You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving.
– Saint Francis de Sales

Dear friends,

Happy New Year to you.  I wish you good health, peace and prosperity. 

It’s been a while since I’ve written.  My husband and I travelled to Florida for a 2 week vacation to visit with our daughter.  It was a wonderful, relaxing vacation with lots of walks on the beach, warm weather, yoga classes with Sandra at Breathe Yoga Studio (so good!  Loved having Kripalu away from home with Sandra.  She's created a wonderful community yoga environment.  I learned some new moves too!), good food, lots of movies and games of Cranium.  We visited Rebecca’s boyfriend’s family in Alabama for Christmas and enjoyed his mother’s wonderful southern cooking.  It was quite warm that day, too warm for red sweaters!  We missed the first big snow in Connecticut.  Not to worry, it has snowed several times since and it’s snowing today.  Big difference between white sandy beaches and white snow everywhere!

On to the news: 

Ohmbama!  Like many of you, I have high hopes for our new president.  I hope that his presidency is a catalyst for racial healing in this country.  I cry every time I hear Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech and I am so proud that Americans chose this man Obama at this time.  Every day I pray for his leadership and success in the toughest job on the planet.

Krishna Das is coming to Mystic, CT!  He will be performing kirtan which is a call and response type of chanting.  Krishna Das is probably the one performer most responsible for popularizing chant music in the U.S.A.  Chanting is a devotional form of yoga called bhakti.  You can listen to Krishna Das on his website www.krishnadas.com.  Get your tickets early.  This program is likely to sell out.  (Read down for more info.)

If it’s true that we teach best what we most need to learn, then for me, the Yoga for Weight Loss and Personal Transformation workshop series reinforces yogic principles that support our evolutionary process from matter to spirit - Sat-cit-ānanda - existence, consciousness, and bliss.  The first workshop sets the foundation for the series with yoga philosophy from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, specifically the Yamas and Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama and Pratyahara practices with an emphasis on tools that support and enhance weight loss goals. 

The second workshop, Introduction to Ayurveda, will be presented by my dear friend Susanne Murtha.  Susanne has extensive training, knowledge, and personal practice experience in many aspects of Yoga and Ayurveda.  She’ll be available for a limited number of personal consultations as well.  (Read down for info.)

If you’re a student of mine, you know that I can be a stickler for alignment in most poses, especially when it comes to the joints.  (The number one job of a yoga teacher is student safety.)  The knee joint is the largest joint in the body (and no wonder with all the pounding it takes!).  I’ve included links to 2 articles from Yoga Journal magazine, one written by Julie Gudmestad on the Hyperextended Knee and the other step by step instructions for sitting cross legged in Easy Pose (which is not so easy!)  In Easy Pose the knees are to be level with or lower than the hips.  Sitting on the edge of folded blankets or a cushion tips the pelvis so that the pubic bone comes closer to the floor which results in less tension for the back, hips and thigh muscles. 

Yoga Heals Us website:

I’ve posted some favorite poetry and other inspiring writings at the Inspiration link at www.yogahealsus.com.  Please send me your favorites to share in future newsletters or on the website.

During the coming weeks, I’ll be updating the workshop and Yoga for MS pages with upcoming programs.  This year I’ll be going to South Dakota, Alabama, Florida and Texas.  Also, another program at Yogaville in the fall! 

Peace and love to you all!  Breathe, you can relax now…yoga heals us.
Namaste, Karen 

The Winter Class Session has begun.  Check the schedule to find a class that works for you.  If you're not sure, ask me.

Too busy for a regular class?  Ask about private lessons.

Weather Cancellations:
for Ledyard Parks & Recreation classes - check channel 3 or 8
for Ledyard Senior Center - check channel 3
for Montville Senior Center - check channel 3 or 8
for St. James Church classes - call me at 860.204.0797
As always, you can choose to miss a class and make it up before the end of the session.  One make up can be carried into the next session (registered students only.)

January 24, 2009
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
St. James Church, 95 Route 2A, Preston, CT  06365

As the oldest system of human development, Yoga offers insight into the nature of the mind and specific practices to dissolve obstacles that cause us to suffer. This program draws upon yogic tools to stoke the inner fire of determination, mental clarity and creativity.

Building a solid foundation is the secret to any successful endeavor. Here’s what we’ll do:

You'll be introduced to yoga philosophies from and concepts that support your goals, your relationships and your life.

We’ll learn about the principles of brahmana and langhana—heating and cooling practices related movement and relaxation.

We’ll set intention with an art project, affirmation and deep relaxation.

Be prepared to have fun, meet new friends, give and receive support for your journey, learn new things and remember who you are.  As we move through the decades of our lives, our talents and dreams often disappear as the patterns of every day living become more powerful and pressing.  This workshop series gives you time and tools to remember who you are and to resurrect the inner you.

Come to one, come to all.  This is the first in a series of 6 workshops.  Each month there will be a 4 hour workshop that includes concepts and practices for personal growth and concrete support for weight loss goals. Building on the previous workshops, each one covers western scientific information and yogic concepts. The format includes new material, review of previous material, a complete yoga class that reinforces your personal practice, pranayama, yoga nidra, group support and more.

