Back to School Schedule - July 29, 2012

"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are."

Joseph Campbell

Who am I?  This is often a question that we ask ourselves in meditation.  I can honestly say I am passionate about yoga.  It makes such a difference in my own life, and I see it begin to change other people's lives as well.  Meditation time along with the movement of the yoga asanas or postures have allowed me to look deep within myself to find the calm and tranquil state that I have always longed for in my life.  Sometimes in our world the question is what do I do?  I can say that I have been a human "do-er" for more years than I can count.  Now, I am learning through yoga, to become a human "be-ing" instead.

Join us on August 4th, 2012, for an exciting time of movement and meditation in our mini-workshop held at Tranquility Yoga in Owasso from 1:30 - 3:30.  The cost is $30.00, and the opportunity to change your life is amazing!  More workshops are planned for September 29, October 13, November 17, and December 15.

Here is our Back to School Schedule!  While I offer personal training at 4:15 each weekday, I do not have any classes at that time.  If you would like to schedule a personal training appointment with me, please contact me at 918-371-3841 for more information.  You can purchase 10 trainings and receive the 11th free of charge during August.  Personal training packages are nonrefundable after 10 days from the date of purchase.

Sunday Yoga Classes

4:00 p.m.  Yoga for Every Body - Nice flowing Vinyasa class for ages 10 and up!  Good for beginners.

Monday Yoga Classes

5:30 a.m.  Tranquil heart, steady breath, and a gazing point or drishti will help your balancing ability in our Monday morning class where we investigate arm, seated, and leg postures creating stability in our lives.

Noon 12:00 p.m.  Easy Yoga on the Go!  This class is awesome for the average yoga student or beginner to experience poses that build strength and lengthen muscle.

5:30 p.m.  Warrior Power Yoga for Strengthening and Toning!  If you are a beginner or an intermediate and desire a sweaty, hard workout, this practice is for you!

Tuesday Yoga Classes

5:30 a.m.  Get your yoga groove going with core Vinyasa flow yoga early before work.  We have shower facilities if you need to change before heading to the office or school site.

10:00 a.m.  Vinyasa Flow Morning Practice is a fun way to enjoy your workout in a mid-morning class with standing postures that build concentration and balance along with strength and flexibility.

6:00 p.m.  King Pigeon, hamstring, quad, and hip openers make happier people.  Join us for an awesome practice to release tension through asanas that build more ease into our daily movement.

Wednesday Yoga Classes

10:00 a.m.  Mid-morning workout for Beginners and Intermediates is amazing with forward folds and leg lengthening postures.  You will be more calm and ready to handle your Wednesday just from coming to class!  Any Way You Like It!

5:30 p.m.  Intro to Modified Astanga practice - build heat, learn Ujjayi breath, and isometric holds with 5 breaths.  This evening workout is enjoyable and difficult at the same time!

Thursday Yoga Classes

5:30 a.m.  Weight Loss Yoga with the 80%, 20% method.  Join us and see the difference yoga can make with your weight loss.  I personally can attribute a loss of 80 pounds to my practice which began 15 years ago.

10:00 a.m.  30 Essential Yoga Poses is a great class for beginners or intermediates as we do a pose specific yoga practice and book study.

4:00 p.m.  Afternoon Glow yoga as you open your hearts with gratitude and increase good posture with chest opening poses.

6:00 p.m.  Yoga for Shoulders and Arms as you stretch and strengthen your upper body!  Vinyasa flow practice with emphasis in your tension telling muscles of the neck, shoulders, upper back, triceps, and biceps.  You will be amazed at the reshaping of your arms!

Friday Yoga Classes

Noon class on Fridays is a fun-filled way to add yoga to your day with Yoga on the Go!  Explore your standing Warriors and other hip flexor opening postures with us.

5:30 p.m.  Power UP with movement, breath, and balancing poses in our most challenging class all week.  This is an amazing practice, and we love to celebrate Fridays by joining together after class with a community building dinner at a restaurant or at the home studio.

Saturday Yoga Classes

7:00 a.m.  Yoga for Athletes and Others who desire a terrific class as explore harder poses with a great workout.  You don't have to be athletic to come, just enter the studio with a sense of adventure!

