June 2014 focus and class schedule

Posted on June 6, 2014 by 4yoga

On the summer solstice in this month of June we will receive about 15 hours of sunlight as the maximum length of daylight energizes all plant life to reach maximum potential for growth and expansion.  This energy from the sun is converted by the plants and offered as a source of food, medicine, and beauty for us to sustain the life of our bodies. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind and spirit.

The next time you have a plate of food in front of you, especially if not from your own garden, take a moment to contemplate the sensory delight it offers (colors and smells as well as taste).  Contemplate all the human effort that was required to deliver this energy from the sun to your plate.  Considering the planting, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting necessary to bring the food you are about to consume all the way to your plate, especially when the source is from very far away (like China) is kind of mind blowing.  

As we practice this level of awareness, it is a natural response to make your food as fresh as possible and as local as possible. This simple practice of bringing awareness to eating as a source of energizing and sustaining the body vs eating from emotional hunger could have a great impact on your health. 

May all of our actions on and off the mat this month contribute to our growth and expansion to create healthy bodies and clear minds as we pay homage to the joy and life-sustaining energy of our sun.    

To provide even more opportunities to contribute to that growth and expansion, the June schedule includes one special new class, one ongoing new class, a class being offered on a new date and time, and the monthly meditation conversation and practice.

  • Special new class on Friday, June 20, 5:30 p.m.:  Laughing Yoga with Susan Polk.  Join Susan this Friday evening for Laughing for the Health of It:  A True Yoga Happy Hour! What better way to end the week than an Intentional Yogic Laughing class based on the science and practice of Laugha Yoga?  This structured class will follow various practices ad research to help you experience the joyful health benefits that can come from laughter paired with yoga.
  • Ongoing new class on Fridays at 1:30 p.m.:  Mommy and Me Yoga with Eri Golden.  Are you a parent of a young child who would like to bring your child to yoga class?  If so, Eri has just the opportunity for you on Friday afternoons!  Bring your little one to class to enjoy breathing techniques, basics-level poses, and deep stretches.  This class will help both calm you and your baby and provide a workout for you and your child.  For more details about this class, please see our post on the 4yoga website.
  • New class date/time on Thursdays at 4 p.m.:  Eri Golden’s Basics class moves to Thursday afternoons.  Do you prefer an afternoon weekday class or a Basics-level practice?  If so, make plans to join Susan Polk’s Basics class at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and/or Eri’s class at 4 p.m. on Thursdays.
  • Monthly talk/meditation session on Friday, June 13, 6:45 p.m.:  Juanita Rodriguez hosts this monthly, informal session to discuss meditation practices and then participate in a brief and accessible meditation.  There is no charge for this session, and it is open both to those curious about and new to meditation and to experienced meditators–all are welcomed.

As always, to review the full month’s class schedule, please see the calendar section of this site or a hard copy available at The Pots Place.

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, please 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.

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“Mommy & Me” Class: Fridays @ 1:30 p.m. with Eri Golden!

Posted on June 1, 2014 by 4yoga

In response to student requests, in June we are delighted to begin offering a “Mommy & Me” style class on Friday afternoons!  Despite its mom-focused name, this class is equally open to either parent–or either grandparent–who wants to practice with his or her small child.  Here is some additional information to help you decide if it is a class you would like to try with your young child or grandchild:

  • class length:  70 minutes

  • class fees:  $10 for the parent (or grandparent) and one or two children 5 and under.  A third child under age 5, a child 6 and older, or a single adult will each pay the usual $5 class fee.

  • age of children:  children 5 and younger will practice with their parent.  Older children are welcome to attend class, as well, but they will practice on their own mats following Eri’s instructions.

If you have any other questions about the class, please email us at 4yoga.me@gmail.com, and we will route inquiries to Eri, whose experience and credentials in pre-natal and children’s yoga make her an ideal teacher for this style of class.  The first class will meet on Friday, June 6, from 1:30-2:40 p.m., and Eri is looking forward to seeing you there!

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Finding Your Flow: the new 21-day meditation experience from Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra

Posted on April 14, 2014 by 4yoga

Those of you looking to begin or reinvigorate your meditation experience may be interested in joining the latest free 21-day meditation experience offered by Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra.  Each day provides a guided (audio) meditation, along with a thought and an opportunity to journal about your experience.  Learn more about Finding Your Flow, including how to register, here:  https://chopracentermeditation.com/about-us .

