vol. 6 / issue 4 APRIL 2012
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Namaste!

Recently, I said to a friend that I felt like I could do a good job taking care of my home, my business or myself- but not all three at once. Know the feeling? Perhaps you could insert your own list there: your kids, your aging parents, your job, your personal development, your project list...whatever calls on you strongly for your attention. While the things that we most need to tend to may change over time, there always will be a list, and, at least for me, there will always be a struggle for balance among them.

Sometimes life's circumstances make it clear which aspect of life needs to have priority at any given time. But other times, the call comes from many different directions all at once. The lesson I am trying to learn (again) is that I have to begin with myself. Without first tending to my body, mind and heart (and not necessarily in that order) nothing else I do is quite as effectual. I know this to be true, so why the struggle? Why is it so difficult to put my own well-being first, no matter what?

Clearly, I do not have an answer to this dilemma, but I am back to what I have found over years of practice to be my bottom line: yoga, meditation, spaciousness, kindness, moving with a little less urgency through my day, eating well, sleeping well, did I say kindness? The list goes on. But here I am, again, trying to attend to myself. Just in case you needed to be reminded to do the same.

Peace,
Jill

our peeps
meet lori harris
Favorite asana: I LOVE inversions; being upside down makes me happy. My favorite is also my most challenging – Pincha Mayurasana (forearm balance).
Words that describe me: a piece-of-work-in-progress, quiet, goofy, very curious
Who inspires me: I’m inspired not by just one person, but by the many lovely souls I continue to meet on my path, who share their love so gracefully and hold the space for me to continue to grow and become a better me. And of course my two loves, Charles and Dani, who continue to love me despite my lunacy.
Favorite yoga music: Current non-yoga faves -- Andrew Bird and Charlotte Gainsbourgh. Favorite yoga music – Jill’s playlist.
Favorite yoga book: Four Desires by Rod Stryker
Favorite quote: I’m a quote whore, but here is just one of my many. The One is pure and silent. Why go on talking? The most radiant in me has never said a word. ~ Rumi
The best thing about being a yoga peep: All of you!
Why I love blue lotus: It’s a place that’s created a safe haven for me to step out of my comfort zone and learn to trust and love not only myself, but has allowed me to reach out and connect with others as well, this latter being one of my greatest hurdles ever. I have so much gratitude for Jill and what she has created, and for everyone who has helped to make her vision come alive.
I knew I loved yoga when: The shell around my heart cracked open, and I began to learn who I was again. Yoga brought me back home. Also, the ah-ha moment when I realized yoga is really in every moment – my breath, my walk, my sleep, my relationships – you get the idea.
When I'll be greeting you: Occasionally on Sundays for Jill's Vinyasa Level 1. I also "peep" by helping Jill and Kathleen with marketing support.
"9 month yoga immersion" info session
join us for a free info session april 21!
Whether you're interested in an immersion into your own personal practice, seeking yoga teacher training certification, or are a teacher looking for additional training, we invite you to join us for a free informational session to learn more about 9 months of transformation, blue lotus's yoga immersion and teacher training intensive.

You may simply be exploring options for now or the future, or may be interested in registering for our next program, which will be held one weekend a month, September 2012 - May 2013. Whatever your intention, you'll get the answers you are looking for at our free informational session, 3:30-4:30 pm, Saturday, April 21.

Join other interested yogis and graduates from our previous YTT200 programs, who will answer your questions and share with you their personal, first-hand experiences.

Register and pay in full by May 1, 2012, and receive a $250 Early Bird discount on tuition. We also have two work-study positions available that offer participants a discount on tuition in return for work on the weekends we meet. Also available is a need-based, partial scholarship; interested applicants should include with their application a letter stating their desire and brief explanation on why they would like to be considered for the scholarship.

Visit the online WebScheduler to register for the free info session. For more information about the program, visit our YTT200 page on our website and our YTT200 FAQ .
learning from the sutras
accepting life as it is
Yoga Sutra II:42 ~ By contentment, supreme joy is gained.

In this sutra, Patanjali speaks of contentment, or santosha. Santosha is interpreted as the greatest happiness, the underlying joy that cannot be shaken by life's tough moments, by injustice, hardship, or bad luck. Contentment is not about creating perfection; it's about accepting life as it is, without looking to outside sources or things to find happiness. We have little control over what life brings our way, but we can welcome what we get. In this way, we cultivate mental peace.

