tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63450745878700924252024-03-21T20:22:24.604-07:00Seattle Yoga ArtsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-64662299412271087762013-08-06T22:20:00.001-07:002013-08-07T08:23:20.691-07:00Is that a dog in my yoga studio?<span style="font-family: Calibri;">by Dona<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzirDL0z_1sR7Pa-_QNqyED_jCP9eEBQ65JnoXKX5vaTF2rEWmDH5yY146dnHCxlfr_mOsG5z3hYtW9m-q9pDZW3o-oGRYFSzVwyTrUPxC4Xfz0Aa15EPRVmWeiFrkPN2-57PwWDTi4pej/s1600/dona.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzirDL0z_1sR7Pa-_QNqyED_jCP9eEBQ65JnoXKX5vaTF2rEWmDH5yY146dnHCxlfr_mOsG5z3hYtW9m-q9pDZW3o-oGRYFSzVwyTrUPxC4Xfz0Aa15EPRVmWeiFrkPN2-57PwWDTi4pej/s320/dona.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Seattle Yoga Arts student</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">and receptionist</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you practice with Rainey or happen to walk by the studio
early on Tuesday mornings, you will encounter a little curly-haired red dog at
the reception desk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your eyes are not
deceiving you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and I have been coming
into the studio together for a couple of years now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before I tell you about him, I should tell you that I met
Denise Benitez when I was 36.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
decades I’d struggled with panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety, and PTSD
symptoms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Habitual negative self-talk,
combined with a history of trauma, food restriction, and social avoidance had
created a fearful life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A colleague at
my dot-com company recommended Denise’s class, raving about her instruction. I
was intrigued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t sure about yoga,
because I’d have to wear body-revealing clothes around people who were more
flexible and competent and successful than I could ever hope to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the efforts of my internal critic, I
made it to Denise’s beginner class in 1997.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve never been the person who accelerates quickly to the
next level and then the next, and then goes on to achieve “success” – in
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, practicing yoga has
been like most things I’ve really wanted – slow, steady, with lots of missteps
and some breathing space between plateaus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes I’m in class, sometimes I’m on my own for long stretches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Denise’s gentle support has always been
available when I’ve turned to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rainey helped me face my fear of handstands, Meg helped me meditate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yoga and chanting and meditation have over
time calmed my inner critic, quelled the anxiety that’s always coursed through
my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These practices guide me as I
continue to retrain my body and mental ‘ruts’,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>to willfully create a better, more peaceful existence.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not writing this as a rah-rah advertisement for Seattle
Yoga Arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m writing it because this
community has helped me change, and I’m a junkie for this sort of story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a fool for tales of resilience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read with fascination how people climb up
and out of darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what about the dog?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, Mickey came into my life three years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was nearing the end of my forties, never
married, no kids, too afraid to try to connect to any one person too
closely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d wanted a dog for a while
but was (holy crow, am I really going to say it again??) scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mickey and I met, and that was it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fell in love and there were no doubts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He came to my home to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People talked to me the minute I went
outside, and the world I was in was one where people smiled when they saw
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never knew what that was like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A dog can open many doors for a shy, socially
anxious person and Mickey’s bouncy poodle walk and bright orange curls attracted
a huge amount of positive attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to have the best, most sweet human
energy spilled and poured out at my feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">OK, so this pup saved my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The world morphed from a scary, bad place to one where I was able to see
brightness, I saw love in peoples’ eyes, I saw happiness and gentle sweetness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It happened way, way faster than the yoga
journey did, I’ll tell you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to
breathe through all of these interactions,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>steady myself as I talked with people, because you see I was unpracticed
