Happy Winter Solstice!!

As we know the solstice is the shortest day of the year – and like this picture shows, our solstice this year is also a snowy one!!

Amidst the snow we find peace and purity.

Solstice is also noted as a time for new beginnings where we can reflect and set our life on a wholly positive course. Now the days begin to get longer and with that reversal comes the idea that we can undo and change our course in any way needed.

With the winter solstice the year draws to a close. I wish everyone a very joyous close to 2009 and bright beginnings in 2010!!

Aside from doing plenty of yoga…

...how else do you plan to spend the holidays this year?

Please do tell us, we are completely tuned in and listening intently…

The true presentation and proof of any yoga practitioner is their conduct. Without proper conduct, it does not matter what pose they do or what they say, it means their practice is not properly developed.

I raise the point because conduct is so much valued in yogic life, yet time and again we are reminded how in the general society, leaders and people of respect fail to maintain a proper level of personal behavior. They have become famous for some reason – politics, sports, music, Hollywood etc – but they were never fully trained in life. Hence when allurements and so-called opportunities come, they fall like a rock. Such type of ongoing behavior is neither good for them nor the society.

Yoga can help – a lot.

Every action takes birth in the mind in the form of a thought. If the thoughts are proper the actions will invariably be proper. Yoga aims at refining one’s sense of self by creating a more benevolent and sentient mind. That is the true end of the practitioner.

It will be very refreshing and invaluable when leaders and celebrities in society are not just famous for a single particular talent, but for their entire presentation and whole personality. That’s to say, when their daily conduct matches their particular talent.

The more people engage in yoga and meditation the more they will feel that their talents are not to be exploited for self-glorification and indulgence, but are to be utlized for helping and serving others and leading a refined life.

Every day has its own special beauty and charm, however yesterday was particularly wonderful.

I got the opportunity to do 4 yoga events in three counties with 4 vastly different populations. The day served as a great reminder of how yoga has so many things to offer to so many people in so many ways.

That’s a lot of so many’s, but it’s true.

I started at 8:40am in Calvert County with a challenging Yoga for Strength and Fitness class (complete with arm balances, lunges, inversions & more) with my regular Thursday morning team followed by an event with the Calvert County Garden Club. The date with the Garden Club was months in the making – nearly 10 months! About 50 people were on hand for this gathering. It was a most lively yet also reflective and interactive session. We paralleled the worlds of gardening & yoga; discussed the inner significance of the lotus; quizzed one another (they passed!); did chair yoga; laughed and joked plenty; reviewed and practiced balance poses and yoga and back care; and concluded with a relaxation session and story, followed by Q & A. The Garden Club members were quite the crew – gracious, bendy, inquisitive – & not at all shy, I can vouch for that!

Then it was a short respite for lunch and off to Prince George’s County for my afternoon engagement at Bishop McNamara High School. There are around 20+ active participants in the school’s yoga club and we get together every Thursday for yoga instruction. Most of the club members are 10th & 11th graders – yes all girls!! As you’d expect, they are fast learners and very ready to dive in. Yesterday, in their first go at it, they all made it nicely into half moon pose. But they are not just in it for the physical challenge – they’re after the quieter side as well. As one young lady,  the club’s founder, told to her friend in the hallway after the first class, “During the corpse posture at the end of class, I did not even know where I was!” . It has been a real joy – we’ve done 2 sessions thus far with many more to come!

Then it was “hurry up and wait” as I got onto the beltway only to sit in traffic and crawl my way onto Rt 50 – where things were only moderately better. Ultimately I made it to Anne Arundel Community College in time for my evening seminar on Yoga and Back Care. We had a packed house and everyone showed great interest in the topic. During our hands-on session we dialogued and moved through a nearly 2 hr practice (yes I went over as usual!). The theme revolved around establishing and maintaining lordosis – and the many ways that yoga supports back and spine well-being. Everyone was highly involved in the practice and keenly followed the closing story. All participants left with a folder of info and a practice cd.

It was almost 10pm when I finally made it home – just in time to rest and prep for the next morning’s class.

Upon reflection throughout the day and thereafter, I realized how wonderful it is to share the many gifts and joys of yoga with so many different people, and watch them all experience the benefits. Both young and old expressed great interest and eagerly absorbed all they could from our sessions together.

Between the vastness of yoga and the sheer joy of being & sharing with others, it is no wonder why my busiest days are some of the most inspiring!

Diipava’lii or Diwali is the ‘celebration of light’.

It is celebrated on the darkest night of the year, which is the 10th new moon in the northern hemisphere. (Oct 17 / 18 2009)

Celebrations include colorful lights, fireworks, and sentient merrymaking.