Bring:  Your yoga mat, blanket, favorite writing materials.  Dress for movement and comfort.

Cost:  $69 each session.  Please pre-register so that I know to expect you and have enough handouts, etc.  Mail to Yoga Heals Us, 129 Rose Hill Road, Ledyard, CT  06339 (credit card option available through PayPal)
          Pre-register for 2 or more and pay only $60 each. 
          Pre-register for all 6 and pay $54 each!  
          Private lesson discount for workshop participants:  $60 per one hour.

Don’t wait a minute more to change your life.

Now is your time. You can do it!

Presenter: Karen O'Donnell Clarke and friends, specializing in yoga for every body.  Certified Kripalu Yoga, Yoga of the Heart, and Integrative Yoga Therapy. 

February 14, 2009
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
St. James Church, 95 Route 2A, Preston, CT  06365

A sister science to Yoga, the ancient holistic health practice of Ayurveda recognizes that each person has a unique constitution and metabolism, energy patterns and tendencies. These life-force energies known as doshas called Vata, Pitta and Kapha correspond to the elements of air, fire and water. When out of balance the doshas are considered to be the underlying cause of disease. In this workshop you’ll explore your Ayurvedic type and learn about the best Yoga practice for you.

• Assessing your individual constitution.
• The 6 tastes, a cooking lesson and more.
• Asana for your type.

Cost:  $69 each session.  Please pre-register so that I know to expect you and have enough handouts, etc.  Mail to Yoga Heals Us, 129 Rose Hill Road, Ledyard, CT  06339 (credit card option available through PayPal)
          Pre-register for 2 or more and pay only $60 each. 
          Pre-register for all 6 and pay $54 each!  
          Private lesson discount for workshop participants:  $60 per one hour.

Susanne Murtha is presenting this general interest workshop (which is the second in the weight loss series.)  Susanne has extensive training in yoga and ayurveda, including the Kripalu 500 hour teacher training and Integrative Yoga Therapy 1000 hour YTT.  Susanne has assisted over 100 programs at Kripalu and brings a vast wealth of knowledge to this workshop.  We have worked together before and we're very excited to collaborate on this workshop. 

Susanne will be offering a limited number of private consultations.  If you are interested, let me know as soon as possible.  Susanne lives in the Adirondacks and will be available to you for the weekend only.

• Chanting with musical accompaniment
• Meditation instruction
• Readings from different spiritual traditions
• Teachings and discussions about the spiritual path

"Chanting is a way of getting in touch with yourself. It's an opening of the heart and letting go of the mind and thoughts. It deepens the channel of grace, and it's a way of being present in the moment."  -Krishna Das

Place your burden
at the feet of the Lord of the Universe
who accomplishes everything.
Remain all the time steadfast in the heart,
in the Transcendental Absolute.
God knows the past, present and future.
He will determine the future for you
and accomplish the work.
What is to be done will be done
at the proper time. Don’t worry.
Abide in the heart and surrender your acts
to the divine.  - Ramana Maharshi

"If we know anything about a path at all, it's only because of the Great ones that have gone before us. Out of their love and kindness, they have left some footprints for us to follow. So, in the same way that they wish for us, we wish that all beings everywhere, including ourselves, be safe, be happy, have good health, and enough to eat. And may we all live at ease of heart with whatever comes to us in life."  - Kirtan closing prayer by KD

Bring:  Cushion to sit on.  A very limited number of chairs will be available.

Get your tickets early.  This program is sure to sell out!

Want an eco-friendly yoga mat? Here's what you need to know

Overly flexible knees can cause injury, but yoga can help stabilize loose tendons and ligaments by strengthening the muscles around the joint.

Many yoga students are quite surprised to learn that joints can become too flexible. But in many joints, ligaments and tendons play a major role in preventing excessive motion; if those tissues become too loose, the joint can move in ways that cause damage or set the stage for injury. A joint with such laxity is said to be hypermobile, and the knee is particularly vulnerable to this problem. In fact, this joint is more or less just one long bone (the femur, or thighbone) stacked on top of another long bone (the tibia, or shinbone). Ligaments and tendons are all that holds these bones together.

Most people are all too aware of how easily and dramatically the knee's connective tissues can be injured by twisting. But fewer people are aware that knee hyperextension--too much opening at the back of the knee--also creates misalignment and bad movement habits that can pave the way for arthritis and more serious knee injuries.

Do You Hyperextend?

1.  Fold a thick blanket or two into a firm support about six inches high. Sit close to one edge of this support and stretch your legs out in front of your torso on the floor in Dandasana (Staff Pose).

2.  Cross your shins, widen your knees, and slip each foot beneath the opposite knee as you bend your knees and fold the legs in toward your torso.

3.  Relax the feet so their outer edges rest comfortably on the floor and the inner arches settle just below the opposite shin. You'll know you have the basic leg fold of Sukhasana when you look down and see a triangle, its three sides formed by the two thighs and the crossed shins. Don't confuse this position with that of other classic seated postures in which the ankles are tucked in close to the sitting bones. In Sukhasana, there should be a comfortable gap between the feet and the pelvis.