at seeing the good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My doggie made it
easy for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Denise has graciously allowed me to bring Mickey to the
studio, where I work as a receptionist on Tuesday mornings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mickey does the hard brave ice-breaker work while
I turn on the computer and process payments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After we’re done with our shift, we walk back home and I go to my
full-time day job and Mick settles in for a nice long snooze at home, happily
exhausted from doing his best work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So to answer the question:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>yes, it really is a dog at the front desk at Seattle Yoga Arts early on
Tuesday mornings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mickey’s an extrovert,
a party animal extraordinaire, a fellow who likes nothing better than to be in
a crowd of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would love to
greet you with his ever-open heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll
be there, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hope to see you soon. <o:p></o:p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-10522003960972714502013-07-02T12:37:00.001-07:002013-07-02T12:37:38.195-07:00Goal Pose Benefits<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
by Greg Lewerenz<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoagCJTd44T2e_1fwmPt49CMuJKsulk9WbKWwnvo3d64_X8OynoI0u81Rgw_sg3fnGvUeWCkta4RnMdZPspORVP53Td75vI_jD4ePLZ1I7K5qfQ0na_1EuJSPxLNhyY4dEFieiA18JC_7D/s1600/380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoagCJTd44T2e_1fwmPt49CMuJKsulk9WbKWwnvo3d64_X8OynoI0u81Rgw_sg3fnGvUeWCkta4RnMdZPspORVP53Td75vI_jD4ePLZ1I7K5qfQ0na_1EuJSPxLNhyY4dEFieiA18JC_7D/s320/380.JPG" width="320" /></a>Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher<br />
<br />
A common question I receive from students is one I ask myself frequently: what do I need to do today – tomorrow – next week – in order to achieve my particular goal pose? Is it even worthwhile to have a goal pose? I have personally been working on Adho Mukha Vrksasana since the spring of 2005, when eight short years ago I watched in awe as my teacher, Matthew Cohen, planted his hands on the floor and slowly, gracefully, weightlessly lifted his feet to float into handstand. Since then I’ve been actively working on the pose myself and in the process I’ve learned many things about my body and my practice. </div>
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Having a goal pose can give clarity and direction to one’s yoga practice. On days when I’m at a loss of which asana to do, I default to those which would help me achieve my goal of floating to handstand. I frequently review notes from my teachers to continue incorporating their ideas into my own body, like working on the building blocks of slowly scissoring the legs down from the wall and a plethora of supine core exercises.</div>
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Through this focused exploration I have become aware of the complexity of the body and have realized there are more components to this and similar poses than initially met my eye. Once I got over the emotional reaction to being inverted I worked on my shoulder strength. Once my shoulders started to get stronger my (lack of) wrist flexibility became the challenge. And then my core – oh, the core – and hamstring openness, and on and on. This long process has led me to connect with every aspect of the physical body, from my belly to my finger pads to my toes and back again. </div>
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This process has deepened my connection with the philosophical aspects of yoga as well. I have found patience and have expanded my perspective. Through this eight year long exploration I see firsthand that yoga is a lifelong practice requiring both mental and physical endurance; it goes without saying that these skills apply more broadly than just to inversions. Had I never seen Matthew float into handstand on that wondrous day in 2005 I may never have experienced all I have since then. So I invite you to take note the next time you observe someone – obvious yogi or not – move gracefully into a crazy, expansive pose, to consider adding it to your list. You may be in for a wild extended ride, with years of insight and physical adventures ahead.</div>
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<i>Greg teaches at Seattle Yoga Arts on Friday evenings at 5:45pm. He offers private yoga, acupuncture and massage at Foster Wellness (<a href="http://www.fosterwellness.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #8c0095;">www.fosterwellness.com</span></a>), his clinic located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle. On sunny days, you might also catch him kicking up into handstand around the fields of Discovery Park.</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-77652867782050314002013-05-06T12:28:00.000-07:002013-05-06T12:28:25.430-07:00Refinementby Elizabeth 'Rainey'<br />
Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher<br />
<br />
As the ancients saw it, refinement is the ever renewing process of life. We are all part of it whether we know it or not. Plants and animals adapt and grow to meet their environment. We seek knowledge to respond to our life situations. Our yoga practice is our endeavor to refine ourselves as human beings; to support our physical structure, attune to our subtle energy and learn to identify ourselves at a deeper and more steady place than our surface identities.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5Y-_ol_P7Uzm9Ky53o7T8EG9yroZoWsb90H2IXX7tzqRPc313sF92smavBR7dBurQ8r_itXFcWWc07yTi0XZ3UqmYWYd8lasWvI9pOTvyqDxwGZC_Pamg3jS9v4TDmaWY4_850EnUbcU/s1600/1410430_untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5Y-_ol_P7Uzm9Ky53o7T8EG9yroZoWsb90H2IXX7tzqRPc313sF92smavBR7dBurQ8r_itXFcWWc07yTi0XZ3UqmYWYd8lasWvI9pOTvyqDxwGZC_Pamg3jS9v4TDmaWY4_850EnUbcU/s1600/1410430_untitled.jpg" /></a></div>
