Cheryl Thomas, RYT

www.cherylthomas.com

yoga@cherylthomas.com

415-308-3377

The Gap

Shop The Gap for great Xmas gifts under $30!....oops, no, this isn't about THAT Gap. What's that between Madonna's two front teeth? Uh oh, off topic again--no, not that gap either. The warning on the London Underground? Nope. Someone cuts you off in traffic and you flip them the bird--that's the gap I'm talking about--the gap between stimulus and reaction.

Is the gap good? Depends. If you're a sure-footed gazelle being stalked down by a starving, mama tiger, the smaller the gap between the time she sees it (stimulus) and her hauling ass (reaction time) just saved her life. If you happen to have a gun in your hand and you just found your lover in the sack with your best friend, a small gap between stimulus and reaction time just bought you the electric chair and I'm not talking about the latest Barcolounger.

Because we are intelligent, thinking, rational beings, we possess the ability to modulate our (re)actions. In Buddhist terms, it's recognizing the spark before the flame The gap is milliseconds but by being aware of it you can start to control it. When something disturbing comes our way our body has been trained from habit and past experiences (and a bunch of neurochemical machinations) to react in a certain manner. It's automatic. But here's the kicker. We can control it. Ah, control. Yes, we can put a buffer between the insult and doing something you might regret. Even just noticing there's a pause can make all the difference. Try it. Your friends will start saying--"Joe, you don't seem as angry as you used to be." "Ellen, you seem more relaxed."

Speaking of anger, Paul Ekman(1) talks about his struggles with anger and how putting space between the trigger and reaction helped. This is richy discussed in the wonderful book Emotional Awareness--A Conversation Between The Dalai Lama and Paul Ekman, PH.D.(2) If you or anyone you know has struggled with anger, this would be a great holiday gift.

OK, back to the gap. Here's how to recognize it. This is where mindfulness comes in. If we begin to be curious about the mind by noticing the nuances of our thoughts and watching how our minds react (hello meditation) we can start to make changes, however small. Or, better said by Messrs. Saron and Schwartz, "Mindfulness facilitates. . . sensitivity to the minute movements of mind and emotion. It opens the space and time for a person to absorb his or her momentary reality . . . as well as to see his or her possible intentions as they arise (and before acting)".(3)

Could we really see our "possible intentions" before we act? Wouldn't that make a huge difference in our lives? Check it out, good luck, and let me know how it's going for you. And don't forget, Mind the Gap.

1. You may recognize Mr. Ekman's name on the former Fox show Lie to Me, which is based on his research on identifying facial expressions.

2. The Amazon link is for reference. Buy this book from your local bookseller.

3. Schwartz, Marc and Saron, Clifford. On Meditation Training excerpt from Emotional Awareness, pg. 122

*reposted with some edits

Want to read some of my previous articles? You can do it here. Enjoy.

Bulletin Board

More Master Goodness with Tony Briggs. Three weeks of inversions--mainly headstand/shoulderstand + awe-inspiring variations. At

Alive Yoga - Sebastopol, Thursdays, 2:00-4:00pm, December 5, 12, 19. There are pre-reqs. More at TonyBriggsYoga.com.

Yoga Classes make awesome holiday gifts!

In the works.....New Yoga/Wellness Center coming to Petaluma. More details to come. Yum.

Yoga Out The Door is Striking Again. This time it's Rusty Wells class in San Francisco at UrbanFlow Yoga. Date: Sunday 12/8 at 9:00. Details below.

Did you see it? On the upper right of this page. You betcha. It's a Follow Me on Twitter link. Do. It'll be fun to connect with you a bit more often.

My weekly schedule is below (scroll down or click here! ). Or, you can always go to my website and click on the always up-to-date calendar to find where I might be.

It's all about community, right? The multi-talented, Meredith Rom, is gathering women who have you completed a 200-hour yoga certification but need support to begin teaching and miss the camaraderie. Meeting at YogaOne Petaluma beginning in Jan. Go here for more info go to ywys.org or click here.

Very intriguing. Healing with Neurogenic Yoga with Maria Alfaro at YogaOne Petaluma on 12/8 from 2-5. Neurogenic Yoga? Trauma healing and stress reduction that combines yoga asana and pranayama with Neurogenic tremors (natural response of the body and the nervous systems way of discharging long-held tension or unconscious muscle contraction). It's on my calendar.

Mexico Xmas Retreat. The Fabulous Iris Lambert and her daughter, Glory, have a few more beds left at their Dec15-22 retreat. http://www.xinalaniretreat.com/157-yoga-workshop-vinyasa-yoga.html. Looks divine!

Get boatloads of yoga information and lots of free downloads from YogaU Online. Really, tons. It's a great resource for teachers and students.