9:00 a.m.  Core Vinyasa flow with us at the best abdominal strengthening class all week!  Our focus is on developing our transverse abdominus, inner and outer obliques, and rectus abdominus along with our adductor muscles and hip flexors. 

Price List for Practice:

$10 Drop - In

$5.62 each class when you purchase a $45 punch card for 8 classes

$5.50 each class when you purchase a $110 punch card for 20 classes

Expiration date:  6 months from date of purchase

Punch cards are nonrefundable and nontransferable.

Unlimited packages:  Come as often as you want for one month at $80.00 (begins the day you enroll to the following month on the same day).  

Six Months Unlimited package is $432.00.

Twelve months for Unlimited is $864.00

Packages are nonrefundable and nontransferable.

Workshops are $30 each

Mats on sale for $25

Blocks are available for $20 each

Tanks and T's are $25

Cami's are $35

Personal training or private parties are $45.00 per hour for 9 or fewer people.

Positive Mental Attitude for Today!

"May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing through the experience of your faith that by the power of the Spirit within you, you may abound and be overflowing, bubbling over with hope."  Romans 15:13

Joy, peace,  believing, and the end result is bubbling over with hope.  That sounds like a great equation, but each of those is actually a choice that we make.  I choose to be joyful and not allow the negativity of others to rob me of it.  I choose to be peaceful despite the chaos or turmoil of my family, my friends, my coworkers, etc.  I choose to believe even when all seems dim or dismal.  I choose to allow hope to bubble up within me even to the point of spilling over.  I can either choose to be part of the problem or the solution. 

I always say that 80% of being successful in yoga is showing up on our mats.  We can make a hundred excuses and always find too many things to do, or too hectic a schedule to keep.  Pattabhi Jois, great teacher of yoga who passed away several years ago, always said, "Yoga is 99% practice and 1% talent or theory."  My point is that without practicing joy, practicing believing, practicing peace; we will never experience hope.  Just as I choose to get in my car to drive to the studio to join in yoga practice, I must also choose to grab my mat, put on my clothes, and walk inside.  Choosing, it is all about choosing.  Then, once we choose, we follow our choice one step at a time.

Many, many years ago I struggled with panic attacks.  These are definitely robbers of joy, peace, believing, and hope.  They also keep you imprisoned in your mind with fear.  How did I release from that overwhelming sense of failure thinking?  One choice at a time.

So, walk towards the fountain of hope, my friend.  Imagine it to be a lighted spray of continual water in a peaceful wooded setting.  Choose to focus your eyes on this fountain and begin your journey today....one choice at a time.

Ishvara Pranidhana, Sanskrit Niyama which means surrender to God; sounds easy?  Sometimes. 

What is God's ultimate plan, one so much better than you ever dreamed of?  Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Surrender to God is a daily happening, much like sun salutes are a traditional type practice to warm up in yoga.  My challenge to you today is to combine your yoga each morning on your mat with your surrender.  Try this....Sun Salute C; Surya Namaskar

*Tadasana - Mountain Pose with hands at your heart center in Anjali Mudra say, "Our Father"  Establish your breath through your nose.  One breath per posture and five breaths in downward facing dog.

*Inhale as you bring your arms up overhead in upward salute or Urdhva Hastasana say, "Who art in heaven,"

*Exhale as you forward fold or Uttanasana, soften your knees and allow your body to drape over your torso as you lengthen your spine, say, "Hallowed be your Name."  Think of all the Names of God, "Jehovah," "Elohim," "El Roi," "El Shaddai" for example.  My favorite is "Jehovah" because it means faithful, promise-keeping God.

*Inhale half-way up as you look slightly forward lengthening between the top of your head and your tailbone with a flat back (hands on floor, shins, or legs).

*Fold once again in Uttanasana or forward fold, surrendering your heart to God just for today.   Exhale.

*Stepping back with your right leg as you continue your exhale into a kneeling lunge or Anjaneyasana.  Say, "Thy Kingdom Come."  In other words, ask God for his perfect will in your life today.  Keep your left toes curled under to protect your left knee and bring your arms over your head.  Inhale.

