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September 2005 Obstacles By Ann Perry We all face obstacles and challenges every day. Sometimes they seem manageable and other times they seem insurmountable. Sometimes challenges come one at a time and other times they are heaped on us until we feel like we could break. Obstacles and challenges are an essential part of your yoga practice. Without them you wouldn’t know how far you’ve come. Yoga provides you with the tools to handle your life in a different way. Yoga is skill in action. Yoga isn’t about sitting in a cave meditating all day long. Yoga is about getting out there and getting into the thick of it. Rolling up your sleeves and facing those things you don’t really like doing. At first when you start practicing you have your life and you have your yoga. And you are using yoga to fix your life and then you go back out and get banged up again and use yoga to fix your life. A vicious circle. But after you’ve been practicing for a while you realize that life is yoga and yoga is life. They aren’t two separate things they are one and the same. And you begin to apply the knowledge you’ve gained in your yoga practice in your everyday life. The more you practice yoga the more you are able to see the shift in yourself. Perhaps an obstacle that would have sent you over the edge isn’t as difficult anymore. Perhaps you are more open to different ways of solving a challenging issue. Yoga helps to erase those knee jerk reactions and allows you to choose how you want to handle every situation. Yoga gives you the tools to truly exercise free will. Just like in yoga class when you find a tight spot in a pose you have a choice- do you soften into it and let the tension dissolve or do you more out of the pose and avoid the tight spot? The same thing applies to your life. When faced with an obstacle do you soften into it or do you move out of it? Life isn’t going to stop throwing you the odd curve ball now and again – what will change (and yoga promises this will happen) – is you. What is important to remember is the more challenging the situation the more yoga you need to do. The more home practice you need to be doing, the more breathing practice, attending more classes perhaps a private session or two. Sometimes when we are in the midst of a crisis we give up the very things that would smooth it over for us. The next time you are faced with this sort of situation sit back, take a breath, find your sitbones and figure out how you want to handle it. How do you want to act in this situation, how are you going to stay in center and act from a place of love and bliss? Yoga gives you the ability to stay in center and face your challenges. Yoga is skill in action. The more you stay in center the greater your ability to choose your reaction. The greater your impact is on your environment and the greater your ability is to see the message in the challenge. Facing your challenges and obstacles using a yoga perspective gives you a different tool then just trying to get through. It allows you to see difficulties not as something that must be overcome but as an essential part of your growth process. What will shift are your reactions – the highs aren’t as high and the lows aren’t as low – you stay more in center. Better equipped to handle what ever life brings you. And until you rest firmly in center – DO MORE YOGA!!!!
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June 2005 Transformation by Ann Perry Not many people realize that yoga is about transformation. A lot of people think it is about working with the body physically – kind of like aerobics for the new millennium. Some people even believe that contortion is involved. But there is so much more going on. Hatha yoga or the physical practice is comprised of 84 asanas or poses and 1000 variations on each pose- equaling 84,000 different poses! What most people don’t realize is that these 84,000 different poses are all to prepare you for one pose – the most important pose – your seated posture for meditation. Meditation happens when your mind quiets and you re-connect with the bliss of your own being. Yoga calls this inner state Consciousness or the Self. Hatha yoga excels at quieting the body so you can quiet the mind. Our culture specializes in activating the mind – multitasking, always doing something and all the entertaining outside stimulus. According to yoga, to be a complete human being you need to have the outer focus so you can function in our world but you must also have the inner focus. In fact, the inner focus is more important because it’s on the inside that all of life’s most important questions are answered: “who am I?” “What is my purpose in life?” “Is there more than this?” Yoga helps to answer all these questions. When I first started yoga I didn’t realize I had all these questions – I just didn’t want my shoulder to hurt any more and I thought I really needed to loosen up those hamstrings. And Svaroopa Yoga certainly helped me with that. All those little (and not so little) aches and pains have left. But Svaroopa yoga brought me so much more – It brought me peace of mind. I had always felt alone in my fear. That I was the only person who worried or felt anxious or was stressed – now I know that’s not the case and yoga explained it to me. Yoga explained that it’s my minds job to worry and fret and entertain to keep me from experiencing my own true nature – The Self. And boy some days my mind sure is good at it! Each time you attend a Svaroopa yoga class so much more is going on than just physically moving your body. We are opening you up to experience the bliss of your own being and that is transformational. One day you wake up and realize that you’re not as stressed as you used to be and that you are even happy some of the time! All those aches and pains have eased if not left completely and you are happy – a different kind of happiness that is not dependent on external events – you are happy because happiness, pure happiness, is your own true nature. You have transformed! Your world might be exactly the same on the outside but you are seeing things differently. Seeing them from the inside. In each class you experience all the benefits of the physical poses or asanas plus all the benefits from the pranayama practice plus all the benefits from quieting the mind and experiencing the bliss of your own being and then we integrate all these benefits so it isn’t just something you experience in yoga class and than its back to the same old same old in your life. Yoga transforms your life from the inside out. And it’s never too late to start or to get back into your practice. Svaroopa yoga is very approachable for all levels and all ages. And whether your goal is transformation or less stress or less aches and pains, Svaroopa yoga can help with it all. You just need to DO MORE YOGA! Namaste~ Ann
