It seems that everyone is feeling the joy of lush, new growth and the beauty of early summer with uplifting spirits! Focusing on purification of the body and mind this month seems appropriate, like sitting in a beautiful garden with warm spring rain washing away all impurities so that you can receive the light of the sun.

The first niyama, saucha, states that the process of purifying the body and mind results in being less distracted and less identified with them; as a result, we can see our true divine nature revealed. When our body is ill, we drag it around as a burden; in contrast, when it is healthy, we wear it like a glove. To detoxify the body, we have organs to do the work: the skin, lungs, kidneys, liver, and colon. But how do we detoxify the mind? One technique is to relax deeply, allowing both physical and mental tension to dissolve. Through this deep relaxation, we can create space to observe our thoughts and examine our desires.

To practice saucha in June, allow yourself to rest deeply in the savasana you experience at the conclusion of each class. For additional guidance and a more sustained relaxation experience, join us for one of our six Anjali Restorative classes. The Anjali style of restorative yoga, developed by Shannon Paige, with whom Angie is studying, provides imagery and breathing practices to help release tension and nourish the student. Restorative classes require no previous yoga experience, just a willingness to allow props and instruction to help you rest and restore.

New class and special event:

• Weekly Restorative class. In response to requests for additional evening classes, in June we have added a Restorative class every Thursday at 7 p.m.
• Book club meeting. Our quarterly book club, hosted by Cassandra, will meet on Sun., June 11, at 1:30 p.m. Our June books are Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga by Sally Kempton and Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison. We welcome participation from everyone–you do not need to have finished either of the books to share your thoughts about them (along with tea and snacks).

June updates:

• Classes at The Downing Museum. In June we continue at The Downing Museum for our second-Saturday yoga class and fourth-Saturday meditation class. The $5 class fee remains the same as at the studio, and we are grateful for the demand for these classes and for the opportunity to practice in such a beautiful space twice each month. See this post for links to the online registration forms—which will be disabled when the classes are full—and instructions about how to be added to the wait list.
• Seven opportunities to practice with Debbie Marquette. We are excited to welcome Debbie as the teacher for seven classes in June; whether you enjoy a Gentle, Basics, or Mixed-level class, you will have a chance to practice with Debbie this month.
• Sunday edition of Restorative class. In addition to the weekly Thursday Restorative classes, Angie will continue to offer the monthly Sunday-night Restorative class. This month, it meets on June 18 at 5:45 p.m. Create your own mini-yoga-retreat by taking Chie’s 4 p.m. Basics class that afternoon and then staying for the Restorative class.
• Saucha focus for Living Our Yoga. This month’s Living Our Yoga class, on Fri., June 30, focuses on the first niyama, saucha. Team-taught by Alice and Angie, this class combines the traditional yin asanas with thematic readings and teachings to enhance students’ experience and to create conditions that may take them deeper into the mind, body, and spirit aspects of their practice.

For a full list of June classes, please see the online calendar or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place. We also post updates each morning on our Facebook page, along with content from our blog, should you find it convenient to keep up with us there.

Installation artwork by Eleanor Davidson at The Downing Museum (May 2017)