June, 2013
Grace
By Becky Strahan
 
"Love is what is in the room with you, if you will stop and listen. When our minds are quiet and our hearts are strong, we see that the whole world is full of grace." -E. Lesser

The word grace has captivated me quite often in the last few years. It has continually and consistently appeared in different ways, and I have been shown over and over just how much grace there is to encounter in everyday life.

My favorite definition for the spiritual understanding of grace comes from Cheryl Richardson's The Unmistakable Touch of Grace:

"In Sanskrit, grace is akin to the word grnati, which means He praises, and to call or invoke. In Christian terms, grace is defined as the infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodwill shown by God to humankind. In Judaism, the concept of grace is expressed by the Hebrew word hesed, meaning mercy, or loving-kindness. Grace is seen as a creative force - an act of exceptional kindness and goodness. "

Richardson goes on to quote her friend, Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within. "Grace is the 'isness' of life. It's the recognition that everything is connected and sacred. The more in touch we are with this natural abundance of life, the less we need."

If I can let myself pay very close attention, this kind of grace is always there. Paying attention is where the challenge lies for me, and where my yoga practice makes a huge difference. I know that I have a special talent for making things happen quickly and efficiently, and I can do it at a pace that most people can't keep up with. While this is a fantastic skill for producing results, it also allows me to force things to happen instead of being open to grace and allowing the right things to happen.

Most of you know that The Mat has been looking for a new studio home for almost two years. We have outgrown our current space, and we have some unique challenges in our studio related to noise and temperature conditions. Once it became obvious to me that these challenges could not be overcome in our current space, I decided to find a new location and move forward with full force at making a move happen. Two different times, we nearly moved into two very different spaces. I drove each one forward until I hit the brick wall that even my special gift could not break through. It was a gift of grace in the form of an impenetrable brick wall. While frustrating at the time, in hindsight, I know these two locations were absolutely wrong for The Mat, and I can now see the signs of grace that I should have seen along the way, had I been paying attention.

In the past few months, while consciously practicing patience (paying attention), a new location that I had not even considered was brought directly to me. In fact, I had purposely ignored this location previously, because it didn't fall within my idea of where the new studio needed to be. Having committed myself to being open to grace this time, I proceeded as cautiously and slowly as I could, paying attention the entire way. I am so thrilled to announce that this new location is a terrific spot for The Mat, and as I write this, construction has already started on our beautiful new studio home.

Our yoga practice offers an opportunity every single time we step on our mat or sit down for meditation to practice paying attention. We still our mind, control and focus on our breath, and practice being in the present moment. The yoga mat is a place where we can safely practice how to gracefully react to life's challenges by slowing down enough to gracefully execute the poses (asanas), and actually experience the abundant grace that surrounds us.
 
We know that life will continue to provide us with challenges. They may come in the form of heartbreak, illness, your own frustrating brick wall, or as we've all experienced very recently, devastating acts of terrorism and the ferociousness of Mother Nature. All of these challenges are opportunities to see grace in the midst of heartache and to live gracefully in the midst of uncertainty. 

Because I'm a little hard-headed and driven, I need my yoga practice, my faith, AND a tattoo to remind me. Last year, when it came time to make good on my promise to get a tattoo with my oldest daughter on her 18th birthday, I knew that "Grace" was what I needed. In some ways, I felt that grace was already there, and it just needed to be made visible.

What are your experiences of grace? How do you define it? Please share your
experiences with us on our Facebook or Twitter. We would love to hear from you!

With Love, Gratitude, and Grace,

Becky

 

Join Becky at The Mat on Mondays at 6:30pm for Mat Gentle Flow and on Saturday afternoons in June for Meet Your Practice.
  

  Watch for details in July! 
 
Satsang
With Blair Lewis

 

This will be a community gathering led by Blair Lewis of the Alive and Healthy Institute

 

Come learn more about the yogic science of how to develop a personal philosophy and worldview. This foundational process is supported by lifestyle habits that you choose to awaken and nurture - including, diet, breathing, sleeping and meditation patterns. 

 

Sun, June 2 6:30pm-8:30pm  

Pre-registration is greatly appreciated, either online or in the studio, so we know how many people to expect. 
Restorative Flow + Nidra
With Tara Kristof

Restorative Flow is a relaxing yoga practice with movements that are slow, gentle, repetitive and rocking to create a class that is deeply nourishing. Yoga Nidra is a deep guided meditation that induces a conscious sleep-state. It allows you to release tension and many other unresolved and unconscious issues. The ability to meditate is not necessary. With Yoga Nidra, one can receive the benefits of meditation without knowing how to effectively quiet the mind or relax the body. Through the guided practice, this will happen naturally.

