vol. 7 / issue 4 APRIL 2013
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Namaste~

During a heated conversation this weekend, I was informed that I am uptight. What?!? Me?!?! UPTIGHT?!?!? (DO YOU WANNA SEE UPTIGHT?!?!?!?) After about forty minutes of mental yogic breathing techniques I was able to return(-ish) to the conversation as a human being rather than a rabid Grizzly. But later on, it did get me to thinking...

My life is built around a somewhat inflexible set schedule. Not only the classes, workshops, meetings and trainings that comprise my workweek (which is a 7-day endeavor), but my own routine of getting up early, doing my practice, walking the boo, drinking my tea... It's a rhythm that, when well in place, is very healthy and helps keep me in balance. So the question I came to was, when does balance become boring?

I've heard that our greatest assets are often our greatest liabilities. Or said another way, our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness. I'm super organized, reliable, productive, responsible, capable, etc. That's the upside, I think. But the potential downside is (apparently) the tendency to be controlling, to lack spontaneity, to be, in a word, uptight.

As much as I wanted to stuff this nugget into the nearest bin, preferably on fire, I am trying to use this tidbit as an opportunity for a little svadhyaya (self-study). What are the times, where are the places, when do I have the opportunity to flex my flexibility muscles? Can I simply lighten up a little? What would that look like and how would it feel?

When you hear something about yourself that you don't like, do you go on the defensive? Make excuses? Lay the blame elsewhere? Even in the most heated of arguments, there are often elements of truth that come out. Can you find the yoga even there (or if not there, a little later in the privacy of your own mind) to see where you have some work, some baggage, some potential to grow?

Peace,

Jill

did you know?
our teachers are extra special
You may know Carrington Jackson from attending her beautifully inspiring and challenging classes, but did you know of her latest endeavor, the creation of the Triangle Yoga Society, an organization whose mission is to build a bridge between the yoga we do on our mats and the yoga we do in our lives? She is also a Community Builder for Off the Mat Into the World, a Lululemon Ambassador, and State Lead for Yoga Votes North Carolina.

Carrington feels incredibly lucky to have her family, friends, and community as the fabric of her life. Should her luck hold, and one or two of the following show up in her future, well that would be spectacular, too . . . sleep in a tree house, dine with Mario Batali, pray with the Dalai Lama, climb Mount Kilimanjaro, surf with Chris Martin, and love every moment of her existence.

Carrington's classes
Vinyasa~ Open Level
  9:30-11:00 am, Mondays and Fridays
meditate to get to know you
your relationship with self
When people ask about you, what is your instinctive response? Do you tell them your job title? That you are the spouse, parent, child, sibling of another person? That you attended a certain university?

Identification with these parts of ourselves is asmita, one of the afflictions (kleshas) of the mind. Translated as "ego," asmita is the egotism which keeps us bound to who it thinks we are. It is the self-inflicted suffering when we mistake how we feel or look or what we do for a living as our identification, instead of recognizing that who we are at our core, the part of us that does not change, is in fact our true Self.

But how do we connect with Self? One time-tested, age-old practice of getting to know you, to move away from identifying with what you do as a definition of who you are, is meditation. Sitting quietly with the breath, you create space within which you can see more clearly, hear your inner voice and see your true essence. This is the part of you that remains stable regardless of what happens to you or around you. Take time now to give it a try.

False-identification is confusing the nature of the seer or Self with the nature of the instrument of perception. In other words, false identification happens when we mistake the mind, body, or senses for the true Self.
—Yoga Sutra II.6
experience the healing of pangu shengong
master ou workshops, april 19-21
Pangu Shengong is just one of several thousand systems of Qi Gong, each having a specific purpose. Pangu Shengong, originated by Master Ou, a recognized leader in medical Qi Gong, is designed to heal the body on all levels and to connect the practitioner to Divine Energy.

Join Master Ou and our own Anisha Desai for this workshop series to connect to your own healing energy.

Learn more and register at Workshops & Events on the WebScheduler.
yoga in action workshops
12:30-5:30 pm, saturdays, may 11, 18, 25; june 1
Personal healing is a vital part of our yoga practice. An equally vital component of the practice involves our relationship with others and our environment.

The Yoga In Action workshop series will help to foster your journey from the personal to the interpersonal, deepening your connection to all things living.

Carrington Jackson leads this program of self-inquiry that guides you to action within our community and outside world. Find individual workshop details, and register for one or more at the WebScheduler. All are welcome!

Required YTT500 module. YTT500/RYT200 CEU - 20 hours
april happenings
jump into spring!
Days are longer, and the sun shines brighter this time of year. Channel some of that renewed energy into your practice! Visit this month's special classes, and check out our full schedule online.

Classes
Friday Night Special!
6:30-8:00 pm, Fridays
   Apr 12, Yoga Nidra with Kathleen
   Apr 26, Stretch & Restore with Jen

Community Yoga
F-R-E-E

   1:00-2:00 pm, Tue, Apr 2
   1:30-2:30 pm, Wed, Apr 10
   1:30-2:30 pm, Sun, Apr 14
   11:00 am-12:00 pm, Fri, Apr 19
   1:30-2:30 pm, Wed, Apr 24

Pay What You Can
   6:00-7:00 pm, Saturdays, Apr 13 and 27

Modified weekend schedules
Our upcoming Yoga Immersion & Teacher Training weekends are April 5-7 and May 3-5. Check the online WebScheduler for details.

Workshops & Events
YogaFest NC 2013
An all-day retreat for people of all levels of mobility and experience.
   9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Sat, Apr 6
Register online.

Return to yoga basics
Yoga Foundations Six-Week Series with Kathleen
   6:00-7:30 pm, Sundays, Apr 7-May 12

Kids Yoga & Art
(ages 6-9) with Jen

   2:30-4:30 pm, Apr 27





Food Bank volunteer day
Mark your calendars and sign up for an afternoon of community and service.
   1:00-4:00 pm, Sat, May 18

Register now for Kids Yoga & Art Camp with Jen
Open to kids ages 6 to 10
   1:30-5:00 pm, June 11-14 & August 6-9

Yoga Immersion for All Students
9 Month Yoga Immersion & Teacher Training 2013-2014
Early bird registration deadline is May 15! Read more about the program on our website.


Assisting Playshop with Jill
   2:00-4:00 pm, Wed, Apr 3
Refine your power of touch.
RYT200 CEU/YTT 500 - 2 hours





Yin Yoga & Meditation Teacher Training
with Heather Tiddens

   Fri, July 19 - Sun, July 21
Details online.
RYT200 CEU/YTT 500 - 2 hours

For more information or to register for any classes, workshops, retreats, or trainings, visit the online WebScheduler.

Blue Lotus Yoga and Movement Arts

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