There is a beautiful teaching axiom that the yogins used to exemplify this: The grass is eaten by the<br />
cow and turned into milk. The milk is then churned into butter. The butter is clarified into ghee. And finally, the ghee is offered into the sacred fire as a holy offering of love. <br />
<br />
The process of transforming ourselves into a blessing for all life takes time and effort and dedication. This is why we practice, this is why we reflect on our actions, why we read inspirational and sacred texts and why we keep trying to do our best at whatever stage of growth we may be. Each round contributes to the next unfolding of our heart and best Self. <br />
<br />
"Each minute of life should be a divine quest." ~ Paramahansa Yogananda<br />
<br />
Find more from Rainey at her <a href="http://www.elizabethrainey.com/" target="_blank">website</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YogaWithRainey?fref=ts" target="_blank">facebook page</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-36276967151842950742013-03-22T13:41:00.000-07:002013-03-22T13:41:34.986-07:00Finding Ground<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9yT_m-x9mCH9KRAtMjdnSXB-UfeOzSZNdtZkE4uXYYyN2hUMgm-nBxPaOOTeGRLXGDToFgWoonbZPYBbAKzdfSeiF7-hgagNKbg3E29XbR5yB8xVn2RUa0JneClP28woXRq1n7t_is2R/s1600/root-chakra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9yT_m-x9mCH9KRAtMjdnSXB-UfeOzSZNdtZkE4uXYYyN2hUMgm-nBxPaOOTeGRLXGDToFgWoonbZPYBbAKzdfSeiF7-hgagNKbg3E29XbR5yB8xVn2RUa0JneClP28woXRq1n7t_is2R/s320/root-chakra.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
by Angi Donovan<br />
Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher <br />
<br />
The way inward is down <br />
Into the seat of this body <br />
Where red roots are eager for depth. <br />
It is here that flesh and bone <br />
Hold access to the unseen, <br />
Our substance giving anchor <br />
For the infinite to breathe.<br />
<br />
To find this way <br />
Dig here to the earth’s center <br />
And comb through the matter <br />
Of its crimson heart. <br />
A force will meet you <br />
And pull you thick <br />
Into the ground of life. <br />
<br />
Once tethered there, <br />
Your soul will know its home<br />
Steady upon the soil <br />
Of that which draws you in, <br />
And even with eyes open <br />
You will rest deep <br />
Into the great unwavering.<br />
<br />
As the tides shift between winter and spring this month, I invite you to join me in deepening your foundation to prepare for the bursting of the new to begin. I believe this is where we will be able to grow together as we weather the changing of life.<br />
Always Love,<br />
AngiUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-85367176358633894932013-03-13T12:31:00.000-07:002013-03-13T12:31:00.851-07:00Fashion vs. Body<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2g6y3pzr3LaXcsxd2valfcTRt5jMkgmucimvmWHRv4ZzuozE3PyFRzE_f5a30f1qEq73i9-xGlR0MphEY0hidGFRR_oFoQhUIHH4CLx3ZiiZVLhGwsngW75S0ZTYZcNO8OTn2srLn8nQg/s1600/1413234_getting_ready.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2g6y3pzr3LaXcsxd2valfcTRt5jMkgmucimvmWHRv4ZzuozE3PyFRzE_f5a30f1qEq73i9-xGlR0MphEY0hidGFRR_oFoQhUIHH4CLx3ZiiZVLhGwsngW75S0ZTYZcNO8OTn2srLn8nQg/s1600/1413234_getting_ready.jpg" /></a></div>
by Bianca Raffety<br />Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher <br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Pulling together our ‘look’ doesn’t need to
drain the bank account, require a lot of effort, or even demand a great deal of
thought. Ultimately though, we want to feel good in what we’re wearing and feel
good about how we put ourselves together, regardless what we’re willing to
financially dedicate to this end. So what happens when some of these things to
complete our look start having hidden costs we didn’t anticipate? And how do we
know if we’re paying that hidden price?</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">You may already be thinking about those shoes
that are a little too tight (but oh so cool) or those heels you bought with the
guilty knowledge they are probably terrible for your feet (let alone your
calves, your hips, your low back, heck the whole body). But most of us don’t
realize that what we wear, how we adorn ourselves, what we use to haul our
belongings around, and even how we style our hair can begin to wear down on us.
We just know that we’re experiencing creeping discomforts in our bodies.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">For a long time, I was working with a
student that had chronic discomfort in her back and neck. We did work to
develop postural support and appropriate stretches for her chest and shoulders,
but our progress was very slow. This was primarily because every time she came
in her head was cocked to one side because her hair style made it difficult for
her to see. I pointed this out on several occasions, but this was a well-entrenched
‘look’ for her and there was just no way she would give it up. So the pain
continued.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Another fellow I was working with was a
young man with severe back pain. This wasn’t surprising. He had a serious
sports injury the year before and he spent most of his days on his feet on a
concrete floor. He couldn’t figure out why things weren’t improving. He was
young, athletic, and had done some physical therapy to remedy the situation.
