5/28/10
Dear Student,
I hope that this letter finds you well.
The Spring Schedule of classes has come to a close and I am on a brief hiatus
from group classes until June 1st. The Summer series then begins on
Tuesday, 6/1/10 with the evening classes at the Shoreline Center for Wholistic
Health in Guilford and will continue until late August.
I hope you will continue to enjoy Yoga through the summer as a support to you
other activities. To support you in this and deepen your immersion into Yoga
you may consider the special $210.00 rate for more than one class per week
during the eleven week series. Classes may be taken at any of the studio classes
listed on the attached schedule. This is a great opportunity to perhaps explore
other classes and aspects of this incredible practice of Yoga. Join the series
or drop in as you can. We’ll be here!.
De-stress and re-connect with yourself after your busy week. Let Yoga
jump start your day and enjoy the “Yoga Basics for Serenity, Stress Relief
and Wellness” at 9:30am on Sunday mornings at Raven’s Wing Yoga.
Experience the magic!---Yoga practices integrated and amplified in
special sequences for strength across all aspects of the self,
energetic vitality and heightened awareness. If you can breather you cane enjoy
the Kundalini Yoga Basics class as it continues at 4:30-5:45pm time
period on Wednesdays at the Shoreline Center for Wholistic Health in Guilford.
The Schedule of these and all my studio classes is attached in pdf form. More information is available on my website at www.creativeedgeyoga.com.
Those in the New Haven, Woodbridge and
Bethany area can gently stretch, move and relax in the special Afternoon Yoga
Gentle Yoga class in Bethany. We will continue throughout the summer on
Mondays at 4:00pm at the elementary school on 40 Peck Rd. Please contact me for
more information.
No
matter the time of year, with pain can come limits of energy, activity,
enjoyment and your very well being. Build the foundation for a summer of more
pain free movement, fun and freedom. The ongoing
Yoga and Functional
Movement for Posture Alignment, Pain Relief and Stress Management
continues on Saturday mornings from 10-11:30am at the Shoreline Center in
Guilford.
Though no workshops are planned at this time please contact me with any requests and feedback to help me serve you better.
Yoga Therapy
From Struggle to Strength on the Way of Yoga and Wellness.
As a Yoga and meditation teacher and therapist for many years I am returned continually the most fundamental task in order to help my students and clients as they enter the way of wellness. It is helping them realize and appreciate that wellness is a indeed a “Way”, a path to travel much more than a destination. Even then, despite the rewards and power of Yoga and Meditation to change us, our movement on the path is anything but smooth.
Often, under distress, suffering from health issues, in pain or in seeking any goal in life the finish line to the journey toward wellness goals and peace often seems distant or even impossible in one’s present circumstance. One can get caught up in calculating each step, its worth and value as it relates to that goal. This is, when done in a considered way, an appropriate thing to do to prepare oneself and choose the path that will best meet these goals. However, often this calculation becomes our ballast, holding us down and becoming the rationale for ineffectual fits and starts that obscure or sabotage our progression.
Sometime we helpers or seasoned
practitioners call this “resistance” and can treat it as though it was an
enemy of the process of growth. I prefer the formulation of resistance,
described by Senior Yoga teacher Sally Kempton, writing for the Online Yoga
Journal in the article Yoga
Philosophy - Free Yourself. She views resistance as our as our
psychological immune system. When used positively it is a mind state charged
with keeping us safely stable and healthy in the fabric of our present
self, lives and relationships. It helps us move toward our goals in a measured
way so we can remain grounded and responsible, not flighty, compulsive or
reactive in each step of journey.
There are, however all too many times and circumstances in which the unskilled
handing of resistance can become its own sort of immune disorder. Despite our best
intentions if can bog us down and be at the root of stagnation and burnout.
Struggling and forcing though this can create the effect of quicksand,
holding us down even further from creative growth and change.
An antidote to this process is often remembering to relate to, rather
than struggle against our heavier and inert mind states. Accepting and
compassionately working with ourselves by developing an attitude that seeks to
inquire and understand the purpose of our resistant feelings and behaviors can
be the most integrative way to move on in our process of growth.
As Ms Kempton writes in another article
Yoga Meditation - What Are You Resisting? :
“I've found that as I practice being present to my resistance with this
questioning attitude, something does let go. Resistance eases. Just as people
want to be heard, so do our psychological states. Sometimes just
listening to what your resistance wants to tell is enough for it to open the
gates and free you.”
So, just as we often go most freely, safely and easily into our physical Yoga postures as we loosen our hold on contention and self conscious physical effort, so the hold resistance has on us is often transformed as we replace our inner struggles and self judgment with skillful inquiry and compassion. Then, as our hearts open to ourselves in these moments we can realize the truth in what the sage Lao tze has stated: "With compassion comes invulnerability".
Yoga Practice:
Heart Centered Breath
This
breath is adapted from Kundalini Yoga and is a variant of sitali
breathing. Sitali is a very powerful breath with cooling, calming and cleansing/detox
effects according to Yogis. This variation is particularly focused on helping
with issues related to the effects of stress, calm anxiety, helps mitigate
unhelpful cravings and can support you in attempting to quit smoking.
Sit in a comfortable position, either cross-legged on the floor or in a chair.
Sit up tall with the spine straight, the shoulders relaxed and the chest open.
Rest the hands on the knees with the palms facing up. Lightly touch the index
finger to the thumb. Relax the face, jaw, and belly. Allow the eyes to lightly
close. Softly pucker your lips and inhale through the puckered lips, exhale
through the nose. you can breathe in to the count of 4, exhale to the count of
8. Continue for 2-4 minutes or 26 rounds.
Take time to
gently stretch and ground yourself afterward as need as you transition to your
day.
Additional
services:
Home or office,
private, semi private and small group Yoga and meditation sessions oriented to
the goals and abilities of the individual or group. These include instruction in
yoga and Meditation and the more specific therapeutic applications of Yogamovement, breathwork and meditation
for stress disorders, weight balance and fitness, high blood pressure,
supporting injury rehabilitation and more. Over the past several years I have worked
with several students in private sessions in both brief and longer term
scenarios. Students have utilized this time
to:
Sessions can be held in your home or at my teaching studio locations. For details and to answer questions about how you may benefit from one of these modalities please contact me at (203)488-1700.
As always, thanks you very much for your ongoing support. I do hope to see you this summer and share the wonderful practices of Yoga!
Namaste & Sat nam,
Alan
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****This newsletter is intended to inspire and stimulate thought and insight
according to the general concepts and practices of Yoga and Meditative arts. The
use of these opinions and ideas and techniques is no substitute for any and all
professional services to suit your specific personal needs. Always consult a
competent professional for answers to your specific questions.