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October 2015

 


  
Yesterday was the new moon and I am still playing with what my intentions are for these next couple of weeks as that reflective light comes back. It is said that intentions consciously set and spoken aloud within 24 hours of the new moon, are empowered by the moon's energy.

What do I want right now to bring out of the dark of new beginnings and set into the motion?

It is also fall and I clearly recognize that it is time to do a little harvesting. Good, good things have grown for me over the last few years. Can I allow myself to relax and enjoy those and allow some space to open up for a while - a space that I don't need to immediately fill with something new?

These are my questions right now.

And the answer seems yes, I can allow that space and perhaps it is the space itself that needs to grow.

My invitation to you? Find that place inside yourself that knows your answers and listen in. For most of us, we do need space to rest in for our inner voices to be heard. Fall is the perfect time to explore what is complete and through allowing it to be complete, to enjoy your own harvest.  Then, be patient to see what wants to be grown in that now open field. There are some things that can be planted now, but many seeds - in order to flourish - will do better if planted later.

From my heart to yours, namaste'.
 
musings
And blessings from the whole HeartSong team! 
Lani, Kayci, Lloyd, Amarylis, Paul, Chris, Karen and Kasey

P.S. - visit my blog to leave a comment on this post!
 
Musings from Our Teachers
The Stress of Having Fun by Paul Telles 
 
My friend was burned out from a tough week at work.
            "I can hardly wait to just kick back and catch the Ducks tomorrow," he said, heading for the door on Friday night. "I REALLY need to relax!"
            I was happy my colleague was looking forward to some fun, but I was skeptical about how much relaxation he would experience.
            While fans might enjoy sitting on the edge of their seats while their favorites battle through tight games, their bodies actually experience stressors very similar to the ones they experience at work. Our endocrine and nervous systems cannot tell the difference between traffic jams and fourth-quarter interceptions.
            "The body doesn't distinguish between 'bad' stress from life or work and 'good' stress caused by game-day excitement," Jody Gilchrist, a nurse practitioner at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Heart and Vascular Clinics, said in a 2014 article in a university newsletter. "It impacts your health either way."
            Of course, football fans are not the only Americans who choose stress-inducing ways to enjoy themselves.
doyouknow
 


Do You Know...
what it takes to become a yoga teacher?

There's a yoga teacher stereotype out there and you may have some ideas about what it looks like based on images you see in the media. But if you look at your teachers here at HeartSong and in the wider Portland community you see a more accurate picture. You see, there are yoga teachers of all ages, genders, shapes, colors, and spiritual backgrounds. Yoga teachers come from diverse life experiences and it's precisely that unique path they've walked that influences how they transmit the teachings of yoga.  Whether you resonate with a teacher or not depends not on how well they do triangle pose but rather does what they share and how they share it, speak to you and support you in knowing yourself?

So, what does it actually take to become a yoga teacher?
 
Let's start by dispelling some common misconceptions:
  • You don't need to be super fit, flexible, or able to do every pose -- you just don't.
  • You don't need to know everything -- yoga is such a broad art and science. Some of the best advice for teachers is to focus on what resonates with you and to "teach what you know".
  • You don't need to be a "yoga master", or have practiced yoga for a certain number of years to be eligible. (Experience is certainly helpful on this path, but you should know that at HeartSong, we welcome students into our training program who've practiced yoga for at least one year.)
Here are some of the qualities we think make great teachers:
  • Curiosity about the nature of the human body, mind and spirit
  • Interest in studying anatomy, philosophy, yoga postures -- and the self!
  • Dedication to growth - the best teachers are those that stay committed to deepening their own practice
  • A passion for promoting yourself will be helpful as you decide how to deliver your unique offering out into the world
  • An awareness that teaching yoga is ultimately about holding space for others and bearing witness to their growth
  • A desire to step outside yourself and inspire others, as only you can
Indulge your curiosity.
communityhighlight
Join Leslie to discover how you can deepen your yoga practice and become a teacher.
Attend her free information session on Friday, October 30th, 5:30 - 8:30 pm.
  
Community Highlight
Student Snapshot: John & Laurie Litvin 

When did you start doing yoga and what was it that drew you to HeartSong?

We started yoga in 2012. John knows Leslie as a fellow business owner in Beaverton. When I suggested we go to yoga - he said only if we go to HeartSong.

What does your yoga practice consist of and what benefits do you derive from it?  

We attend a class at HeartSong once a week. I have learned to better recognize when my body is trying to tell me something. I have also learned to identify when I'm using muscles I don't need and let them relax.

John can now touch his toes and feels he has more flexibility which helps with his tennis. He still can't sit with his legs crossed :)
   




leslierecommends
Leslie Recommends...
attending her free information session to learn all about the Advanced Studies Program
                                                                                                  
If you have a hunch that 2016 might just be your year to embrace yoga more fully, join me for a fun, informative, 3 hour session on Friday, October 30th, 5:30 - 8:30 pm.

Even if you know you don't want to be a yoga teacher but wonder how you could expand your yoga practice, please come!

You'll experience a full length yoga class with me, explore the benefits of deepening your practice and find out dates and all the other details about the 4-10 month program, as well as how you can customize it to meet your needs. 
workshops
Sound good? RSVP here.

Workshops & Events


Free Information Session:
Advanced Studies & 200 hr. Teacher Training Program 
with Leslie Ellis 
Friday, October 30st | 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Ready to take your yoga practice to the next level? Whether your answer is an emphatic "YES!" or you're not quite sure, join us for this free session to explore how our immersion and teacher training programs can support you in that process. 
 
*Next training begins in February of 2016 - Now Enrolling*

Can't make it to the session?
Call us today to schedule a personal consultation with Leslie -- 503.644.1865.
 
 





Restorative Yoga:
Medicine for a Fast-Paced World 
with Kayci Cavenah  
Friday, October 16th | 6 - 8 pm
 
Our restorative workshops are here to help you practice deep self-care. Join us one Friday evening per month for this practice that will help you unwind your body and mind so you can move into the weekend feeling clear-headed and rejuvenated.

No yoga experience required! 
 
 

 


Yoga for Absolute Beginners
a 4 week series class
with Kayci Cavenah
Starts Monday, October 26th | 5:30 - 8:30 pm 

 

If you or someone you know has been thinking of trying yoga, our 4 week beginners series will provide a strong, basic foundation. You'll emerge ready to take any of our ongoing beginner level classes. With darker, cooler fall evenings coming, it's the perfect time to come inside and create a new habit!

 
 

 

 

 




 Yoga for the Postpartum Body
with Amarylis Morrow 
Saturday, October 24th | 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Your post-baby body still feels foreign, fatigued, and not quite "together". Sound familiar? This yoga workshop will support you in discovering ways to enhance your vitality and heal your postpartum body so that you can embrace your "new normal" with strength and energy.

 
 
 
 
Mom & Baby Yoga  
a 6 week series class
with Amarylis Morrow 
Starts Tuesday, October 13th | 10 - 11:15 am

You just had an amazing, beautiful baby! CONGRATS!!
This is a blessed and sacred time, but it's also a tumultuous time of great transition, vulnerability, and stress. It's time to get out of the house for some MUCH-needed yoga to re-energize your postpartum body, stabilize your core, balance your hormones, and connect with other moms who get what you're going through. 

 


 
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