There was no indication from thorough medical examinations that there was any
lasting injury to his spine. As I looked at him, his bright face and sincerity
in wanting to remedy this situation, I pointed out the most obvious
contribution to his problem. His posture was terrible. Why? Because in order to
keep his pants up, he had to tuck his tailbone under, turn his knees out and
walk with a slouch! Not only that, his ample trainers were loosely tied so they
were loose on his feet. I strongly believe we have a back pain crisis of epic
proportions heading our way due to low slung jeans. Luckily he took my
observation to heart and at the end of our session, his shoes were tied and his
belt was holding up his pants. His posture looked great.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I can offer numerous anecdotes and
observations about the phenomenon of physical pain due to fashion, e.g. heavy
shoulder bags, headwear, oddly fitting clothing of all types, etc. Look around,
you’ll be surprised what you’ll see; and then look to your own investments in
your ‘look’ and decide what price you are willing to pay. Then get yourself to
yoga, a physical therapist, massage therapist, etc. and get to work avoiding
those hidden costs!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Visit <a href="http://biancaraffety.com/" target="_blank">Bianca's website</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SeattleYogaArts?ref=share#!/seattleyogamama?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-29113587825985987912013-02-06T10:51:00.000-08:002013-02-06T10:51:24.617-08:00Into the Listening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaYPu7DAYwEjMP0OChMZNd11pnQlO_effZBHy2d7l-osUh4TkOMWubWPzdzo_OOnhzDnbar_Xhjf4lBdE8P3aBr0DJTUy9mhl_Jj8Fz5tAmwJu8Do4F0ZCV0q6zqcEbb4WDue6K5nU3LS/s1600/sun+face+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNaYPu7DAYwEjMP0OChMZNd11pnQlO_effZBHy2d7l-osUh4TkOMWubWPzdzo_OOnhzDnbar_Xhjf4lBdE8P3aBr0DJTUy9mhl_Jj8Fz5tAmwJu8Do4F0ZCV0q6zqcEbb4WDue6K5nU3LS/s320/sun+face+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
by Angi Donovan<br />
Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher<br />
<br />
Be a receiver, like an open drum ready for the sound of life to make its way into your willing heart. <br />
<br />
Here we will find our steadiness, a ground built for light, an open space for being.<br />
<br />
Our intuition waits patiently, hungry for us to be still and calling us to live in the silence that leans in to hear the presence of the moment speak.<br />
<br />
This February 2013, let the listening grow within you as we move to the beat of the breath and the heart, and then melt into the deep stillness of healing restoratives. You will also find a little bit of partner yoga play (listening to others) sprinkled in.<br />
<br />
Check out <a href="http://stepintopresence.com/Yoga_Classes.html" target="_blank">my February class schedule</a>.<br />
<br />
Much Love and Light,<br />
AngiUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-43709534037047400662013-01-29T23:20:00.001-08:002013-01-29T23:20:57.281-08:00No Place Like Ohm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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by Rebecca Denk<br />
Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher<br />
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We open and close each yoga practice by chanting the sound Ohm and following with an invocation in sanscrit. When I began teaching, I could always gauge how nervous I was by the shakiness in leading the Ohm - the vibrato in my voice a dead give-away to the butterflies in my chest.<br />
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Now that I’m a more confident teacher, singing the opening Ohm and invocation is less shaky but still daunting. I’m a much less confident singer than yogini. With Seattle Yoga Arts’ new Santi Mantra, I’ve been a late adopter. What if my sound is flat? How do I get all those sanscrit syllables out clearly? If I can’t easily pronounce the invocation, how can I possibly lead it? Just like a challenging asana pose, the keys are dedication and practice. <br />
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Whenever I teach, the opening and closing Ohm are important in creating sacred space for all and for setting the tone, both environmentally and vibration-ally. Have you tried just jumping into a class without first centering and chanting? Perhaps you were late for class or took yoga at the gym? For me, it feels off somehow. I’m dedicated to setting apart my yoga practice from the rest of my day, and chanting helps create this shift.<br />
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I’ve been attending classes at SYA and singing the Santi Mantra with fellow teachers, just to practice. Other teachers have loaded the recording onto their iPod to help with memorizing (you can find it on the home page of the website). I find myself humming the invocation as I’m waiting in line or driving. That 4th line continues to present a challenge – but I’m working on it! <br />
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Recently I asked a class of enthusiastic chanters why they enjoy Ohm. One student shared that it was her connection to the more spiritual side of yoga. Another agreed that it’s just not yoga without Ohm-ing. A third appreciated the chance to synch with the full group of yoga practitioners as class begins. I often think of an orchestra warming up when I listen to a full class chanting. (And have you noticed in the closing Ohm often all are in tune?) <br />
