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Living Joyfully: Potent Neutrality
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In Bringing Yoga to Life, Donna Farhi writes about the intimate connection between breath and our unconscious attitudes toward life. Holding our breath is an innate survival mechanism - in response to stress, we often take just a little breath in and hold onto it, as if by holding on we could protect ourselves from whatever forces seem to be closing in upon us. I have seen even my infant daughter do it, after a cough; it hurts, so she waits to inhale. How often do you find yourself holding your breath? While working?  Driving? Listening to the news? After all, these days, if it isn't the economy, or nuclear proliferation abroad, it's the swine flu! We have a lot of stressors imposing themselves on our awareness, whether consciously or otherwise. Farhi writes, "unless our breathing pattern is caused by a health problem, almost always this holding of breath represents an unconscious desire for certainty. We hold onto life, and in a sense we hold out on life. And then, of course, life holds out on us." Luckily, our Yoga practice offers us a bright alternative. Without even getting fancy we can learn to steady the breath in a way that steadies our connection with our ground and gets us back into harmony with life. Farhi puts it well: "Consciously making our breath steady [when faced with a stressful situation] isn't about suppressing our feelings, it is about understanding that every high and every low arises out of and returns back to a potent neutral place. The point is not to contr ol the breath or to control the situation but to use the regular, metronomelike availability of our breath to remind us of the place inside us that is always steady. The breath then becomes like a companion that is always reminding us of who we are."
I love this idea of potent neutrality, because we often fall into the trap of feeling helpless and impotent unless we're taking urgent action. I think my world at least needs less urgent action and more potent neutrality - space to consider, space to connect, space to breathe. Every time we step onto the mat we have the opportunity to reconnect and re-commit to this steady, neutral, powerful place inside. This week, let's live more peacefully both on and off the mat by directing awareness to the steady rise and fall of breath, connecting with that place inside each of us that is always steady and calm. Take a deep breath in, and exhale - ahhh. Better already.
Namaste,
Erin
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Thanksgiving Gratitude Practice |
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 What if you viewed your physical life and your
spiritual path as one and the same? What if grace allowed you to
surrender the need to know why things happen as they do, and to trust
that whatever the reason is, it is part of a grander spiritual design?
This Thanksgiving, let's celebrate whole-heartedly with an attitude of
gratitude. Truly appreciating what we've got is a powerful way of attracting abundance. Giving thanks for what we've got is the key to
receiving new blessings from this great big wonderful universe of ours.
Thursday, November 26
9:30-11:30 am
Come join us Thanksgiving morning for a flowing Yoga practice filled with poetry, movement, and joy.
Class will be led by Erin M
$15 drop-in. All levels Welcome.
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Pranafication Workshop with Jami Larson
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 Saturday Nov 14
3-5 pm.
$25 in advance $30 drop-in
This workshop is a must for those who want to celebrate the winter season in radiant health
and abundance!
This workshop is designed to raise your pranic vibration.
We will move through a specific purification vinyasa to stimulate circulation and lymphatic flow. We'll invigorate the subtle body while stimulating the organs of detoxification and create intelligent mobility to authentically express our fullest abundance in asana.
We'll conclude with a deeply healing guided meditation.
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Monday Night... Feldenkrais!
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 Avenues Yoga is the place to be on Monday nights with Erin Geesaman Rabke and Carl Ranke! Check out our great line-up of Feldenkrais offerings:
Tonight - Feldenkrais Quickies
Nov. 16 - Your Ribs are Not a Cage
Nov. 23 - Easy Hands and Arms
Nov. 30 - A Supple Spine
Dec. 7 - Intelligent Feet
Dec. 14 - Transitions
Dec. 21 - Feldenkrais for Relaxation and Presence
Dec. 28 - Easy Neck and Shoulders
Class meets from 5:30-7 pm
Drop-in $15
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Emily Hope Price Returns!
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Don't miss this concert at Avenues Yoga, November 21, 8 pm!
Emily wowed our audience this summer and is back by popular demand. Click here for a sample! Joined by local performer and songwriter Tom Hurtado, she'll grace us with a mesmerizing evening of sound. You can buy your ticket online by visiting our
events page.
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 Have a Great Week Everyone!
Namaste,
Erin
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