Web Version of E-Newsletter “New Year’s Greeting”
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Dear Friends,
The changing of the calendar gives us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the past year and think of how we might wish to grow or shift to best serve ourselves and others in the coming year. 2010 was such a difficult year for so many, with suffering of a magnitude of which I can hardly conceive, even though I have had my own struggles.
In the midst of the challenges we are facing globally, societally, and locally, 2010 was a good year for me, although it had some partings and disappointments that were painful. With all the challenges and suffering of so many, I am especially conscious of how fortunate I am. John Friend, at the weekend workshop in Bryn Athyn, reminded us that with the privilege of having the material, physical, and intellectual well-being to be able to study and practice hatha yoga as we do, comes the responsibility to serve, to share in the best way we can and to seek to illuminate not only our inner world, but the world around us.
In 2010, most important of what filled my year was that I deepened and committed further to my studies of meditation and tantric yoga philosophy with Paul Muller-Ortega. I have been invigorated by my continuing studies with John Friend and other senior Anusara yoga teachers. I am almost overwhelmed by how much joy I get from practicing and studying and the community of fellow practitioners and look forward to going deeper and sharing my explorations in 2011.
Three new things that were not part of my formal yoga practice brought great joy into my year, and I am sure, in the years to come. The magnificent and enormous middle-aged cats, Uma and Sully, who moved into my house on an emergency fostering basis, quickly became permanent inmates and unceasingly offer entertainment and comfort. I had a solar array installed on my roof, which was an inspiring way to see technology in a positive light. I look forward, as the days start lengthening, to watching the electric meter run backwards. Most recently, I was led to the DC Contact Improv Jam, which I am finding just wonderful. I am sure the delight of dancing and the freedom and play of contact improv will shift my own practice and expand the offerings for class.
What I have learned during my time practicing is that when I am sick or injured or feeling excessively challenged my practice supports me and helps me remember what is good and nourishing and sweet. When I am feeling exuberently full of life then my practice just expands the joy. Most of the time it is somewhere in between. With the expansion of my own studying and practice, I will be teaching a little less and, in my offerings at Willow Street, emphasizing healing, nurturing, and a sweet opening to supportive shifts; all are welcome both to the Gentle/Therapeutics Saturday noon-time class (registration preferred, but drop-ins always welcome) and to one or all of the restorative workshops that will be held the last Saturday of January, February, and March. The William Penn House class is as all levels an embrace and invitation as you need it to be for your support and delight–from chair yoga to drop backs, depending on your practice and the day. Drop in any week; no advance notice required.
Proceeds from the house classes will continue to go 100% to environmental causes in 2011. In March, I will again be offering at Willow Street, “Yoga for Gardeners,” with my profits going to benefit the Youth Garden at the National Arboretum. And if you are ever looking to browse for used books — or looking for a good place to donate some of your own — please visit the Lantern Bookshop in Georgetown, where I have been volunteering one Sunday a month for 15 years or so.
Whether 2010 was a more a year of challenges or joy and expansion, I wish you the best in 2011 and hope to see you soon, sharing in the joy and support of the yoga.
Peace and light,
New Page About Books
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It should come as no surprise to those who have taken my classes or have been reading this blog with some regularity, that an incredibly important source of inspiration is my library. At the suggestion of my fabulous web designer, who is currently in graduate school for library sciences, I have gone live with a library page. Given the nature of a blog; everything I have read is really part of its bibliography; this is the much edited version. I am using Library Thing, which is a fascinating space for book nerds in the electronic universe. I hope that you will enjoy this opportunity to expand the dialogue about books in our lives, our studies, and our practices.
Web Version of Holiday E-Newsletter
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Dear Friends,
May your inner light shine brightly for yourself and others through the holiday season. I wish you all much joy and safe travels. As I get ready to take some time off and celebrate with friends and family–with a little sojourn in New York as part of the plan–I wanted to let you know the schedule to make it easier to plan.