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Whether you are a confident mantra singer or quietly humming to yourself, you are actively contributing to the energy and tone of our yoga practice. I’m always so grateful to have strong voices sing out in class, especially when I’ve gone flat. And I promise to begin introducing the Santi Mantra to my classes on February 1. If all else fails, set a deadline….Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-37640543497034972812013-01-20T15:31:00.000-08:002013-01-20T15:31:54.358-08:00Radical Self-Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A Path of Radical Self-Love<br />
by Angi Donovan<br />
Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher<br />
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Ever since I can remember I have felt a subtle weight of self doubt on my heart pulling and tethering back the richness of my soul. Along the way and indirectly I was told that there was a wrong and a right way to be and that the inherent me needed a filter. There were parts of me that I should love and parts of me that I shouldn’t. Sometimes this filter has been thick and sometimes thin yet for the most part it has always been there, a net just between my face’s surface and the deep everything of who I am.<br />
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I do not believe I am alone in this. It seems that most of humanity itself, culture to culture, has been living in agreement that we should limit what we show to the world, an unsaid yet abided by list of acceptable and unacceptable human expressions. Yet is it possible that it is the covered-up ways of being that bring us closest together and the most feared that teach us the deepest ways of love and compassion?<br />
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I have seen this discussion opening up more and more and our hidden selves, now heart-clinchingly bare, living right alongside the unquestionable beauty of our soul’s veracity. There has never been a better time to stand for and live into our truth. We have nothing to lose from freeing our souls and everything to gain. I feel clearly now all the way into my bones that it is EVERY piece of the whole that creates the brilliance and vitality of life!<br />
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This January 2013 I invite you into a wildly honest conversation about opening to the truth of our hearts without reservation so that we may begin to know the power of being exactly who we are. Let us dive deep into the courageous act of radical ALL-inclusive self-love and with each moment, may we come to know more and more the gifts of the raw and unspoken!<br />
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From the belly of my untethering soul I offer you these classes: <br />
Source Yoga North Tacoma: Tues./Thurs. 9:30am Basic Flow & Wed. 9:30am Refine & Align; Source Yoga UP: Wednesdays 7pm Relax & Restore; and <a href="file:///p://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=8657&stype=-8&sTG=23" target="_blank">Seattle Yoga Arts: Sundays 8:30am Essentials and 10:15am Deepening</a>. <br />
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See you there!!!<br />
Love and Light,<br />
AngiUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-86837941630879577502012-12-29T13:52:00.000-08:002012-12-29T13:55:43.351-08:00Poetry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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by Elizabeth 'Rainey'<br />
Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher<br />
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I am thrilled to return to my regular teaching schedule as of Jan 3rd. While on sabbatical my love of poetry was re-ignited. As I read these words of passion and potency each day I was inclined to see our yoga practices as poetry of the body and mind. <br />
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What is poetry? An elegant, efficient and creative way to express what is, in someways, inexpressible. A way of dancing with language on the page and across the heart. In the space between the words and the silence afterwards we come alive to the reverberations of this holy movement. This is what we do on the mat; dance with the language of our bodies to express the infinite capacity of our hearts. And then we sit and listen to the pulse of our breath and being in the silence of meditation. We are the poetry of aliveness and yoga is a way to ever refine this language of our hearts. <br />
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I bow to the poets who daily urge me to see beyond the surface of the thing, the moment, the person and speak to the throbbing potency of my heart that rests there. I invite you to find the ones who speak your language and let them call you into your own divine expression of all you are.<br />
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See you soon at the writing desk of the heart and on the dance floor of the yoga mat!<br />
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For more about Rainey, visit <a href="http://www.elizabethrainey.com/" target="_blank">her website</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YogaWithRainey" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-1518494255597289002012-12-17T21:39:00.000-08:002012-12-18T15:36:29.884-08:00Light Contemplation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
by Bobbi Ewing</div>
Seattle Yoga Arts student<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQrcArzfSx-xs5XDg_AJFYNigcHdteLuJhkoyabeH5zklicPMvJnsaq_vd4VrTu5jfXW2LUtQfXlCLgiyjnlYLFiOTu9KGllK3NCKWZeuXAX8NGCzIk-mH2aGmdoXn2hDRKJdz2BY7Vpx/s1600/candle+light.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQrcArzfSx-xs5XDg_AJFYNigcHdteLuJhkoyabeH5zklicPMvJnsaq_vd4VrTu5jfXW2LUtQfXlCLgiyjnlYLFiOTu9KGllK3NCKWZeuXAX8NGCzIk-mH2aGmdoXn2hDRKJdz2BY7Vpx/s200/candle+light.JPG" width="200" /></a>As we inhabit the depths of the dark season, moving closer toward the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, we are in the perfect space to contemplate light. As we lose light in our outer landscape, we might also feel darkness creep into our inner landscape, as I experienced during the seasonal shift, falling away from summer into fall and now winter. <br />
