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Web Version of October E-Newsletter

ByElizabeth

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

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    “Practical Sanskrit” just did a post on its Facebook page that discusses the nyaya (maxim) of watering the mango tree.  When we water a tree with the intention to honor our ancestors and the earth for its gracious offering, we are simultaneously taking care of the tree and honoring our ancestors, the earth, and the tree.  The post continues by inviting us to be more conscious of trees, especially in the city, and to be more engaged in caring for them.

    Practical Sanskrit’s post reminded me of a comment on this blog a couple of weeks ago.   A commenter on stated that most of the things that I write about doing to live more lightly on the planet require substantial financial means and education.  That is true in certain cases–obviously, if I wasn’t blogging, I would not have any need to try and go “carbon neutral” with the blog (although it is no more expensive to have a carbon-neutral web host than one that is not).  And as I explained yesterday when chatting with a cabinet-maker who was at the Amicus Green stand at the Green Festival yesterday, with the grant programs, tax credits, and loans available, we can now put solar on our houses with virtually no cash outlay in Maryland and the District (other states may not make it so easy).  In that case, one still needs to be a homeowner, but can still do it without significant money to burn.

    But most of the things I do to try and live more lightly, while still being comfortable, I learned in the years when I was truly poor (and I didn’t much like having always to worry about how I was going to pay the bills):  not having a car; not having cable tv; turning off the water while I soap the dishes and brush my teeth; taking short showers and turning the water off while lathering; keeping the thermostat between 59-63 in the winter and dressing warmly; keeping the thermostat between 78-82 in the summer and dressing and eating lightly; shopping for clothes at the consignment shop; furnishing my house from flea markets, auctions, and neighborhood sales; doing my own sprouts on the kitchen counter; having much of my diet be dried grains and pulses bought in bulk; turning off all the lights in the house except for the one I am using at the moment; bringing my own lunch to work as a regular activity and saving eating out for special occasions; avoiding buying and wearing clothes that require regular dry cleaning.

    What is nice about being financially comfortable is I now can do all those things with loving intention, rather than feeling constrained by my lack of material well-being.  I am not forced to do them.  Tantric yoga, with its emphasis on being in the world, invites us always to act with intention, to make all of living an offering and a recognition of spirit.  It is easier to do when we are educated, aware, and yearning for spirit, than when we are forced to do something out of material poverty.  It is also easier to do when we do it for love rather than a sense of guilt or obligation.  Being able to live with intention, picking and choosing how we live and what we consume, can truly enhance grace in our lives.  I am sure there are those who grumble about having to go out and water the mango tree to make sure it fruits when they would rather be watching tv.  How much more life-enhancing to water with love for the tree.

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    Shaktipat?

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    Some of the yoga traditions that include a guru lineage believe that a guru can transmit grace (whatever that might mean) through their presence or touch. Back in the days when I was doing my first yoga teacher training, a fellow student asked me whether I had ever received shaktipat? My answer was yes–when I’d had the opportunity to shake hands with William Brennan. He’s not a guru, my fellow student objected.  But he is a being of extraordinary grace, power, and intelligence who has devoted himself to the service of our collective well-being and my being in his presence inspires me to show my best light; isn’t that what’s supposed to happen with shaktipat? I don’t think she was ever fully persuaded by my unorthodox reading, but I had no need to persuade.

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