There are no Willow Street classes for the rest of the year–though a number of my friends and colleagues are offering what look like a fantastic array of workshops at Willow Street from 12/29 to 1/2. There is William Penn House this coming Tuesday, 12/21 and also 1/4, but not on 12/28. There will be two special house practices for regular students on Thursday 12/23 and Monday 12/27. Please email me if you wish to attend.
Free class week,, which runs from 1/3 to 1/9, starts the new Willow Street session. I will be offering two classes at Willow Street Takoma Park during free class week: restoratives on Monday, January 3rd, and gentle/therapeutic on Saturnday, January 9th.
In addition to continuing the gentle/therapeutics at noon on Saturdays in the Winter Session (registering is great, but drop-ins always welcome), I will be offering the last Saturday of the month from January to March “Relaxing into Optimal Alignment with Anusara Restoratives.” After a little gentle stretching and self-massage to bring awareness to the breath and body, we will enjoy the exquisite application of Anusara’s Universal Principles of Alignment to restful and supported restorative postures to release old patterns and invite in the new to find greater ease of body and mind. The workshop is designed to be a great practice for all levels; sign up for the full 3-class series and save $15! The workshop series–or even just one–makes a great holiday gift for yourself or a friend or loved one.
Also please mark your calendars in advance for “Yoga for Gardeners,” which is for all levels of yogis and gardeners alike. It will be on Saturday, March 18th. A portion of the profits, as is my tradition, will go to benefit the Youth Garden at the National Arboretum.
Peace and light,
Elizabeth
Special Holiday Thank You (Web Version of E-News)
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Dear Friends,
You’ve just received an unexpected gift that does good! rose garden yoga sent you a gift card from Oxfam America Unwrapped. Follow this link to see your card. And learn about how you’ve made a difference.
Much love and gratitude. News for the holiday and new year to follow in a separate e-mailing.
Peace and light,
Elizabeth
Spam of the Week
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“I am final, I am sorry, but it does not approach me. I will search further.”
Spam of the Day
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“hope and change”
Web Version of October E-Newsletter
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Dear Friends,
Much of the conversation for the past few days has been about the weather. Some people have talked about how much they hate the heat and how excited they are about the coming of cool weather. Others are lamenting the passing of summer. When it was this temperature six months ago, the same conversations arose, but mostly in reverse. Right now, of course, it is perfectly and delightfully temperate. Neither heating nor air conditioning is needed to have a healthy indoor environment, but because it is our nature to compare, it feels cold, just as the same temperature had us throwing open the windows and dancing for the joy of it being warm last spring.
For me, the dialogue about the weather and the observation of my own reactions to the change of season is a perfect invitation to look at how perspective influences perception. One of the benefits of a steady and ever more refined practice is that it helps us feel a sense of awe and openess in the face of whatever comes and not be swayed by our history and personal inclination, allowing us to celebrate life more deeply and spectacularly.
Upcoming opportunities to cultivate a sense of wonder (this Fall’s theme):
The fall Willow Street session is underway. There is still time to register and drop-ins are always welcome. Join me Saturdays in Takoma Park for Flow at 8:45am and Gentle/Therapeutics at noon.
William Penn House classes continue on Tuesday nights at 6:30pm with a wonderful and dedicated group of friends and neighbors. All levels welcome.
More experienced yogis will have a great opportunity to expand their practice at:
Hanumanasana: Nemesis No More, Saturday, October 16, 2010, 2:30pm-5:00pm, Willow Street Yoga Center, Takoma Park. $35. Are there poses which make you cringe or yearn to have a break from class? One of the great fruits of yoga is “thinning the kleshas,” learning to feel aversions less powerfully and to better experience our intrinsically joyous light no matter what the world presents us. Enjoy an afternoon of exploring and delighting in a full-spectrum of standing poses, arm balances, and hip openers that might lead you to – dare we say it – a greater appreciation, if not downright enjoyment, of hanumanasana and will definitely bring you a delighted gratitude for vipariti karani (legs up the wall). For students Level I/II and up. To register on-line, please visit www.willowstreetyoga.com or just drop in on the day of the workshop.