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March 2005 Can yoga help you? By Ann Perry The answer is absolutely yes. The truest meaning of Yoga is Union. Yoga is an ancient science of working with the body and the mind (Union) to promote health and well being. It is not just a physical workout as is so often emphasized here in the United States. Yoga is primarily a preventative practice in its original form that focuses on the therapeutic and meditative qualities of the poses. Therapeutic styles of Hatha Yoga offer amazingly beneficial results when things have gone awry in the body. Results vary with each individual but yoga has helped people reduce sciatic pain, knee problems, low back, upper back, neck and shoulder pain as well as more internal issues like fibromiagia, constipation, infertility, multiple sclerosis and has even helped with life threatening illness like cancer and heart disease. Chances are certain styles of yoga can be an integral part of your healing process. The reason ancient yoga is so powerful is because it focuses on the spine. Yoga views the spine as the central channel in the body and specifically sees the tailbone as the very core of the body. As you open up deep tensions around the spine the whole body can heal. Structurally your body becomes better aligned, taking pressure of your joints, bones and internal organs letting you be more comfortable in your body. Not only will you feel more at ease, but also the tensions in the muscles around the organs will release allowing the organs to function better. As the organs function better all your systems improve -digestion, elimination, reproduction, immunity and nervous. Yoga is truly holistic approach to health- it looks at all these different components as a complete system. Svaroopa yoga, a specific form of hatha yoga (hatha yoga is all the physical poses), excels at opening the body and releasing internal muscular tension. Like the ancient teachings of yoga, Svaroopa yoga focuses on a core opening in the spinal muscles. When the tension in the muscles opens up, releases, lets go, relaxes, lengthens or softens (which ever word works for you) then the muscle can become healthy. Important fluids can flush through the muscle helping to remove mineral build up and promote good muscle health. A healthy muscle is a long muscle; a tight, short muscle is a weak muscle due to the constriction that limits the flow of nutrients, fluids and oxygen. To become stronger you need long, healthy muscles. No amount of strength training will help you strengthen a muscle that is tight. And no amount of stretching will help lengthen a tight muscle – you need to let go of deep internal tensions to lengthen the muscle. Yoga is much more than stretching. To create strength, flexibility and well being you need to open your body. Releasing core muscular tension, creating a core opening, is a paradigm shift away from our present day thinking of “no Pain, no gain” and “core strengthening”. Core strengthening is actually tightening deep layers of muscles in the body leading to health issues and injuries down the road. Svaroopa Yoga is a profoundly different way of working with the body. To create a core opening we focus on precision and alignment, using props and holding the pose long enough to have a lasting effect on the student. We use propping and variations on classical hatha yoga poses to reliably open the whole length of the spine starting at the tailbone and opening through the neck. We meet your body where it is at, with your current layers of tension, using enough support to help your body let go at a very deep level. Changes in the body happen quickly. Usually within 10 classes you will feel a substantial difference in your body and how you move in your body. Like anything else, you need to decide what type of yoga is right for you. More vigorous styles have less therapeutic qualities. Keep in mind that yoga is about keeping the body healthy and in balance (Union). There should be no pain in yoga and certainly no injuries resulting from your yoga practice. You also need to study with someone who is well trained and who utilizes the benefits of yoga in their own life. That means they have their own yoga practice and you can feel the benefits of that practice when you meet them. Yogis are calmer, more at peace, more joyful, more centered and are also very focused, clear and in action. Yoga is not about escape it is about integrating a calm inner state into your every day life. Yoga helps give you the skills you need to act in the world and to transform your world. Yoga can really assist your healing process with what ever is happening in the body and Yoga is about much more than just the body. Yoga is about an inner experience. Because of its focus on the ancient teachings of yoga, Svaroopa Yoga offers tools that help you have this inner experience. It offers tools to work with the body and the mind to help quiet the mind. Quieting the mind has a profound impact on you. It helps to relieve stress, improves concentration and clarity, improves the quality of your sleep and it makes you happy. It helps you to realize the joy and the bliss of your own being. Just as your body needs rest every day, so does your mind. A complete yoga practice, including Hatha yoga, Meditation and Pranayama (breathing practices) helps your