feeling that circumstances could still be better and need to be tweaked... that beneath all of this is simply a deep and abiding love that is so powerful it renders one speechless; so precious and beautiful I cry. Whatever it takes to remind me of how much I take for granted while still giving me the opportunity to feel gratitude and connect with grace I am grateful for. These gifts are truly the precious jewels that spur growth and connection.
Here's wishing you the wisdom and ability to find your jewels hidden in what appears to be piles of sorrow.
A reminder that this Friday we continue with our Once-a-Month Buddhism Dharma Talk with Michael Carroll. This week's topic: the Sharp Edge of Compassion. This topic will explore the unsentimental side of love and compassion, its more fierce edge. We meet from 7:30 - 9 p.m., sit in meditation for some time (with instruction given to anyone who needs it!), have the talk and Q&A. Suggested contribution: $10. This event takes place in Fairmount. For more upcoming events be sure to check out our workshops page.
In the meantime, I want to extend a heartfelt and sincere "Thank You!" to everyone in the community who has extended well wishes my way, dedicated a practice to my health and well being, and expressed concern for my 'condition.' I am happy to report that things are improving. I saw another surgeon for a second opinion, and, as things are improving, he's recommending physical therapy and a 6-week check back.
If you hadn't been by the studio lately, I was out for about 10 days with tear-inducing 'shoulder pain,' accompanied by an inability to sleep/get comfortable, and drastically reduced mobility. I couldn't even brush my teeth! An MRI revealed some disc concerns in my cervical spine, and the first doctor recommended a 3-level discectomy (removal of the discs) and spinal fusion. My husband and I were shocked by the severity, and rocked by the implications.
After many cranial sacral treatments, acupuncture, consultations with very smart, informed, dear friends, bubble baths and rest, I'm feeling more 'like myself.' There is still some pain and tingling in my right arm, but I'm feeling more and more confident that this body can be inspired and encouraged to heal without such drastic, invasive assistance.
There was no trauma immediately precipitating the 'event,' but during the course of my life time, I have 'totaled' four cars in accidents, before MRIs were available for consultation (and before yoga practice came into my life!). It's very likely that discs have been bulging for quite some time, I just unfortunately have an anatomically, genetically narrow spinal column, which seems to be further narrowing with trips around the sun, and results in infringement of a nerve root. We're hoping that an MRI of my brain will reveal that previous brain trauma (swelling of the brain and unconsciousness for 3 days after a particularly bad car accident when I was 17) will explain my hyper-relexivity. If not, the 2nd opinion doctor is concerned that my spinal chord is irritated, and would recommend surgery to relieve the pressure.
As with all injuries, alleged setbacks, and the things we generally regard as 'bad,' this is a ripe opportunity to inquire, investigate, surrender and receive. The lessons are rich as I am being invited to slow down, required to ask for help, and truly inspired by the amazing community we have to draw from at Wake Up Yoga. My husband, Paul, and I have never been closer, and our priorities/values have never been more clear. It's amazing to discover that beneath everything: minor irritations at work or crumbs on the counter or the occasional feeling that circumstances could still be better and need to be tweaked... that beneath all of this is simply a deep and abiding love that is so powerful it renders one speechless; so precious and beautiful I cry. Whatever it takes to remind me of how much I take for granted while still giving me the opportunity to feel gratitude and connect with grace I am grateful for. These gifts are truly the precious jewels that spur growth and connection.
Here's wishing you the wisdom and ability to find your jewels hidden in what appears to be piles of sorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
