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| - commentary by Eknath Easwaran |
All that is sweet, delightful, and amiable in this world, in the serenity of the air, the fineness of seasons, the joy of light, the melody of sounds, the beauty of colors, the fragrancy of smells, the splendor of precious stones, is nothing else but Heaven breaking through the veil of this world, manifesting itself in such a degree and darting forth in such variety so much of its own nature.
– William Law
The great Hindu scriptures say that God is absolute truth, absolute joy, absolute beauty. Any scientist who is seeking the absolute truth, as Einstein did, is seeking God. Anyone seeking absolute joy, whether in a tavern or in the shopping mall or in Monte Carlo, is seeking God. And anyone who is seeking absolute beauty – on a canvas or a stage or a mountaintop – is seeking God. What lovers of beauty seek in paintings, in sculpture, in dance, in music is just a reflection of the absolute beauty that is God. The real source of all beauty is God, the Beloved.
So, there is nobody who is not seeking God. The scientist in his lab, the gambler at the casino, the artist in her studio: all are seeking God. We are all lovers, restlessly searching for the Beloved, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Face behind the veil.
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Click here for more Thought for the Day
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Dear friends,
When I first came upon this particular Thought for the Day, I remembered that one of my teachers once said something very similar. He said that those who seek the perfect pose or the perfect body through yoga are really seeking God. It’s just that this idea of “God” is different than the benevolent God the Father or the fire and brimstone God so many of us learned about as children.
We’ve heard some version of this before – when this happens (fill in the blanks) my life will be better. This suggests a longing for something that can never happen because no material thing can fill a spiritual void. The Thought for Day uses the word “God” eight times. To be sure, I was somewhat hesitant to use this particular reading because so many people are conflicted about the word “God” as it is used in current society, politics and religion. However, I did choose it because it speaks to the greater need that we all have for spiritual connection and understanding.
We often hear that people come to yoga for the way they feel after a session. The muscles and joints feel good. The mind is at ease. There’s even a sense of peace and contentment.
Yoga is a spiritual practice that has a physical dimension because we live in the body. The body is a temporary home for the spirit. As such, we must take care of the needs of the body so that it will serve us until we don’t need it anymore. But it’s a mistake to think that we are just this body. In yoga, we say that we are five bodies. The physical body (annamayakosha) is the one that we are most familiar with but it can not survive without the other bodies – pranamayakosha (energy / life force), manomayakosha (psycho emotional / mind), vijnamayakosha (witness / intellect) and anandamayakosha (beyond description / bliss / our natural state).
The goal of yoga is to realize our natural state which beyond all pain and suffering. The bliss which is our natural state is actually the absence of the polarity of grasping and repulsion, desire for things to be a certain way or avoidance of unpleasantness, sometimes called nirvana.
“Nirvana” means “to blow out” and refers to emptying your personality completely – your likes and dislikes, your selfish attachments, your self-will and petty desires so that you can awaken to the wholeness of life and live for the welfare of other. The Buddha’s name means “He who wakes up.” (source: Eknath Easwaran)
The process of “blowing out” and “awakening” takes practice. And the place for practice is in our everyday lives. Conscious acts of kindness, living in the present moment, riding the waves of pain and discomfort on the physical and emotional levels, practicing non-judgment – every new day brings opportunities to “blow out” what we don’t need so that we can make space for grace.
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Further down in the newsletter you'll find information about:
Russill Paul's new book and free internet course. Russill is based out of Austin, TX and presents the Yoga of Sound and spiritual workshops nationally and internationally. He'll be presenting at Kripalu in September. (Lucky me! I'll be attending the IYT training during the same time so I hope to attend kirtan on Saturday, Sept. 12th.)
From September 5 - 17, I'll be completing Integrative Yoga Therapy Professional Yoga Therapist 500 hour training. Join me at Kripalu (perhaps for Russill Paul's program 9/11 - 9/13 on Ecstatic Chant) and get a discount on your housing.