body and mind get the rest and rejuvenation you need. This inner experience leads to transformation. Yoga is about transformation. Yoga helps you to become a better person and ultimately reach the state of enlightenment the ancient texts describe for us. A state where you abide in the bliss of your own being all of the time. So whether you are suffering from chronic pain, mild discomfort, too much stress, a life threatening illness or you just want to be a better person yoga has something to offer you. Yoga can make a difference. You just need to do more yoga. Namaste~ Ann Ann Perry is the owner and director of The Yoga Spot. She is a certified Svaroopa Yoga teacher, a meditation teacher and a yoga therapist who has been living and teaching yoga for the past six years here in San Clemente. She can be reached via email at ann@theyogaspot.com or at 949-661-5767. The Yoga Spot, located in north San Clemente, is dedicated to the practice and teachings of Svaroopa yoga. Our teachers are all practicing yogis and certified to teach Hatha Yoga Svaroopa style. We offer all levels of hatha yoga classes including Introduction to Yoga and Pregnant yoga, private yoga therapy sessions, workshops and meditation trainings. Our classes are approachable for all body types and all states of wellness – any one can participate. We are located at 629 Camino de los Mares Suite 105, San Clemente. If you need more information, please check the webpage at www.theyogaspot.com or call Ann at 949-661-5767. |
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November 2003 Habitual vs. Natural Dear Yoga Friends: Gandhi once said “Don’t mix up that which is habitual with that which is natural.” Right now you have a habitual way of being in your body. You are used to doing things a certain way and in feeling things in a certain way. Those aches and pains that now seem “normal” have been slowly building up to their current levels. If they had shown up all at once, you won’t be able to stand it. But over time these aches and pains – habits develop. Yoga has a word for this – Vasana – a mental tendency or groove. This habitual way of living creates these grooves in your mind which show up in certain ways in the body. Over time these grooves can deepen so it seems like you are on auto pilot – No matter how hard you try and break a habit, it just won’t let go. You are stuck in that groove, that vasana. My favorite definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results each time. You’re stuck in a vasana!! No matter how much you want a different outcome, these habitual grooves keep you locked in to a certain experience. Now, certain habits are beneficial like brushing your teeth and showering. It is a choice. Keeping helpful vasanas and letting go of the vasanas that no longer serve you. So instead of being run by your vasanas, you choose your grooves. Are you choosing? What is natural? Yoga defines natural as Consciousness or the Self. Your own true nature. An ancient yoga text, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, describes it this way: Tadaa drastu svaroope vastanum. – When the mind quiets you rest in the bliss of your own being. The bliss of your own being, Consciousness, The Self. We all yearn to experience this natural state, the state of the Self. And we all have experienced it many, many times. Every time you have experienced pure love, pure joy, pure happiness you are experiencing your natural state, your own true nature, the Self. That incredible sunset that opens your heart and brings tears to the eyes. The communion you feel as you surf the perfect wave. The incredible love you feel as you look into a newborn’s eyes. Each of us has had many, many experiences of the Self. But instead of naming it as an experience of the Self, our inner nature, we attribute these feelings and thoughts to the external objects of events that triggered the Self to rise up to the surface. In reality it is our natural state shining from within that we are experiencing. Our natural state of pure love, pure joy, pure happiness and so much more. A vastness and so much more. A sense of oneness and so much more. An emptiness that is also full and so much more. This is the Self. The bliss of your own being. Your body can tell you when you are experiencing the Self. There is an openness, a freedom, a sense of oneness with everyone and everything around you. It is a letting go of tension. A softening. A gut feeling. During a yoga class we practice the softening, letting go and releasing the muscular tensions that prevent us from knowing the Self. And each time you are able to soften into the pose you are building a new groove or vasana in the mind. The vasana of knowing the Self, or of beginning to describe the Self. This isn’t an easy task. I have been trying to describe for you a state of being that the ancient sages have called indescribable. It is beyond the mind – it is more than the mind and includes the mind. Therefore the mind can not easily wrap itself around this concept – the Self. This is why naming your experience of it is so important. Each time you dip into the Self, whether in yoga class or enjoying a breath taking sunrise, you are laying down a new groove, a new vasana. The vasana of the Self. This vasana calls you to your natural state, the highest state and helps to replace or erase those vasanas that no longer serve you. It is your choice – keep on with the habitual vasanas or develop this natural vasana. The vasana of the Self. The Self is so close to you. It is you. It is just waiting to bubble up and meet you. It is your own true nature, the bliss of your own being, your natural state. It is you. The Self is your natural way of being. The goal of yoga is to experience the Self; either in meditation or the surrender into a physical pose or those blissfully happy moments of your live. These experiences have a cumulative effect. As this vasana of the Self becomes more prominent you begin to experience the Self more and more – not just in yoga class but throughout you whole life. And that is the goal of life – to live from the Self. So there is no distinction between your inner world and your outer world. You experience the bliss of your own being, your natural state, the Self all the time. How do you develop this vasana or groove of knowing the Self? Practice! By practicing, practicing, and practicing. Attending your weekly yoga classes. Meditating. Doing things that make you happy, bring you joy. And naming that experience as an experience of the Self, as your natural state – not as an external event. Through practice you will gradually and inevitably reach the goal of yoga – to experience the Self. Through practice you will gradually and inevitably reach the goal of live – to live from the Self. It is attainable…just do more yoga!! Namaste~ Ann |
