February Newsletter
"You can still know peace without knowing what comes next."
~Morgan Harper Nichols~
You can still know peace without knowing what comes next. Is this challenging for you? Because it is extremely challenging for me. Watching the Chiefs in the Super Bowl caused me (and I am sure many others) a bit of anxiety as there was nothing to be done to make KC victorious but to wait (CHIEFS!). Netflix has made it so we don't have to wait for the end of a season to see how the show ends. We can just stay home for 12 hours and binge the series and we get the answers. You need to know where someone is or when they will be home? Call or text and you know right now.
I am sustained by the illusion that I have things under control. I like to think that through my choices, my hard work and my skillful actions I will be rewarded with my idea of "what comes next". I not so secretly believe that I can make things happen the way I think they should. Sometimes it works (which adds to my delusion). Sometimes I plan a meal or a trip and it all works out the way I hoped. Nothing burns, planes run on time. Sometimes I set a goal and I work toward it and it becomes reality (hello handstand). And then sometimes it doesn't and deep down I know that my control is an illusion and the only thing I control is my reaction to what actually happens.
A yoga practice can make us strong but it doesn't mean it will make everything easy. A yoga practice can make us calm but it won't stop the world from giving us situations that challenge that calm. It isn't meant to give us the illusion of control; it is meant to give us the tools to experience life as it is and handle whatever it brings. Working hard in a posture with the goal of mastering it can be fine in the moment and there are great things to be learned there, but the real gold is found when we cannot do what we want or when we find it to be challenging and we have to dig deep to either try again, adapt to what works or accept what is. By helping us to train the mind to live in the present moment, yoga can help us find peace even in the face of great uncertainty. A spiritual life means seeing reality as it is, not about improving our image of reality.
These are the things that keep me coming back to the mat again and again. Sure, it is wonderful to keep the body flexible and strong. Feeling good physically is no small thing and physical health will certainly impact things far beyond the physical body, but the possibility that we can learn to sit with discomfort, with disappointment, with fear or sadness and still be at peace is worth its weight in super bowl trophies. Come and work toward finding peace through a yoga practice. It can make you stronger and more flexible in all the ways that matter.
Come Practice With Us!
"Love and peace of mind do protect us. They allow us to overcome the problems life hands us. They teach us to survive... to live now... to have the courage to confront each day."
~ Bernie Siegel~
Events and News from the Studio
~~~Read all about it! New class, new teacher, new Foundations of Yoga and new workshop on the calendar!~~~
Foundations of Yoga
with Lisa Murphy
Beginners! Here we go again!
4 week series, Sundays 1-2:15 p.m.
March 15th, 22nd, 29th and April 5th
(Disclaimer: Series does not take place on a beach :-( )
We believe yoga can benefit every body and here is an opportunity to be introduced to this practice in a welcoming environment with an experienced and passionate teacher. This 4 week series will give you a basic understanding of the elements of a safe and solid yoga practice and give you confidence to venture into regular classes, establish a home practice or prepare you to explore more what yoga can do for you. Join us for this four week series. Taught by Lisa Murphy, long time friend of the Yoga Gallery and a talented and experienced yoga teacher with a passion for teaching beginners. This series is a relaxed, inclusive and welcoming place to learn what yoga is all about. It is perfect for the brand new beginner or anyone wanting to revisit the foundations of a great yoga practice.
Cost of the 4 week series is $80. If you miss a class, you can use it to take a class on the regular schedule at another time.
If you have questions, email me at patti@yogallery.com. Come by yourself or bring a friend or two. Hope you can join us!
~~~
Welcome Ram Goodman
NEW YG TEACHER!