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April 2014 focus and class schedule

Posted on April 3, 2014 by 4yoga
We have learned that some students are unaware of how to access the studio if the front door to The Pots Place is locked when they arrive. Therefore, we are leading off this month’s message with those instructions: please go to the back entrance (facing Mariah’s, look for the blue building). The press the buzzer next to the door, which will activate the intercom in the studio. The teacher will unlock the door remotely.
 
As we consider April’s focus, it will soon be time for spring cleaning! Opening windows, airing out bedding, and basically shaking off the sticky sludge of winter seems to be the natural instinct of this month. The Ayurvedic tradition says that we are nearing the end of the Kapha season that has been dominant since January. (Ayurveda is considered the sister science of yoga and focuses on balancing the elements and rhythms of the natural world.) The heavy, lethargic, dullness of this season is becoming more fluid, aiding us in removing accumulated toxins (accumulated toxins are Kapha-like in nature) out of the body and mind. Notice that the season of Lent often is a time of fasting. In addition to doing an herbal cleanse and/or some type of fasting, twisting postures in our hatha yoga practice can assist the spring detox for the body.
For detoxing the spirit and the mind, you may find the following meditation helpful. It is excerpted from The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu.
  1. Close your eyes and follow your breath.
  2. When you feel centered, imagine yourself in a safe place.
  3. In the center of your safe place, notice a box with many drawers labeled with inscriptions of hurts you have yet to forgive.
  4. Choose a drawer and open it. Crumpled up inside are thoughts and feelings this incident evokes. You can choose to empty out this drawer by bringing your hurt into the light and examining it.
  5. Unfold the resentment and set it aside…smooth out the ache and let it drift up into the sunlight and disappear.
  6. If any feeling seems too big or unbearable, set it aside to look at later.
  7. When the drawer is empty, sit for a moment with it on your lap, and then remove the label from this drawer.
  8. As the label comes off, you will see the drawer turn to sand. The wind will sweep it away. You don’t need it anymore. The space for that hurt will be gone.
  9. If there are more drawers to be emptied, you can repeat this meditation now or later.
April notes:
  • We will continue with Friday’s 1:30 p.m. Basics class with Eri Golden. If you want to conclude your week with a challenging but accessible Basics practice, please join Eri on Friday afternoons.
  • We are placing Sunday’s 3 p.m. Beginner class on hiatus; however, we always welcome beginners at any of our Basics classes. If there is a strong demand for the Beginner class to be reinstated, let us know: we will consider returning it in May.
  • We welcome Susan Tutino back to the 5:30 p.m. Monday Flow classes.
To review the full month’s class schedule, please see the calendar section of this site or a hard copy available at The Pots Place.
 
April special events:
  • Friday, 4/11: 5:30 p.m. Restorative class with Kim.
  • Friday, 4/18: 6:45 p.m. Talk and meditation hosted by Juanita (no charge, all are welcome).
  • Saturday, 4/26: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Ayurveda 101, a 4-hour workshop with Jaya Ramamurthy from Atlanta. For more information, see the flyer. The registration fee is $50 and includes lunch. Contact Susan Polk, workshop organizer, to register: susanapolk@gmail.com . Although the workshop is approved by Yoga Alliance for 4 Continuing Education Units for yoga teachers, it does not assume any prior knowledge of Ayurvedic traditions and practices–beginners are warmly welcomed!
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Ayurveda 101: a lunch & learn workshop on Sat., 4/26, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Posted on March 27, 2014 by 4yoga

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March 2014 schedule and focus

Posted on March 24, 2014 by 4yoga

In the category of “better late than never,” we share the March schedule and focus. 🙂

