When is the last time you could say you were content? Mid-summer seems like the perfect time to practice being content while enjoying the long, warm days. In July, the theme of our monthly Living Our Yoga class will be santosha, the practice of removing obstacles (such as being trapped in a mode of being that focuses on conquering “the next thing on the list“) to just being present with what is true in this moment and feeling gratitude for all that is in this “now,” contentment.

Santosha is indeed a practice, not a future goal. You can be content right now! Stop and check in with your thoughts. Contentment does not depend on anything external or to be obtained in the future; it is a state of acceptance and gratitude for what is, for your breath, for your senses, for what you care about, and for what brings your heart joy. Use your next class as an opportunity to practice contentment by feeling gratitude for the life force or prana that flows through your body and by being aware that your yoga practice can remove obstacles to this flow of life force. By practicing santosha, you can experience your true self, which is free of fear, feels connected to others and the environment, and is empowered and blessed.

July updates:

• 4th of July weekend. During the holiday weekend, we offer eight opportunities to practice. All classes on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday meet as regularly scheduled. Then on Tues., July 4, join Cre at 9 a.m. for our traditional mixed-level holiday class.
• Classes at The Downing Museum. In July we continue visiting The Downing Museum for our second-Saturday yoga class and fourth-Saturday meditation class. The class fee remains the same as at the studio ($5), 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.
• Santosha focus for Living Our Yoga. This month’s Living Our Yoga class, on Fri., July 28, focuses on the second niyama, santosha. 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.
• Sunday edition of Restorative class. In addition to the ongoing weekly Thursday Restorative classes, Angie will continue to offer a monthly Sunday-night Restorative class. This month, it meets on July 30 at 5:45 p.m. Create your own mini-yoga-retreat by taking Shigeko’s 4 p.m. Basics class that afternoon and then staying for the Restorative class.

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