As the summer surrenders to the fall, our focus for October shifts to the final niyama of the yoga sutras—Ishvara pranidhana, surrender into the creative source, God, or however you wish to name it. To surrender is to have trust and complete faith in something bigger than yourself as a source of wisdom and guidance. The biggest obstacle to this surrender is fear.
Fear is a function of the lower self, the ego that is identified with survival, pain/pleasure, and feeling separate (me and mine). Where this small self believes it is the “doer” of action and thought, the authentic self realizes that it is the instrument of consciousness, God, or however you which to name it. Intuition is the voice of this authentic self. It has the ability to guide us when we are not motivated by fear and trust this highest knowledge that it speaks.
Many of us can relate a situation in our lives when we have heard that still, small voice but were afraid to listen to it. Then, when that relationship ended, or the job crumbled, or we got sick or addicted to something that numbed that voice, we said, “ I knew it all along.”
In your asana practice this month, be mindful of the body/mind connection and notice when fear pops up. Feel a sense of hope as a stepping stone to let go and surrender to that still, small voice. It is always there and just needs you to say “yes, I am here.”
October updates: We are excited to add an early-morning class on Wednesdays and to host several special events to celebrate our 5th anniversary!
- New 6 a.m. Wednesday Flow class with Cassandra. Join Cassandra at 6 a.m. on Wednesdays in October for what she describes as “a gentle flow at sunrise to get the day started with gratitude and grace.”
- Two Saturday sonic massage opportunities. We are pleased to welcome Faye Henry and her gongs back to 4yoga! On Sat., Oct. 15, Faye will provide two sonic massage sessions at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. See our website for more information, and please pre-register at tinyurl.com/sonicmassage .
- Two Saturday open houses with free mini-classes. Stop by the studio to enjoy one or more free mini-classes on two Saturday afternoons. On Oct. 8, we will be practicing 2-4:30 p.m., and on Oct. 29, we will be practicing noon-2:30 p.m. No registration is required–just stop in and stay as long as you wish. Watch the website and our Facebook page for more details.
- Free Heartfulness Meditation Workshop with Juanita. Join Juanita on Fri., Oct. 7 (7-8:30 p.m.); Sat., Oct. 8 (10:30 a.m.-noon); and Sun., Oct. 9 (10:30 a.m.-noon) to learn about and practice Heartfulness Meditation. Heartfulness Meditation is a meditation on the heart with the goal of opening our hearts to more tolerance, compassion, and peace. The workshops are meant to be attended as a series (meditation, prayer, and cleaning); however, people who are only available for one or two of the three are also welcome. These workshops are given at no cost, but please register at the 4yoga studio or by contacting Juanita directly (phone: 270-349-9393, email: juanita_luisa@hotmail.com ).
- Monthly talk and meditation session. Alice will host this session on Fri., Oct. 21, 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. Alice and Angie will continue this series on Fri., Oct. 28, at 5:30 p.m. with a focus on the fifth and final niyama, Ishvara pranidhana (surrender). 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 October classes, please the
calendar section of our website or a hard copy available 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.
Accessing studio after class has begun: Remember that even if you are running late when the shop 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.
4yoga 