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Letting Go Dear Yoga Friends- Well, he’s here! Arjuna John Perry was born July 15th at 8:05am weighing in at a healthy 9 pounds, 13 ounces. Dan and I are thrilled! And it is amazing how much I’ve learned from him so far. In yoga class I talk about letting go into the pose and letting the pose work on you. And about not having any expectations about what the pose “should” look like, how long it will take you to “master” the pose. In fact, sometimes you will run into to a deeper layer of tension that requires more propping instead of less. So it looks like you are farther out of the pose when in actuality you are deeper in the pose. In yoga it’s very important to be able to go with the flow. It’s like that in motherhood. The days that I let go and go with the flow are more satisfying and rewarding then the days I effort and try to make things happen. This has been a hard lesson for me to learn and one I will have to keep on learning. Our society tends to program us to be very task oriented… get as many things done in as little time as possible. And I have learned that lesson well. But when I think about it, what is important? Getting stuff done or being present with Arjuna in the first few weeks of his life? This question has led me to contemplate my role or duty now, after the baby. We all have many roles or duties we perform in life. I have the duty of managing the studio and teaching classes. I have the duty of being a wife and now of being a mother. And it’s hard to balance all these different roles. And instead of trying to squeeze motherhood in between all my other duties, I realized that this was as important as everything else. But does something have to drop away now for me to be a mother? No, but everything has to shift. Maybe some of the things I’ve wanted to do aren’t as important anymore. Or maybe my time frames lengthen a bit. My intentions can be the same and if I let go and go with the flow then the universe can help guide how these things are shaped – instead of me efforting and pushing to get it all done. Another way to phrase it is - Let go and let God. There is a sutra in the Bhagvad Gita that has helped me sort out my feelings on duty and what my duties are now- “It is better to perform your own duty poorly then another’s duty performed well.” So even if I don’t have this motherhood thing down perfectly, it is my duty. And the days that I realize this and let go are the best days we’ve had so far. And, by the way, things have gotten done easily and effortlessly. So the next time you are in class, in one of your more challenging poses, I invite you to let go, go with the flow and see how it changes the pose for you. And after you’ve had that experience, try it in your life. The next time you are facing a challenging situation, I invite you to let go, let go of what you think has to happen, let go of the preconceived ideas of what the outcome must be, go with the flow and see how it changes you in the situation. And, of course, it’s always easier to let go if you do more yoga! See you in class soon. My first class back with be Thursday September 4th at 6:15pm. I am really looking forward to seeing you all again. Namaste~ Ann A big thank you to Betsy for running the studio so beautifully while I’ve been on Maternity leave. She made it so easy for me to be home spending time with Arjuna. Thank you to all the teachers for teaching such great classes and covering for Dan and me. Betsy, Alicia, Sally, Beth and Cheryl you are a great group of teachers and I am blessed to have you in my life. Thank you to all of you who have sent us your thoughts, prayers and well wishes. It has been a truly special time and I look forward to introducing Arjuna to all of you. |
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Intention Dear Yoga Friends- I’ve been thinking a lot about intentions lately with the opening of the new studio and with the upcoming birth of the baby. What are my intentions for the studio and for the baby? Do I have any? Should I have some? It’s led me on a pretty interesting journey of self-discovery these past few months. Most of the time we are not aware of our intentions. Sure we have a 5 year plan (maybe) and lots of goals and to-do lists for this year but do these actions actually promote who and what we want to become in our life? The practice of consciously setting intentions is an important tool in yoga. Just like releasing the tensions in the muscles around the spine is an important tool in becoming more open and more connected to who you truly are, the Self, consciously setting intentions can smooth out the rough edges on the path. Especially when our intentions fall in line with our soul’s inner most wishes. And our intentions create our life, they are already creating our life, whether we are aware of them or not. Each thought, action and deed creates who we are in the world and what our life is about. There are two types of intention- Conscious intentions and unconscious intentions. When we set goals and make plans it’s easier to see what our intentions are. We are consciously choosing what path we want to move along. And then there are unconscious intentions. Most of the time we operate with intentions we are not even aware of, hidden underlying intentions that keep us locked into the same behavior patterns over and over. These underlying