Work-Out Clothes - What Do You Wear?

I don't know what got over me, but some time ago, I became obsessed with yoga mats. I wrote 5 articles on yoga mats, 3 reviews (there are more kinds of yoga mats than you can image), one on un-matting and one on mat etiquette. If you are interested, and I don't blame you if you're not, you can go here and here and here and here and here.

Maybe I'll revisit mats again, but FIRST, let's talk about yoga clothes. Is it Lululemon, Athleta, or Lucy for you? Or, what about Prana or Hard Tail. Is it Target, Old Navy or the Gap? Is it the fit, price, comfort, or material?

It doesn't have to specific to yoga. Maybe it's Pilates or Nia or Acro Yoga or hip-hop at the gym.. .

Email me right here let me know what you wer and why. I'll piece together an article or two (or 3 or 4).

24-hr Music Video

Want up-beat? Groove with load of LA'ers hip-hopping, sashaying, and snapping to Pharrell Williams's Happy. It's the world's first 24-hour Music Video.

It's from Kottke.org, of course. See it here.

Yoga Out The Door - Rusty Wells

A smattering of adventurous yogis have been getting out of town, literally. The last event was yoga on the Labyrinth at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

This time we'll meet for a class with Rusty Wells in San Francisco (www.urbanyogayoga.com) on Sunday, December 8, 9-11. Never been? It's crowded, hot and sweaty, challenging. It's almost like church with Rusty at the helm. We'll hang for coffee/lunch/brunch after.

If you want to join us, we can carpool from Sebastopol. A MUST--sign-up on line at (www.urbanflowyoga.com). What? $15 drop-in? Why yes.

Daily Dharma - Tricycle Magazine

Nov. 26, 2013

Giving Thanks

Gratitude, the simple and profound feeling of being thankful, is the foundation of all generosity. I am generous when I believe that right now, right here, in this form and this place, I am myself being given what I need. Generosity requires that we relinquish something, and this is impossible if we are not glad for what we have.

- - Sallie Jiko Tisdale, "As If There is Nothing to Lose"

Be Happy on Friday's

Instead of shots of tequila and fried artichoke hearts, spend your Friday happy hour moving and grooving at an
most-levels vinyasa flow class.

On Friday's from 4:30 - 6:00, we'll end each week with an energetic vinyasa flow class. Through building heat from the inside, we'll strip out the stress hormones from the day. A long rest at the end of class will reset our nervous system and prepare us for our weekend.

You'll be done at 6:00!! That'll leave plenty of time for dinner with friends, a movie or a relaxing evening with your pooch. Or, maybe a Chia filled Kombucha or that 100% agave margarita!

Get Your Girlfriends Together

It's fun to get friends together. Treat your friends to Yoga and Tea rather than Food and Booze. Inviting friends to come together for a Gentle or Restorative Yoga class is a perfect way to enjoy each other's company and do something good for yourselves. Many yoga parties end with tea or champagne and some munchies. Your friends will thank you!

Please call on me if I can help you book a private yoga class or answer any questions. I can be reached at cheryl@cherylthomas.com.

S
Schedule of Upcoming Classes

Click here to jump to my calendar

Week of December 1, 2013

Monday

8:30 - 9:45

Sebastopol

[Private]

Tuesday

11:00 -12:00

Healdsburg

[Private]

Thursday

Week of November 8, 2013

Tuesday

11:00 - 12:00

Healdsburg

[Private]

Thursday

8:45 - 9:45 a.m.

Graton Community Club, Graton

Gentle Flow - All Levels

Friday

4:30 - 6:00

Westside Yoga Studio

Happy Hour Vinyasa

Saturday

8:00 - 9:00

Sebastopol

[Private]

In This Issue

The Gap

Did you Know?

Work-Out Clothes

24 Hr Music Video

Out The Door Yoga

Daily Dharma

Happy Hour Vinyasa

Private Yoga

Week of Dec 2

Week of December 8

Bulletin Board

Graton Yogis Info:

Did you know your class pass (get these from your instructor) are accepted by all yoga teachers at Yoga in Graton?

We Gratonite Yogis have a place to call our own. It's www.

yogaingraton.com. There is information about current and new yoga classes offered in Graton. Don't live in Graton? No problem. We want you to come anyway.

You cannot be lost if you don't care where you are.

Judith Lasater

When people ask me what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes.

Ansel Adams

"Not to have what we want is stressful; to have what we do not want is stressful." Buddha

Dalai Lama: "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

"Everything will be alright in the end. And if it is not alright, it's not yet the end!" The Magnolia Hotel movie

If your Food can go bad, it's good for you. If it can't go bad, it's bad for you. Originally pinned by Michael Leaming, Ed.D. onto Fitness, Nutrition & Wellness