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As I remained present with the darkness I felt inside, I was moved to contemplate light. I began a new ritual: I light a candle every night. After I light each candle I study the flame, I become curious. I look into the flame and marvel at its color – the gold, the blue, the purple “hallow” at the tip of the thread. I notice the shape of the flame – its soft edges, its crest. I watch the steady flame or if there is movement in the air that disturbs the flame, I watch the flame flicker and dance, swaying side to side, bouncing in all directions.</div>
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I stay with the dancing flame until it becomes steady and still again. I note to myself that the light always seeks to steady itself, to come back to the center, to find a place of tranquility. I think to myself, “what a great metaphor!” The light models a state of being I can cultivate in my life: tranquility, inner stillness.<br />
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I put my hands over the flame and feel its warmth and its heat. With my heart sense, I feel gratitude for this glowing and radiating light. I am grateful that because of this light I can see in the dark, both literally and figuratively. I am grateful for all that this light is teaching me. I am grateful that the light is shining on my path of discovery.<br />
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Sometimes my practice and ritual of lighting a candle is a symbolic gesture. I place an intention on the light, an intention I want to manifest in my life, such as tranquility. The light represents that intention, it radiates the intention, it sends out the light of that intention.<br />
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Sometimes lighting a candle is a hopeful gesture. The light becomes the flame of a hope, wish, or desire I have in my life. The intent behind this action is to keep the fire burning around this hope, wish, or desire instead of letting the fire, the light, die out.<br />
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Other times my practice of lighting a candle serves as a reminder of my inner light. The light I hold in my hands, my light, is precious and sacred. In these reverent moments I recite Pantajali’s Yoga Sutra I.36 “visoka va jyotishmati,” which translates into English as “the light within is free from all sorrow and suffering.”<br />
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I leave you with these rays of light to carry you from darkness into the light:<br />
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“When it gets really dark, you can see the stars.”<br />
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"Be a light unto yourself." – The Buddha's final words<br />
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For more of Bobbi's writings, visit her blog <a href="http://myinnermystic.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><em>My Inner Mystic</em></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-37357731727914960762012-12-11T12:46:00.000-08:002012-12-11T12:46:26.776-08:00Let Go, The Time is Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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by Angi Donovan<br />Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher<br />
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If we knew the taste of true freedom, do you think we would continue to hang on to the things that entrap us? I often wonder this when my not so life-giving habits repeatedly fool my freedom yearning heart. I know what my heart wants and yet I have watched my ego continually put energy into that which has never once brought me true fulfillment. Sound familiar? <br />
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I believe this is something that all of us come up against, whether it’s negative thinking, substance abuse, hiding out, compulsive eating, gossiping, not taking time for ourselves to move, stretch and breathe, etc., we are all subject to these clinching human habits.<br />
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I ask myself and you: what would it be like to let go of these things? Who would you be without them? What would you do if nothing was holding you back? What are you waiting for?<br />
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Together this December 2012 we will explore the power of letting go. Let us set down and release what no longer serves us and see what happens. I do believe the time is now! <br />
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From my heart to yours, I offer you these classes:<br />Source Yoga North Tacoma: <br />
Tues./Thurs. 9:30am Basic Flow<br />
Wed. 9:30am Refine & Align<br />
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Source Yoga UP: <br />
Wednesdays 7pm Relax & Restore<br />
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Seattle Yoga Arts: <br />
Sundays 8:30am Essentials<br />
Sundays 10:15am Deepening <br />
(For the month of December: Mondays 10am Deepening and noon Essentials)<br />
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See you there!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-78130091960922768802012-11-14T11:08:00.000-08:002012-11-20T23:25:56.567-08:00Nurturing Insightby Meg Agnew<br />
Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher<br />
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If you’ve had some experience with insights, you know they can’t be called up on command. The best we can do to encourage the arising of insight is to create hospitable conditions. Reflecting, meditating, journaling, attending a silent retreat and walking meditation are some activities that are frequently associated with the arising of insight. Our relationships, too, are rich sources of insight. Once an insight sprouts up, we do have a wonderful opportunity to nurture its potential to create positive change.<br />
