Wouldn’t make a bad epitaph. In the mean time, trying (sadhana).
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Classical yoga philosophies (as opposed to tantra) teach us that our mind/body are not real; what is real is “God,” and when we truly know this, we will experience freedom. I personally don’t ascribe to teachings that hold a concept real, but ourselves unreal.
I do think, though, that the practice that comes from this theory that advises us to pause, to step back, and to notice when our reactions to things are so bound in previous limited experience or expectation or dogmatic teaching that we’ve created unnecessary constrictions and suffering.
What appears to be caught or bound or stuck might not necessarily be so.
I just received the following email that makes it easy for you to comment on the DC Council’s proposed tax on yoga classes. If you believe yoga should not be taxed, please take action as moved:
Dear Elizabeth,
We just learned that the DC Council may impose a 6-8% sales tax on yoga classes and gym memberships. This Friday, May 7th (tomorrow!), they’ll consider the new tax. And, they’ll vote to approve or reject it soon thereafter.
Before this vote happens, please tell the DC Council: “Don’t tax yoga!”
Washington, DC is no stranger to the challenges of modern life that yoga is so well-designed to address: stress, stress-related illness, depression, anxiety, and the secondary impacts of these ills that make it harder for people to simply “get along”. Why put yoga — a potent antidote to these problems — further out of reach for District residents?
Some advocates of the new tax argue — mistakenly — that people who practice yoga and attend gyms are wealthy enough to afford the additional tax burden. The truth is that most yogis and gym members are middle income-ers who’ve simply made it a priority to invest in their health and well-being.
The DC Council should reward their behavior, and encourage more people to take responsibility similarly for their own well-being. Doing so will have direct upsides on the DC coffers. Why? Because when people are healthier, more balanced, grounded, and happy they’re also more productive, more self-reliant, and better able to function in our interdependent society.
If you agree, please tell the DC Council now: “Don’t tax yoga!”
We respect the DC government’s need to increase revenues in a time of economic recession. We just feel that taxing yoga and other health and wellness services is one of the worst ways to do it. Services that support people’s health and well-being are not luxuries. They are essential – just as much in the District of Columbia as anywhere, if not moreso.
Please make sure the DC Council gets that message. Tell them: “Don’t tax yoga!”
Many thanks,
Ian
—
Ian Mishalove
Co-Owner & Director of Flow
Flow Yoga Center
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
Dear Friends,
What a glorious Spring we’re having! I’ve just returned from an expanding, nurturing, and deepening time of study in Sedona with meditation teacher Paul Muller-Ortega. Later in May, I will join fellow certified Anusara yoga teachers in North Carolina to be with John Friend. Making sure to continue to study and gather with fellow yogis provides ever increasing appreciation of the benefits of practice and enhanced delight for the community.
May Day (May 1) is the first day for my Spring Session classes at Willow Street: Level 2 @ 8:30 am and Gentle/Therapeutics @ noon. Both are in the Takoma Park studio. While session registration is optimal, you are always welcome to drop in, whether you want to rock out in level 2 or get some healing and nurturing energy in Gentle/Therapeutics.
The William Penn House class continues to have the special $12 offering for public interest workers (broadly inclusive), students, seniors, and those in-between gigs ($15 for those who can afford it). Come join this collegial group 6:30 pm every Tuesday evening. A portion of the proceeds goes to benefit the work of William Penn House.
Looking to strengthen your practice: join me for Standing Steady in the Light: A Standing Balance Workshop, Sat May 8, 2:30-5pm, Willow Street Yoga Center, Takoma Park, $35. Find a place of deeper steadiness and balance in your own light and worthiness. Learn how to use the Anusara principles to enhance your ability to stand or your own two feet or on just one foot at a time. After we playfully explore a progressively expansive array of standing poses, we’ll finish with a few upside-down restorative postures to let our legs and feet feel the bright light created by the practice. Whether you find standing poses a challenge or revel in the dance, this workshop will illuminate your practice. Everybody welcome. To register, please visit www.willowstreetyoga.com.
As always, please take the time to enjoy and comment on the blog and if you haven’t already done so, friend me on Facebook for the latest news, photos, and quotes.
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Peace and light,
Elizabeth
Ellsworth Kelly at the Phillips Collection