Saturday, June 15 from 1-3pm

 

Pre-registration is required, either online or in the studio. 
Meet Your Practice
With Becky Strahan and Samantha Martin 
 
This 3-week series will take your understanding of yoga a bit deeper by:
  • discovering the techniques and proper alignment behind some of the most common standing, balance and seated poses in vinyasa flow classes. Learning these fundamentals will help you prevent injuries, advance your practice, and optimize your flexibility
  • since practicing yoga asanas (poses) is only one of the 8 Limbs of Yoga, this series will also include an introduction to yoga philosophy, meditation, and pranayama (breath work) 
Meet your Practice is open to students who have completed the Meet Your Mat: An Introduction to Yoga Poses series or who practice at The Mat.  Please consult with Becky or Samantha to determine which series is best for you.

Saturday, June 1 from 12:30-2:30pm
Saturday, June 8 from 12:30-2:30pm
Saturday, June 22 from 12:30-2:30pm  
 
Pre-registration is required, either online or in the studio. 
Advanced Yoga Studies - Summer Intensive
With Trina Hall
 
This is your last chance this year to become a Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher with Advanced Yoga Studies. 
 
Now is the time to make a commitment to yourself with Levels 1 & 2, and share your love of the practice in Level 3

We want YOU to be one of the inspiring and authentic yoga teachers who graduated from AYS
 
Level 1: July 8-19, 2013 
Level 2: July 22-August 2, 2013 
Level 3: August 17-November 18, 2013

 

Pre-registration is required, either online or in the studio. 
Himalayan Institute Certified Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist Training: Clinical Use of Ayurveda and Yoga
With Kathryn Templeton
 
This unit is open to those who have already successfully completed the first three units of the course. Students who have completed two of the three units may also be eligible to attend.

 

This unit focuses on:
  • Working with private clients using yoga and ayurveda; assessment, developing a treatment plan, practice client interaction and making individual prescriptions for yoga, diet and lifestyle interventions.
  • Practical application of yoga and ayurvedic psychology, dinacharya (daily routine), cleansing, asana, pranayama and mediation.
  • Additional training on the nadis (energy channels).
  • Introduction to tongue and pulse diagnosis. 
June 27 - 
June 30

Click here for full details. 
Pre-registration is required, either online or in the studio.  

My Yoga Story  

With Heather Kobs

  

Heather has been practicing with us at The Mat since November, 2009. We are so grateful that she is sharing her Yoga story with us this month!

 

Why do you practice Yoga?

 

I practice yoga because it makes me feel good. It clears my mind, feeds my soul, opens my heart and I like to sweat out toxins without having to put on running shoes. 

 

How were you first introduced to Yoga? And, when did you begin your practice?

 

Several years ago my friend Jamie (Chiocca) asked me to come to a yoga class with her.  She said, "you'll love it" and she was right.  However it wasn't close to home and I had three little kids at the time and it was difficult to find the time for yoga.  Fast forward three years...same friend invited me to The Mat, and I immediately couldn't get enough.  The timing was right for me.  I was in a place where I could understand and receive the benefits of practicing yoga, and I've been practicing fairly regularly for the last four years. 

 

How often do you practice?

 

Well.... The goal is 3 times a week, but that usually doesn't happen.  I feel good if I can go twice a week, and sometimes that happens.  I can really feel it when I haven't been in a week or two, and  many times it's not the physical part that I crave, but the mental release that yoga gives me.  Practicing pushes my "reset button". 

 

What are a few of the benefits that you have experienced? How does your practice help you in your daily life?

 

Yoga has helped me in keeping things in perspective and being a better observer.  Also, I am physically stronger and more flexible.

 

 

What is one tip you would give to a new practitioner of Yoga?

 

Keep going, keep practicing. Sometimes you realize the benefits when you least expect it. 

 

Why do you practice with us, at The Mat?

 

In the beginning, I liked the convenience of The Mat.  It's close to where I live, it's clean, the class schedule worked with my schedule.  All of those things are still true, however The Mat has become more than convenience for me, it is a community of people that I enjoy.  I love the yoga classes but also the opportunities to learn more about health, wellness, nutrition, mediation, etc...  A class at The Mat always makes any day a better one. 

 

Do you have feedback about The Mat? Email Becky at [email protected].

Visit us at www.thematyogastudio.com for studio information. We look forward to seeing you on The Mat!
Contact:
The Mat Yoga Studio
670 N. Coit Road, Suite 2381 972.497.YOGA (9642)
Richardson, Texas 7508| www.TheMatYogaStudio.com  
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