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Greetings!
Summer has finally hit our cloudy part of the world and in Ayurvedic Medicine, this is the Pitta (fire) season. In this issue you'll find great suggestions for keeping our cool in the midst of heat!
Classes and Workshops
As I write this issue I feel such honor to have a team of teachers at the Center with great heart and depth of experienceoffering classes and workshops that can help us grow, heal and evolve.
Dr. Zorn will continue his weekly Dharma Dialog and Meditations for the next two Thursdays. We'll then shift his talks and meditation instruction to a two-hour class held one Sunday each month. I'm hoping the weekend schedule will work better for more of you who haven't been able to attend the current Thursday evening time.
We're so excited to bring Denise Gour to the studio to introduce us to the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program created by Joh Kabat-Zinn. You'll find all the details in this issue.
The fall-winter schedule will bring a couple new faces and new studio offerings as graduates of our Yoga Teacher's Training begin to offer classes. This is such an exciting sign of our growth as a business and community -please check the website periodically for updates. And as always, let me know if there's a type of class or time of day you wish to have a class!
Yoga Teacher & Yoga As Structural Therapy Training
Our 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of Yoga philosophy and Anusara Yoga principles. This program is structured for anyone who wishes to teach or who desire to immerse more deeply in a Yoga practice.
If you've already completed a Teacher's Training program, I also offer a 100-hour Yoga As Structural Therapy Training program. This is a first of its kind in this area, and truly a first of its kind for the depth of structural body alignment and injury specific work it provides. Check it out!
This fall, we'll offer three continuing education classes for Yoga teachers in the three key areas I think are the hardest for a teacher to develop...
The Art of Verbalizing: Learn to verbally guide students into and out of Yoga poses effectively, efficiently and safely while also offering a richer, deeper Yoga experience. Oct 1st, 12PM-6PM
The Art of Seeing: Recaps the Universal Principles of Alignment of Anusara Yoga. We may know them intellectually and feel them in our bodies, but seeing them play out in a variety of bodies and poses helps reinforce their meaning and application. Nov 5th 12PM-6PM
The Art of Hands-on Adjustments: How we touch is vitally important. This workshop is held last for a reason - effective and safe touch and adjustments are so important, but to accomplish this we we must first bring proficient communication and seeing to our teaching. Dec 3rd 12PM-6PM
Summer Break (not vacation!)
Remember, we have just two more weeks of classes before the end of the current term. Then the studio will be closed for a 2-week summer break, during which I head to Atlanta, Georgia for continuing education and training. I'm attending KMI structural Integration massage training and I'm very excited! Tom Meyers' work is aligned very closely with Anusara's Principles of Alignment, and this training will add tremendously to the studio's therapy focus. You'll see the results in coming months as this therapy focus continues to seep into our Yoga classes and my massage practice :)
Enjoy the summer, be well, and keep shining your light!
Melonie Nielsen
Vancouver Yoga Center
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Meditation and Dharma Dialogue With Dr. Zorn
Come join us for explorations of the heart-felt philosophies behind Yoga, followed by theory, instruction and practice of meditation techniques.
These sessions are led by Dr. Matt Zorn, a lifelong yogi of the Siddha Yoga Lineage. Matt, a Naturopathic Doctor specializing in Homeopathy, will guide us through the wisdom and understanding of the heart and mind in these inspirational talks and meditations.
Join us Thursdays Aug 11th & 18th from 7:30-8:30pm - everyone is welcomed and encouraged to participate. $10 drop-in fee.
We will have a 1/2 hour Philosophical talk related to principles of Yoga and meditation followed by a 1/2 hour guided mediation.
2 Hour Sunday talks and meditations:
Sept 11th 10-12noon $25
What is Meditation? How can it improve my life? How does one meditate? Meditation practice for 20 minutes
Oct 9th 10-12noon $25
Meditation and stress reduction. Meditation for 20 minutes
Nov 13th 10-12noon$25 The relationship of Meditation and Love, Inner Peace, and Happiness. Mediation for 20 minutes.
