Newsletter June, 2013
In this issue:
Yoga Sutra Study Group - Update
[Next meeting: Saturday, June 1, 2:00-4:00 PM]
One of the common reasons why people join a yoga class is to learn how to manage stress. Ever wondered what causes stress in the first place? Is it caused by people or events external to us, or is it something that happens in our own minds? Ever wondered why we have all the negative tendencies like anger, jealousy, hatred etc which corrupt our minds and blind our reasoning abilities? How does yoga help us deal with and overcome all these situations in life? Does the practice of yoga involve only the practice of asana (physical postures) or is there more to the practice?
Patanjali, in the Yoga Sutras provides an insight into not only these but many more questions and situations that we face in our life. Study and understanding of the sutras can bring about a true transformation in our lives.
Read more ...
Relieve Lower Back Pain with the Reclining Twist
Lower back pain is perhaps the single most commonly mentioned reasons why people join yoga classes. There are several yoga poses that are recommended for taking care of lower back pain - for example, Marjarasana (cat & cow), Pawanamuktasana (wind-relieving pose), Balasana (child pose), all twisting poses etc. One of the poses that I personally enjoy and recommend highly is the Reclining Twist. In Sanskrit, it is variously named as Jathara Parivartanasana - जठरपरिवर्तनासन - (Abdomen Turning), Udarakarshanasana - उदराकर्षणासन - (abdominal stretching), and Supta Matsyendrasana - सुप्तमत्स्येन्द्रासन - (Reclining twist).
The reclining twist is what I call a "feel good asana" as it stretches multiple parts of the body in a gentle way and brings about a sense of refreshing rejuvenation and detoxification.
In my own practice, I make it a point to do this pose on a regular basic. I usually do it right after the inversion pose (shoulder stand or headstand) and before the seated spinal twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana).
Read more...
New 8-week session starts Monday, June 10
I am pleased to announce the next daytime 8-week yoga session as follows. This class is ideally suited for stay-at-home moms, those working from home, or anyone else with a favorable schedule.
- What: 8-week session, Level 1 yoga class
- When: Every Monday, 9:30-11:00 AM
- Starting Date: Monday, June 10, 2013
- Location: Please call
- Fee: $96
Please contact me if you would like to join or have any questions.
Yoga in the News
Smithsonian museum launching exhibition on the history of Yoga
"Yoga - The Art of Transformation"
Through masterpieces of Indian sculpture and paintings, this exhibition explores yoga's goals; its Hindu, as well as Buddhist, Jain, and Sufi manifestations; its means of transforming body and consciousness; and its profound philosophical foundations. It is the first exhibition to present this leitmotif of Indian visual culture and examines the roles of yogis and yoginis played in Indian society over two thousand years.
Read more ...
I am not this body - NYTimes.com
I do not identify with my body. I have a body but I am a mind. My body and I have an intimate but awkward relationship, like foreign roommates who share a bedroom but not a language. As the thinker of the pair, I contemplate my body with curiosity, as a scientist might observe a primitive species. My mind is a solitary wanderer in this universe of bodies.
Read more ...
How Yoga Helped One Anorexic Get Her Life Back.
I was 58 pounds, had just suffered a stroke, and anorexia had siphoned away any desire I had left to live. Fortunately, death did not oblige. He cracked open the door, took one look at me, and slammed it back shut in my face.
Read more ...
Have a question/suggestion?
If you have a yoga-related question, please write to me and I would do my best to provide an answer in a timely manner. I would love to hear your suggestions for future newsletter articles.
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