Welcome to October!

As many of you know, we have begun selecting a pose of the month as a focus for the studio. This pose is chosen by one of our teachers, who also shares her ideas about it. As the month unfolds, teachers take up the challenge of incorporating this pose—or variations of it—into their class sequences.

We look forward to exploring this month’s pose with you, and we are grateful to Debbie Berry for selecting it and contributing the following information!

Pose of the Month
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
Veer-ah-bah-Drahs-anna
Vira = hero, brave + Bhadra = virtuous + Asana = posture

The things I enjoy most in the pose in my personal practice are visualizing the lines of energy running through my arms to my fingertips and finding ease in the pose in my upper torso and heart center through my breath. I also enjoy feeling strong and courageous in the pose through the stable base our lower body provides as we are encouraged to reflect on our own inner hero—the inner strength and courage that resides within each of us. Practicing this pose on a regular basis can grow our ability to face our difficulties with more ease and grace.

As October brings us more fully into fall, a season of transition, we are encouraged in Warrior II to let go of the past and things no longer serving us just as the trees let go of their leaves preparing to transition into a new season. Our Warrior II pose affords us the symbolic nature of looking back and letting go of the past, being centered in the present moment, and then allowing the gaze to extend out over our extended front hand as we look forward to our future and to all of the possibilities it represents. Warrior II truly is a meaningful, powerful, and sometimes challenging pose for both our bodies and our minds.

—Debbie Berry

Updates and events:

• Join Susan for a 4-week Intro to Mat Pilates. Curious about Mat Pilates and its benefits? Sign up to join Susan Stanton for a 4-week series that will meet on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m., beginning Oct. 16. Read more about what the series will cover and register from this post.
• Register now for Yoga@the Museum and Meditation@the Museum classes. Want to practice at The Downing Museum in October? Check out this post to learn more about both classes and their teachers—and for the links to the registration forms.
• Open house to celebrate 4yoga’s anniversary! Although we marked the studio’s official eighth anniversary on Sept. 27, we will celebrate together with a Saturday-afternoon open house on Oct. 19! Join us for any or all of our free mini-classes, and spend some time snacking and chatting in the lounge before or after class. More details—including the class schedule—coming soon.
• Studio access during construction. As many of you have already noticed, construction on Main Street is now immediately in front of the studio, and Capitol Alley is closed for an indefinite period. Therefore, for the first part of October, we recommend parking behind the studio, in the Steamer’s parking lot (avoid the spaces labeled “reserved”). Then look for the blue building, enter through the back door, walk straight through the potters’ work area, and come up the front stairs into the studio, as usual.

For a full list of October classes, please see the the calendar page or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place. We also post a schedule and events to our Facebook page, should you find it convenient to keep up with us there.