Hansa Knox is a legend in the Denver community as a longtime yogi with an intense depth of knowledge.  She considers herself an ongoing student of Kripalu Yoga and of other teachers who offer yogic insights. Hansa utilizes yoga, yoga cikitsa, ayurveda and massage in her practice and as a teacher. Currently she owns and leads PranaYoga and Ayurveda Mandala where she offers yoga classes, yoga teacher trainings, including advanced trainings and yoga therapy.

Hansa has served as president for Yoga Alliance and for Yoga Teachers of Colorado. She served on the board of Kripalu, Sanga, and is on the Yoga Therapy Standards Committee for IAYT.

We are deeply blessed to have Hansa Knox in our community and for this teaching she is offering as a Seva.

Kosha Yoga Center is our hosting studio this month.

When:       Friday, November 12
                  7:00-9:00 p.m.
Location:   Kosha Yoga Center (map)
                  1500 W. Littleton Blvd

                                (inside, behind Blueberries)
                   Littleton  80120
                   303-875-2438
                   www.koshayogacenter.com
                   RSVP:  carrie@yogarific.com or call

  WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Greetings and Salutations!

In last month's newsletter, a call went out to readers of this newsletter to submit their favorite quotations or stories for

a new edition of the YTOC QUOTE BOOK.  I hope you are planning to submit your treasured gems soon (deadline is November 15th). I've had NO RESPONSES to date. 

Come on, y'all...I know you are busy, but I again ask you to please take the time to contribute to this worthy effort.

Many Colorado yoga teachers over the years have used and reused their annual gift of YTOC quotes in their classes.

Jean Welder, one of the original 1980 members of YTOC who is

81 years old, still teaches yoga and attends Yoga Journal Conferences.  She told me recently that the annual Quote Book was one of the best benefits she ever received from her membership.

You'll be learning more about Jean and our other founding members over the next few months.  Trust me, they were an active and dedicated group! 

Here is a reading from the 1999-2000 Quote Book (and one of Jean's favorites) which provides a lovely lesson for teaching a themed class.  Add it to your "go to file" and pull it out when you need an idea.  Or, perhaps, just reflect on how it has shown up in your own life...

One day, a teacher of time management used a demonstration his students will never forget.

First, he pulled out a gallon jar and set it on the table, then proceded to add about a dozen fist-sized rocks which he care-

fully placed, one by one, into the jar. When the jar was filled to

the top, he asked his students, "Is this jar full?"  Everyone in the

class said, "Yes".

Then he pulled out a bucket of gravel and began to pour it into the jar, shaking the jar so that the pieces could work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Asking once more,

"Is the jar full?", the class replied, "Probably not".  "Good!", he said.

Next he brought out a bucket of sand and dumped the sand into the jar where, of course, it filtered into the spaces between the rocks and the gravel. "Is the jar full?"  "No," the class shouted.

Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and poured the water in until the jar was filled to the brim.

Looking at the class, he asked, "What is the point of this demon-stration?"

One eager student shouted, "The point is that no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things in!".  (Ok...'fess up. How many of you came up with that same response?)

"No", the speaker replied, "that is not the point. The point is:  

                If you don't put the big rocks in first,

             you'll never get them in at all."

What are the "big rocks" in your life? Your family? Spiritual growth? Education? Your dreams? Helping others?  What are

the BIG ROCKS in your life?

Whatever they are, remember to put them in FIRST.

             "Nothing is done in life without our

                  acceptance of priority".

                                         --Aadil Palkivalka, yoga teacher

Please submit quotations, a story or reading that you have loved, either personally or in your teaching, to Jeanne at:

yogaoasis@earthlink.net

Please put "YTOC Quote" in the "subject" field of your message.

Deadline is November 15--make this a priority as you step into

your willing participation in YTOC.  It's a simple step!

Dedicated to Sharing the Wisdom,

Om, Shanti

Jeanne

At its last meeting, the YTOC Board of Directors approved a charitable donation to The Wellness Initiative, a program which last year brought yoga to 1,700 kids attending local elementary and middle schools in the Denver/Boulder area.  Many of these schools serve impoverished families. 