intentions keep you having the same reactions even though you vow you won’t be lured into that same argument again. Or this time it will be different when I visit my family – they won’t push my buttons! Some of these unconscious intentions run deep and it takes a lot of awareness to root them out so you can consciously decide and intend how you will act in any situation. When you practice Svaroopa yoga you become aware of your inner world- of the Self. Awareness of the inner layers of tension helps you to develop the ability to be more aware of your world and the world around you. It can also help you to become more aware of the underlying intentions in your life so you can choose what you are creating next. So you can choose who you are going to be and how you are going to live your life. This awareness gives you a wonderful gift – the gift of choice. Instead of continuing on auto-pilot, you are now responsible, you are now in charge, you get to create your life to be the grandest vision of what you thought it could be. Actually, you’ve always been responsible and in charge but you may not have been aware of what you were intending and maybe you’ve been intending things you don’t want. Now you have a tool that will help you begin to consciously create the life you want. This awareness may not happen all at once – more than likely it will be a gradual awakening. As your life becomes more in line with the underlying decisions you are making (consciously and unconsciously) your life starts to work just a little better, function just a little easier – things aren’t so difficult. The outer you and the inner you move closer to the same path. And intentions are not expectations. You intend for something to happen in a certain way and then let go of it, soften into it, release the intention and let the Self bring forth what ever needs to happen next for your highest good. There are things you can do to help this process along. You can consciously create intentions that are for your highest good. Thoughts, words or deeds that move you to a higher path. A consistent yoga practice is one of those choices. The more you dive into the awareness of the physical body the deeper you can dive into the inner world – the Self. The more you practice the art of surrender the easier it is for you to hear those inner messages. The more in touch you become with who you truly are and what you want in life the easier it becomes to set intentions that will support you. Your thoughts, words and deeds become in tune with the Self. You become one with your Self and everything around you. The goal of yoga is to merge into the Self. And, of course, there is no effort, no forcing just like in yoga. Create your intentions and let life unfold around you just like your body opens around a yoga pose. And remember; if you want to help things along… just do more yoga. Namaste~ Ann |
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Support Dear Yoga Friends- We made the move and are in the new location. A very heartfelt thank you goes out to all the volunteers that helped with the move and with the set up of the new space. One of the primary principles of Svaroopa™ Yoga is that support equals release. When you support the body those muscle tensions that prevent you from moving further into the pose (and into your life) let go creating a deeper opening in the body, a deeper experience. I feel like I am learning more about support every day as I move closer and closer to a very special event in my life- the birth of my first baby due in July. I have had to rely on the support of so many people to get this move done since I am no longer able to do so many of the things I am used to doing. The more I let go and rest back into the support of those around me the smoother things flow. This hasn’t always been clear to me. I used to think that I had to push and effort to get things done but when I let go and rest into the support things unfold as they are supposed to and in the time they are supposed to. Things turn out better than I could plan. It is the same in your body. As you rest into the support of that extra blanket - muscle tensions are unwinding just as they are supposed to - moving you into a deeper experience at your own pace. No pushing, no effort required. Just consistently practicing yoga and opening up the body is all you need. In the past few months I have been looking for additional ways to support your deepening yoga experience. We’ve added the Beginning Meditation Series to teach you meditation tools as a way of supporting you at home. And now we are adding a Friday evening Chant and Meditation on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month. Chanting helps to deepen your practice by beginning to open up the mouth and throat like asana opens up the body. The sounds of the chant play along the spine reaching in and opening you up to a deeper dimension. As I begin to wind down how many classes I can teach you will begin to see some familiar faces popping in to help support our community. We are blessed to have some of the senior Svaroopa™ Yoga teachers from San Diego driving up here to pick up a few classes. You will begin to see Alicia Isen and Jenny Marstaller in classes starting in May. And of course you can rely on Dan and Betsy to continue teaching the excellent classes you are used to. Namaste~ Ann |
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Dear
Yoga Friends- January is a
time of resolutions, of transforming yourself into something better,
something more than what you are. Yoga says your true essence is
perfection. And during class we work on opening up the inside so you can
rest in the bliss of your own being. So,
according to yoga you are already perfection. No change required. Well,
there might be a few rough spots around the edges that need a little
work. And that’s fine; life is a journey not a destination. So perhaps
there are some things you would like to change. Look at why you want to
change. Is the reason superficial or is there a deeper meaning. Do you
want to change so that you can be a light for other people in your life?