March is the month of great change as we day by day attain the balance of night and day all over the globe. Specifically, on Wednesday, March 20, as the sun moves from the southern to the northern hemisphere, it will pass overhead along the Earth’s equator and rise exactly in the east and set exactly in the west from every point on the earth. Balance is experienced.
Two practices that yoga teaches can give us a sense of balance within ourselves. What does an experience of balance feel like? We know that to achieve physical balance in a standing pose requires a visual focus on one point. As many of you can relate to that feeling, there is almost a sense of timelessness as the wobbling settles and attention is drawn into that point.
To achieve balance in our emotional selves, where we feel a sense of alert calmness, peace and expansion, we can become aware of breathing patterns. The focusing point of the energy or emotional body is in the spine (the sushumna). On either side of that channel are the upward and downward energy flows [upward flow (delight) is ida and downward flow (despair) is pingala]. To practice focusing on the center is a great way to develop emotional detachment of being pulled this way and that by the ups and downs of life.
An example of the application of this practice could be when siting in the dentist’s chair. First, calm the feelings of the heart. Then concentrate on the energy flow in the spine as you inhale and exhale smoothly, evenly and deeply. You may become aware that this energy flow is the actual cause of any emotional reactions you may have. We can control our emotional reactions to any experience by controlling our breath and centering in the spine. The famous yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda, said, “At that center [the spine] you will be confident and nothing can touch you. You will be able to stand unshaken amidst the crash of breaking worlds!”  As we experience the swings of changeability in March, know that with this subtle shift of focus, you can achieve the state of illuminated stability!
Schedule notes:
  • In March, we will continue with both of the classes we added in February:  Friday’s 1:30 p.m. Basics class with Eri and Sunday’s 3:00 p.m. Beginner class with rotating teachers.  New students are welcome to attend the Beginner class at any time and for as many sessions as they like.
  • During most of March, Susan Tutino will be at an ashram participating in a teacher-training experience–we hope she has a wonderful time!  Kim and Eri will be sharing the responsibilities for teaching the Flow classes in Susan’s absence.
To review the full month’s class schedule, please see the calendar section of our website or a hard copy available at The Pots Place.
March’s special events:
  • Friday, 3/21: 5:30 p.m. Restorative class with Kim.
  • Friday, 3/21: 6:45 p.m. Talk and meditation hosted by Juanita (no charge, all are welcome).
  • Sunday, 3/30:  3:00 p.m. Beginner and 4:30 p.m. Basics classes:  Alice Simpson and DeAnn Stanley, students enrolled in Susan Polk’s teacher-training program, will be assisting Susan in these classes.
Inclement weather policy: If we need to cancel class because of inclement weather, we will announce that cancellation at least one hour before the beginning of the class, and we will share the cancellation notice both via email and on Facebook.
Studio access: If you arrive at The Pots Place after a class has begun, remember that you can still join us. Just go to the back entrance facing Mariah’s (look for the blue building) and press the buzzer next to the door; the teacher can then unlock that door remotely.
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February 2014 focus and schedule

Posted on February 7, 2014 by 4yoga

Ooops!  We forgot to post the content of the February email earlier in the month, but here it is–better late than never!

With the holidays well behind us and the cold, dark snaps of winter sending us into hibernation mode, it seems like a good time to revisit the Yamas, those practices on the eight-fold path of yoga that address our connection to the outer world and our relationships with others.  Satya (truthfulness, honesty), which is the second Yama, comes to mind as a focus for this month of February.

Most people desire meaningful, fulfilling connection to others as an essential part of life.  Yet, as Brené Brown, a researcher of human connection, so beautifully lays out in a TED talk, the key obstacles that prevent us from achieving this goal to the fullest are shame and fear of being worthy.  In the effort to present ourselves in the images of who we think we should be, we lose our capacity to become vulnerable–the essential feature, according to Brown, in developing the deeper connection with others we are seeking.

The practice of Satya–truthfulness in our actions, speech, and thoughts–with ourselves is where to start if we would like to deepen our capacity to have meaningful relationships.  It is amazing to witness just how much we are not truthful with ourselves!  It is so easy to numb the uncomfortable feelings of shame instead of accepting ourselves as imperfect. (Those practitioners of yin yoga get good experience in accepting uncomfortable sensations!)  In the moments of stillness and silence more easily accessed in winter, be truthful with yourself; honor and accept all the fragments of yourself you have judged as unworthy and, as always, have compassion for yourself.  Then have the courage to be vulnerable in your relationships!

Schedule additions:

  • In February, we will officially welcome Eri Golden, who is offering a daytime Friday course.  Many of you have experienced Eri’s teaching during her two Sunday classes in January; now she will be teaching a Basics course each Friday, 1:30-2:40 p.m.  In describing her new course, Eri highlights its focus on strength and flexibility, noting that students will especially be able to build strength in their core and legs.  Eri is excited about sharing her Eastern-oriented knowledge of anatomy and philosophy with everyone and looks forward to helping students explore, release, experience inner and outer transformation–and, of course, have fun.
  • In February, we will also offer a Beginner class on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m.  At this class, we look forward to introducing new students to yoga and to helping those who have not had opportunities to practice for awhile to get back into the yoga habit.  Students may join the class at any point; it will begin on the second Sunday of the month (2/9).

To review the full month’s class schedule, please see the calendar section of the site or pick up a hard copy at The Pots Place.

