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(Click a title to jump down to the section of your choice)
"Breathing Practices to Beat the Heat" by Kat Heagberg
We're Exploring Technology?
"Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners" by Amadea Morningstar -Plus-
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We are talking this month at the studio about Pitta constitution and its fiery nature along with ways to cool pitta down in order to stay balanced.
And while having those tools is incredibly helpful and can be elementally supportive of balance and the experience of sattva - there is a great benefit to heat and allowing yourself space to sit within it.
I have always been a hot natured. I am an Aries born in the year of the Dragon and am primarily pitta in constitution. I was born with what some have called "mousey" brown hair that goes blond in the sun but when I was 30 I decided I was really supposed to be a redhead, so since then I have mostly been one :) --- An outward expression of my fire!
Impatience, impulsivity and moving fast are a given in me. I am also a super hard worker. I'm efficient and able to think quickly on my feet. I am extremely motivated and positive and I have lots, let me say it again, lots of ideas. My mind is quick and fiery. This all also leads to some challenge with sticking with long term projects and following through with the details. But regardless, it leads to working, hard, all the time.
So, it helps to slow down, take time, be quiet and set strong boundaries with myself and others so I stay dedicated to my priorities and don't get distracted. And that, takes discipline. Tapas. Heat.
It seems funny to say that slowing down, taking time and being quiet are heat. But for me, they are. Well really they are cooling but I need the heat of discipline to do them. It would be so much easier for me to just keep racing.
To read more about tapas, check out my latest blog post, "Turning up the Heat".
Om Shanti,
Leslie
and Namaste from all the HeartSong teachers and staff: Lani, Lynn, Kayci, Kat, Jeff, Maddie, Toby and Kasey!
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Growing Your Yoga 
Breathing Practices to Beat the Heat by Kat Heagberg
Long, long ago I used to work in an office. My office happened to be on the top floor, and sans air conditioning, which meant that it could get REALLY hot in the summertime. Lucky for me, yoga and her sister-science Ayurveda offer many simple, cooling practices that are ideal for hot summers (I mean, after all, the ancient yogis didn't have AC either!) Back in my office days, my favorite way to beat the heat was to practice a cooling pranayama (breathing technique) called shitali (pronounced sheet-ah-lee).
Here's how you do it:
1. Sit straight with your head in line with your spine. Close your eyes, and establish a breath that is smooth, even, continuous, quiet, and deep.
2. Then, roll your tongue so that it forms a tube shape, and stick it out of your mouth a little bit. Inhale, as though you're drinking in air through a straw.
3. At the top of your inhale, curl the tip of your tongue back and rest it on the upper palate. Close your lips, and exhale through your nose.
4. Practice six full rounds of breath, keeping your inhales and exhales even in length.
Can't curl your tongue? It doesn't mean your tongue is un-yogic--just that you have a recessive gene. Thankfully, there's a similar cooling pranayama called shitkari (pronounced sheet-kah-ree) that doesn't require any special configuration of your DNA:
1. Begin as above-sit tall and take a few smooth, even, continuous, quiet, deep breaths in and out through your nose.
2. Then, Part your lips, and bring your teeth together. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Inhale through the sides of your teeth.
3. At the top of your inhale, close your lips and exhale through your nose.
4. Practice six full rounds, keeping your inhales and exhales even.
Kat teaches on Saturdays: Level 2-3: 7:30-8:45 am Level 1-2: 9-10:15 am
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Did You Know...
We're exploring technology?
As many of you may have heard, Leslie offered her very first teleseminar at the end of June as a way to connect with students looking to deepen their yoga practice, as well as those looking to take the leap into teaching.
This fall, she'll continue on with some more of this tech-y experimentation as she plans to offer a similar event via webinar.
Until then, ask yourself: will 2014 be your year?
Speaking of the Internet, are you following us on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or Google+? If not, now's a great time to do so to join the conversation and stay up to date on what's happening at the studio.
Plus, we'll soon be announcing a fun community building activity in observance of National Yoga Month in September, but you'll need to "Like" us on Facebook to participate fully!