Will you be in town for Thanksgiving? Want to share the love and gratitude? It’s the:
Eighth Annual Thanksgiving Day All-Levels Yoga Fundraiser for Oxfam. Thursday, November 25, 2010, 10-11:30am. $25. On Thanksgiving Day, join me at Willow Street Yoga Center, Takoma Park, for an all-levels fundraising class to benefit Oxfam. Stretch your body and embrace your own generous spirit as we give thanks for our families, friends, and bounty. Friends, family, and out-of-town guests of all levels of yoga experience, including first-timers, are welcome. To register on-line, please visit www.willowstreetyoga.com or just drop in on the day of the workshop.
I’ve been getting lots of positive feedback about the updated subscription feature for the blog. Give it a try, by clicking here and entering your information, if you haven’t already and make it even easier to join the discussion.
Look forward to seeing you soon.
Peace and light,
Elizabeth
September Newsletter (web version of e-newsletter)
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Dear Friends,
Even in this hot, dry week, three weeks before the formal start of autumn, the harbingers of seasonal change are coming. When I sit to meditate in the morning, it is still not quite light out, the scent of the leaves starting to change is evident when the wind blows, apples and winter squash are gradually replacing the summer fruits at the fresh farm market.
Fall tends to be a busy time of year for us as a culture, and my calendar is chock full with work, workshops, plans to visit friends and family, volunteer work, and the offerings of our great city, but it is always important to take time to pause and enjoy the sweetness of being. It is just when things are at their busiest, that it is most important to carve out the time for some yoga. I’ll be doing lotsof my own study and practice to make more joyous offerings for you.
William Penn House on Tuesday nights continues to be a welcome haven for regulars of all levels and more occasional visitors. Drop in and join us any time. More info on my website at www.rosegardenyoga.com.
My Willow Street classes of the Fall session start on Saturday, September 25th — flow (level 2+) at 8:45 am and gentle/therapeutics at noon in Takoma Park. It is always great to register for the full session to help get the benefits of the regularity of class every week, but drop ins are always welcome.
If you have been curious about the gentle/therapeutics class or have friends you want to introduce to the class, please join me at noon on Saturday, September 18th, when the class is offered as part of Willow Street’s free class week. More information about free class week and the regular session and workshops are available on-line at www.willowstreetyoga.com.
Mark your calendars for upcoming workshops: Hanumanasana: Nemesis No More, Saturday, October 16th and Thanksgiving Day Fundraiser for Oxfam, both at Willow Street Yoga, Takoma Park.
Hope to see you soon in person and virtually with the blog (it’s now way easier to subscribe to the blog; just a few clicks from the home page) and on Facebook. As always, feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or just to connect.
Peace and light,
Elizabeth
This Saturday–Summertime Yoga Extravaganza (website version of emailing)
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Dear Friends,
I’ve just returned from a wonderful meditation retreat with Paul Muller-Ortega out in Sedona. Every time I go on retreat, I am reminded of how essential it is to take time out from my busy life to rest deeply so that the inner light can be sweetly revealed. (If you want to see pictures from the week, check out my blog entry “Outrageous Light”).
When I got home last night after the hectric travel home day and before returning to work this morning, I took time out for restoratives, so that I could bring back into my home and self the sense of renewal that I had before the travel. Sometimes, there is nothing like a good session of restoratives to bring back a sense of balance and harmony with life.
Needing a retreat yourself? Please come join me this Saturday afternoon, July 31st at Willow Street Yoga in Takoma Park for a mini-retreat from the summer heat with a “Summer Restorative Extravaganza.” For more information or to register in advance, please visit: www.willowstreetyoga.com.
Looking forward to seeing many of you.
Peace and light,
Elizabeth
Web Version of Hot Summer E-Newsletter
Filed Under Art and Culture, Asana, Pranayama, and Yoga Practice, Community and Family, Food for the Mind (Yoga Philosophy, etc), Miscellaneous (blog matters, etc) | 1 Comment
Dear Friends,
Recent newsletters I have received from well-known yoga teachers, in addition to sharing their wonderful offerings and teachings about yoga, have included references to the Gulf Oil Spill, the on-going economic crisis, and the humanitarian tragedies in Chili and Haiti and elsewhere. The information is presented as showing what yoga can do to help us better serve those in need, seek change in ourselves and the world around us, and find our own light in the face of things we cannot change, but these teachers are no longer keeping quiet about the presence of serious turmoil and tragedy.
