What I've Learned on Day 2 & 3

Rabbits (and people) will live anywhere!

There is a cycle for all:  creation/birth, growth/maintenance, death/destruction.  If you hang on long enough, it will end.  In regards to an unpleasant feeling, don't stuff it, feel it.  It will end.

Where you put your attention is "where the flowers will grow."  Our conscious attention is creating our world.  What do you want your world to be?

Yoga is stilling the fluctuations of your mind.  It's effort and surrender, two wings of a bird.  Do your best.  Make an effort.  Let it be easy.

When I'm having difficulty with a relationship, I need to think about what I can do to change the experience.

Love connects.  Judgement and intolerance pinches off or separates folks.

We can make a choice on how we show up in a situation.

Some people share the teachings of Jesus as a wise person, not the Savior, the Son of God.

You can use your toes to pick up marbles, and it's fun!

Your breath can be a "softening agent."

Animals (and anything in nature) do not do anything against their own well being. "Trees are always telling the truth!" People do, all day long .   .   .

Every story is really one story, a Hero's Journey.  What is your story?

When the server asks if you want slaw and french fries, it's good to clarify if that's ON the side or ON the sandwich!

You can get a lot of exercise in the city.  I've walked 12 miles in the evenings so far (2 mi Thursday + 5 mi Friday + 5 mi today).

Yoga Trainings in Chicago give you a chance to catch up with good friends!  Tomorrow Maria and her husband are coming to the city so we can visit!
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Thank you, again, for your love and support in helping me be here to learn and grow.  Tomorrow I have to teach people "taller than me."  Send me some happy thoughts!  At this time tomorrow, I'll be two thirds done with this project!

Pisgah Yoga next week is TUESDAY, April 8 @ 5:30-6:30

I'll be off to Chicago April 9-14 for another four day training!  Thank you for your prayers.  I'm hoping I'll know more what I'm doing this time around .  .  . :-)

Tonight's topic was the TEN COMMANDMENTS:  1-4

Here's a catchy video I found online about the "Old School Rules":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq4h3Opy-Xc

We did the Handful of Quiet Meditation to begin class.  We discussed how we can't HEAR God's voice if we're always TALKING .  .  .

We discussed Cheryl Strayed's book Wild.  I was touched by how we try to fill the hole in our heart with all kinds of stuff -- food, shopping, relationships, drugs, alcohol, even "to do lists" -- these choices are self-destructive.  The good Lord is the only way to fill the hole .  .  . In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:6

As we were singing I Love to Tell the Story at tonight's Lenten Service this line struck me:  it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do. So taking the time to be quiet and breathe affords God the opportunity to work in our hearts!

I'm kind of preachy for a yoga instructor .  .  . but  I love to tell the story!

On Tuesday we'll check out Commandments 5-7!  Come s-t-r-e-t-c-h, strengthen, breathe and G-R-O-W with us.

Meet you on the mat!

Body Confidence Practice #4

We enjoyed our wrap session today!  We reviewed the lessons we've learned during the past three weeks.  We divied up the yoga practice and had yogis teach the final practice together.

breathing/centering--Gabi shared "pinch your nose breath" and Sa Ta Na  Ma meditation

warm up--Olivia led cat/cow

Sun Salutations--Kaitlyn taught these!

work--Mrs. Broam shared "Freeze/Flow/Flop" and we took turns stopping the music.  We also shared "opposite" postures to remind ourselves if we have "stinkin' thinking" we need to turn those negative thoughts around:

bow/wheel, warrior/reverse warrior, snowball/star, plank/slide, boat/down dog

balance--Caroline shared tree and 3 legged dog

floor--Kaitlyn shared "rock the baby" and Ashton taught "Superman"

We closed with a twist and final relaxation.  Today's meditation was A Handful of Quiet by Thich Nhat Hanh.  Kiddos took home some pebbles to give this one a try at home.

We made "promises" before leaving today.  For example:  I promise to remember the folks I can trust and talk to when I have questions.  I will be honest with myself and others.  I have confidence in my body and spirit.  I am b--YOU--tiful.  I will talk kindly to myself and others.

Thank you to Gabi for sharing her yoga ball.  We used to modify some postures like warrior, rock the baby, wheel and plank.

I thoroughly enjoyed sharing these ideas with your young ladies!  I hope we will meet on the mat again soon.  Thank you, again, for participating in this series!

I'll be teaching Kids Yoga at Pink on Saturday, April 8, 12:00-12:45.  During Spring Break, if you are in town, I'll be doing a series on prayer, 12:00-1:15 on Tuesday, 4/15, Wednesday, 4/16 and Thursday, 4/17.  You can come to any or all of the fun!  :-)

Namaste!

Tonight's Yoga

Today we zeroed in on "faithfulness"-- our 8th fruit of the spirit!  We talked a little about Dr. Seuss' Horton the Elephant (Horton Hatches an Egg) and God's Daniel (The Holy Bible).  We touched on Rick Warren's The Daniel Plan.  This plan includes faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends.  We shared about the faith component.  Faith is the foundation of The Daniel Plan (and the foundation for every part of our lives).

We did some hip work:
Bridge
Windshield Wipers
Leg Stretches w/ strap
Warriors, Crescent Lunges
Side Angle
Seated Tree
Pigeon

I forgot to mention PRAY is the Lenten Word of the Week.  Next week is GIVE.

On Sunday, March 16, 2:00-3:00 we'll explore Leprechaun Treasure!  We wrapped up tonight with The Irish Blessing, kinda fitting for March's "Season of Green!"

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind blow at your back,
May the sun shine warmly on your face.
May the rain fall softly on your field,
and until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

AMEN and NAMASTE, Yogi Friends!

The EYES have it!

While in Chicago, I learned about "eye exercise" or yoga for your eyes!

Here's a fun video where Paul McCartney teaches about this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00XqvNwYMoc

These are cool to know to strengthen and relax the muscles around the eyes.  These exercises help develop focus and concentration.  During an age of more screen time, preventive exercises like these can help you achieve good eye health throughout your life!

If you're a little nauseous when you try, start slower.  The eye muscles, like all muscles, will strengthen over time.

EYE, EYE Mateys?!

Chinese New Year

We enjoyed 7 families (19 yogis) at Saturday, January 11th's Family Yoga Class!  Thank you to Pink Lotus Yoga Center for keeping Family Yoga on the menu!  We had some fun with Chinese Love Knots and reviewing our Circle of Control (I'm in charge of what I think, see, say, feel and do)!  We pretended to be animals in The Great Race by Dawn Casey.  We relaxed and practiced Eline Snel's "sitting still like a frog."  We also read Smile a Lot by Nancy Carlson.  We wrapped up class with that BEST yoga posture, a grin from ear to ear.  Munching on fortune cookies on the way out the door, we reminded ourselves that we have CHOICES (how we think and see, what we say, feel and do) and are in charge of our FORTUNE.  Chinese New Year is January 31.  2014 is the Year of the Horse. 

Books Worth Barking About

Here's a GREAT book to go with the game, "Yogi Operator!" It's called, _Bark, George_ by Jules Feiffer (http://www.amazon.com/Bark-Geo... George the dog "meows," "oinks," "quacks," "moos," etc. It would be a quick, fun read to set up the game! It would also be easy to incorporate cat, pig, duck, cow postures as you share. Another fun book about animal sounds is _Who Says a Dog Goes Bow-Wow?_ by Hank De Zutter. This one is out of print though and maybe difficult to locate . . . Happy Reading! WOOF WOOF