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Community Corner
Q&A with HeartSong Student Richard Young
1. How long have you been practicing yoga?
Four years or so - starting with Wii-fit (!), then a book, then classes from about two years ago. 2. When did you become a student at HeartSong Yoga and what was it that brought you in?
Two years ago we had an introductory yoga session from Leslie during our Company's Wellness day. I had been wanting to go beyond my home practice, but needed this impetus to visit the studio and start classes. 3. What do you find most sustaining about this community? What keeps you coming back?
What I enjoy is that each class is varied, but with some reoccurring elements. I also appreciate that each teacher brings a different perspective, so you are reminded that there is more than one way to approach a practice. 4. Is there a pose or sequence that was once challenging for you that you've grown to love?
I find some of the balance poses, especially sequences like Tree to Dancer or Warrior-III, among the most satisfying now - particularly the way they combine balance, flexibility and core strength. 5. How does your yoga practice affect the rest of your life out in the world? What I appreciate is that Yoga is not just something you do in a class or at home, but something that you can take with you wherever you are. Thank you for sharing your practice with us, Richard! |
Resource Center
Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners
by Amadea Morningstar
Many of us here in the west look to the east for guidance with our spiritual, medical and culinary interests/needs, among many other things. Ayurvedic diets, which promote eating according to your dosha (constitution), are becoming more frequently recommended these days, but we must acknowledge that India, the birthplace of ayurveda, is a world away from where we are in the United States. The environment, social customs and especially the types of foods that are eaten differ greatly from what we are surrounded by.
Amadea Morningstar's classic cookbook, Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners is a great resource for those who want to follow a diet that adheres to ayurvedic principles, while working with ingredients that are readily available here in the western world.
That's right, it can be done! If the idea of the traditional flavors and spices of India has steered you away from trying an ayurvedic diet in the past, check out this collection!
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Ayurveda: What's Your Dosha
w/Ann Wagoner | Friday, August 9th | 6-9 pm
Don't miss this 3 hour workshop taught by Portland-based Ayurvedic practitioner Ann Wagoner. She'll teach you about the basics of Ayurveda, the "science of life", its dosha system, and the keys it holds to your well-being. You'll come away with useful information on how you can best live, eat and practice based on your constitution. | Learn More & Register...
Balancing Your Dosha with Yoga Asana  w/Leslie Ellis | Saturday, August 10th | 12-3 pm
You'll look briefly at the three constitutions and practice routines designed to help balance each one exploring the effects of the various types of postures and ways to practice. You'll emerge with a better understanding of not only how yoga can continue to support your health and wellness, but how to tailor your practice during the year in order to address your own personal constitutional needs. | Learn More & Register...  Therapeutic Focus: Digestion w/Leslie Ellis | Sunday, August 10th | 12:30-2:30 pm
Got tummy troubles? You're not alone. We live in a fast-paced world where we don't always eat healthfully, and even when we do, we often eat quickly and mindlessly so we can move on to the next thing. Bring your body back into balance with this workshop, where Leslie will teach you a yoga sequence to restore balance to the digestive organs and nervous system.
Wholly Mama Yoga:
Your Time to Heal & Revitalize 
w/Toby Shulruff | Last Saturday of each month-
August 31st | 3:30-5:30pm
A postpartum workshop designed for new moms by a mom herself. This monthly offering will provide you with helpful postures and a serene space to support your healing, as well as tools to help you cope with the stresses of motherhood. Discover what it means to take time for and truly nurture yourself in this yoga class just for you. | Learn More & Register...
Leslie Howard returns to HeartSong
November 2-6, 2013
*Early Bird Registration now open!*
Pelvic Floor Workshop
Saturday, November 2nd
(Open to all women)
Pelvic Floor Teacher Training
Sunday, November 3rd - 6th
Leslie Howard has over 3000 hours of yoga study. Her primary teacher is Ramanand Patel. Leslie has been practicing and teaching for over seventeen years in NYC and the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a presenter for the Yoga Journal Conferences and is featured in the documentary, "Yoga Woman". She has online videos at pranamaya.com and yogauonline.com. She recently designed a successful study for the University of California, San Francisco on yoga for incontinence.
She is working furiously on a book call Pelvic Revolution. Visit Leslie's Website
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