With high temperatures typically peaking in the month of July, the image of relaxing in a hammock strung between two trees by the water comes to mind. It is a wonderful idea, but many of us have a hard time fully and deeply relaxing. How often have you achieved this state in savasana and wish you could access this level of relaxation elsewhere?

How about practicing some Brahmari or Bee’s Breath? This practice of “the bee” brings calmness to the body, breath and mind. You may actually have the opportunity to observe these awesome insects at work in your garden or even know someone with a hive and be able to hear their buzzzzzzzzzz. You can follow this link for clear, simple instructions on the Bee Breathing practice.

If you can’t make it to a hammock on the beach this month, we promise to help you bask in the virtual experience on your mat after a practice. Please see the July schedule, which includes a special holiday class, introduces a new guest teacher, and indicates a brief hiatus in the Mommy & Me class.

• Special holiday class on Friday, July 4, 9 a.m.: Mixed class with Angie. We continue our holiday tradition by offering a single, mixed-level, morning class and invite anyone who would like to begin the 4th of July with a practice to join us.
• New guest teacher: in July, we are delighted to welcome Alice Simpson to the 4yoga schedule! Alice began her yoga practice over 20 years ago while working in the human services field and looking for stress reduction options and other physical/spiritual ways to heal and maintain health for herself and her colleagues. After several yoga classes, Alice knew she found the answer: yoga offered a non-striving, non-judgmental path to a more peaceful journey in this hectic world. After retiring from LifeSkills Community Mental Health Center, she achieved one of her life goals of completing a 200-hour yoga teacher training; she was trained in the Integral style of yoga by Susan Polk, E-RYT 500, PRYT. Alice plans to continue her education—specifically in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Restorative, and Yin Yoga—and to teach Gentle and Basics classes.
• Mommy & Me students: please note that the Mommy & Me class will take a brief break for the first two weeks of July (no class on July 4 or July 11). It will return, though, at its usual 1:30 p.m. time on Friday, July 18, and Eri looks forward to seeing you again then.

As always, to review the full month’s class schedule, please see the calendar section of our website or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place.

Remember that even if you are running late when the gallery downstairs is closed, you can still join us for class. If the front door is locked, come to the back door of The Pots Place (look for the blue building) and ring the buzzer. The teacher will then unlock the door remotely for you to enter through the pottery studio.