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Inviting Love and Happiness
By Dr. Zorn
As you move through life and take a moment to look around, you might notice that everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) is looking for their version of happiness. Some look for it in relationships, others look for it through the acquisition of money and material things, or accomplishments and goals, or sensual pleasures like food, sex, and alcohol/drugs. It is truly mystifying how we continue to look for eternal happiness and love in things which are fleeting and circumstantial.
See the full article.
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 Workshop: Mindfulness For Living Joyfully
A workshop based on principles of Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program.
Aug 20th 1:30-3:30pm $35 in advance, $40 day of
This two hour experiential workshop introduces user-friendly tools for gaining emotional balance and cultivating happiness in everyday life.
Practices include using breath, gentle Yoga postures, and focused awareness of the body, emotions, and thoughts to help us exercise the power to choose our responses to life's ups and downs rather than automatically reacting with self-defeating emotions and behaviors.
A brief overview of relevant brain research highlights the mind/body connection and demonstrates the science behind staying healthy even when facing the toughest times.
Workshop activities are drawn from two significantly effective research-based programs: Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression (MBCT)- Segal, Teasdale, Williams and the Awakening Joy- James Baraz.
Optional guided practice CD's will be available for purchase.
Facilitated by Denise Gour LCSW
Denise is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice who facilitates health and healing through mindfulness based counseling and education. Learn more at www.mindfulplace.com
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Mindfulness for Living Joyfully
By Denise Gour, LCSW
Take a moment and imagine what your life would be like if you truly experienced joyfulness each day in your life. If it were possible, what would be different? What would have to change? Are there people, places, or situations that need to be different or to just go away....or would they need to come back, never change, never go away?
In a mindfulness practice we become intimately acquainted with the mind's tendency to gravitate toward comparisons between now and what should be or could be.
See the full article.
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Ayurveda: Keeping Your Cool According to East India's system of medicine called Ayurveda, Summer (July-Oct) is Pitta season. Pitta is one of three qualities and body constitutions in this medical paradigm. This form of medicine is based on the idea that "like increases like". Pitta represents fire/heat. If we have an abundance of this element already inside of us (if we are a predominantly warm body constitution), then any external heat in the form of foods, alcohol, or environment can increase this quality in our bodies. For some of us, this can contribute to aggravations in the body, or even long-term illness or disease. So how do you keep your cool if you happen to have a fair amount of this Pitta element in your constitution? And even if you don't, how do you help support your body during the long summer months? Since Pittas possess an abundance of hot, sharp, oily and light, we want to balance this out with cool and dry. The key to balancing Pitta is moderation, or making sure to not push yourself too hard. This seems logical and simple, right? Oh, but it's soooo hard for a Pitta to do...here are a coupe of ways you can pull it off: Take cool walks in the moonlight. Barefoot in the grass is even better. Enjoy natural beauty, walks by streams, in mountains, spend as much time in nature as possible. Work in a cool, dry environment where you feel in control or supported. Wear clothing made of natural fiber such as cotton or silk. The best colors are lighter colors like white, cream, blue, green and purple.
Coolness in any form helps to counteract overactive Pitta. Keep your bedroom just below 70 degrees when you sleep.
Decrease the use of stimulants. Use cooling, bitter herbs like aloe vera, dandelion, gentain and cilantro. Eat your main meal at noon with the bulk of food being sweet, astringent and bitter in taste and slightly dry in texture. Make sure the food is pure and wholesome. Be attentive to taking in fresh food, water and air, since Pitta is especially sensitive to impurities of any kind. Eat plenty of raw fruits and veggies, cooling foods like leafy greens, mint tea, spices like cumin, coriander and fennel are great to add to your foods. Make sure to lessen or have only in moderation: Spicy, oily food Alcohol Strenuous activity or exercise Spending time in jacuzzi's or saunas Be careful to not be judgmental or overly critical |
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Yoga Posture 101
Shoulderstand- Sarvangasana
Sarva= all
Anga= Limb
All limbs or whole body pose. Likely named after its effects and workings of every aspect of the body.
