Lent and Yoga

(Yoga Sutra II.1-3)

Austerity, appropriate study of Scripture, and dedication to God comprise the yoga of action, which is for the purpose of cultivating absorption and for the purpose of diminishing the afflictions. Ignorance, ego-centeredness, desire, aversion, and longing for continuity are the five afflictions.

 

 We have one workshop coming up in March and a field trip in April planned! Check us out! March 9th we are hosting at Tranquility Yoga for $30.00 Karen Kuykendall, Life Coach, and Yin Yoga Postures workshop. Reserve your spot today! We are filling up the spots and taking a waiting list. Without your $15 reservation fee or $30 workshop fee, you will not have a reserved mat space.

• New classes on the schedule this week: Today, Tuesday, at 8:30 a.m. (taught by Jeanne) Saturday, at 10:30 a.m. (taught by Micah) Sunday, at 2:30 p.m. (taught by Debbie) 
• Classes with a freebie: Noon today and on Thursday are bring a friend for free! Wednesday classes all day long are bring a friend for free! New contest coming in March - 31 day challenge. 
• Other classes include 



• Power Yoga on M,W,F at 5:30 p.m. with Micah and Jeanne 
• Noon 12:00 p.m. classes every day, M, T, W, TH, and F with Jeanne and Debbie 
• 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Jeanne 
• 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday taught by Jeanne and Alyssa 
• 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Saturday taught by Jeanne 
• 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Saturday taught by Jeanne and Micah 
• 5:30 a.m. on Monday and Friday taught by Jeanne 
• 2:30 p.m. on Sunday taught by Debbie 
• In every class you can modify, and we will stretch and strengthen! 
• We are now on Instagram. Follow us at jeannekaydoss. Meditation classes are on hold until further notice due to lack of participation. Classes with less than 3 to 5 consistent in attendance will be dropped from the schedule in February! How to stop this? Come to class! (: 
• PRICELIST: 
•  31 days in March competition for a half year of free yoga; fill out a ticket and place in the apple basket at the desk each time you come to class. Begins on March 1, 2013 and ends on March 31, 2013. New clients only to the studio can use the "I Dream of Jeanne" coupon for $31.00 for 31 days beginning March 1 - March 31.
• Everyone can practice! Cards are as low as $5.50 per class with a 20 punch card for 6 months. 
• Water is $.50 per bottle, mats can be rented for the same price, and new bolsters are for sale ($40)! 
• Private training at your house or my studio is $45 per hour. No package prices available; just pay as you go. 
• $10 drop-in; $45.00 for one month and six classes; $110.00 for six months and twenty classes
• Unlimited packages renew on the same day the following month or six month period. $80 for one month Unlimited and $432 for six months Unlimited

 Lent is the 40 days before Easter. Many faiths let go of something in preparation for this special occasion in the faith world. Our whole study in final meditation will be about learning to let go through this season. So, whether you practice Lent, or whether you do not, come and see how learning to let go will benefit your body, mind, and spirit! See article below.

Ash Wednesday was February 13th and so began the season of Lent. I grew up a non-denominational Christian and had little experience with Lent. In fact, I remember working at a bookstore and wondering why, one particular evening, about a quarter of all our customers had dark crosses smeared on their foreheads. What I learned later on after gaining a few wonderful Catholic friends is that it is a ritual of Ash Wednesday mass in which ashes from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are marked on the believer. It signifies mourning and repentance. Many observers spend the next 40 days until Easter Sunday fasting and praying. So enough with the history lesson… Why observe this holiday if you’re not religious? A few reasons…

Because it will help you be a better person. What’s cool about Lent is that it falls just about the time that our New Year’s resolutions have fallen to the wayside. Use Lent as a reminder of all the things you wanted to do to make 2013 a better year. It’s your second chance.

Because grief is good. Part of Lent observance is mourning. I’m not saying that everyone should go around sad and pitiful for a month and a half, but Lent may be a good time to dig deep into your heart about your losses. One of the biggest issues people don’t even realize that they have is a lack of grief. You lost a job, a spouse, a friend, or even a period of time in your life that you enjoyed is over. Did you properly grieve it? A lot of times, we walk around still carrying the weight of something we’ve lost. Here’s something: Write loss a letter. Whatever it is that you’ve lost, even if it’s not a person, write it a letter. Express how you feel about it and how you miss the good times. Share any hurt or pain its loss has caused… Then throw it away. When you do that, you release yourself from its weight and you can truly move on.

Because repentance means saying, “I’m sorry”. Lent is a good time to apologize to anyone you’ve wronged. None of us are perfect and we’ve hurt people in our lives. It takes a brave person to admit he or she is wrong. Be that brave person this season.

Because it’s also about forgiveness, and we all need to forgive someone. Just like you need to apologize, chances are that you also need to forgive someone else’s offenses. It could be a kid who was mean to you in school more than 30 years ago or an ex-spouse who still causes you trouble. It doesn’t matter. Lent is a time of forgiveness, so let go. The bitterness you hold in your heart for that person hurts no one but yourself. Release it this season; make the conscious effort to do so (every day, if you have to).

Because fasting makes you awesome. Fasting is tough. It bends our will and puts the selfish, childish side of us in a corner. It requires self-discipline and a certain strength of character. Not everyone can give up something that they love. But if you really want to see exactly what you’re made up, I challenge you to give up one luxury. Just one. Coffee, Facebook, cookies, swearing, whatever you indulge in. It’s not only a good way to kick a bad habit, but it shows you just how tough you really are.

Because sacrifice is good for the soul. Many religions require and/or advocate fasting. Religions that differ vastly on the creation of the world or morality issues often times agree that sacrifice is good for a human being’s spirit. It expands you somehow on the inside. Why? Because it gives your body and brain a vacation. You get to operate out of something bigger that’s on the inside.

No matter what you believe, Lent is a season for all of us. We can reflect, re-choose, and re-shape ourselves and our futures. Think about it. - Jennifer Jones