We live in a world of change.  We all know this, one has only to notice the seasons or watch sunrise or sunset to see perfect examples of that change.  Sit still, close your eyes and notice what you feel.  Does it stay the same or does it almost immediately change?  Just like the sky, what you feel is in motion and always changing.

Life is constantly changing and yet so many of us crave permanence which simply does not exist.  How often have you said or heard someone else say, “I hate change”?  The best expression of this is the phrase, “It won’t be the same without you.”  Of course it won’t be the same!  It won’t be the same with or without me.

When we say, “I hate change” or “It won’t be the same without you,” we are really saying that change is bad.  We also rob ourselves of the chance to joyfully experience something new.  We create an expectation that whatever happens will not only be different but that the difference will be bad.  Often when we believe something will go badly, it does so because we make it so.  On occasion, such times are so happy or joyful that the experience overwhelms our belief but this tends to be the exception and not the rule.

Why do we resist change so much?  Control, we want to control our lives and, sometimes, the lives of those around us.  Those of us who hate change the most, do so because that change makes us feel out of control.

What can you do to begin letting go of the need for permanence in our ever changing world?  Start to notice all of the change going on around you right now.  Next, notice all of the change going on inside your body right now.  Your body is literally alive with sensations right now.  Are you in control of any of these changes?  No, you may be able to influence them but they are not in your control.  Check outside to make sure that the world didn’t just come to an end.  Continue this little experiment and notice what you feel as you recognize change.  Panic, wonder, awe, fear?  Then drop out of labeling what you feel down into the sensations you feel.  How does panic/wonder/awe/fear feel?  Where you do you feel it?  Does the sensation stay the same and in the same place or does it also change?  Expand this little experiment and notice what comes up with larger changes, is it the same, more intense or something else entirely?  As you continue this practice, you will find that your relationship with change will . . . change.

Jai Bhagwan

We understand, we truly do, that the phrase By Donation can cause some trepidation.  We know that some of our students become flustered by this and just want the ease of being told how much to pay.  We understand this, too.  Here is our suggestion:  Ask us!  We’ve been asked before, we’ve discussed it at length, and we have some good answers for you.  We are here to help you the best we can so we encourage you to talk to us whether in studio, by phone (yes, we have a phone number), or via email.   (Contact us)

For an immediate explanation, look here for our post concerning this very topic.  Please don’t hesitate to ask us any questions that arise.

It is our intention to continue offering classes in this manner to help us keep yoga available to everyone.

Jai Bhagwan.

We will also help you craft an intention.  An intention is like a mission statement for your life, something that guides you and keeps you on course.  An intention is a way to mentally organize and align what you say, what you think, and what you do, helping you recognize and shift away from your unhelpful habits.

The Yoga Nidra workshop will last 2 hours and will include a guided Yoga Nidra session where you can begin using your new intention.  After the session, there will be a period of time for journaling as well as question and answers.

We will be limiting the workshop to 10 participants, enabling us to give personal attention to everyone while forming intentions.  As such, we are asking you to sign up and remit your payment in advance.  To encourage this, we are offering the workshop at a reduced price for those who pay in advance.  The cost is $25 if you pay by February 20^th, after which the price will increase to $35 and will be $40 the day of the workshop if there is space left.  Upon payment, you will receive a list of items to bring and a series of questions to answer in advance to assist in forming your intention.

We hope you will join us!  Jai Bhagwan.

This Saturday, January 14, from 9 – 11 a.m., we will be holding our Beginners Workshop again.  During this workshop we’ll give you an overview of what yoga is as well as teach you the fundamentals needed for any effective yoga practice.  We’ll  teach the basics of yoga postures and how to work with, rather than against, your body while showing you how to modify postures to work best for you.  Basic breathing techniques are also demonstrated and taught.

Questions are always encouraged but especially so in the Beginners Workshop. This is the perfect time to ask those questions that arise during regular classes but that you don’t ask because you don’t want to disrupt the flow of class. This workshop is open to everyone and is accessible to anyone regardless of your experience, strength or flexibility.

This workshop is free, so bring some friends and enjoy a pleasant morning with us at the studio.  See you there!

Jai Bhagwan!

It’s a New Year and that means staying up late to say goodbye to the old year, to ring in the new one and to set resolutions.  Most people set resolutions and most people include health goals as part of their resolutions and by February, most people have given up on their resolutions.

It is quite likely that you have already made some resolutions and that improving your health is, in one way or another, one of your resolutions.  We would like to help you not be like most people this year.  We offer five fantastic kinds of classes that will help you keep your resolutions this year:

Yoga Simplified

This 60 minute class is, as the name suggests, a wonderful place to begin your practice of yoga. If you are a long time practitioner, this is a great class to refresh your practice.

Yoga Modified

This 60 minute class is a shortened version of the Amrit Yoga posture sequence for the student who is familiar with the basic postures and breathing exercises.  This class will help you explore how yoga can follow you off your mat into your everyday life.

Yoga Regular

This 85 minute class is based on the full Amrit Yoga posture sequence along with time for meditation.  If you are familiar with the postures and want to add more meditation to your practice, this class is perfect for you!

Restful Yoga

A 60 minute class that is exactly what the name says:  Restful.  Class focuses on gentle stretching of large muscle groups to help ease the body into a warm and relaxed state.  As the body relaxes, the mind begins to relax as well.  This class truly does rest the body and the mind.