(sort of)
We are so thrilled to welcome Ram Goodman back to the Yoga Gallery. Ram taught at the Yoga Gallery in Mission for several years. His full time job kept him from teaching more, but not from continuing his own personal yoga studies and journey. I took one of my first teacher trainings from Ram and could not be more delighted to have him rejoin the teaching staff at the Gallery. His experience and depth of knowledge are evident when you take his classes but one of my favorite things about him is that even with his vast knowledge, he continues to be a student of all limbs of yoga. Ram will be stepping up to sub some classes so hopefully you can all find a time to meet him and take his class and he will be starting a NEW CLASS on the schedule on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. beginning Feb 20. You can read more about Ram below.
Ram (Mick) Goodman began practicing yoga as a teenager and has been teaching for over 25 years. He completed his first teacher training in 1994 and Advanced Teacher Training in 2002, both in Sampoorna Hatha Yoga (Sivananda tradition). He also completed teacher training in the Ashtanga Yoga tradition with David Swenson. Ram believes in adapting the practice to your body since every body is unique. He sees yoga as a spiritual practice with a physical component and opens and closes his classes with a short Sanskrit chant. Ram is a student of Advaita Vedanta (philosophy of non-dualism) and Sanskrit.
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NEW CLASS !!
Beginning February 20
Thursdays, 5:30 pm
Mixed Level Flow
W/ Ram Goodman
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Breathwork Workshop
w/ Andrew Snope, Assisted by Jordan Ryan
Sunday, March 8 , 5:30 - 7:30
$30
We are happy to host our friends Andrew Snope and Jordan Ryan in bringing this breath workshop to our community.
Breathwork is a deep somatic experience guided by your own inner heart intelligence, facilitated by a thematic soundtrack designed to take you on a journey into inner space. Based on physiological principles used in Pranayama, this practice opens up connections between the mind and body to facilitate emotional integration and release old patterns that no longer serve your highest vision for living. The experience is different every-time, ranging from feeling peace to catharsis, but always reflects what is most present for the individual in the moment.
Please join us for this evening workshop of Breathwork hosted by local guides Andrew Snope and Jordan Ryan.
During the 2 hour long introductory workshop you can expect to be introduced to the practice and to sit in a 50 minute long session (completed sitting or lying down) after which we will have a Q and A and optional sharing of the experience. No prior experience is necessary.
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Winter isn't gone yet...The next months still hold the possibility for inclement weather.If we have ice or snow, please check the schedule online at yogallery.com Class cancellations will be shown as soon as a decision is made!(you can also download the Yoga Gallery app)
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KC Hemp Co. CBD Products
Now available at the Yoga Gallery!
I am pleased to announce that we are carrying KC Hemp Co products at the Yoga Gallery. I chose to offer these products because my personal experience with them has been so fantastic.
CBD oil has been touted as the solution to many issues; anxiety, inflammation, chronic pain, sleep disorders...the list is lengthy. I can only speak to the ones I have experienced: Way less inflammation and joint pain - walking up stairs pain free! I am also sleeping much better. I tried some other CBD products originally that didn't seem to make any difference but these products were helping after only a few weeks.
KC Hemp Co is a local, family owned business. They produce medical grade CBD from certified organic hemp grown in Colorado. All products are processed locally in a medical grade facility and all are subjected to third party testing. The oil is odorless and tasteless (mint flavor is available in the 1000 MG oil.
We are offering the two strengths of oil, 1000 mg and 500 mg. as well as the pain relief lotions in two sizes. The lotions are great for sore muscles and some arthritis pain. The oils are a better choice for chronic pain or inflammation, and have been shown to provide nearly immediate relief from anxiety.
If you have questions about the products, feel free to email me.
Products can be purchased at the studio.
~~~
Practice Tip
Meditation 101: A Beginner's Guide
Just Because
TV 2 | All That We Share
Just for Inspiration
Be at peace
Tempest tossed seas of soul
Give me rest
From doubt, and fear
Sun find my face,
Light find my heart,
Song find my story,
Smile find my face
Be at peace
Be at peace
For my life is finite,
And these storms
Have raged too long
Even winter
Must surrender spring
~R.Queen~