Happy St Patrick's Day!

I am not Irish, although I can get away with saying I am since my hair is red and my skin is full of freckles! I really enjoy the celebration of St Patrick's Day I suppose because it is a day of celebration and fun in the middle of what is usually a dreary and cold  month of March.

Here's a little Irish poem for all of you:

May there always be work for your hands to do. May your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine on your windowpane. May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you. May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

March Madness

March is a tough month in Minnesota....we get the occasional glimpse of springtime weather, and then typically get hit with more snow and cold. Spring can be slow to arrive and winter can feel endless.

What to do?? Yoga!! Seriously, yoga is not exercise for me....but a practice that helps me find peace of mind. Returning to the mat is what helps me find clarity about what's really important and helps me move beyond feeling crabby or impatient with the little things in life.

If you've been away from yoga for awhile, or if you have never taken a step to try it out....March is probably about the best time to start. Actually....any day or time is the perfect time to try something new.

Do something out of the ordinary in March.....Go a bit "mad"....get out of whatever rut you may have been in this winter and start fresh. Breathe....do something new....roll out the yoga mat and begin.  Contact me if you need more information or reassurance to get started!

And the survey says.....

As many of you know, I did a survey of current and former yoga students of mine last fall. It was great to get so many positive responses and ideas about what people like about the practice of yoga.
If you missed the opportunity to take the survey, or even if you did complete it....please know that I am open to and appreciate your feedback! My goal has always been to provide a yoga experience that leaves students feeling refreshed and renewed.

Here are some of the results and comments from the survey....email me or respond here on the blog if after reading you think of other comments or ideas that you'd like to share!

A few Yoga Moodra Survey results:

81% of you feel comfortable and welcome in class.

89% of you agree that the intensity level of the class is "just right."

47% responded that you would be interested in a half day retreat.

Many of you listed words such as peaceful, relaxing, serenity, and well being to describe what the practice of yoga brings to your life.

As always....I am so delighted to be your yoga teacher each week! Yoga has been a gift and a healing practice for me, and it is my hope that I can provide a yoga experience that is meaningful and healing in the lives of my students! Thanks for your participation in class.

Peace, Love, Happiness, and Good Health!

Wishing

I have been thinking lately about the passage of time and how I spend my time. More specifically, I have been thinking about how to be more mindful and aware in the present so that I don't look back and say to myself "Where did the time go?"

It's a pretty daunting task to try to fill up and really live in each moment. With the seemingly endless winter, I often find myself wishing for summer and warmer days. Wishing for things to be different doesn't change anything, and it often wastes time and energy that I could be using to really do something more productive in the here and now. It is human nature to seek pleasure and try to avoid discomfort and pain...I guess that explains my frequent fantasies about running away and moving to a warmer climate! As much as these thoughts entertain me and allow me to escape briefly...they are ideas that take me out of the present moment and leave me feeling dissatisfied with the present.

I am seeking out my yoga mat as a spot to work on being patient and accepting of what is by enjoying the breath and by trying to let go of my knee jerk response that tells me to try to escape and avoid anything that I deem uncomfortable or unwanted. I do think that yoga helps me to "mellow out" and let go of things that take up time and space in my day. Yoga helps me stay present and more content each time I let go of wishing for circumstances to change.

Today I'll try to be aware of the cold, how the wind feels, noticing the beauty of the sun against the cold blue of the winter sky without trying to change it (I wouldn't have much luck doing that anyway!) and simply accept the gift of this moment in time. I'll try to use my time well and see if I can bring some warmth to myself and to others with a smile or a kind word. Instead of wishing for things to be different, I will work to create moments of peace and joy right now.

New classes are scheduled!

Hello Yoga students!
I now have dates set for yoga classes to follow the currently scheduled classes. See the left sidebar for class locations, dates and times. All 3 classes will begin a new session the second full week of March. I have yoga class options on Mondays at 4:30pm, Tuesdays at 4:30pm and Thursday evenings at 7pm. Please remember that if you end up missing a class, you are welcome to come to one of the other class locations to do a make-up class.
If you have a friend or neighbor that would like to try the class, they are always welcome to attend for a $10 drop in fee.
Also, if you have not yet purchased a copy of my home practice yoga DVD, I still have a few available for $5 each.

Yoga class promotion!

I am planning to offer a promotion to current yoga students for my upcoming class sessions. Here's the deal....Invite a friend, neighbor, or family member to join you for the next yoga class session...your friend gets $5 off the 6 week session cost, and you receive $5 off your session as well! I will be posting my updated class information on the blog shortly, as most of my current classes will be ending in February.
Remember...if your friend would like to try a class before committing to the 6 week session, they can attend a class for a $10 drop in fee.
Namaste!

Effort and Ease

Effort and ease are ideas that I mention occasionally while leading yoga. I am always curious about the ways in which I hold myself back from actions or asanas due to fear or some faulty assumption or belief. For instance, a thought about injury in a particular pose always makes me wonder...am I being reasonable and appropriately cautious, or am I allowing worries and fears about getting hurt to hold me back from practicing fully "at my edge?"

I guess the problem in part for me is that I have been injured in yoga before. In some situations I am aware that I took things too far, or wasn't fully present at the time...but in other instances, small injuries have happened and I really cannot pinpoint why. As we age, our bodies get a bit less pliable, so some caution is necessary I suppose. Injury and ill health are a part of our existence, but as humans we always seem to be looking for ways to avoid pain and discomfort.

Effort and ease can be difficult to manage in daily life too. Sometimes, I know I am taking the easy way out of a situation rather than giving it my full attention and energy. At other times, I know I can get too intense and single-minded and then I have to work on finding ways to 'mellow out' and release my need to control outcomes.

In my yoga practice, I find myself returning to this idea of finding a middle ground, a place of balance between effort and ease. For me, it helps to take a deep breath and get grounded in the present rather than getting stuck in some old idea from the past that  I am trying to make right, or some outcome I am reaching for in the future. It's not a spot you arrive in and then are finished. It's a day to day, moment to moment practice to try to really "be there" and live life at just the right intensity, finding that balance of effort and ease.