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Insights come in many varieties. One insight might invite us to alter our behavior or adopt a more compassionate attitude, while another may encourage us to view our past from a fresh new perspective. More rare is the insight that shifts our entire take on reality, like when Krishna revealed his true identity to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. Whether heart opening or mind blowing, an insight is a precious gift that springs from our own deep wisdom. How can we honor this offering? How do we nurture this seed of wisdom into a full flowering so that it serves the highest good?<br />
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One approach might be to consider which Brahma Vihara our insight is pointing us towards. The Brahma Viharas are qualities or heart-mind states that are revered in both the Buddhist and Yoga traditions. Sometimes referred to as the “heavenly abodes” or the “four immeasurables,” they are: loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. It is taught that these four are the only states that one experiences after becoming fully enlightened. <br />
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If our insight is truly a wise realization, it will be pointing us toward one (or more) of the Brahma Viharas. When we recognize which one, we can support the full unfolding of our insight by focusing our yoga practice on that particular quality. For example, say we’ve had an insight that seems to be calling for greater acceptance around a difficult issue. In this case, we might practice standing postures with an intention to cultivate equanimity as we connect with the Earth’s unwavering support at our foundation. If our insight is calling us to deepen our heart’s natural capacity for kindness or sympathetic joy, we could choose to do postures such as backbends that physically open the heart center and have been shown to increase feelings of happiness. Compassion for self or others pairs readily with forward bends or restorative poses that quiet and renew. These are simply some suggestions. Stay open and notice what speaks to you. There may be a particular pose that suggests itself as the perfect symbol of your insight-in-progress. Practice it as a heart offering to your arising wisdom and growing capacity for love.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-9718352749223871172012-10-17T16:20:00.000-07:002012-11-20T23:27:07.702-08:00Freedom<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5V7-pe9GWJJMMgiYWUq6cMXHjR4_e8UJEBz7QG0GdshVEEuf3pgjv6EykAyfQOZB3D3_f0Bp-U5YABeNpRc3K2CpKDdPo9w0Wi1VRc-crzrtwPWgdSSQ1KxhG8O93SUf4ZHAut67AM1ek/s1600/Judith.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5V7-pe9GWJJMMgiYWUq6cMXHjR4_e8UJEBz7QG0GdshVEEuf3pgjv6EykAyfQOZB3D3_f0Bp-U5YABeNpRc3K2CpKDdPo9w0Wi1VRc-crzrtwPWgdSSQ1KxhG8O93SUf4ZHAut67AM1ek/s320/Judith.png" width="320" /></a>By Judith Roth<br />
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In the face of today’s information overwhelm, the practice for me always comes down to “Where am I putting my attention and awareness?”<br />
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Our quest for freedom lays in the conscious choices we make moment to moment in our daily lives. It’s easily understood that this constant barrage of negativity exuded by our communication systems sometimes takes our breath away, reinforcing the huge adrenaline state of fear.<br />
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How many of us purposely absorb ourselves in inspirational writings, prayer, in practices that heal our feeling of separation and find the freedom to move more deeply toward the divine?<br />
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Just as the barrage of negativity grows in this current political climate, it’s important to realize that equal amounts of energy that don’t receive publicity are going toward practices enhancing the transformation of consciousness and moving us all closer to healing the myth of separation.<br />
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I can feel the inspired energy shift. In the face of storms of negativity promoted by the media, the season ahead could reflect the shift in consciousness actively taking place on our planet.<br />
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The rippling effect of our practices, gatherings and devotion are powerfully transformational.<br />
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Find Judith Roth at Sky Temple in Yelapa, Mexico. <a href="http://www.yogainyelapa.com/" target="_blank">http://www.yogainyelapa.com/</a> <br />
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<br />Denise Benitezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468258444596525156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-14653765548613239852012-10-07T19:45:00.001-07:002012-11-20T23:27:54.675-08:00On Pranaby Elizabeth Rainey<br />
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<i>prāṇa: vital air, life breath, vitality, energy, power</i><br />
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We breath in and out hundreds of times a day and with this activity we animate our body-mind. Intertwined in the flow of the breath rides the mysterious force that enlivens us and allows us to move our bodies and create with our minds. It pulsates in every cell and coordinates all our activities. It is the sparkle in our eyes and the radiance of our being. The breath ... so fundamental, so magical, so easily forgotten. <br />