*Exhaling long slow breath step your left leg back as you move to downward facing dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana.  Palms flattened as your fingers spread widely with special attention placed on your index and thumb knuckles pressing down into the mat.  Sit-bones are high towards the sky as you lengthen down your back into your shoulders with triceps rolled towards the sides of your head and into your hands.  Lengthen one way, and down the backs of legs in your feet two fist distance apart (at the heels) the other way.  Say, "Thy Will be done."  This means that you care more about God's future and hope for you than your own ideas of what is supposed to happen.  Another moment of surrender.  This is another exhale.

*Inhaling pull forward into a plank or Phalakasana.  Yes, this is a hard pose if you do it correctly.  Think this little mantra, head looking forward, strong shoulders slightly forward of wrist creases, soften the back of heart while lifting thighs, pushing back with heels, and pulling navel in and up towards spine.  (Tailbone down - think "bad dog tail")  Say, "On earth."  In other words you are inhaling and saying that you know very little about what should happen in your daily future, but God knows everything.  Surrender to Divine Knowledge over your earthly perspective.

*Exhale with elbows close to your ribs.  Caturanga Dandasana looks like the beginning of the downward flow of a push-up and can be done with straight legs or bent knees.  By looking forward, softening your heart, your shoulders stay in the sockets, and you imagine that you are seeing ahead of you with God's Divine Perspective instead of your own.

*Inhale cobra or Bhujangasana and say, "As it is in Heaven."  Look slightly upwards without cranking your neck back (pretend that you have a large orange right behind your neck to protect your cervical spine).  Elbows bent close to your sides and thighs on the floor.  Widen your feet and press all ten toes into the mat.

*Exhale as you move into child's pose or Balasana to stretch and check in with your breath.  Move back to all fours (quadruped) and towards Downward Facing Dog for 5 long, deep and even breaths as you gaze between your feet down the tip of your nose.  "Give us this day our daily bread."  This may mean take care of my finances or give me insight since God is the True Bread of Life.

*Inhale lift your right leg to hip height in one legged dog pose and step forward between your hands while dropping the back left leg to the mat.  It is one of the hardest ways to practice, but the benefits are amazing as you strengthen your hip flexors and pull in your core muscles.  Great analogy due to the fact that you say, "Forgive me for my sins."  Continue your inhale as your bring your right foot down and lower your left knee.  Anajaneyasana or low lunge bring your arms up in surrender as you forgive others.  Say, "As I forgive others for their sins against me."  Letting go of all the trash in your brain that keeps the old unforgiveness stirred up.  Let it go.  Let it go.  Let it go...

 *Tucking your left toe under to lengthen your left leg, step your left foot to meet your right.  Exhale as you bring your arms back down to the ground.  Say, "Lead me not into temptation."  When I am tempted to screw up, help me see the way of escape that You have provided.

*Inhale lengthening half-way up in Ardha Uttanasana, remember soft knees are better than a rounded back.  Say, "Deliver Me from evil." God, please see the evil or disasters ahead of me just for today and keep me from them with Your Protection.

*Exhale once again in Uttanasana hollowing out your abs before you reverse swan dive your arms all the way up to the sky with the saying, "For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the Glory." (optional:  Catholics may skip this part of the prayer.)

*Hands together as you look upward towards your hands.  Big inhale as you lengthen your side body and say, "Forever."

*Back to Tadasana, mountain pose, hands in prayer position as you find equal standing or Sama Stiti Hi.  Bow your head with "Amen." This basically means the same as saying, "So Be It." Exhale.

Here is your Positive Mental Attitude for today.  If you would like to be on the daily devotional mailing list for these writings, please e-mail me back.  If not, no worries.

2 great classes today at 2:30 for Beginners and 4:00 for All Levels.
Great yogis practice 12 salutes every single day; good yogis do at least right side and left.  All yogis do one. 

*Ahhh...The Power of One.

Namaste'

"If you surveyed a hundred typical middle-aged Americans I bet you'd find that only two of them could tell you their blood types, but every last one of them would know the theme song from "The Beverly Hillbillies." - Dave Barry

Dear Friends,
About  a year ago, Tranquility Yoga sent out a survey to see how we could best serve you.  After taking a business class on-line last spring, I learned a great learning tool that became a catch phrase for my business,

 "Find out what your people want,

Go out,

and get it for them."

We have had several contests each month, April was Bring a Friend for Free on Saturday, March's Setting Your Intention to come to class on the calendar by the studio door with money prizes, December - February 90 day Health Challenge,...  May is a great month to survey before the summer season begins.  The drawing prize is an embroidered "Tranquility Yoga" capri for class participation ($45.00 value) or for men - yoga shorts.