Or do you want to change so you will look better than someone else? What
are the reasons behind the changes that you want to make in your life?
Look at the reasons and decide if it is a valid change for you. Also
look and see who really wants the change –if this is something a
friend or partner is encouraging maybe it isn’t the right change for
you. The New Year brings a
wonderful opportunity to make real life changes that will help to
express your own true essence into the world. Mid-January
I will be in La Jolla for Meditation training and I am very excited to
come back and offer meditation classes and workshops starting in
February. Please
welcome two new teachers; Dan and Betsy. You will be seeing them in
classes soon. Please let
me know how I can serve you. And as always, Do more yoga! Namaste~ Ann |
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Dear Yoga
Friends- Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year. It is a time to reflect and a time to count your blessings. In
Patanjali’s Yoga sutras, an ancient yoga text, he lists cures to quiet
an active mind. In sutra 1.33 he says; By cultivating attitudes of
friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in
the virtuous, and disregard for the wicked, the mind retains its
undisturbed calmness. Cultivate
friendliness toward happiness. When
you see someone else’s happiness be happy for them. If some one has a
bigger house, fancier car, great clothes, a fantastic relationship or a
deep commitment toward their spiritual path - feel happy for them. Just
because someone else has something you want doesn’t mean you can’t
have it too. The universe is abundance. Feelings of envy or jealousy
only activate your mind and put you through inner turmoil. One of the
ways to cultivate friendliness towards happiness is to be grateful for
what you have in your life. If you compare yourself to others you may
come up short, but if you look at all the blessings in your life you
realize how much you have to be grateful for. You realize how much
abundance you already have. And when you
are counting your many blessings remember to count the blessings on the
inside, what yoga has brought to your life. Less tension in the body,
less agitation in the mind, peacefulness, a way of looking at the same
situation in a whole new light. The more yoga you do the better you
feel. It builds and builds until you are established in who you truly
are - the bliss of your own
being. I am
grateful for the opportunity to serve you. Please let me know what you
need. And, of course, do more yoga. |
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Tools for
Transformation Dear Yoga
Friends- We are
teaching you more than just the physical poses; we are teaching you
tools for transformation. You decide how much you want to transform, how
good you want to feel. Whether you decide to transform a moment, a day,
a week, or your whole life – it’s up to you.
And what you transform is also up to you. Do you use yoga to feel
more comfortable and more at ease in your body? Do you use yoga to quiet
your mind so you have more peace and serenity? Do you use yoga to help
with your breath? You get to decide what and how much you are going to
transform. All we do is teach you the tools you need to make the
transformation possible. Each time
you bring your leg in for Alternate leg you are setting new patterns of
openness into your body, into your being. Your body remembers this and
the next time you are feeling tight you can use Alternate leg to open up
the body and restore yourself to the inner tranquility and peace that is
always there within you. And
it’s not just Alternate leg, any of the asanas will work, like the
Magic 4. And it’s not just the asanas, it’s the breath. A few Ujjayi
breaths can lead you back inside as well. And yoga
helps to transform your mind. The situation doesn’t change on the
outside but how you handle it, how you react to it changes on the
inside. In an ancient yoga text the Bhagavad Gita - Arjuna, a
warrior, is faced with an unpleasant task that he no longer wants to do.
