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Namaste,
I had a new experience this week as I tried my hand as human voodoo doll. I'm kidding (I think) but that's a little bit what I felt like after my first session of a technique (torture) called dry needling. For the uninitiated, after the session, I described it this way: if you've ever had an acupuncturist hit an especially zing-y spot, multiply that sensation by 27 and then imagine her jabbing the spot over and over then carefully selecting a dozen more locations to do the same thing. Mid-treatment, I turned to my physical therapist and asked, rhetorically, how anyone could possibly tolerate this who didn't know how to breathe. The breath. Yes, the breath will get me through. Again.
I've used pranayam on the mat for as long as I can remember: as a metronome in vinyasa, as my guide into meditation, as my teacher shining the way into deep and challenging places in movement and stillness. I've cranked up the ujjayi on the side of a rock face, hundreds of feet from the ground, clinging sweaty-palmed to tenuous holds, hoping the gear will hold and my belay partner is alive, awake and aware above me. It's come in handy in traffic, in frustrating conversations, during sleepless nights and yesterday, being a pincushion, abiding physical discomfort. It's always there. A place to focus. It's a reminder that all is change, and is where I return again, again, again as the one true constant.
In a jam? In pain? Frustrated? Content? Grateful? Breathe. It's Spring. Change is all around.
Peace,
Jill
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meet mary scudella
Favorite asanas: All-time favorite asana - Trikkonasana, and am trying to make Navasana more of a favorite.
Little known facts about me:
I used to be a school social worker and I managed a day care center when my daughter was an infant. I have bungee jumped and parasailed.
Words that describe my class: educational, fun, challenging, caring, and personal
What inspires me: My family, my students, my teachers, nature, and life
Favorite yoga music: Anything with Sanskrit chanting, or completely instrumental. But, I love to throw in a little funk and fun MC Yogi, too!
Favorite yoga book: Light on Yoga (a classic), Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy, and any of Ray Long's anatomy books (I'm an anatomy freak).
Favorite quote: "The present moment is where life can be found. And if you don't arrive - there - you miss your appointment with life." ~Tich Nhat Hanh,
Why I love blue lotus: In my first class as the blue, Jill introduced me to several people. It felt so good to be welcomed into a new space with such sincere friendliness. I had practiced at the same studio for 13 years when I moved to Raleigh and it really felt like I was leaving my family there. Everyone at the blue instantly made me feel like a new family was not only possible, but in the few short months I've been here, it is already becoming a reality.
I knew I loved yoga when: I stepped onto the mat. I began my practice watching an old TV show on the Oxygen Channel called Inhale with Steve Ross (a true California yogi). He was fun, groovy, and really flexible. He played lots of hip music and it was really what I needed at the time. Over the years, I keep rediscovering my love for the practice. With poses that feel new, changes in my own body, continual new knowledge, and new teachers, the practice changes and evolves constantly. I think that is what I love about it now. |
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where do I park now?
 The parking around the blue is much more crowded than it used to be, which can turn finding a parking spot into a pre-yoga test of your equanimity.
Here are a few tips on places you can park your car when you visit the blue, if all the spots for our building lots are taken. All of these options are just a few minutes' or short block walk to the studio. Always remember to check for meters or no-parking signs:
- West Street, along the two blocks in either direction from the studio
- North Street, on either side of West Street and across Glenwood Ave
- Tucker Street, across Glenwood Avenue
- Glenwood Avenue (after 5:00 pm, the spots are all free!)
- Harrington Street, near the railroad tracks and next to the West condominiums.
Also a few rules of thumb for general sanity: It's always a good idea to give yourself extra time for parking whenever possible; don't forget to take a deep breath or two; and call us if you think you might be a minute or two late. We'll put a mat down for you!
 MIA: two studio mats
We love to offer free loaner mats to our students, but we can only do so if the mats come back to us! If you accidentally took one of our studio Manduka mats home from the blue sometime in the last month, please bring it back to us -- we will be so grateful!
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You may notice that one of our special workshops this month is called Sunday Sadhana. So...what's all that about?
A sadhana is a regular, personal yoga practice that uplifts your spirit. It usually involves a combination of yoga techniques, such as asana, breathwork, meditation, chanting, or other practices. A sadhana can be any practice or ritual you use regularly to unclutter your mind and nourish your heart.
In some yogic traditions, a teacher gives his or her student a specific sadhana. In other traditions, the practitioner develops his or her own sadhana. In every tradition, the goal is the same: your sadhana practice helps you regularly connect with your spiritual center, whatever that may be for you, so you can move through your day in a more compassionate and inspired way.
If you're curious about what a traditional yoga sadhana is like, join us for Sunday Sadhana on April 27 with Suzanne Newton.
Everyone with a regular and consistent yoga practice is welcome for this two-hour workshop, which gives us the opportunity to go deeper into the gifts yoga offers.
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happenings
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classes Morning Practice: Now also on Monday mornings with Kristin, 7:00-8:00 am Yoga for Healing ~ Restorative Yoga: Now on Sunday evenings with Jen, 6:00-7:15 pm community yoga: FREE classes!Space is limited; please register in advance.1:30 pm, Wednesday, April 211:30 am, Friday, April 11 1:00 pm, Tuesday, April 15 1:00 am, Tuesday, April 221:30 pm, Friday, April 30pay-what-you-can yoga 6:00-7:00 pm, Saturdays April 12 and 19 weekend extrasYoga Nidra with Kathleen Friday, April 11 Yin Yoga with Sandy Friday, April 18 modified schedulePlease note our modified schedule on this month's yoga immersion weekend, April 4-6, and April 25-27 for our Refine & Align weekend. workshops & events
Yin Intensive for the Spleen Meridian with Yvonne2:30 pm, Saturday, April 12Join Yvonne for a two-hour Yin practice that focuses on this important energy line in the body. Karma Yoga: Help out at the Teaching Farm! 8:00 am, Saturday, April 19Join us for a morning of good old-fashioned farm work at the Interfaith Food Shuttle's teaching farm. Space is limited, so please register in advance! Yoga Foundations with Kathleen
2:30 pm, Saturday, April 19Get a two-hour introduction to the principles and practices of yoga! Take this workshop on its own or combine it with the weekly class in our new Yoga Foundations package. Kids Yoga & Art
Summer Camps with JenOpen to kids ages 6-10. Let your young yogi's creative juices flow! 2:00-5:00 pm
June 16-20July 28-August 1yoga immersion
for all students
Refine & Align with Jill Sockman and Suzanne NewtonApril 25-29A weekend dedicated to refining your yoga practice and teaching skills. This weekend includes three workshops with Suzanne Newton that can be taken on their own:
YTT500/RYT200 - 22 hours This is a required module for the YTT500 certification program. Anatomy Essentials Refresher Course
1:00 pm, Saturday, June 7
Spend four hours exploring one of your most important yoga tools: your body! YTT500/RYT200 - 4 hours This is a required module for the YTT500 certification program. Anatomy Essentials Weekend
July 25-27
Add confidence and depth to your teaching by augmenting your knowledge of the body. YTT500/RYT200 - 15 hours This is a required module for the YTT500 certification program.
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