OMnibus
Om Sweet Om Yoga Newsletter
February 2007 - Vol 1, Issue 1
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Greetings!
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Gail and I write to you today to bring to you our first of a series of monthly newsletters entitled “OMnibus” Our new vehicle of communication dedicated to bringing you pertinent news and information concerning Om Sweet Om, and you. For our February issue we begin with a little yogic philosophy.

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Last Tuesday I was reading an article in the New York Times Science Section entitled “ Do you believe in Magic? (Catchy title, but totally disappointing in content.) It’s basic premise was that when people feel a lack of control in their lives they find comfort in believing in a variety of things from luck to ritual.

After reading the article I was cleaning out my pocketbook, looking for something and stumbled upon a gift certificate from a friend and student that I hadn’t seen in quite a while. I thought to myself, I wonder how she is; I should give her a call. But a tiny voice (the voice of intuition and experience) whispered to me perhaps I would see her soon. The very next morning when I went to Om to teach; there she was! Well, it was thrilling, but not at all surprising. It did, however, get me thinking about all of the magic and magical moments of our lives. Magical moments like these happen all the time. We can choose to call them coincidence or insight or intuition or knowledge or anything we want!

According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (the manual of yoga) through the continued practice of the system of yoga ones intuitive and insightful abilities are refined and accessed easier, and these “magical” moments of knowing happen/are recognized more often. These abilities are called siddhis in Sanskrit. (Siddhis are powers that extend beyond the five senses.) Does this sound far-fetched? Perhaps at first, but even the most astute scientists acknowledge that so much of what we believe to be true and real is based on just that...belief. See “What the bleep do we know”! In yogic terms there is knowledge and there is true knowledge. Knowledge, for example, is how to change a tire or perform brain surgery. True knowledge is a deep knowing, an understanding of our divine nature. The experience of love for example, something that cannot be calibrated or proven but that we know exists. As we practice yoga we connect more and more to this aspect of ourselves and from there the magic happens.

The upshot is that we are more able to flow through life with grace and gratitude. Not needing to stress and worry as much as we take the time to recognize all that we are and that we have to celebrate everyday of our lives.
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Ahimsa--- (the first of the yamas or restraints) meaning literally, Non-harming. Put more positively ahimsa means the practice of kindness and unconditional love in thought, speech and action.

Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind.
updog
Urdvah mukah svanasana- upward facing dog. To come into this pose one lies on the belly, palms on the mat, elbows facing the ceiling. Fingers in line with midline of the chest. Legs are extended and the tops of the feet are on the mat. Simultaneously pressing into the hands and engaging the legs, the shoulders roll away from the mat as the heart lifts, the arms extend further keeping a slight bend in the elbows, shoulder blades draw together in the back as the shoulders drop away from the ears. Legs are engaged and the thighs and knees are up off of the mat. Palms and tops of the feet are on the mat. Gaze follows the tip of the nose.

The physical benefits of this pose are many. It strengthens the arms and legs and stretches the front body and the tops of the feet. Done properly there is no compression of the spine but rather a lengthening and backward bending.

This is a heart opening posture that helps to lift the spirit in times of darkness, like the winter.
KEYTAGS – Om Sweet Om is joining the ranks of many a gym, yoga studio, supermarket, video store etc... Any day now (Feb 5th expected arrival!) we will be receiving our key tags. Some of you may be familiar with this wonderful invention meant to speed up the process of signing in for class. Please stop by the desk to pick up yours (if you want one!) and get a quick tutelage in how to use it!

YOGATHON 2007
Join us for the month of March with our yoga challenge! By committing to your practice for 20 days of March you will become stronger physically, grow spiritually and become more clear in your mind! We are aware that a daily practice might not fit into your life just yet, we are challenging you to practice for at least 20 out of 31 days! You will need to have a series to participate. We recommend the unlimited series because it makes the most financial sense, but you can of course do this on any count series as well. If you successfully complete this challenge, not only will you receive a great personal benefit, but you will also
  • get recognition on our website
  • get 10% off your next series (or monthly auto-renew)
  • get 1 free week of classes
  • get 30% off any one item in our boutique

We will send out another reminder as we get closer to the date. You need not inform us of your accepting this challenge. We will figure out who you are!

WINNER FROM OUR E-MAIL CONTEST We are excited to share with you the winner of the e-mail fish bowl drawing. This person was chosen from our bowl, from over 100 names that have been entered since December! We are excited to share with you that our lucky winner of one month free unlimited yoga is.....Deirdre Ledwitz! Congratulations Deirdre! We know you'll put this unlimited to good use!
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Om Sweet Om Yoga makes a great gift! Whether it's yoga, a massage or some wonderful item from our boutique, you are sure to find something for the yogi/yogini in your life. Make sure you stop in, we're happy to help you decide!
What would happen if every month, for a year, you discovered a new, transformative quality of being, spent 30-days bringing it to life..then shared the experience online with thousands of others doing the same thing around the world? Join Jonathan Fields and a cast of thousands for the journey of a lifetime, setting sail in February 07. Don’t miss the big launch! Visit http://www.TheBeingProject.com to learn more!”

Last Stop
We hope that you have enjoyed this month’s ride on the OMnibus.We invite you to share your thoughts with us about the newsletter and all happenings at Om Sweet Om. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Wishing you love and peace and more love,
Lisa & Gail
Om Sweet Om Yoga

phone: 516.944.9642