4yoga

Just a reminder that, in addition to Sunday’s usual 4:30 p.m. basics class, 4yoga will be offering a Memorial Day class on Monday at 9 a.m.  Susan Tutino of Strawberry Fields Yoga will be teaching, and this mixed-level class is appropriate for students of all levels.

All around us, new life is rising out of the dark underworld of winter’s hibernation and into the light as grass is getting greener, bulbs are emerging, buds of blossoms are swelling! Can’t you just imagine flinging your arms out, arching backwards and opening your heart and face to the warmth of this light? Think of the spine rounded and draped over the thighs in child’s pose as a seed in winter. Then beginning to stir, the spine unfurls and straightens to stand on knees, stretches and lengthens back allowing the heart to open and shine like the sun in camel pose.

As we open to the emotions invoked by spring, it is important to also stay grounded. Sometimes we have to confront fear, anxiety, anger, jealously, envy, and/or greed (emotions associated with the three lower energy centers of the body) on the way to feeling radiant and expansive joy (accessed in the heart energy center of the body). Just as the sun gives its light unconditionally (no energy bills for solar energy!), allow yourself to expand and open your heart unconditionally remaining aware of the grounding, root energy into the earth. Rise and shine!

We are pleased to welcome two guest teachers this month: Susan Tutino and Susan Polk. Susan Tutino has been teaching in her home studio, Strawberry Fields, and Susan Polk offers classes through Don’t Worry, Be Happy Yoga. We are delighted that both of them will teach at 4yoga in April.

In addition, the special classes offered by Sunil Kumar, visiting teacher from India, will continue through April 10. For more information about Mr. Kumar, please see his website: International Sivananda Yoga Bhavan. Additional donations for the 90-minute weekend classes are gratefully accepted.

We are also continuing the Tuesday evening beginner’s class for the month of April, and new students are welcome to join that class at any time.

Please note that the Friday-morning gentle class is taking a break for April. We invite students who had been attending that class to join the gentle classes that meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.

April special event:

• Friday, 4/15: 6:45 p.m. discussion and meditation following the yin class (all are welcome, no fee).

Studio access:
The beautifully remodeled Pot’s Place is open! If you find that you will be arriving late to a class, please enter through the back door: just press the buzzer and wait to have someone buzz you in. The front door will remain open until the start time of class.

For the full April schedule, please see the calendar section of our site.

This popular clip known to body workers as the “fuzz speech” is awesome!

Dear Friends,

Here we are entering March! In this region, March is considered a transition month from winter to spring. It is easy to see the cyclical pattern of change in the seasons. The emergence of spring out of winter, which can symbolize death, teaches that there is no death, only transformation. It is not so easy to see that this pattern or cycle can be applied to almost everything which is subject to change: something is created, it exists for a period of time, and then it is transformed. This applies to matter (the stuff everything appears to be made of), relationships, activities, jobs, and even to our thoughts! According to yoga philosophy, only that which is real (our spiritual essence) is not subject to change.

It seems that we are conditioned to think about our lives in a linear path. When we come to the stage of transformation, this linear thinking can label it as “the end” or death. No wonder there is so much fear associated with change. However, when we can apply a “creation cycle theory “of change to our lives, there is no beginning or end, just a continuous cycle of change. Destruction is only the beginning of creation. How many times can you recall where you have felt fear about a change in your life? And yet here we are! In looking back, often we see that endings are indeed the seeds of new beginnings. As we eagerly await the burgeoning new life of spring that we know is coming, remember to go with the flow of change as it comes to you.

The special classes offered by Sunil Kumar, visiting teacher from India, will be continuing in March. For more information about Mr. Kumar, please see his website: International Sivananda Yoga Bhavan. Additional donations for the 90-minute weekend classes are gratefully accepted. We are also continuing the Tuesday evening beginner’s class for the month of March, and new students are welcome to join at any time.

Upcoming changes to regularly scheduled classes and special events:

• Friday, 3/15: 6:45 p.m. discussion and meditation following the yin class (all are welcome, no fee).
• Saturday, 2/23: 4:30 p.m. class cancelled. (Sunil will be providing a teacher training to the Bluegrass Yoga Teachers group this afternoon. If you are a local yoga teacher and would be interested in learning more about this event, contact one of us for details.)

Additional housekeeping details:

• Renovations and updates to The Pots Place continue and are looking good!. At this time, however, we need to use the front door only for classes, including late arrivals. We will update everyone by email and Facebook when we again have access through the back door.
• Although we hope not to have to use it, we have set an inclement weather policy in case of snow. If we need to cancel class because of the weather, we will announce that cancellation at least one hour before the beginning of the class, and we will share the cancellation 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.

For the full March schedule, please see our this section of the site or download the PDF version.

Namaste,
4yoga