The Wellness Initiative (TWI) was founded in 2006 to deliver secular wellness programs to K-12 students in Colorado in response to persistent and growing problem of stress in young people's lives.

The Wellness Initiative's goal is to improve the physical health, social and emotional development, and academic performance of low-income youth through yoga-based wellness programs.

Using an evidence-based curriculum called Yoga Ed, the program was designed to map to and satisfy national physical education and health standards. Movements are integrated with breath to strengthen, align, and balance the body, focus the mind, and soothe the nervous system.

Yoga is inherently non-competitive, as opposed to most school physical education class.  Progress is measured by greater self-efficacy, a more consistent respect for others, and increased concentration, flexibility, endurance, and balance. The classes are designed to address the whole child, and to benefit all children.

TWI currently offers three different programs for schools:  yoga for the students, yoga for the teachers, and yoga tools for the teachers. The yoga tools-for-the-teachers program includes using yoga-based techniques such as breath, movements, and visualization, to assist each teacher in his or her classroom.

Some of the schools choose all three offerings, while others choose just one or two. The combination of all three programs offers the greatest opportunity to motivate individual students and change their behaviors, and most significantly, to also change the culture of an entire school.

The Wellness Initiative is working with the Center for Policy Research to conduct research on the effects of yoga instruction in the schools. So far, the results have been promising.

Yoga Teachers of Colorado are proud to be able to support such a great program.  For more information on this exciting initiative, see their website at www.wellnessinitiative.org 

 

November 6:  Back Care Clinic  Do you have chronic back pain?  This workshop will focus on yoga postures and techniques to release, strengthen, align, and relieve back dysfunction and pain. At Asana Yoga Studio in Olde Town Arvada with Lauren Duker.

November 6, 2010:  Developing a Home Yoga Practice with Alli Brook. Do you want to practice yoga at home but don't know where to start? Includes Hatha sequencing, Kundalini resources, blending other awareness practices, building a resource notebook, and suggestions for continuing your practice through challenges. Yoga Center of Steamboat in Steamboat Springs

November 6, 2010:  Yoga for Anxiety:  Tools for Living with Your Brilliance.  This workshop will explore Ayurvedice explanations for physiological symptoms of anxiety and provide simple at-home remedies and practices.  Pranayama, Yoga Nidra, philosophy and asana will be used to address panic attacks, anxiety, and stress.  At Tree Top Yoga Studio in Fort Collins.

November 4-Dec 16, 2010: Philosophy Workshop Series with Michael Lloyd-Billington.  In this special, six-week series, we'll explore the classic Yogic teachings on the obstacles to peace & how we can transform them -- at work, with family & with ourselves. You'll learn simple, proven techniques for building mindfulness, shifting patterns & experiencing greater joy. At Tree Top Yoga Studio in Fort Collins

Nov 7-21, 2010 Breath of Fresh Air Series (Sundays)

Nov 9-23, 2010 Breath of Fresh Air Series (Tuesdays) with Barbara Durbin.  Our breath is indeed our life force. Discover new ways of breathing with this Feldenkrais breath lesson. Gain new awarenss & new options to inform you in your movement practices. 3-week series $40 if registered by 11/6. $50 after. May register for individual dates.  Harmony Yoga, Denver

November 9, 2010:  Patanjali  Yoga Sutras Module, advanced PranaYoga Teacher Training Program.   Each person grows their yoga from their personal dharma. Dharma is enhanced if guided by the ancient wisdom of quieting the mind through the Raja Yoga practice outlined in the Patanjali Yoga Sutras. This program gives each student an opportunity to ground themselves in the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and some Upanishads, as well as learn how to introduce them into a typical yoga class.  At Prana Yoga, 3333 Federal, Denver

November 12-14: Anusara Yoga and the Elements  When we can be still we experience quiet. In the quiet there is the splendor of the movement of the breath and the soft voice of the heart. Listen. Offered by Jamie Allison, and including Kirtan with Justin Allison on Nov 13 at YogaVeda 6818 S. Dallas Way in Greenwood Village.

