A new Chair Yoga class!!

Yoga is appealing for so many reasons and can be healing to so many! In an effort to reach out to older adults or those that need a supported chair yoga class due to health concerns or injury, I am starting a new yoga class entitled Spirit Stretch Chair Yoga.
The class will be 45 minutes in length and most poses will be done seated in a chair, or standing next to a chair for support.
Class meets on Tuesday mornings 10-10:45am February15-March 29 (Skip March 8) and will be held at Easter Lutheran Church by the Lake in Eagan (intersection of Cliff and Pilot Knob Road). The class is sponsored by Easter Church and all registrations/payments can be paid directly to the church.
Call me or email me if you want further information!
Have a peaceful day!

Removing Obstacles

"May we cultivate the powers of concentration, removing obstacles that cause all of our suffering" (The Yoga Sutras).

Part of our yoga practice is to really focus on the present moment; the here and now. When we do this, we release our worrying and fretting about past or future events and can be fully present. If you are familiar with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, then you know that its basis is the notion that to change our attitudes and feelings, we need to change our thinking.

Yoga practice helps us to release (at least for a few moments) the constant 'tapes' and repetitive thoughts that roll through our minds. These repetitive thoughts often bring with them worry, stress, fear, anger, or other types of suffering. When we practice yoga, we find release in both the body and mind and slowly begin to shift and change the way that we think about and respond to things.

Does this happen immediately? Probably not. This is why yoga is considered a "practice." We need to be disciplined and continue to do the work of yoga in order to move more deeply. Whether it is our professional lives, or our spiritual lives, we don't expect to be proficient at the beginning. With study, repetition, and practice we begin to cultivate our skills and slowly realize that our self doubt and other perceived obstacles are largely of our own making.

May you be open to new ways of thinking and being today!
Peace,

New All Saints Yoga Class Begins this Week!

This Thursday, January 20th, a new gentle yoga class will begin at All Saints Lutheran Church in Eagan (at the corner of Wescott and Lexington).
Class will be held from 6:45-7:45pm and the cost is $50 for a 6 week session that will run from January 20-March 3 (Skip 2/3).
There is still time to get registered. Email or call me if you have questions or need more information. It's a New Year....there's absolutely no better time to give the practice of yoga a try!!
Peace and Wellness,
Karen
karenyogam@gmail.com
651-681-1672

Practicing at Home

Developing a home practice can be challenging.....but even little things add up over time. The next time you are watching your favorite TV program, do a couple of balance poses during the commercial break. At your desk at work, take a brief break to breathe deeply and do some shoulder rolls and a seated spinal twist.
These may seem small, but just like taking the stairs rather than an elevator and parking a bit farther from entrances when you go shopping, they all add up to helping you improve your health and well-being.
See if you can add some moments of yoga to your week. Let go of the idea that less than a full yoga class is not worthwhile. Be good to yourself and do what you can. You may find that small efforts lead to bigger ones. I find that the more yoga I do...the more I want to do!
Peace and good health!

Equanimity

The concept of equanimity is an extraordinarily difficult one to put into practice. Equanimity refers to dealing with our day to day circumstances in an even handed and balanced way. I had a yoga teacher once say the following: "imagine that you are walking barefoot on a summer day in thick soft grass. The earth feels cool and solid underneath you, when suddenly you step...and squish.... you realize that you have stepped directly into dog poop." If we are practicing equanimity, then we should be able to approach each step with a similar level of intensity. For most of us, we'd be enjoying the walk up until the dog poop moment...then we'd freak out, jump around, wondering why we were having such a sh***y day (sorry...could not resist the pun!).

I have been trying (with some successful moments and some not) to use the concept of equanimity this January. I am not much of a fan of winter, especially when dealing with slippery roads and biting wind. I have tried to develop a mindset of simply being with and accepting what the weather provides each day rather than complaining and moaning (my usual response). I admit that this is a work in progress, and can be moment to moment...but I do find that when I can release what I want the weather to be like, and instead just be present with what 'is', then it really helps me from falling into a funk and being bummed out by the weather. It's no different really than the concept in cognitive behavioral therapy which states that what we think about is then reflected in our feelings.

So...on this cold January day...stay warm...try to find a still and peaceful place inside of you that remains constant and the same...no matter the weather!

Happy 2011

Now is the time to commit to your yoga practice....send that registration and payment in so that you can continue to practice yoga in 2011. Most of my classes resume by the second week of January. Call or email me if you need a registration form or any other info!
See you on the mat!
Peace,
Karen
karenyogam@gmail.com