OMnibus: August Newsletter

August 2011

newsletter of the Om Sweet Om Community

Dear Sweet Yogis & Yoginis,

Savoring Summer

"Today is the greatest

Day I've ever known

Can't live for tomorrow,

Tomorrow's much too long...."

~Billy Corgan, "Today," Siamese Dream (Smashing Pumpkins), 1993

"With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now". ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

As we enter the last weeks of sweet summer we are reminded at every turn of what is just ahead. Back to school sales abound. There are far more sweaters in the stores than shorts or bathing suits. The Autumn calendars beckon. And although we at Om Sweet Om Yoga share your excitement and anticipation of the fall season (we have some great things in store for you), we would like to remind you that yet it is just mid-August. The days are still hot and long, and the nights sultry. The birds and crickets, frogs and locusts form a 24hour symphony that fluctuates between delicious and deafening. Not to mention that town and city are still quiet, restaurants empty and parking is plentiful! With that in mind we invite you to slow down, resist the rush into the future and savor the present. Join us in practicing to be awake to the gifts of each and every moment of life. Happy summer everybody!

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

We look forward to seeing you soon at Om Sweet Om.

Love and peace and more love,

Satsang with Lisa

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Tatra sthitau yatno'byhasah- Practice is the effort of remaining present."~Yoga Sutras 1:13

Satsang for me is inspired by practice sometimes on, but almost always off the mat. Today satsang comes from experience on the mat. I have been practicing yoga for a looong time. And as you may have heard me joke "I should be a lot better at it." All kidding aside, I think I have come to see myself as a slow learner (physically speaking). It took me nearly 7 years to get crow! You are all much quicker learners than I: perhaps a reflection of the teacher? (Haha. It is good to amuse oneself.) Well, there I was in my practice and it came time once again for handstand. I have been working on my handstand for many years, one might say decades. I approached the pose mindfully. My mind lingering lately on the three qualities necessary for a firmly grounded, meaningful practice; patience, devotion and faith.

Hmmm I thought to myself as I readied to enter the pose, patience, yes I have patience. I place my hands to the floor. I shall try again.

Devotion, yes, here I am, body, mind, heart and soul. I shall try. First, the easy way, splitting the legs, kick, and as usual, up. No problem.

"Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion towards men and towards objective things." ~Albert Einstein

Finally, faith. Oh boy. A friend asked me recently what happens if you have no faith? What do you do then? It made me sad to hear. I have known that pain. I thought about it and replied, "then act as if you do". In this way you create the quality that you seek to have. As Gandhi said, "Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into."

Back to my mat. (Time for the two legged kick up, the seemingly unattainable. "Practice and all is coming" my mantra. Moving beyond the mind, beyond limiting beliefs. Practice. Practice.)

"Faith is a bird that sings when the dawn is still dark." ~Rabindranath Tagore

I take a deep breath, and enter the darkness. That little bird singing faintly in my heart. I begin to kick up with two legs and to my complete astonishment I go up!!!! UP!!!! There I was, up!!!(The bird sings very loudly!) Hips over shoulders. Four times. Up! Wow!!! And I realize again it is true. Tears of joy come. I am growing into faith.

"Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion towards men and towards objective things." ~Albert Einstein

Asana of the Month

Adho Mukha Vrksasana/Handstand

Like other fully inverted arm balances this poster elicits fear of falling and so we shall practice at a wall for support and safety.

Prep:

Newer students will begin by measuring a legs distance from the wall and stand in that spot facing away from the wall. Place hands on the floor in line with shoulders and feet and walk the feet back to the wall into a short downward facing dog. Pushing into the hands walk the feet up the wall until they are in line with hips and straighten the knees while pressing the heart back toward the wall and lifting the hips. The legs should be perpendicular to the floor and the spine parallel to the wall. Push the floor away form you. Feel the pubic and tailbone lift and the ribcage come back toward the spine. Stay here for 5-10-15 breaths. Keep pushing the floor away with the hands. Take child's pose and breathe when you come down.

Full expression at the wall: Facing the wall, come into a short downward facing dog. Place hands shoulders distance apart, fingers spread wide like the rays of the sun, about five inches from the wall. Preparing for kicking up. (Many people find it very difficult to kick up with two legs, so let us begin kicking up by splitting the legs.) Shift the shoulders over the hands and keep the gaze forward. Lift one leg, this will be your whipping leg while the other bends at the knee, this will be your pushing off leg. Kick the whipping leg up while simultaneously pushing off the opposite leg. You will begin to transfer the weight into the hands. Be sure to keep the elbows straight and push the floor away from you. Eventually you will lift both legs up to lean the heels into the wall. Keep thinking of lengthening your tailbone and pubic bone up toward your feet and in toward each other. Gaze between the hands.

(If you wish to try the two legs together jump, begin in the short down dog. Shift the shoulders over the hands look forward, bend the knees and on an inhale hop the legs up. Knees may bend. Eventually both legs will come up.)

Take child's pose when you come down.

Physical benefits: Iyengar states, "This pose develops the body harmoniously." I take that to mean it works virtually every stabilizing muscle in the body, in particular the core muscles of the back, sides and front body, as well as the shoulders, arms, and wrists.

Spiritual Benefits: Not only does this pose develop focus and confidence, but it also is very uplifting, invoking a sense of play reminiscent of youth.

Click here to register for all events at Om Sweet Om

Chrismukkah in August (and part of Sept)

To keep life interesting, we've decided to throw in our one year unlimited into the mix! $999 unlimited yoga only available until September 11th... get em while it's hot!

October 1st & 2nd

David Crow

Aromatherapy workshops both days integrating oils for your health.

David Crow is one of the world's foremost experts and leading speakers in the field of botanical medicine and grassroots healthcare. He is a master herbalist, aromatherapist and acupuncturist with over 30 years experience and is an expert in the Ayurvedic and Chinese medical systems. David is a renowned author, a poet, and is the founding director of Floracopeia Aromatic Treasures and MedicineCrow.com.

October 2nd

Rita Wild

Renew and Refresh

Breathing workshop

1:30-3:30 pm

October 4th

Weekday Format 200 hour teacher training begins! For those of you with busy weekends and more free weekdays, this is the training you've been waiting for! This is held over the course of 12 weeks, and will run from 9:30-2:30 Tues, Weds & Thurs. We've heard the requests, and we're making it happen!

Saturday November 19th, 2011

Sadie Nardini returns to OSO

1:30-5:30 pm

Hold this date for a must participate workshop!