On our mats, we can practice contentment by being happy with where we are in our practice and what we have attained, and accepting that our bodies may not be ready for what we are attempting to do. If you find yourself overexerting in a asana, or pose, or straining in your face and neck, back out of the asana a bit, reestablish a calm breath, and feel contentment for where you are. Acknowledge your tendency to strive for a "perfect" pose, and accept the pose you have. Relax into your pose, and realize it is perfect.

Remember, enlightenment was never attained by accomplishing a "perfect" asana. But whatever version of an asana your body attains, let it create the space into which contentment can find you and reside.
warren grossman teaches healing
access the energy of nature and love
Many of our students have had the pleasure of learning healing techniques from Warren Grossman during yoga teacher training weekends. We are so pleased to now share that opportunity with the entire blue lotus and Triangle communities, as Warren brings his Healing & Training Program to our region.

The program, held one weekend a month from May through October 2012, will feature Warren's instruction on how to heal yourself and others by accessing the energy of nature and love. Each skill is taught in a step-by-step method, with hands-on practice, teaching you how to improve your own physical and spiritual health, as well as that of others.

Warren Grossman Healing & Training
10:00 am - 4:00 pm, Saturdays and Sundays
May 5-6, June 2-3, July 6-7, August 4-5, September 1-2, October 6-7
Application fee: $100 non-refundable
Course fee: $1,500 or $1,620 with payment plan of $270/month
Application deadline: April 15, 2012

To apply or for more information, contact Warren Grossman via email or call 919.630.7300.
yogafest nc for yoga fun & education
learn more about yoga: it's never too late to start!
blue lotus is happy to be a Community Partner for YogaFest NC, a full day of health and wellness activities to increase awareness about the practice of yoga and its benefits for all people, not just the bendy ones.

People across the Triangle will come together to participate in yoga classes accessible for all skill levels, to learn about how yoga improves mobility and breathing, as well as the importance of emotional health and healthy eating habits. The full-day event features educational sessions, exhibitors, yoga classes, prizes, and a lot of fun!

YogFest NC
8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Saturday, April 14
Hilton North Raleigh - Midtown
Registration: $25 (includes lunch)

For more information and to register, visit YogaFest NC.
april happenings
spring is in the air -- and so is yoga!
Has the sudden change from the grounded kapha to the heat of pitta got you feeling a bit out of sorts? Take it to your mat to work out the kinks and calm your body, mind, and spirit. We've got a host of special events, classes, and workshops to help ease you into the transition to spring -- even if Mother Nature has put a rush on things.

Classes News
Freedom Style is now Vinyasa Open with Leilani
9:30-11:00 am, Tuesdays

Guided Practice with Jill
7:15-8:30 pm, Tuesdays
This class will continue throughout the spring.

FREE Community Classes
April 1, 7, 11, 21, 22
Check the online WebScheduler for times.

Friday Night Specials
6:30-8:00 pm
Check them out! Restorative, Hip Hop Flow, Flow & Create, and Yoga Nidra

Workshops and Events
Saturday Afternoon Workshops
April 7, Yin Yoga Intensive with Yvonne
April 14, Partner Stretch with Yvonne and Suzanne
April 21, Yoga for Golf with Alison
April 28, Vinyasa Level 2/3 with Carrington

Yoga on Jones Street with Jill -- FREE!
7:30 am, Saturday, April 21
Join Jill for early morning yoga outside on Jones Street, in downtown Raleigh, as we celebrate the opening of the Nature Research Center, the new wing of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.

Yoga Foundations Six-Week Series
6:30-8:00 pm, Thursdays, April 5 - May 17 with Suzanne (no class April 12)
6:00-7:30 pm, Sundays, May 6 - June 10 with Kathleen

Yoga for Kids with Jen
Ages 4-5, 1:00-2:00 pm, Tuesdays, April 17 - June 5
Ages 6-10, 4:00-5:00 pm, Wednesdays, April 18 - June 6

Advanced Training / YTT500 and CEU
Integrated Body with Julee
April 1, The Organ System and Yoga
April 15, Digestive System / Solar Plexus Organs
April 29, Kidney and Bladder
YTT500/YTT200 CEU -- 9 hours (3 hours per session)

Integrated Body: A developmental approach to sequencing with Julee
April 20 - 22
YTT500/YTT200 CEU -- 22 hrs

Visit the online WebScheduler for details and to register for classes and workshops!
Blue Lotus Yoga and Movement Arts

401 n. west street
raleigh nc 27603
919.831.2583
bluelotusnc.com
see you at the blue!
padma practices santosha