All you need to do is as follows:

1.  Hit return.

2.  Answer questions.

3.  Hit send.

Thank you for your consideration of this valuable tool for our small business.  I appreciate your candor and helpfulness.  To be the best yoga teacher I am capable of being and to run the best yoga studio here in Owasso in my home, I value your feedback. 
*****
______ I am happy with the class offering times.
______ I would like to see these offerings of times available and am willing to commit to 4 weeks of coming.  Explain:  __________________________________________________________________
______ I would like to see a different level of yoga or Pilates offered on the schedule.
______ I would like to see classes reserved just for meditation, nutrition, etc.
Comments:  _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______ I desire classes for more intermediate level movement or difficulty.
______ I prefer classes with or without Sun Salutations.
______ I enjoy the walking/running time prior to class to add cardio.
______ I will only come to beginner's type practice.
______ I like the theme classes you offer.
Comments:  _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______  The cost of each class is very budget minded.
______ The cost should be increased or decreased.  (Please highlight increase or decrease.)
______ The expiration date is appropriate or should be shortened to 6 weeks instead of 6 months.
_____  I am only interested in the Groupon Savings card (expiring in only 55 days - June 30)
Comments:  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are you looking for?  All of you filled out this part on the liability waiver, but ideas and needs change over time.
______ Flexibility
______ Cardio (Boot Camp style)
______ Weight-Loss
______ Iyengar Style as we do Pose Specific
______ Astanga as we build body heat
______ Kundalini with breath + movement
______ Tone and Strengthen
______ Stress Relief, Calm
______ Mind Body Connection
______ Community building time afterwards
______ Pot Luck Dinners once a month
Comments:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


If you have stopped coming, please let me know your reasoning behind your absence.
______ Distance to travel
______ Studio environment
______ Instruction quality
______ Times available
______ Ambiance/Friendliness of studio
______ Newsletters (please remove my name from your list)
Comments:  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Concerning times and class scheduling, what serves you well?
Weekday:
______ Morning at ______
______ Afternoon at ______
______ Early Evening at ______
______ Later Evening at ______

Weekend classes:
______ Morning at ______
______ Afternoon at ______

How many times per week are you interested in commiting to your practice here at Tranquility Yoga?
______ times per week
Comments:  ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Your input is so valuable to us.  Thank you for taking the time to respond.  On Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13th, we will draw for the prize.  Remember all mom's practice for free that day at 4:00 p.m.  Workshops will be forthcoming in June, July, and August on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 - 3:00 with a cost of $30.00 each.

Every small business owner needs to fully understand their potential customer base in order to build a successful business.  Surveys and focus groups are two great means to obtain market research, and neither of them has to tax our clients, our budget, especially with the availability of online survey tools.  I am endeavoring to think creatively about our focus group, and to equip myself with top-notch data for improvements.  Thank you again for taking the time to complete the survey.
Namaste'
Jeanne K.--

The Invitation

 It doesn’t interest me
 what you do for a living.
 I want to know
 what you ache for
 and if you dare to dream
 of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me
 how old you are.
 I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
 for love
 for your dream
 for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
 what planets are
squaring your moon...
 I want to know if you have touched
 the centre of your own sorrow
 if you have been opened
 by life’s betrayals
 or have become shrivelled and closed
 from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
 mine or your own
 without moving to hide it
 or fade it
 or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
 mine or your own
 if you can dance with wildness
 and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
 without cautioning us
 to be careful
 to be realistic
 to remember the limitations
 of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
 if the story you are telling me
 is true.
 I want to know if you can
 disappoint another
 to be true to yourself.
 If you can bear
 the accusation of betrayal
 and not betray your own soul.
 If you can be faithless
 and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty
 even when it is not pretty
 every day.
 And if you can source your own life
 from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
 yours and mine
 and still stand at the edge of the lake
 and shout to the silver of the full moon,
 “Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
 to know where you live
 or how much money you have.
 I want to know if you can get up
 after the night of grief and despair
 weary and bruised to the bone
 and do what needs to be done
 to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
 who you know
 or how you came to be here.
 I want to know if you will stand
 in the centre of the fire
 with me
 and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
 where or what or with whom
 you have studied.
 I want to know
what sustains you
 from the inside
 when all else falls away.

