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April 2014 

Links to What's Inside:
Growing Your Yoga

 

Leslie Ellis 09

I am a keen observer of life and human nature. I read voraciously and consider deeply the teachings from yoga philosophy but also from other philosophical sources, science, psychology, astrology, new age thought, and my own practice and observations of myself and the people I come into contact with.

I believe that this helps me to be a better teacher and a better human being. I love sharing these observations and the way in which I have made sense of them. Sometimes, in sharing them, I am directly passing on ideas that have come down through the ages. Sometimes, I am sharing my own personal insights. Always, my intention is to share from a place of personal experience.

I believe I am a guru. Now, before you form a judgment of me as one of those teachers who has gone over the edge and put themselves on a pedestal and before you raise the concern that my ego has run amok and I am a little too full of myself..... consider this: the word Guru, while usually translated as teacher and we think, master, someone who really knows..... etymologically it is said be an interplay between the qualities of light and dark and that the guru could then be considered "that which brings light to the darkness".

Please go to my blog to read the rest of this post and to learn more about Living Yoga and the great Gurus they send out to work with people who really need yoga right here in our community!

HeartSong and I are proudly participating in this year's Living Yoga Yogathon and I hope you will consider joining our team and becoming one of those light bringers. By joining, you are dedicating your yoga practice to bringing light to your community and being a brighter guru. If for any reason you can't join the team, then please consider donating to my efforts.

Namaste'

GrowingYourYoga
Leslie

...and all of us at HeartSong:  Lani, Lynn, Kayci, Kat, Noemi, Toby and Kasey!
 
Growing Your Yoga
Cleaning House: Tips for Healthy Spring Eating
from Kayci Cavenah

Spring is a time of transition. Ayurveda, the sister science and medical branch of yoga, tells us that if we are truly connected to the earth, the seasonal changes should be reflected in our bodies as well.

Springtime is the new year for nature as the growing season begins and it is when we begin to transition away from the harsh shut down of winter. Who doesn't remember that just 6 weeks ago we had a hard freeze and were buried beneath feet of snow for several days? Now if you look outside it is easy to see that we are transitioning out of winter and into spring. Not only do we experience rapid changes in the weather, with rain showers one minute and sunshine the next, but the growth of nature is fully apparent in the flowers and blooming trees. It is time also for us to shed the fatty protection of winter and do a little spring cleaning! 
 

didyouknow
Visit the blog to read the rest...

 
Did You Know...
...your teachers have teachers?

The benefits to having a teacher vs. practicing on your own are many. Your home practice is important, yes, but sometimes it can be hard to find inspiration or you find you might get stuck in a rut doing things in the same way you always have. You can look to your teacher as a source of inspiration and guidance in practice and everyday life. Yoga teachers do this, too!

We hope you'll join us in welcoming one of our most influential teachers, Mary Paffard, back to our studio for a weekend-long workshop at the end of May. 

Leslie, Lynn, Lani and Kayci have all worked with Mary extensively and her influence, among many other teachers, has a great impact on the classes you experience at HeartSong. Taking class with Mary is an opportunity you definitely don't want to miss out on, as it will help you to view so much of what you've learned from your teachers here in a new light. Whether you've come in past years or are just hearing about her for the first time, we hope you'll consider taking part!

Skip down to the workshops section to learn more and register for this very special weekend. 
communitycorner

Community Corner
Student Snapshot: Carol H.
Recently, we asked one of our long-time students, Carol, to share a little bit about her yoga journey - especially her experience of deepening her practice through yoga retreats. Here's what she had to say:

[Visit our blog to read the full interview]
 
When did you become a HeartSong student and what was it that brought you in?

I was brought to HeartSong by a friend a few years ago, and although I have done yoga for 20+ years, at that time I had not really done yoga that was in a yoga-focused studio. I did it in health clubs, gyms, and a weekly class that was held at the company where I worked. I realized that yoga is one of the best ways to improve the aging process in terms of mobility, flexibility, and strength.

What do you find most sustaining about this community? What keeps you coming back?

I loved the knowledge the teachers at HeartSong had, and realized there was much more to yoga than I had been exposed to. The classes at HeartSong are never repetitive so I am always learning. There are always suggestions on how to improve a pose, or how to modify it for your body if you have any constraints. Also, the classes are about more than the asanas. They also encourage you to think about how to incorporate yoga into your whole life. It is a calming place where I can nurture myself.  Continue reading...
 ResourceCenter

Want to share something about your yoga practice for our newsletter? 

