Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us,
The very clouds move on.

– Heinrich Heine
19th century German poet, best known outside Germany for work set to music by composers such as Schumann and Schubert

In May we celebrate Mother’s Day. Catholics celebrate May as Mary’s month with May Day being a celebration of the Virgin Mary, and, in ancient times, many festivals, dances, and rituals related to fertility and agriculture took place.

There are many opportunities to receive love! We have mother earth, a biological mother, and a divine mother all giving love. We just have to be open to receiving it. The quality of being open to receiving love, intuition, guidance, and healing requires us to create space and time to RELAX and let go. We need to ease the tension and pace of hectic lifestyles to soften and allow ourselves to receive. Notice any blocks you may have to feeling worthy of receiving unconditional love.

Savasana is the perfect asana to focus and practice this quality of receiving. As you release the tensions out of the body and let go of the need to do (the opposite of to receive), notice your hands and turn the palms face up if comfortable. Experience the open, upturned palms as a gesture of receiving, and, with gratitude, feel worthy to receive what you need, what you desire, and the benefits of the practice you just completed. Then, as you go about your life off the mat, know that each act of doing/giving provides the opportunity for another to receive. Also know that the highest form of being the “doer” is to practice non-attachment to the outcome.

May updates:

• Fourth weekly Gentle class added. We are excited to announce the addition of our fourth weekly Gentle class, on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. Students who enjoy this level of class can now attend at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Wednesday’s class will include more coordination of breath and movement in a Gentle Flow style and will be primarily taught by Leslie Weigel. Which leads to our next point….
• Welcome new teacher, Leslie Weigel. Leslie has practiced Iyengar, Ashtanga, and other branches of Hatha yoga since the mid-1990s. Having personally experienced the healing and supporting power of yoga practice during periods of physical illness and work stress, she moved from yoga practitioner to teacher because she believes in the life-long discovery and growth that yoga provides. Leslie hopes to guide students along their personal paths of learning.
• Sonic Massage sessions. On Sunday, May 8 at 6 p.m., and Monday, May 9, at 7 p.m., we will host Faye Henry, an internationally recognized gong artist, for two sonic massage sessions. To read more about these sessions and check out Faye’s website, see our recent blog post. Please note that pre-registration is required, as we expect to reach capacity for both sessions: email us at 4yoga.me@gmail.com to reserve a spot, and drop off payment at the studio.
• Monthly talk and mediation session. Juanita will host this session on Friday, May 20, at 6:45 p.m. As always, there is no charge for this informal gathering, which provides an opportunity to ask questions about and discuss meditation and to experience a short meditation.
• Living Our Yoga Yin class. Angie and Alice continue this series on Friday, May 27, at 5:30 p.m. with a focus on the last yama, Aparigraha (non-attachment). This class incorporates readings and teachings to enhance students’ experience and to create conditions that may take them deeper into the mind, body, and spirit aspects of this wonderful gift of yoga. The traditional yin asanas remain the same as in our classic yin class.

For a full list of May classes, please see the calendar page or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place. Note, too, that we post daily updates on our Facebook page, should you prefer to keep up with us there.

Accessing studio after class has begun: 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.