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Through our yoga practice we become more attuned to this subtle and foundational aspect of our being and learn how to nurture and honor it. Our āsana practice is designed to help free the body-mind of obstacles and blockages so that we have more energy available to us. Over time we begin to sense where it is stuck and where it moves freely and endeavor to bring it into a dynamic balance. Through the practice of prāṇāyāma we cultivate a relationship with our subtle body and invite its potent currents to open, clear and infuse every aspect of our body-mind. The practice of meditation is the settling of our prāṇic body into the open space of our awareness where it can expand beyond the body-mind. <br />
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It is said that the link between body and mind is the breath. We know from experience that when we are agitated so is our breath and when our breath is deep and easy so is our body-mind. So, as we attend to our breath (and prāṇa) we access a deeper, more subtle and steady part of our being. And we begin to be able to infuse that steadiness into the constant dance of our body-mind and life. We also acknowledge our interconnectedness with every other living being on this planet in an intimate dance of inhale and exhale. <br />
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<i>Breathe the light<br />Ride the wave of possibility that enters you moment by moment<br />Speak from that sacred place of connection <br />Honor this divine gift of breath with every action and thought<br />Be inspired.</i><br />
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<i>See more about Rainey at <a href="http://elizabethrainey.com/">elizabethrainey.com</a>.</i><br />
<i> </i>Denise Benitezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468258444596525156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-51317998201034253802012-09-20T14:36:00.002-07:002012-11-20T23:28:12.734-08:00Beginner's MindBy Angi Donovan <br />
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What if you could go back to the very first time you felt the powerful presence of your breath? Or back to all the new and intriguing sensations that came to light in your first yoga class? What if you could go back to that wide open space where what you “know” was not yet known?<br />
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While we have built much strength, flexibility and balance by being experienced yoginis and yogis, the unbiased and deeply receptive state of a beginner’s mind can easily get lost in all the knowledge that is gained. So as the kids of our community return to school this September we too will return to new ground where the experience of life is bigger and more interesting, and where our perception enthusiastically wonders what the next moment will hold.<br />
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Start fresh this month as you take your sense of awareness and practice back into the enlightening power of the beginner’s mind!Denise Benitezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468258444596525156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-20660958560485055642012-08-03T18:44:00.000-07:002012-11-20T23:29:37.556-08:00Step Into Presenceby Angi Donovan<br />
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My teaching theme for August is stepping into presence. You’ll know when you have arrived to this place called presence. There will be no stories, no judgments, no expectations; just grounded feet, an open heart and for the very first time you may find yourself living just as you are. No fears to hide from, only eyes staring directly into the moment ready to love. Yoga is our practice for this great adventure; our mats a space for something new, our bodies a medium to be felt and expressed, and our hearts an opening to what is real. If you pay attention you can be caught by the humbling aliveness of your own being. Each time we stop to breathe or move or take in, we step into the profound experience we call presence. Explore this with me in class this August 2012 and come to know the power of the moment exactly as you are. See you there!<br />
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With Much Love,<br />
Angi<br />
<br />Denise Benitezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468258444596525156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6345074587870092425.post-28211818050428427562012-07-26T13:33:00.002-07:002012-07-26T13:57:17.378-07:00Welcome!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to the Seattle Yoga Arts blog, where we aim to broaden the conversation about yoga, help you get to know your talented teachers better, and expand on ideas and topics that arise in class, study and from the great hearts of us all.<br />
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Please submit blog posts that have to do with yoga, healing, meditation, practice, insight about life as it relates to practice, inspiration, and evolution to desiree@seattleyogaarts.com.<br />
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Your teachers will also use this space to expand on their class teaching topics in the realms of anatomy, yoga philosophy, asana theory and practice, and much more.<br />
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Check in often and subscribe to this blog for regular doses of imagination and ingenuity. The human mind is as creative as all the forms of nature, and we hope to hear from you here!<br />
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With a bow of gratitude for the great light you each bring to our community.<br />
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Denise Benitez<br />
Founder/Teacher<br />
Seattle Yoga Arts<br />
<br />Denise Benitezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12468258444596525156noreply@blogger.com0