Talk to Kasey or e-mail us. We will get you scheduled for a future edition!
 
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Resource Center
This Month, Our Resource is You!
                                                                                                     That's right! Here's your chance to take your yoga into the community. Living Yoga is looking for volunteers on the west side to lead classes at a variety of program sites here in Washington County.

Can you lend a hand?

Currently, Living Yoga holds classes for both women and men at Washington County Community Corrections Center and they are looking to broaden their reach throughout the region. As the organization grows, they're receiving more requests for new programs than they can accommodate and due to a lack of available teachers in our area, end up having to turn down these requests.
 
They are also exploring the possibility of starting a recovery yoga class out this way, for which HeartSong is willing to offer our studio space. For this type of class, they are specifically seeking individuals with clinical experience in the drug & alcohol treatment community or people who are in recovery themselves.

It is important to note that for any of these opportunities, no yoga teaching experience is required -- all you need is a love of yoga and a desire to share this practice with those in need.
workshops
Is now your time to step out and make a difference through yoga?
If so, please email Kasey for more information.
 
Workshops & Events

Strengthen your inner teacher;
learn to give your body what it needs...
 
Anatomy and Yoga: 
Exploring the Muscles & Fascia
of the Upper Body 
with Lynn Morrison 
Saturday, April 12th

Experiential Anatomy [Asana Class] | 12-3 pm 


A fun and informative way to understand more about how your muscles and fascia work. You will leave with a deeper appreciation of your amazing body and be able to apply your knowledge to your yoga practice as well as other activities. Class will focus on muscle groups rather than specific muscles and will be applicable even if you don't know the names of muscles.

Anatomy as it Applies to Asana [Lecture Format] | 3:30 - 6:30 pm
Learn more details about major muscles in the body and their names and actions, as well as fascia--the biological glue that holds it all together!

Sign up




Therapeutic Focus:
Yoga for Neck & Shoulders
with Kayci Cavenah
Sunday, April 13th | 12:30 - 2:30 pm

Do you tend to store tension in your upper body?  Maybe you're working with pain from an injury and looking for new ways to find relief?

 

 In this workshop, you'll learn specific exercises and alignment principles that will help you  prevent and alleviate neck and shoulder pain as you sit, stand and move through your daily life.

Appropriate for all levels. 


   

Don't skimp on rest...

Restorative Yoga: 
Medicine for a Fast-Paced World
with Kayci Cavenah
Friday, April 18th

Our restorative workshops are here for you on the 3rd Friday of each month. These all-levels classes featuring long-held postures and the use of many supportive props offer you a place to take a load off after a busy week, reset your nervous system and  
move into the weekend feeling refreshed. 

Restorative yoga is a great compliment to your weekly classes--think of it as a "yoga tune-up." Appropriate for all levels.
 





Re-attune to your creative spirit...

Spring Retreat:
Nature, Nurture Nirvana
with Leslie Ellis
Friday-Sunday, May 2-4

Been doing too much lately and need some designated downtime? Perhaps with the arrival of spring, you're on the verge of birthing something new in your life, but are having trouble finding the clarity or space you need for it to come through? Imagine a weekend where your only responsibility is to care for and honor yourself and allow your creative spirit to come through.

Join Leslie this May for 3 days of soul nurturing
 yoga in the beautiful, natural surroundings at Buckhorn Springs Retreat Center.MP
 

**Don't  Miss the Early-bird Deadline**
Quiet Eyes, Strong Neck, Soft Heart: 
A Weekend with Mary Paffard
Friday, May 30th - Sunday, June 1st
 
Teacher's Session -  Friday, 12-4 pm
Workshop - Fri. 6-8 pm, Sat. 12-6 pm, Sun. 7-10 am
 
This May, internationally-renowned teacher Mary Paffard returns to HeartSong for the 3rd year running. She'll begin her time here with a class just for teachers on Friday afternoon, followed by a weekend rich with opportunities for self-discovery and yoga sessions deeply informed by themes of the natural world -- appropriate for a wide range of practitioners.

Learn more about Mary at