Inner Yoga: Summer Wednesday Night Series July 16th through August 13th

In another posting, I mentioned a forthcoming series of classes this summer that will follow the 6:15 Wednesday night Turtle Haven class, from 8 to 9 pm. In his book Inner Yoga, Sri Anirvan a great yoga teacher of the last century, says “To create an atmosphere conducive to meditation, a few things are necessary. You must make your lifestyle simple and disciplined, so that there is no unneccessary cause for restlessness or dispersion of the mind. You must develop the habit of remaining satisfied with whatever comes to you, so that your mind remains filled with a radiant gladness. You must keep a watchful eye on what happens in your mind when it comes into contact with external objects, so that this awareness of objects may be transformed into an awareness of self. And always you must cultivate a continuous stream of meditativeness, so the mind never never forgets its chosen object of seeking. To these disciplines, one more may be added— control of speech…..

During these Wednesday night explorations of meditation, we will consider our own personal lives, and our alignment, as well as lack of that, in relation to Sri Anirvan’s ideas of what is necessary in “creating an atmosphere conducive to meditation.”  The subjects for each class will follow the theme presented in the passage above:

July 16: Simplifying Lifestyle and Discipline for Practice

July 23: Contentment with Whatever Comes: Acceptance

July 30: Relationship of External Objects/Perceptions with My Own Inner Self

August 6th: Remembering the the Chosen Object of Seeking: Spiritual Life Woven into Daily Life

August 13th: What is the Control of Speech? How Do I Practice?

 

In our time together, we will engage in some discussion, supportive of establishing a practice of meditation, as well as engage with breathing practices useful in bringing a deeper state of inwardness. And of course we will practice sitting meditation with various methods!

$45 for all five classes; otherwise, $12 per individual class

Note: Please inquire if your financial situation is such that a reduced tuition is needed; no one turned away for lack of funds!

Yoga for easing symptoms of anxiety and depression

Yoga for easing symptoms of anxiety and depression

New Yoga Sadhana Series, Mondays at 8 Petals Yoga with Elizabeth Kerwin

The first class in the Yoga Sadhana series begins NEXT Monday; please be aware that the first three sessions may be taken as individual classes, and the Anxiety and Depression series that starts in April must be taken as a 5 session series. Please contact Elizabeth with any questions.

New Yoga Sadhana classes offered

More about 8 Petals Yoga Studio

YOGA SADHANA series

Please read on if you would like to know about SINGLE CLASSES IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH in the YOGA SADHANA series, or the 5 SESSION YOGA SADHANA SERIES in April and early May, for utilizing yoga in easing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

I have been preparing to offer a monday night series of classes within the “Yoga Sadhana”  framework, for a group of students wishing to explore in their own lives specific use of yoga, reflection, and community support in alleviating symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. There is much evidence to suggest that this approach has noteworthy and encouraging effectiveness. Included with this email is an attachment with information from a Harvard Medical School newsletter you may view about a study done suggesting the positive results for shifting emotional states, through practices of yoga. There have been many studies done along the same lines, especially utilizing Iyengar yoga, but also with other forms and styles of yoga!

In the class, we will not be practicing yoga asana regularly, though we will have some elements of actual asana, breathing practices or restoratives each session; there are many regular asana classes available, and the point of this series is to offer support around building a practice, introducing meditations, breathing techniques, and very importantly, having community connection and support in helping ourselves to feel more free and peaceful. Participants will be strongly encouraged to maintain a daily practice during the span of the couse, and will receive support for the upholding of this practice. We will meet on monday evenings from 7 pm to 8:45pm, for five consecutive mondays, April 7th through May 5th. The cost for the series is sliding fee of $100 to $130 for all five classes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On February 24th, at 7 pm until 8:45 pm, the Yoga Sadhana class will be a ONE TIME SESSION to explore our own longings, and their connection with spiritual practice, and that dimension of yoga! This class will be offered as a facilitated conversation and a period of meditation and reflection. A sliding fee scale for this one time session: $10 to $20.  Here is a a blessing from the great scholar and teacher John O’Donohue on this subject of longing:

Blessed be the longing that brought you here and that
quickens your soul with wonder.
May you have the courage to befriend your eternal longing.
May you enjoy the critical and creative companionship of
the question “Who am I?” and may it brighten your longing.
May a secret Providence guide your thought and shelter your feeling.
May your mind inhabit your life with the same sureness
with which your body belongs to the world.
May the sense of something absent enlarge your life.
May your soul be as free as the ever-new waves of the sea.
May you succumb to the danger of growth.
May you live in the neighbourhood of wonder.
May you belong to love with the wildness of Dance.
May you know that you are ever embraced in the kind circle of God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On March 3rd, from 7 to 8:45 pm, the Yoga Sadhana class will focus on HIP OPENERS and YOGA NIDRA, an opportunity to release tension from the hips and legs, and then immerse in a deep experience of the more profound relaxation of yoga nidra. The sliding fee for this class is $15 to $20.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On March 10th, from 7 pm to 8:45, the Yoga Sadhana class will focus on YOGA AND THE BREATH OF LIFE, which will offer guidance in various yogic breathing techniques for increasing vitality, reducing stress, calming, antidote to insomnia, and increased overall sense of well being. The sliding fee for this class is $15 to $20.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please let me know if you have any questions. To register, please send a check, your contact information, and the class(es) you have selected to Elizabeth Kerwin 214 North Commercial Street, Bellingham WA 98225. Many thanks, and warm greetings in a transitional time of snow and budding branches,

Elizabeth