As one who has been outspoken (perhaps too much so) about such issues in the context of yoga, as those of you who follow my blog know, it seems that it is no longer possible to be silent. We are all familiar with adages, “silence is golden” and “silence speaks louder than words.” We are also invited, as yogis, to observe the four gates of speech to the best of our ability, on and off the mat: (1) is it truthful? (2) is it necessary? (3) is it the right time? and (4) is it said in a kind manner? These gates are important for evaluating individual utterances.
For the past couple of weeks, I have been thinking about turning the “four gates” on their head, turning them upside-down in the tantric tradition, and asking how they apply to silence. When we are silent on an issue, on something that moves us, on something in a relationship that is important to us, are we being true to ourselves to be silent? Are we being honest by saying nothing (for saying nothing is, indeed, saying something)? Is staying silent timely or is it truly timely to speak up (using the four gates as guidance on how to speak up?); is being silent kind–we’ve all done it ourselves or experienced cold or hostile silences?
For me, more than ever, it is no longer the time to be silent. We must speak for the light, for action, for aligning better with nature, for deepening community, for enhancing the subtle energies that will help us heal and grow and shift society. As long as we are not practicing true “renunciate” yoga–giving up family, friends, shelter, and creature comforts, but instead are practicing the yoga of those still engaged in “regular” life, then we need to become more and more sensitive to how we can joyously affirm life, but passionately engage in seeking change that makes the light more available to all, while still going about our daily business. This is a razor’s edge balance. It can be so difficult to live consistently with our ideals, to speak and act in truth and kindness for ourselves and others the ideal all of the time. Our yoga invites us to cultivate and celebrate our strengths, to affirm ourselves and then to expand. Expansion can be intensely challenging and sometimes as much painful as exhilerating, but I think it is worth it.
This summer, in classes, I will be inviting all to join me in the questions I am exploring for myself: what is my intention? How can manifesting my intention make life sweeter for myself and those around me?
Join me for both class offerings and a special workshop up at Willow Street. William Penn House classes continue with special pricing for public interest workers, students, seniors, and those with other challenges. A portion of the proceeds from every student goes to support William Penn House’s work.
At Willow Street, the Saturday morning class has changed: it is now a “Fusion Flow” from 8:45-10. What’s the difference between the flow class and Level 2? We’ve already been doing a slow flow, but there will be fewer breaks, and more time for silence (a timely, nurturing silence), for students to get into their own groove to work towards manifesting their intention. We will have music most times to bring in a stronger sense of the dance, but I will continue, as always, to emphasize healthy alignment for the class as a whole and be responsive to questions. Gentle/Therapeutics is at noon as usual. There’s a free class weekend up at Willow Street where I will be teaching both types of classes on July 17th in the Takoma Park studio and Gentle/Therapeutics in the Silver Spring Studio on Sunday July 18th. The summer session starts on July 24th. Those who sign up for a class and a workshop simultaneously, get a $20 discount. For more information or to register on-line, please visit www.willowstreetyoga.com.
Want a siesta-like retreat from the heat? Ready for some relaxation and self-nurture? Treat yourself to two blissful hours of restorative yoga poses for a sweet afternoon retreat without all the travel! All levels welcome at the: Summertime Restorative Extravaganza, Saturday, July 31, 2010, 2:30pm-4:30pm, Willow Street Yoga Center, Takoma Park. $35.
As always, feel free to email me with questions or comments or join me on the blog: www.rosegardenyoga.com. Just FYI, we’ve fixed the issues with subscribing to the blog. If you haven’t already, just hit subscribe on the home page, follow the instructions, and then get an email in your inbox the day after I’ve posted a new blog entry.
Hope you are all having a great start to your summer and look forward to seeing you soon.
Peace and light,
Elizabeth