Yoga Nidra

This occasional class—check the studio calendar for the next scheduled class—uses guided meditation to create a state of conscious deep sleep that releases deep tensions, eases away stress and allows the body and mind to be completely at ease and peace.

Workshops

In addition, we offer workshops to strengthen and enhance your yoga practice.  This month’s workshop is our Beginners Workshop Saturday, January 14, 2012  9-11 am.  This is a free workshop and will give you an overview of what yoga is as well as teach you the fundamentals needed for any effective yoga practice.

Jai Bhagwan,
Ramdas & Dhruti

It’s not uncommon to receive a question or two at the conclusion of one of our classes, but admittedly, we never could have guessed one of the most popular questions would be, “Hey, what’s in the mat cleaner?”

Yes, we make it ourselves.  No, there is no soap or detergent in it.  Yes, you are correct, it does smell rather wonderful and of course we’ll tell you how to make it!

We thought it would be nice to have it posted here permanently.  Feel free to share this with others!

For each cup of distilled water, add 3 drops tea tree essential oil, 2 drops peppermint essential oil, and 2 drops lavender essential oil to a clean spray bottle and shake it up.  That’s all there is to it.  These particular oils are antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, and just plain smell good together.  As a side note, it is useful for much more than cleaning your yoga mat:  Spray it on door knobs, in lunch boxes, on mattresses, in garbage cans, even freshen up your automobile!  It really is that awesome and we hope you find it as useful as we do.

Jai Bhagwan

Why Restful Yoga?  This class will offer the tools needed to learn to be at ease with the body you have regardless of its current condition.  Restful Yoga is a gentler physical version than a typical yoga class.  A prolonged warm-up is followed by gentle stretching and meditative awareness of the body.  The class then flows into a modified version of postures, or asanas, different than those in our other asana classes.  Class will conclude with a peaceful meditation and inward focus while either seated or lying down.

The Restful Yoga class is perfect for those who suffer from chronic health conditions and physical limitations, or even for those who would like to approach yoga at a slower pace.  This class offers a fulfilling yet manageable way for anyone to participate in a yoga class.  If you can walk down our stairs to get into the studio, then you are qualified for this class.* Restful Yoga will be offered once a week on Thursday evenings from 7-8 p.m. and is one of our pay by donation classes.

*If you are interested in this class yet stairs are not accessible to you, please contact us so we might bring yoga to you.  We truly are here to help.

Jai Bhagwan!

Now, I do not know the final numbers for how many were in attendance, but my best estimate was approximately 500 people showed up for the posture segment, and perhaps half of those remaining for the exceptional speeches thereafter.  My beloved teacher, Gurudev, Yogi Amrit Desai, spoke of the traditional aspects of yoga, something I’m certain you’ve heard Ramdas or I speak of if you’ve ever attended a class at Shanta Yoga.

It was amazing for me to watch and feel the response of others, those who have never been exposed to yoga, traditional or otherwise.  Gurudev spoke of both the inner and outer dimensions of yoga, but my favorite part of his speech was when he spoke of what yoga truly is and the affects it can have.  To paraphrase his words, he spoke of what we, as a society, believe yoga to be and why it is generally practiced; that is, postures on a mat or the physical aspects of yoga.  While the physical benefits are indeed enormous and are practiced all over the world, it still does not matter how flexible you become or how much weight you loose, you will never reach what is causing you stress without being guided by some sort of consciousness.  “You cannot force yourself into health.”

This is such a simple yet profound statement.  We need truly be aware of what is happening to our bodies.  Traditional yoga provides us with such powerful tools for learning about ourselves and what keeps us from our full potential.

This trip, for me, has had a lasting affect, which in turn has inspired a new class at the Shanta Yoga studio, which will begin Thursday, November 3 at 7:00 p.m.  Please check back here on Friday for a full description of that class and what it is all about.

Jai Bhagwan!

Every person starts practicing yoga for a different reason.  For one person it might be to improve their strength or flexibility and for another it might be to gain better balance or to be relaxed.  It is very easy to see how yoga postures can build up strength, flexibility and balance.  Most people, after attending even one class, can also see how yoga postures can relax a person.  Are these, however, the real purposes of postures?  At a very basic level, yes, they are and large numbers of people have used this basic application of yoga postures to develop strong, flexible, balanced bodies.  It is largely because of this success that when most people think of yoga, they automatically think of yoga postures.

More Than Just A Pretty Pose

There is, however, much more to the postures than simply creating a healthy body that is pleasing to the eye.  Postures are a place to experience and explore who we are and to break reactive habits.  The benefits of a healthy body and calm mind are immediately obvious but the benefits of experiencing who we are and breaking reactive habits may not be quite so obvious.

We all have buttons and we have all had our buttons pushed.  When someone pushes our buttons, more often than not, our unconscious habits immediately jump up and start pushing us around and we start pushing the button pushers away.  No one likes having their buttons pushed because no one likes being pushed around but if we just push the button pusher away, the button remains and waits to be pushed again.  Postures put us into many different shaped boxes, some are shaped like Warrior II or Camel or even Corpse Pose and those boxes will push buttons.

Our buttons might show up as fidgeting or the mind trying to be anywhere but in that pose or “Not this pose, I hate this pose!” or “I should be able to do that!”  One way or another, a level of discomfort arises and the question is, do we simply let habit take over or do we consciously recognize our discomfort and let it go.  If I can let go of the discomfort that comes from falling out of Tree Pose for the third time; I recognize I can probably let go of the discomfort that comes from that annoying dental receptionist telling me about her cats for the 12th time.

Jai Bhagwan.