The inner significance is that despite the darkness all around, one should illumine the mind and rid oneself of all kinds of ignorance, superstition and dogma through deep mediation and contemplation. In essence, one should become the embodiment of love, truth and light.

The term diipa in Sanskrit means lamp, and Diipa’valii refers to lighting the lamp within.

This is a day of universal significance for one and all and is being celebrated by more peoples and communities each and every year.

The swastika is an ancient symbol in yogic life and refers to permanent victory in life: liberation in individual life and justice in collective life.

We all know that one nefarious character in our 20th century tainted this symbol both in form and in meaning, but his wicked intentions have nothing to do with the true and inherent meaning of the swastika symbol.

In Sanskrit the prefix su means great or goodness and vasti means being. Thus, becoming the embodiment of greatness and benevolence. That is the victory depicted by the swastika.

Often this swastika symbol is used in yoga and in Diipa’vali celebrations, as shown in the above photo. Here is one special song about the Diipava’li:

“Aka’s’he a’j ranger mela’ manete a’j a’lo...” (Prabhat Samgiita #64)

In the sky there is a festival of color. In my mind there is a flow of light. The air is filled with fragrance, and everything is sweet. With the realization of the Divine within, my heart is filled with rhythm and song. With the sweet, tender touch of life, all the darkness has vanished. On such a glorious day, may we light the candle of light within, together with all…

Here is more information about the swastika:

(1)Wikipedia (2) About (3) Swastika Movement

This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson was recently posted to the YJ community and I thought I would share it with everyone here.

“To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To give of one’s self; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived – This is to have succeeded.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)

Here is another interesting statement by Mr. Emerson…

DID YOU KNOW?

Emerson himself was a well-known student of the early teachings of the yogis, having studied the Vedas and Bhagavad Gita.

Namaskar,

Labor Day always seems to signify a transition: from summer to fall, from vacation to school, from rest to work, from hot to cool and so on.

This transitional period is a great time to reflect on the recent past and envision the coming future.

Here at Renaissance Yoga, we’d like to thank you all for making this summer a most successful one. It featured our first ever Intro to Yoga Workshop as well as the first 2hr Yoga-Sitar Program in Galesville. Both were well attended and well received. Summer also featured some of the largest attendance we’ve ever had at Community Yoga, and our annual yoga session at the Naval Academy, amongst other highlights.

Most of all summer was about growing and enriching our yoga community: smiling, sharing and cultivating friendship, faith and trust.

As we move on to fall, we have many neat things on the horizon. The start of our new Meditation Circle, an upcoming Yoga-Sitar Program, and quite a bit more. Newness is a part of life – both on and off the mat.

As we switch gears here in between seasons, we wish you all a wonderfully, smooth transition and hope yoga can continue to be a supportive tool in your life.

All the very best,

Satyam

Thanks everyone for another

great turnout

at the Shady Side Open House!!!

One member of our yoga community - Carolyn Rodis – does yoga in essentially two places. When she is in So Co she is a regular on Wed and Sat at Galesville Hall. That’s about ten months of the year.

When not in So Co she lives at her other residence. Now take a look at her veranda and see her view when she does her yoga outside!!!

YES, we will all be going there soon for a yoga workshop!!! It will be the longest workshop in yoga history!!!!!

Last Friday, July 3rd, we held a yoga session at the Naval Academy’s National Cross Country Camp – 110 in all attended the class. Click here to see all the photos.

Open any yoga magazine or even the health section of any newspaper, and you will read about the many benefits of yoga: Less stress, greater flexibility, lower blood pressure, deeper sleep, faster recovery time, and so many things.

In short, there are numerous ways how yoga helps. Even then, it can all seem quite theoretical or even beyond what we think we can achieve.

Sometimes we all need to hear stories, anecdotes, or even a word or phrase from people in our local community to inspire us to keep going. You may feel that your experience is insignificant, but by sharing it you may open a whole new avenue of hope and inspiration for someone else.

In my own life, yoga has helped blow away a dark cloud of an inferiority complex that seemed to always loom over or even envelop me. It has also granted me a greater sense of belonging, allowing a much more positive outlook in life – both individually and collectively. There is still a ways to go – but at least the journey is en route and not stalled!

I will gladly share more about the above as well as other ways yoga has helped.

Please take a moment to share how your yoga practice has helped you - in any way, no matter how small or big.

Remember…

You never know what great transformation or subtle shift in perception your words will have on someone else.

This is also a great way to personally reinforce the importance of your own practice.