 I want to know
 if you can be alone
with yourself
 and if you truly like
 the company you keep
 in the empty moments.

- by Oriah - Mountain Dreamer

May Schedule

"Anyone who practices can obtain success in yoga but not one who is lazy.  Constant practice is the secret of success."  Read on at the end of the schedule about yoga etiquette and respect for the instructor as secrets for your success.

Thank you so much for your attendance in our yoga classes!  I enjoy teaching and doing my practice of yoga very much.  Here is our most current schedule for May 2012!

Yoga morning classes are as follows:  5:30 a.m. on Mondays for Beach Body Yoga - wear tennis shoes as we add walking or running to our early morning energizer!
5:30 a.m. on Tuesdays for Kundalini - Chakra study.  Kundalini is the marriage of movement and breath.
5:30 a.m. on Thursdays for Weight Loss Yoga - again wear tennis shoes to add some cardio to your day.
5:30 a.m. on Fridays for Boot Camp Workout + Yoga - we practice outside with cardio, weight lifting, and come inside for final relaxation. 
 7:00 a.m. on Wednesdays for Yoga Is Better than Coffee - 45 minutes of an easier yoga practice or harder if you add more to your movement.
7:00 a.m. on Saturdays for Yoga for Athletes - this is a great class for everyone - modify or ramp it up!
Once school is out, some of the ladies are asking for another day.  Would Monday morning work for a 45 minute 7:00 a.m. class?

9:00 a.m. on Saturdays for Core Yoga for Beginners.  This is our Bring a Friend for Free class.  It is small, but powerful for working your abdominal region.  Anyone can do it!
In the summer, we will add 10:30 Vinyasa Flow classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  The NOON class on Mondays, that I had planned, will begin in July.  I just received free tuition waivers for NSU summer class.  What an unexpected gift from God!  No classes from 9:00 until 1:00 on Mondays this summer due to this surprise blessing.

Is anyone interested in Chair Yoga?  No one came on our trial run in March.  If you know of someone, please contact them and let me know.  Thanks!

Kid Yoga will be on Friday mornings only at 10:30 a.m. for 45 minutes of storytime yoga.  Summer schedule will begin on Wednesday, May 30th. 

Yoga afternoon classes are as follows:  4:15 p.m. on Fridays for Yoga and Arthritis.  We are studying Dr. Loren Fishman's book and working our joints, muscles, and skeletal structure.
2:30 p.m. on Sundays for Yoga and Arthritis.  Today is Yoga for the Sciatic Nerve! 
4:00 p.m. on Sundays for Vinyasa Flow Yoga.  This is an energetic, mid-level class!  We move, we strengthen, and we develop more flexibility!
This summer we will add 4:15 p.m. on Mondays for Teen Yoga (45 minutes), and I have had a request for another Yoga and Athritis class in the afternoon slot at 4:15.  Would that be good for about 5 people?

Yoga evening classes are as follows:  at 5:30 p.m. (45 - 55 minutes) for Workday crowd or those who want to practice before dinner include the following:
5:30 p.m. on Mondays for a great 45 minute workout with Yoga for Strength and Toning.
5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays for Balancing Yoga.
5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays for Beginner's Intro to Power Yoga.  Yes, we do the Plank!  60 -65 minutes
5:30 p.m. on Thursdays for Kundalini Energizer.  We breathe; we move at a quicker pace.
5:30 p.m. on Fridays for our sweat producing Power UP yoga class.  60 - 65 minutes
Later evening classes at 6:40 p.m. only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  This class may not continue due to small numbers.  If you want to see it on the schedule, please come!
6:40 p.m. on Tuesdays for Lower Body Vinyasa Flow and flexibility work.
6:40 p.m. on Thursdays for Upper Body Vinyasa Flow and flexibility training.
All classes are 60-65 minutes long unless otherwise noted.
*****
I received this lovely note from my friend and fellow instructor about respect for the instructor who is teaching as a key to success on the mat.  Just like any program or class you attend, there is etiquette and respect that correspond with the event.  When you show up at the Y, the gym, the opera, the classroom, or even in someone's home studio, remember the teacher and respect for the teacher are also the key to your success.

