We have learned that some students are unaware of how to access the studio if the front door to The Pots Place is locked when they arrive. Therefore, we are leading off this month’s message with those instructions: please go to the back entrance (facing Mariah’s, look for the blue building). The press the buzzer next to the door, which will activate the intercom in the studio. The teacher will unlock the door remotely.
As we consider April’s focus, it will soon be time for spring cleaning! Opening windows, airing out bedding, and basically shaking off the sticky sludge of winter seems to be the natural instinct of this month. The Ayurvedic tradition says that we are nearing the end of the Kapha season that has been dominant since January. (Ayurveda is considered the sister science of yoga and focuses on balancing the elements and rhythms of the natural world.) The heavy, lethargic, dullness of this season is becoming more fluid, aiding us in removing accumulated toxins (accumulated toxins are Kapha-like in nature) out of the body and mind. Notice that the season of Lent often is a time of fasting. In addition to doing an herbal cleanse and/or some type of fasting, twisting postures in our hatha yoga practice can assist the spring detox for the body.
For detoxing the spirit and the mind, you may find the following meditation helpful. It is excerpted from The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu.
- Close your eyes and follow your breath.
- When you feel centered, imagine yourself in a safe place.
- In the center of your safe place, notice a box with many drawers labeled with inscriptions of hurts you have yet to forgive.
- Choose a drawer and open it. Crumpled up inside are thoughts and feelings this incident evokes. You can choose to empty out this drawer by bringing your hurt into the light and examining it.
- Unfold the resentment and set it aside…smooth out the ache and let it drift up into the sunlight and disappear.
- If any feeling seems too big or unbearable, set it aside to look at later.
- When the drawer is empty, sit for a moment with it on your lap, and then remove the label from this drawer.
- As the label comes off, you will see the drawer turn to sand. The wind will sweep it away. You don’t need it anymore. The space for that hurt will be gone.
- If there are more drawers to be emptied, you can repeat this meditation now or later.
April notes:
- We will continue with Friday’s 1:30 p.m. Basics class with Eri Golden. If you want to conclude your week with a challenging but accessible Basics practice, please join Eri on Friday afternoons.
- We are placing Sunday’s 3 p.m. Beginner class on hiatus; however, we always welcome beginners at any of our Basics classes. If there is a strong demand for the Beginner class to be reinstated, let us know: we will consider returning it in May.
- We welcome Susan Tutino back to the 5:30 p.m. Monday Flow classes.
To review the full month’s class schedule, please see the calendar section of this site or a hard copy available at The Pots Place.
April special events:
- Friday, 4/11: 5:30 p.m. Restorative class with Kim.
- Friday, 4/18: 6:45 p.m. Talk and meditation hosted by Juanita (no charge, all are welcome).
- Saturday, 4/26: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Ayurveda 101, a 4-hour workshop with Jaya Ramamurthy from Atlanta. For more information, see the flyer. The registration fee is $50 and includes lunch. Contact Susan Polk, workshop organizer, to register: susanapolk@gmail.com . Although the workshop is approved by Yoga Alliance for 4 Continuing Education Units for yoga teachers, it does not assume any prior knowledge of Ayurvedic traditions and practices–beginners are warmly welcomed!
4yoga 