Inversions are the fruits of your yoga practice. They improve circulation, revitalize the internal organs, tone the glandular system. Headstand is said to be the King of all asanas meaning that what all the other asanas do for the body headstand does it all in one pose. Shoulderstand is said to be the Queen. They are not poses to throw yourself into without preparation. Everything you learn in all other poses prepares you for Inversions.
Benefits of Shoulderstand:
Aids in circulation by assisting the blood flow back to the heart.
Calms the nervous system.
Helps to regulate the thyroid and paraythyroid glands.
The brain, endocrine glands, and heart get a fresh oxygenated supply of blood drawn towards them.
It can stimulate digestion and elimination in the body and tones the abdominal organs in a way no other exercise can.
Contraindications/cautions:
High Blood pressure- start with legs up wall and work up to full variation
Low blood pressure- go slow when coming out dizziness may occur
Heart problems- start with legs up wall variation
Detached retina or Glaucoma
Ear problems- may experience vertigo during or when coming out of pose
Neck injuries- You must use the principles of alignment and start with blanket support and guidance of a experienced teacher.
Menstruation- this is up to each individual. I recommend resting on the heaviest days of your cycle then continue for short holding times for the rest of the cycle.
Pregnancy- Again this is individual. If there are problems with the pregnancy or if you have a history or risk of miscarriage I would avoid for the first trimester. Then start with 1/2 pose variation. Don't start doing inversions for the first time when you are pregnant. this is for those who have been practicing regularly before pregnancy.
Key points & principles:
Anusara Principles of alignment needed the most-Shoulder loop and skull loop for the upper body and inner spiral and outer spiral for the lower body
Bridge pose is a test pose to see if you are ready for shoulderstand. If you can do bridge pose with all your spine lifted off the floor including last cervical vertabrae C7 you are ready for shoulderstand.
Pencil test- in bridge pose to see if you can get C7 off the floor-take a pencil through shouldeblades to base of skull.
Start with support of 1-2 blankets at the line of your shoulders and last cervical vertabrae(C7), with your head off the blankets.
Lengthen your torso so your shoulders shrug towards your ears, then wrap the shoulders under the body. This will lift C7 off the floor.
Lift your chin up slightly away from your chest to increase more cervical curve.
We want to get as much of the spine lifted off of the floor as possible
Head of humerus bone is where weight should be, not shoulderblades
If your weight is on your elbows you need more blankets, if it is on your shoulders you need less.
Isometricaly press elbows in towards each other & lift from base of neck up.
In the neck be sure to keep some of the cervical curve so lift your chest to your chin not your chin moving towards your chest.
When coming up it is a common mistake when squeezing the shoulderblades and elbows together to pull the shoulders down away from the ears. Do not let this happen!!! you can seriously hurt your neck as in a herniated disc or torn ligaments.
If uncomfortable on spine you need more inner spiral, back is rounding to much
Can't breathe- back off & inner spiral, this also opens chest more so you can lift it to chin
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Session dates:
June 27th-Aug 20th
Studio Closed: Aug 21st-Sept 5th (no classes Labor day)
Sept 6th-Oct 30th
Oct 31st-Dec23rd (no classes Christmas Eve)
Studio Closed Dec 24th-Jan 1st
Coming this fall to the studio...
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About Vancouver Yoga Center
We pride ourselves on teaching Yoga to each individual. Our yoga teachers are certified and highly trained in the movement and alignment of the body. Drop by the studio anytime or visit us online at www.VancouverYogaCenter.com for more information about our class schedule, massage therapy, and yoga therapy.
202 E McLoughlin Blvd Vancouver, Washington 98663 Vancouver Yoga Center 360-521-1609 |
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Upcoming Lectures, Events & Workshops
June 27th-August 20th
Studio closed: Aug 21st-Sept 5th
Sept 6th-Oct 30th
Oct 31st-Dec 23rd
Studio closed Dec 24th-Jan1st
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