He has lost his way and Krishna counsels him on why he must act in the
world. At the end of the book, Arjuna realizes why he must perform his
actions and he acts. He still must perform the same unpleasant task but
how he sees the situation has changed. His perception has changed. Yoga
doesn’t change the world around you; it changes how you perceive the
world. It helps you to take responsibility for your thoughts and actions
and to build the world you want to be living in. You decide
how much and what part of your life you would like to transform. Yoga
gives you the tools to make this happen. And with everything else, you
can over do your yoga practice. If you are feeling any physical or
emotional discomfort after a class or a few days after a class chances
are you are in relapse. Please call us or come to another class for some
support. As always I
am here to serve you. Please let me know what you need. And, of course,
do more yoga. Ann
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It
seems like respect is harder to find in our world these days. It really
struck home for me this past month when my yoga master/teacher Rama came
up for the day. We have all had people in our lives who lift us up, who
help us become more than we ever dreamed possible. Who love us as we are
and have no vested interest in how we turn out. Some one like this
commands our respect, not demands it but earns it through who they are for
us. Through how they express themselves in the world, how their light
shines. May be even you have been someone like this for someone else.
These types of people make it easy to be respectful. But
what about other people in your life? What about the person who makes your
coffee every morning or does your dry cleaning or washes your car? We are
constantly in relationship with other people. And these people have the
same light shining through them as the Ramas of this world do. As the
definition of Namaste states: I
honor the place in you in which
the entire universe dwells, I
honor the place in you that is of
love, of truth or light and of peace. When
you are in that place in you and
I am in that place in me, we
are one. Why
not try honoring that light in everyone you meet? What not try being the
first to show respect to another human being instead of waiting for them
to be the first? If you want to be respected, try respecting. If you want
to be loved, try loving. Be the light for others to follow. Be the example
that shows others how to be a little more human. This is how the world
changes. One interaction at a time. Of
course, yoga helps. As you make those deeper connections with yourself,
create that deeper level of awareness, you have more confidence in sharing
yourself with the world. More confidence to express who you really are.
More confidence to let your own light shine. Remember, it doesn’t matter
what the question is, the answer is always – do more yoga! Namaste~ Ann |
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Yoga Friends; Exciting News~ My
teacher, Rama Berch will be visiting The
Yoga Spot on April 13th
2002 . This is an amazing opportunity to
spend the day with a Master Yoga Teacher. We have two special events
planned. The first is a Free Pain Clinic. You bring your aches and pains
and Rama tells you what yoga knows about them and how yoga can help
alleviate the pain. Rama has unparallel knowledge on how yoga poses effect
the body. Second is an afternoon workshop
with Rama on Core Openings. Rama will cover the foundational principles of
Svaroopa Yoga as well as using various yoga poses to create a deeper
opening in your body. A workshop with Rama is a special treat. You don’t
want to miss either event! Please register early. Space is limited. I am so excited to be able to share
this wonderful experience with you. As most of you know I have done quite
a bit of training with Rama in the past three years. She is an amazing
person whose experiences have really brought her to a point of clarity and
insight that make her teaching extraordinary.
If you have any questions regarding
either event please call me at 949-481-1429. Please let me know in what other
ways I can serve you. Namaste~ Ann
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Dear Yoga
Friends: Happy
New Year! This is the time of year where everyone makes resolutions to change something about them that they don’t really like. This time, to create a lasting change, why don’t you look at your intentions around your New Year’s resolutions? Are your intentions in your best interest or are they to make another person happy? Every thought, every word, every action has an
intention preceding it. If your intentions aren’t in alignment with
your thoughts, words and actions, then no matter how hard you try the
results will not be what you want. How do you discover what your intentions are? Sit
quietly and look within. Having problems sitting quietly? Maybe your
mind is a little active. Then yoga class can help. Yoga helps to get you
in touch with that inner stillness inside you. That inner space where
your intentions and thoughts are the same. That inner space you find in
each and every Shavasana. The bliss of your own being. Finding out your true intentions doesn’t have to
be full of effort or work. Let the yoga do the work. You just need to be
present to reap the benefits of the yoga poses. This February is our first year anniversary and we
are planning a special day of Free classes and a vegetarian potluck so
we can all get together as a community and celebrate. More details to
follow… Sometime in the next few months my teacher, Rama
Berch, will be at The Yoga Spot to lead a workshop and a chant and
meditation evening. Rama has been practicing yoga for over 30 years.