Upcoming special events:

  • Sunday, 2/2:  1 p.m. start time for the Basics class (to allow students to watch the Super Bowl later in the day).
  • Friday, 2/21: 5:30 p.m. Restorative class with Kim.
  • Friday, 2/21: 6:45 p.m. Talk and meditation hosted by Juanita (no charge, all are welcome).

Inclement weather policy: If we need to cancel class because of winter weather, we will announce that cancellation at least one hour before the beginning of the class, and we will share the cancellation notice both via email and on Facebook. If you would like us to add a supplemental email address for you so that you receive these notices quickly (e.g., if you want both your work and home addresses in our list), please let us know.

Studio access: If you arrive at The Pots Place after a class has begun, remember that you can still join us. Just go to the back entrance facing Mariah’s (look for the blue building) and press the buzzer next to the door; the teacher can then unlock that door remotely.

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Guest teacher Eri Golden: Sun., 1/19 & Sun., 1/26

Posted on January 12, 2014 by 4yoga

4yoga is pleased to introduce Eri Golden, an RYT 200 with credentials in prenatal and chldren’s yoga, who will be guest teaching two Basics classes this month.  Eri will teach the 4:30 p.m. Basics classes on these Sundays:  Jan. 19 and Jan. 26.

A native of Japan, Eri has been a longtime student of hip-hop and jazz dance.  She began practicing yoga in Japan and completed her teacher training while living in the Republic of Georgia.  As a new Bowling Green resident, Eri is excited to share her knowledge of anatomy and yoga philosophy, and her classes provide a meditative environment in which students can observe their own selves.  Her classes will focus on improving flexibility, strength and balance while enhancing posture, coordination, and mental focus.

Please join us in welcoming Eri to the Bowling Green yoga community by attending one or both of her upcoming classes!

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January 2014 focus and schedule

Posted on January 2, 2014 by 4yoga

As we welcome the New Year, we can take the opportunity to shed the old habits that are not useful and to re-affirm our intentions to be healthy and happy.  This may require a little reining in of the senses if celebrating the return of the light has led to overindulgence of them.

The chariot metaphor of the Self navigating through this life as described in the Katha Upanishad has some beautiful analogies of this process. The Self (our true nature of love and bliss) is a passenger in a chariot, the body is the chariot, the intellect (our ability to discriminate) is the charioteer, and the mind (the instrument of consciousness) is the reins. The senses are the horses and the sense objects (all the things we desire or resist) are the paths around them.  When one lacks understanding of how all this fits together, his or her senses do not obey and, as bad horses, can end up taking the passenger on a wild ride and even destroying the chariot.

As a practice this month, we can follow the example of the natural world around us as it appears still and silent to chart our course or to re-calibrate the course we are on to health and happiness. Give yourself time each day to approach stillness and silence and assess your ride in the chariot.  Where do you want to go? Is your driver on the job?  What is the condition of the reins?  How well are the horses under control?

During January, we look forward to continued practice with those of you we already know and to welcoming new students.  To review the month’s class schedule, please see the attached file, the calendar section of this site, or a hard copy available at The Pots Place.

Upcoming special events:

  • Friday, 1/24:  5:30 p.m.  Restorative class with Kim.
  • Friday, 1/24:  6:45 p.m.  Talk and meditation hosted by Juanita (no charge, all are welcome).

Inclement weather policy:  If we need to cancel class because of winter weather, we will announce that cancellation at least one hour before the beginning of the class, and we will share the cancellation notice both via email and on Facebook.  If you would like us to add a supplemental email address for you so that you receive these notices quickly (e.g., if you want both your work and home addresses in our list), please let us know.

Studio access Continue reading →

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New Year’s Eve 2013 and New Year’s Day 2014 at The Pots Place!

Posted on December 27, 2013 by 4yoga

Both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day will bring opportunities to practice yoga and to socialize with friends at The Pots Place.  We invite you to join us for one or all of the following events!

New Year’s Eve (Tues., 12/31):

  • 9:00-10:10 a.m., Mixed-level yoga class taught by Angie–all students are welcome.
  • beginning at 6 p.m., Annual New Year’s Eve Throw Down hosted by Bob Brigl–opportunities to play with clay, to dance in the studio, and to mingle with potters, tai chi practitioners, and yoga practitioners.  Please bring a small appetizer (enough to serve 4-6 people) to share.  Wine, beer, and soda provided.

New Year’s Day (Wed., 1/1):

  • 10:00-11:10 a.m., Mixed-level yoga class taught by Kim–all students are welcome.
  • 11:15 a.m., Casual Potluck hosted by 4yoga.  Hot tea and juice provided.  Please bring something to share.
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