Most people criticize out of a need to feel more important.  So, it is our responsibility as teachers to open them to this realization.  The Niyamas and Yamas of the Eight Limbed Path of Yoga have something to say about yoga etiquette.

• The Niyama of Self Study (Svadhyaya)  The practice of paying attention to why we do and say what we do is helpful. To observe one's critical nature and to look for the root cause of that condition is one way to go.
• What does it strengthen in critical people when she or he elevates herself or himself above the teacher? This is probably a condition in which she or he has been stuck for some time and may manifest in many other areas of her or his life.
• All un-asked for criticism is an effort to boost one's own ego. To shore up the "Little Me" inside.  Ego causes suffering; either for you ultimately or someone else.
• Another way is to help them surrender (Ishvarapranidhana).  In the case of a yoga class, surrendering their need to be right. To not seek external validation through criticizing those in charge at the time.
• If, however, the person or persons will not look inside to understand their motivation then another avenue would be to use the Yama of Ahimsa (compassion for all beings). In this they would be compassionate and understand that a teacher may occasionally make a small mistake and would let it slide.   In not doing so, they would quickly meet their own need to announce their superiority and have to be present for that feeling.   Stephen Saunders

In letting it go, they would be doing what Scripture calls, "Love covers and does not expose."

Check out this article from the New York Times.

Invasion of the Serenity Saboteurs
By LIZETTE ALVAREZ

YOGA is about casting off petty annoyances and toxic judgments — a seemingly Sisyphean task for those hopped up on New York City living. But what if irritation trails you right onto your mat, in the guise of ring tones, exhibitionists or bliss-busting interruptions?
Is there no compact of dos and don’ts inside a yoga studio? Common sense and fellowship usually dictate. Still, teachers and students, no matter how tolerant, harbor pet peeves.
Here are a few, in no particular order, culled from interviews and online rants.

BARGING OUT Hearing a fellow student leave class noisily, as you soak in those final minutes of well-earned relaxation, is akin to being awakened midsleep by an air horn (well, almost). It is too sudden, too soon.

“You are Zenned out,” said the blogger YogaDork, who asked to remain incognito, describing the splendor of Savasana, resting pose. “And people are fumbling for bags and rolling up the mats.”

BARGING IN The same goes for people who march into a class, whip open their mats and plunk down their belongings, sometimes while others are meditating.

“The thwapping of the mat — that is very jarring,” said Anya Porter, a teacher and teacher manager at Yoga Works in Midtown. “The class is quiet. Sometimes there is music playing. People can be really loud.”

OVEREXPOSURE Some men take a minimalist approach to yoga wear, and not everyone is pleased about having a sweaty, stripped-down man within arm’s reach. “There are guys in European bathing suits,” said an outraged Kendra Cunningham, a yoga lover and comedian who lives in Brooklyn. “We’re not in Capri here; it’s Cobble Hill.” Ralph De La Rosa, a manager at Go Yoga in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who describes himself as mostly tolerant, also draws the line at the half-naked male practitioner. “I like it when guys keep their shirts on,” he said. Worse still are the men who wear loose-fitting shorts for comfort, with nothing underneath, prompting discomfort in the ladies around them.

GOING SOLO Yogis and yoginis who conduct their own session within the class, choosing poses that diverge from the instructor’s calls, can be a challenge for teachers. “It is certainly distracting,” Ms. Porter said. “It brings the attention and focus onto that person.”


CELLPHONES It goes without saying: Cellphone chatter, unending ring tones and texting are roundly booed. One teacher whose list of grievances was posted on fitsugar.com remembered a woman who answered her cellphone and shouted, “I’m in (expletive) yoga. Why are you calling me?”


HYGIENE No one smells like a rose in yoga class. And you shouldn’t, because some people are allergic to or just dislike inhaling perfume. But body odor shouldn’t make you gag, either. Foot odor can be even worse. “I can handle B.O.,” the Dork said, “but there is nothing worse than stinky feet when you are mat-to-mat and you are upside down and close to people’s feet.”

In theory, none of this should bother us — or at least some of us. “Not to sound pessimistic,” Ms. Cunningham said, “I feel like the only people who have achieved that degree of serenity are the teachers who have been practicing in India in mud huts.”
So, for those who live in walk-ups, arise to the melody of garbage trucks and slumber to the lullaby of barking dogs: Keep your clothes tight, your cellphone off, your oms in line. And wash your feet.