I will be away from June 23 - July 5th visiting family in Texas and presenting 2 workshops at Divine Center of Yoga on Adaptive Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis and Yoga Therapy. This past spring, I presented Teaching Adaptive Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis in Sioux Falls, SD and Birmingham, AL. It's always a great honor to work with yoga teachers who have a heart felt desire to make yoga accessible to students who may otherwise miss out on the benefits of yoga. And it's especially wonderful to work with people who have MS and who teach us so much about how MS affects them and how yoga can help. (click here or here to read more about these programs.)
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I hope you have a wonderful summer. Breathe, you can relax now...Yoga Heals Us.
Practicing presence. Peace and love, Karen
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| Summer Yoga Class Schedule |
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New for the Summer!
Mondays: Starts July 6th
Yoga for Big, Beautiful, Bodacious Women * 12:45 - 2 p.m.
This class is an alternative to "keep up if you can" yoga. The class will be paced and postures will be adapted to the needs of the students, including the use of chairs and other props for certain poses.
If you are a big, beautiful and bodacious woman, this class is for you! We all come from the Goddess...spread the word!
The Dragon's Egg
401 Shewville Road, Ledyard, CT
(this class will change to Thursday mornings in the fall)
Wednesdays: Starts July 8th
Gentle Yoga * 5 - 6:15 p.m.
Open Levels Moderate * 6:45 - 8 p.m.
These classes are sponsored by Ledyard Parks & Recreation 860.464.9112
Ledyard Senior Center
12 Van Tassel Drive, Gales Ferry, CT
See website for other ongoing classes
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Click here for all class locations, dates and times
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| Workshops for Yoga Teachers in Southlake, Texas |
Teaching Adaptive Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis:
A Workshop for Yoga Teachers and Health Care Professionals
June 26 - 27, 2009
9 - 6 p.m., 11 - 6 p.m.
Yoga Therapy in Practice: A Multi-dimensional Approach to the Therapeutic Application of Yoga
June 28, 2009
9 - 3 p.m.
CEUs available for Yoga Teachers
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Click here for course descriptions and other details
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| Gentle Yogi Rudy Pierce Programs |
Rudy Peirce is the Gentle Yogi. Check out his Men's Yoga and Gentle Yoga programs at Kripalu, Delaware and other locations nationally.
Rudy was one of my teachers at Kripalu when I took Teaching the
Deeper Practices. He also taught one of the first Gentle Yoga classes that I even took - and I was hooked. In this fast paced, power focused world, Gentle Yoga brings you back to yourself.
Rudy has produced several Gentle Yoga CDs for your home practice. His quiet and reflective manner are both supportive and contagious.
Rudy also leads yoga retreats in Tuscany, Italy.
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Click here to read about Rudy, his schedule, his CDs, his blog
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| New Release! Jesus in the Lotus |
In 2007, I took a weekend workshop with Russill Paul at the Mercy By the Sea Center in Madison, CT. The workshop, called Christ in India, was profound and deeply moving. Russill is also the author of the book, The Yoga of Sound.
Overview of Jesus in the Lotus:
"A child of mixed religious and cultural ancestry, I trained simultaneously as Benedictine monk and yogi in India under Bede Griffiths, one of the greatest cross-cultural figures of all time. This work shares my interspiritual life-journey and range of mystical experiences in view of inspiring the present day spiritual seeker to appreciate the best of both traditions through an inner and active dialog. The purpose of this work is not syncretism, the notion that all traditions are the same and that the differences do not matter. Instead, I advocate interspirituality, a vision that honors common ground while at the same time appreciating and responding to the challenges that come from the emphases and uniqueness of each tradition." - Russill Paul
“Russill Paul has seen the path between East and West through the eyes, heart and practice of devotion. He openly shares his quest and insight through a pilgrimage of reflections on spiritual focus, action and contemplation. Listen to the depth of his wisdom and faith.” — DON CAMPBELL, author of Sound Spirit and The Mozart Effect
Russill is offering a free 5-month internet course when you purchase 3 or more copies of the book through his website link to Amazon.com. Cost is $10.17 each.
Travel with Russill Paul and a group of spiritual seekers on a chanting and meditation retreat to South India January 12 - 30, 2010. Live in a Hindu-Christian ashram, visit ancient temples, experience powerful rituals, study the Yoga of Sound and Interspirituality.