She’s studied in India for 11 years. She is the founder and director
of Svaroopa Yoga. A workshop with Rama is a very special treat. I’ll
keep you posted on the details. Please let me know what additional events or classes you would like to see at The Yoga Spot. I am always looking for ways to better serve you. Namaste~ Ann |
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Yoga Friends: I don’t think any of us will ever forget the tragic events
of September 11th. The whole world is grieving - Grieving the
loss of so many lives and grieving the loss of our sense of the world,
our security. The safety in the way things used to be. How do you keep
acting in a world so filled with strife, calamity and change? Why would
you want to? The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient yoga text, says you must keep
acting in the world because it is your duty to act. It
is your duty to act, to follow your dharma – your life’s purpose. It
is your duty to act but the fruits of your actions are not yours, they
are God’s. You must act in the world and turn over the fruits of your
actions to God. This can be a source of strength to us and to the world
around us. By turning over or dedicating your yoga practice to God, the
world, the victims and the survivors it helps us all start to heal. It
is time to heal. Time to tap into that inner strength that you’ve been
building up each time you practice yoga. Yoga can help to make sense of
what is happening on the outside by tapping into that inner experience,
that inner state of healing and bliss – Svaroope. The studio is a safe haven. A place you where you can
strengthen that inner experience so it is able to flow through into the
world. Please let me, Barbara, Ila and Alicia know how we can best serve
you. See you in class soon! Namaste, Ann |
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Yoga Friends: Fall is in the air. With it comes change or maybe new
beginnings. For me it has something to do with the start of the school
year and with the change of seasons. Things are always changing around
us and yoga helps us to stay centered even when it looks like the change
we are experiencing isn’t in our best interest. And, of course, once
we’ve moved through the experience and look back we see that change
has opened up a whole new aspect of life in a way we hadn’t thought
possible at the time. I read a very cute book recently called “Who
moved my Cheese? An Amazing way to deal with change in your work and in
your life” by Spencer Johnson & Kenneth Blanchard. It gives
examples of the different ways we can deal (or not deal) with change. I
think you might enjoy it. Yoga helps you deal with change. Yoga can’t change
situations or circumstances for you but it helps with how you handle
what’s going on. It helps to smooth the way and improves your outlook
on life. You may have already noticed this for yourself. And what about
all those people in your life that you would love to change? Get them
doing yoga too! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone around you were
doing yoga? It could be a whole new world. Another practice to help foster positive changes in
your life is Karma Yoga, the practice of selfless service. Helping to
help, without expecting anything in return. There are opportunities for
Karma Yoga at the studio. We have brochure stands around town that need
to be filled. You can adopt a stand and keep it full. Or maybe you know
of a location where we can put out flyers. We have more information at
the studio about how you can help and please let me know in what way you
would like to contribute. Every little bit counts. And who knows, maybe
we could get everyone around us doing yoga… We have three great workshops
coming up this fall. Please check inside the newsletter for more
information and you can register for the workshops on-line at
www.theyogaspot.com. We have made a few changes on the calendar so
please check the class schedule to make sure your favorite class is
still at the same time. See you in class soon! Namaste~ Ann |
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Yoga Friends: It seems like every one is talking
about yoga these days. In the past few months both Time and Newsweek
magazines ran cover stories on yoga and Oprah had a yogi on her show.
What is all the fuss about? I think the secret is out of the bag. Yoga
is good for you and yoga makes you feel good. Everyone wants this
experience and all the benefits associated with it. Increase your
flexibility, relieve stress, reduce chronic muscle tensions and relax
deeply. Wow! Who wouldn’t want these benefits? Yoga is a very powerful
practice. Taking one Svaroopa Yoga class per week and you will notice a
definite change in your flexibility in 90 days, participate in two
classes per week and that time frame decreases to 45-60 days. Do you have deep tensions or are
healing an injury? Maybe you have limited time and can’t get to as
many classes as you would like. A Yoga Therapy session is the answer for
you. One Yoga Therapy session is equivalent to a month of yoga. This
session is custom-designed to work on the areas in your body that need
it the most. We are offering a special promotion this summer – June is
Yoga Therapy Month. For the month of June we are offering a special
price on an Introductory Yoga therapy session. This is a great time to
try a Yoga Therapy session and see how it can help you. Look for more
details in this newsletter. Due to popular demand Barbara Abel
is on the calendar! She will be teaching the Wednesday evening
Continuing class at 7:30pm. Stop by, take her class and make her feel
welcome! We’ve made other changes in
the calendar. We’ve added morning Yoga for Back classes on Monday and
Wednesday mornings at 9am. We’ve also added two Continuing level yoga
classes on Saturday and Sunday at 10:45am. Tuesday evening at 5:45 is
Open Yoga. This class is appropriate for everyone – Yoga Back
students, Continuing students and Pregnant students. And the Pregnant
Yoga class has moved to Sunday mornings at 9am. Summer time is a time to be outside
enjoying the sunshine and moving around. It is also important to have
balance in your life. The more active you are the more you need yoga to
help unwind those muscles and soothe your body. See you in class soon! Namaste~ Ann |
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