After a brief hiatus, the monthly talk and meditation session with Juanita will return on Friday, August 15, at 6:45 p.m. (immediately after the conclusion of the Laughing Yoga class).
As always, the talk and meditation session is an opportunity to discuss deeper aspects of yoga with other students in a casual setting and to participate in a guided meditation. There is no charge for attending, and we hope that all interested community members participate.
For anyone curious about Friday’s Laughing Yoga class with Susan Polk, we are re-sharing this June post: 4 Reasons to Experience Laughing Yoga.
We hope those of you who enjoyed the June class will be able to attend again…and those of you who were unable to join Susan in June are able to participate this Friday.
As we melt into August, the shortening of days is accelerating, the harvest of crops is peaking, and first glimmers of autumn are felt, especially at the end of the month when the quality of light changes and dryness in the plants is noticed.
We cannot control the dryness in the environment, but we can influence the hydration and flexibility in the muscular-skeletal structure of our bodies with regular asana practice. With regular (preferably daily) practice, our bodies can remain pliable as they age. Stiffness, aches, and pains decrease.
Specifically, such aches and pains of the head, neck, shoulders, and arms can be relieved by such postures as shoulderstand and fish which stretch the ligaments in those areas and thus relieve compression of the nerves and sensitivity of the nerve branches. The bundles of fiber woven to create our connective tissue are designed to withstand enormous strains and stresses and have tremendous strength. The tendency is for them is to shorten and become dry. Poses mindfully practiced and held for longer periods of time are the best way to create length and hydration in those tissues. The net effect is to experience our lives in these vehicles of our bodies as if we were wearing them like a glove instead of dragging them around. This translates to having more energy for experiencing joy and happiness in all that we do.
For a full list of August classes, please see the calendar page or a hard copy available at The Pots Place. See the list below for two special opportunities the evening of Friday, August 15.
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, 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.
Some of you have heard Angie mention the results of this study in class recently, and we are sharing it for people who would like to learn more about the methodology and results. Angie initially heard about the study on NPR’s All Tech Considered, and the full study is available via Science.
One of the most discussed results of the study is that so many participants, when left alone in a room to entertain themselves with their thoughts, chose instead to administer an electric shock to themselves.
Many participants elected to receive negative stimulation over no stimulation—especially men: 67% of men…, compared to 25% of women… Note that these results only include participants who had reported that they would pay to avoid being shocked again….The gender difference is probably due to the tendency for men to be higher in sensation-seeking. But what is striking is that simply being alone with their own thoughts for 15 min was apparently so aversive that it drove many participants to self-administer an electric shock that they had earlier said they would pay to avoid.
What do you think? If you were a participant, how would you spend the 6-15 minute period alone in a room without books, writing instruments, or electronic devices? According to the article, “the only rules [are] that [you] should remain in [your] seats and stay awake.”
At our 4th of July class, Angie shared a quotation about freedom from the author David Foster Wallace. To allow students who enjoyed the quotation to review it again and folks who were not able to attend to read it, we are posting it here:
“The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day.” ~ David Foster Wallace, Kenyon College commencement speech
For anyone interested in the full speech, which focuses on the benefits of a liberal-arts education but is very applicable to yoga, the audio is available on YouTube.
With high temperatures typically peaking in the month of July, the image of relaxing in a hammock strung between two trees by the water comes to mind. It is a wonderful idea, but many of us have a hard time fully and deeply relaxing. How often have you achieved this state in savasana and wish you could access this level of relaxation elsewhere?
How about practicing some Brahmari or Bee’s Breath? This practice of “the bee” brings calmness to the body, breath and mind. You may actually have the opportunity to observe these awesome insects at work in your garden or even know someone with a hive and be able to hear their buzzzzzzzzzz. You can follow this link for clear, simple instructions on the Bee Breathing practice.
If you can’t make it to a hammock on the beach this month, we promise to help you bask in the virtual experience on your mat after a practice. Please see the July schedule, which includes a special holiday class, introduces a new guest teacher, and indicates a brief hiatus in the Mommy & Me class.
As always, to review the full month’s class schedule, please see the calendar section of our website or pick up a hard copy 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, 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.
We know many of you are curious to learn more about Laughing Yoga, so we asked Susan Polk to share some additional information about this style. Remember that Susan’s Laughing Yoga class meets this Friday (6/20) at 5:30 p.m. at 4yoga at The Pots Place, 428 E. Main Street)!
Four Reasons to Experience Laughing Yoga
Bring a friend and experience the joyful benefits of laughter paired with yoga.
1. Laughing Yoga Relaxes Your Mind
Our minds and bodies are all too often overworked and overwhelmed by unexpected circumstances and demanding schedules. By focusing on gentle yoga breathing (pranayama) and laughter, tense muscles loosen and anxiety diminished in exchange for a joyful state of calm and ease.
2. Laughing Yoga Increases Endorphins
You may have heard of “runner’s high” when a runner triggers a euphoric state when endorphins are released by the brain from an extended run. This release of endorphins exists and it’s possible to trigger it in other ways. One way to increase the amount of endorphins your body produces is through controlled-breathing in laughing yoga.
3. Laughing Yoga Strengthens Your Immune System
We all want to feel healthier and get sick less often (or never!) each year. Laughing yoga can help strengthen our immune systems “by releasing neuropeptides that help fight stress and other more serious illness.” What’s more, studies have proven the effectiveness of laughter and comedic relief in our lives when fighting illness. Whether you’re combatting a serious illness or hoping to stave off the common cold this year, laughing yoga can help improve the health of your immune system.
4. Laughing Yoga Helps Us Connect With Each Other
You may recall uncontrollably laughing as a child until your body hurt, maybe even until your laughter brought you in tears. Since its launch in Mumbai in 1995, laughing yoga has drawn people together from all around the world, connecting our everyday lives of today with this same childlike joy found only through laughter and community.
Read more about the history of laughing yoga as well as its benefits in “Laughing for Life” by Paula Felps from February 2014’s Live Happy magazine.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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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