COST: The cost of the package is $2999 + $399 registration and reservation fee is required. Includes international round-trip airfare, accommodations, tuition costs, ground transportation in India, porter fees, tips, entry tickets, and almost all your meals are provided in the package.
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Click here to learn more
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I will be attending Integrative Yoga Therapy, Module 2 from September 5 - 17, 2009. Join my group "Yoga Heals Us" and enjoy a 20% discount* on your dormitory or standard room. This discount applies to IYT Module 2 and most other program dates that fall between 9/5 - 9/17. Call Kripalu reservations at 866-200-5203to register with my group.
Kripalu is the nation’s largest and most established center for yoga and holistic living, providing people tools for optimal living for more than 30 years. Every visit immerses you in an experiential curriculum designed to bring vitality to your life from the inside out. Kripalu offers:
- An unparalleled breadth and depth of programming
- The nation’s leading teachers, authors, and thinkers
- Weekend and 5-day programs in the fields of yoga, health and wellness, creativity, and spiritual practice
- An extraordinary location (with spectacular views of the Berkshires)
- All-natural whole-foods cuisine to delight the palate and nourish the body
- An array of daily classes (yoga, meditation, and movement) and amenities (whirlpool, sauna, hiking trails, fitness room, and more).
*Limited to dormitory or shared standard rooms, upgrades to other accommodations will not carry a discount. Discount is not applicable for the KYTA Conference, 500-hour yoga teacher training modules, children’s programs, or healing retreats and cannot be combined with other discounts. Other restrictions may apply.
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Click here for a list of programs that fall between 9/5 - 9/17/09
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Available June 20th. Colors, sizes and styles vary. All short sleeve. Colors include: white, pink, green and blue. I will be bringing these to class until they are gone. (Don't miss out! The last shipment disappeared within weeks.)
Price: $17 (same as last year!)
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| Private Lessons this Summer? |
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Are you in need of a one time boost or weekly lessons this summer? I can come to you or you can come to one of my class locations. Schedule your reservation now.
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Click here for more information
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Contents
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Yoga Heals Us LLC
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Yoga Classes:
Gales Ferry, Ledyard, Mystic and Preston, CT
Workshops:
Southlake, TX
Yogaville, VA
and other national locations
Individual Lessons / Yoga Therapy:
Mystic and Preston, CT
other southeastern, CT locations
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Dragon's Egg Events
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Kirtan with Barbara McKenzie
First Sundays at 5 p.m.
The Dragon's Egg
401 Shewville Road
Ledyard, CT 06339
By Donation
AFRICAN DANCE CLASS
Co-taught by Amy Zezulka & Susan Nannette
Friday, June 19th from 5:30 to 7:00 PM
More events and information at: http://www.mysticpaperbeasts.org/egg_schedule.html
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Blissworks Yoga & Healing Arts Events
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Workshop Schedule
- First Saturdays Psychic Fair
- Sun Jun 21 2009 6:30PM - 8:00PM
KIRTAN - Come Singing
- Fri Jul 24 2009 6:00PM - 8:30PM
Opening the Treasure Chest: Anusara Yoga
- Sat Jul 25 2009 1:00PM - 3:30PM
The Radiant Heart Opens Wide Anusara Yoga
Info at www.blissworksyoga.org
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New Studio in Mystic
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Check out Mystic Bodyworks for yoga classes, personal training and massage therapy at www.mysticbodyworks.com
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Looking for a hot yoga experience? Check out the Mystic Yoga Shala at http://www.mysticyogashala.com/schedule.htm
Mystic Yoga Shala is hosting Micah from Kripalu on July 11th for Primitive Yoga: Exploring the Roots of Practice
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Yoga and more at Meiklem Kiln Works in Bozrah
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Pottery studio downstairs, CenterSpace yoga studio upstairs. Great combination! Lyndsay also has gallery events and an outdoor Healing Arts Festival on July 25th. Check it out at http://www.meiklemkilnworks.com/index.html
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