November 13, 2010:  Yoga Nidra with Bill Eagers.  De-stress and optimize your health with Yoga Nidra.  This 4-hour workshop is a gift that can open the door to optimum health and enhance your ability to realize personal intentions.   At Prana Yoga, 3333 Federal in Denver.

November 13, 2010:  Arm Balances and Inversions with Santosh.  Designed to methodically understand the series of steps necessary to make this extraordinary practice accessible, we'll break down critical alignment requirements, isolate the need for core strength, offer modifications and guide the practitioner through this remarkable and unique set of poses. Asana Studio in Olde Town Arvada 

November 13, 2010:  Yoga and Young Living Oils (free).  Join Karen Boeser and friends for an afternoon of Hatha Yoga and Introduction to Young Living Oils.  This workshop will focus on yogic Pranayama and asana techniques, the healing benefits of oils, and how to incorporate them into our daily practices.  Amala Yoga Community in Denver, or e-mail Karen at kbyogiboo@aol.com for more information 

November 14:  Chakra and Crystal Yoga. Mindy Arbuckle will share basic discussion of the energy centers in our bodies, chakras, and healing crystals, including the practices of yoga asana, pranayama, mantra, and meditation to energize and balance the chakras. Green Mountain Yoga

November 14, 2010:  Stone Yoga for Teachers with Makaan Burt.  A level 2 workshop for advanced practitioners.  Learn to use stones and nature to expand the qualities of styra and sukha in our mind body practice. These qualities of steadiness and sweetness are the experience that Patanjali talks about in Yoga Sutra II, 46. Use stone as a way to leap to thematic way of teaching.  Asana Studio in Golden
 

November 21:  Chair Yoga Training.  A one-day course that introduces yoga teachers to the skills of teaching yoga with chairs.  There will be exploration of the adaptations of asanas and their appropriateness for different populations, including pregnancy, rehabilitation, or seniors who cannot get to the floor.  The chair will be used to isolate muscle groups and build awareness for advanced students.  Prana Yoga, 3333 Federal, Denver

November 24:  Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Join us for a workshop on Yoga for Breast Cancer at the Inner Connections Yoga Studio, Castle Rock, 1:30-3:30 pm.

Thanksgiving, Nov 25, 2010:  Grateful for Yoga  -a special practice to move with intentions of what we are grateful for and what we learn from being on the mat.  Vinyasa Flow and restorative all on one full plate of Yummy Yoga!  It will be like dessert before your family feast. Soul Tree Studio in Lafayette

November 20, 2010: Restorative Yoga Workshop with Michelle McGlone.  Metamorphosis can happen! Do you know that under any aches & pains you might have, you can feel comfortable & wonderful? Join Kerry & Michelle for three hours of relaxation & rejuvenation through restorative yoga. Limited to 15 participants. $35 in advance/$40 at door.  Harmony Yoga in Cherry Creek area, Denver

December 4, 2010: Chakra Balancing Workshop with Bill Eagers. Imbalance and disease is initially apparent in the energy centers of your body, the chakras. There are thirteen main chakras and hundreds of secondary chakras. In this program you will learn the properties of the main chakras and how they impact your physical and emotional bodies. $45 in advance, $60 after December 1.  Harmony Yoga in Denver

December 11, 2010: Introduction to Sanskrit with Karin Bustamante.  Enthralled by the sound of Sanskrit? Forming & pronouncing the sounds correctly opens the door to new experience, as the vibrations of the language are received throughout the body.  This workshop is open to all. $55 in advance, $65 after December 1.  Harmony Yoga in Denver

December 19:  Winter Solstice Celebration: Embracing the Shadow: Calling in the Light with Jeanne Thornton at

Kosha Yoga Center, Littleton, 1:30-3:30 pm.

June 17, 2011:  Yoga Therapy Certification Program, held June 17-July 2 and Aug 2-20, 2011 offers unique opportunity for in-depth study with a distinguished faculty of leading Yoga Therapists with years of experience.  Rocky Mountain Institute of Yoga and Ayurveda, Contact Dona Smith, P.O.Box 1091, Boulder  80306 or email to info@rmiya.org