Will summer ever arrive this year? We have recently been witness to extreme weather conditions all over the world. Weather experts attribute this to the warming of the Pacific Ocean which, in turn, moves the jet stream and creates shifts in weather patterns. How adaptable are you to the ever-changing conditions that surround you? Assuming that we all strive to be happy, it is probably not a good idea to seek that happiness by expecting predictable patterns in the external world.

Our internal worlds are constantly changing as well. Did you know that a prune-sized part of the brain, the insula, is constantly scanning the body to detect signals that drive our emotions and behavior, in order to bring us into balance? By tuning into the language of our bodies’ subtle sensations, we can show up as more present and “embodied” in our lives as well as more resilient to the changes in the world around us.

In his brilliant new book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., highlights a chapter on yoga with a research study of traumatized people who participated in a regular yoga practice for twenty weeks. Before and after scans of their brains showed increased activation in both the insula and medial prefrontal cortex. We all know that yoga is good for us, and now neuroscience is validating it from the science perspective. Healthy, happy insulas to you!

June updates:

• Friday Gentle class: The Friday 9:30 a.m. Gentle class continues to complement the Tuesday and Thursday 9:30 a.m. Gentle classes. Angie, Susan, and Kathie continue to rotate as its teachers.
• Talk/meditation session: Juanita will offer this special session on Friday, June 12, immediately following the Yin class. Whether you have been curious about meditation or already have a meditation practice and would like to discuss meditation with others, please join Juanita for this session.
• Restorative class: Susan will offer a Restorative class on Friday, June 26, at 5:30 p.m.

For a full list of June classes, please see the calendar page of this site or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place, located at 428 East Main Street (on Fountain Square) in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  We look forward to practicing with you in June!