As I always say in my second grade classroom, "Nobody is perfect.  If you can't make a mistake, you cannot make anything."  My Brian, Handsome Yoga Man and Receptionist, says, "The only person who was perfect was crucified."   George Bernard Shaw said, "A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life doing nothing."

Namaste'
Jeanne K.

Moms practice for free on Mother's Day; Dads practice for free on Father's Day!

Negative Emotions

Negative emotions can lead to serious problems.

In our yoga classes the first 90 seconds and the last five minutes are dedicated to a positive mind = a calm, peaceful mind.

Here is a great study with 180 Catholic nuns where those with a positive mindset lived significantly longer than those without it. After the researchers studied their autobiographies written in journal form, the frequency of positive emotions was scored and compared. The results were staggering because the ones with positive feelings lived an average of 10 years longer than the others.

Barbara Fredrickson, a leading researcher on the impact of positive emotions, writes,

Positive emotions

• protect us from, and can undo the effects of, negative emotions
• fuel resilience and can transform people
• broaden our thinking, encouraging us to discover new lines of thought or action
• break down racial barriers
• produce optimal functioning in organizations and individuals
• build durable physical, intellectual, social, and psychological resources that function as "reserves" during difficult, trying times
• improve the overall performance of a group when the leader expresses positive emotions (can be a family, a classroom, a workplace)

How Full Is Your Bucket?

Yoga builds self-acceptance, a quiet, positive mind set. Do your body some good today; come practice yoga with us!

March 12, 2012 (one more week till Spring Break!) Monday classes: 5:30 a.m. Sunrise/Energize Yoga
5:30 p.m. Yoga for Strength and Toning **

March 13, 2012 Tuesday classes: 4:15 p.m. Pose Specific Yoga
Notice new time -- 6:00 p.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga for Lower Body Flexibility

March 14, 2012 Wednesday classes: 7:00 a.m. Yoga Is Better Than Coffee **
5:30 p.m. Intro to Astanga Yoga

March 15, 2012 Thursday classes: 5:30 a.m. Weight Loss Yoga
5:30 p.m. Kundalini Yoga **

March 16, 2012 Friday classes: 4:15 p.m. Pose Specific Yoga
5:30 p.m. Power Up Yoga

March 17, 2012 Saturday classes: 7:00 a.m. Yoga for Athletes
9:00 a.m. Core Yoga for Beginners

March 18, 2012 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEST FRIEND! JOIN US FOR A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY AFTER THE 2:30 CLASS AND BEFORE THE 4:00 CLASS!
2:30 p.m. Pose Specific YogaSurprise party for Brian Doss! Shh! It's a secret!
4:00 p.m. Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Spring Break Schedule expanded with more class offerings!

Monday: Four classes
March 19 5:30 a.m. Sunrise/Energize Yoga
10:30 a.m. Vinyasa Flow
4:15 p.m. Yoga for Teens
5:30 p.m. Yoga for Strength and Conditioning**

Tuesday: Three classes
March 20 10:30 a.m. Vinyasa Flow
4:15 p.m. Pose Specific Yoga
6:00 p.m. Vinyasa Flow for Lower Body (please note this class previously was at 6:40 p.m.)

Wednesday: Three classes
March 21 7:00 a.m. Yoga is better than coffee**
9:00 a.m. Chair Yoga for Seniors**
5:30 p.m. Intro to Yoga for Beginners

Thursday: Three classes
March 22 5:30 a.m. Weight Loss Yoga
10:30 a.m. Yoga for Back Issues (Can also be adapted for those who are pregnant due to no twists, prone positions, or forward folding )
5:30 p.m. Kundalini Yoga**

Friday: Four classes
March 23 10:30 a.m. Mommy and Me Yoga (or Daddy and Me); Yoga for Kids**
12:00 NOON Yoga for 45 minutes of Get Me Out of the Chair or Out of the Office Energizing**
4:15 p.m. Pose Specific Yoga
5:30 p.m. Power Up Yoga

Saturday: Two classes
March 24 Regular schedule (no added classes): 7:00 a.m. Yoga for Athletes
9:00 a.m. Core Yoga for Beginners

**Indicates that the class lasts only 45 minutes

Namaste',
Jeanne K.