As an ever-increasing number of you have been asking me about the Renaissance Yoga Rock, let me fill you in…

…Last winter one of my elder twin sisters was thinking of a gift for me. She looked at the back of my CD – which I had recently given her – and saw my logo. Being an aspiring artist, she promptly went for a hike, found an oval-shaped, smooth rock and beautifully painted the Renaissance Yoga logo onto that rock. Then she applied a PU coating and voila, we have the Renaissance Yoga Rock!!

As it is fairly heavy and already me and my tiny car are a mobile yoga closet ( I dare not use the word studio!), I have been keeping the rock at home.

On Eco-Day, the rock made its first public appearance. It was a little shy at first but after a while it warmed up to everybody.

For your viewing pleasure, here is that rock!

Thanks everyone for making our first-ever Eco-Yoga Day such an enjoyable program this afternoon!

The sharing and caring, the inquiry and response, the contemplation and discussion, the stillness and movement were but a few of the key aspects of our day.

After a short intro and a modest yoga session, Karen McDonald led and facilitated an informative and engaging eco-program. We talked for some time about sustainable, gentle and effective ways to clean and maintain our homes. Everything from keeping ants out of the kitchen to neat ways of getting our pots and pans clean. Ours was a holistic view and many raised interesting questions and offered innovative solutions as well.

Then we did a hands-on, make your own household cleaner initiative, where everyone chose their own spray bottle or two, and mixed their magic potion cleaner(s). Window cleaners and all-purpose cleaners were the special du jour! Our workshop was a melange of natural cleaning agents and exotic yet natural fragrances including tea tree oil, cedar, clove, peppermint, citronella & more.

After, we all circled round for our meditation circle, delighting in the stillness and peace within.

The culmination was strolling out back and wishing our new tree a healthy and long existence, as well as honoring Mother Earth and the whole humanity. Check in each week when you drive by Galesville Hall and watch our Sugar Maple grow!

Thanks everyone for coming and participating. It was your energy and good feeling, your sense of community and connection, that made the program successful.

Thanks also to Exterior Image – landscape and design, Friendship Gardens, Cheryl Corson, and Galesville Hall (WRIA) for making this event come to life.

All donations received ($183.00) will be used for eco-friendly updates in and around the hall. Your suggestions are most welcome.

Oh, and yes, our good friend & eco-goddess Lindsay was on hand to photo-document it all!

The Renaissance Yoga Rock also made its first public appearance!!

Finally, let me know if you are interested in receiving an e-copy of today’s excellent handout on natural household cleaners.

See all the pictures here!!

LATEST UPDATE:

On Saturday, Oct 24, we planted a River Birch
and three Virginia Sweetspires with funds
from Eco Yoga Day!!!

Well our hole turned out to be a great teaching in yogic philosophy.

The law of karma guides us that we have a right to the action – not to the fruits thereof. We are to do and give without expectation of receiving.

Well, we all worked hard on digging our hole. Then the heavens unleashed two days of rain. Our hole became a lake – which was good for the ducks at least.

And in the end, when the pros came with the tree, they dug their own hole 14 feet away and set the tree perfectly inside that hole.

So the hole we dug was never used!

Let me repeat, we have a right to the action but not the fruits thereof.

The main thing is that our tree looks quite at home in her new abode, i.e. hole.

Yesterday, (Saturday 4/18), on that glorious spring morning, after our Strength and Fitness class, we all stuck around and dug a hole! Pretty exciting stuff, I know.

Soon that hole will be the new home for a young, vibrant Sugar Maple tree that we will ceremoniously plant on Eco-Yoga Day, Sunday April 26. Please do attend! The tree comes to the community thanks to the generosity of  Exterior Image – landscape designs & build (Lothian).

So how did the hole digging go? Thanks to Cheryl who brought the tools and and the hard work of Lara, Leigh, Patti, Kimbra & Ellie (Sienna & Shannon were off adventuring- who can blame them), and Page & Jen, the hole digging went as smoothly as can be.

Well, not really. At first there was some thought it might be too rocky or too close to the paved road. But with a little determination and with Micky’s efforts ( a guy in a truck with a shovel who graciously stopped and helped, i.e. did lots of work) we forged ahead.

But it was not a clean affair, nor for the faint at heart. There was plenty-o-mud to be had by all. Mud that caked on our shovels, our shoes, and our hands. Being a hearty crew, no one was deterred.

In the end, we got our hole dug – about 5 feet across and nearly two feet deep. Our Sugar Maple will soon be in her new home.

Hope you can be there for Eco-Yoga Day!!