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Dear Friend,
A big welcome to our new Groupon students as well as our dedicated returning members. We are fresh off the heels of an inspiring yoga workshop with Shirley Daventry-French, pictured below with the Yoga House Teachers, and building on the inspiration of that wonderful weekend, we would like to share with you some exciting upcoming events that we hope you will take advantage of here at KYH.
UPCOMING EVENTS
AJAHN SONA PUBLIC TALK Friday, Nov 18, 7 PM ONE-DAY MEDITATION RETREAT Saturday, Nov 19, 9-4 PM FREE INTRODUCTORY YOGA CLASS THIS SATURDAY, Nov 19, 11:15am - 12:45pm (to be held in the Little House or Moon Studio) RELAX, RENEW, AND RE-CONNECT WORKSHOP with Elizabeth MacLeod director of the Radha Centre NOVEMBER 27 1-4 PM with a Satsang to follow 4-5 pm. To Register call Elizabeth at 250-769-7291. AGM FOR KYHS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3rd. Free Group Practice 3:45-4:45 pm Annual General Meeting 5-6:15pm Dinner 6:30 pm. REMINDER: THE FALL SESSION ENDS ON FRIDAY,DEC 23rd. Students have until the end of this session to do make-up classes. Please give the teacher of the class you are doing the make-up in a phone call or email to ensure there will be room in the class. Yearly students have until the end of June 2012 to complete all make-ups. for more information on any of these events. Please enjoy the articles submitted and if you have ideas or submissions for our next edition, please email any of the teachers.
Namaste, Kelowna Yoga House
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KELOWNA YOGA HOUSE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF COMMUNITY by Brenda Tournier
Ten years ago, when the Kelowna Yoga House opened its doors with the help of a generous endowment from founder Margaret Lunam, yoga had not yet reached the mainstream
. Today, there are few people who haven't taken a yoga class or know someone who has. In the Okanagan, home to one of the oldest populations in North America, yoga holds a special appeal. As people live longer, they contemplate the quality of life they will have in later years. For most, it is not enough to stay alive. They want to move freely, think quickly and enjoy life.
Take Colleen Deans, a 69 year-old Kelowna resident who suffers from osteoarthritis and took up yoga to cope with her condition. In Iyengar yoga, Colleen found relief. "I had dabbled in other types of yoga. Upon moving to Kelowna I discovered, quite accidentally, the Kelowna Yoga House. Six years later, I'm still there, certain I would not be as mobile as I am today without Iyengar yoga. I truly believe I am delaying the progress of my disease with Iyengar yoga classes and practice and my rheumatologist confirmed it, telling me to keep doing whatever it is I am doing to stay strong and agile."
Click here to read more...
10th Anniversary Party Group Photo |
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Standing Poses
The Foundation of Iyengar Yoga
Why do we spend so much time learning the standing poses in Iyengar Yoga? Standing poses teach and ignite in the student a base intelligence which carries over and is applied to all of the other poses. In Yoga a Gem for Women, Geeta Iyengar says, "The foundation for movement and action are the legs. The legs have to be trained to make them firm and steady. Without the firm foundation of strong legs and feet, the brain, which is the seat of intelligence, cannot be held in correct alignment with the spine. Hence the standing poses are introduced first." The standing poses become the building blocks of asana work which prepares the student by strengthening the body, elongating the spine, extending the spinal muscles and expansion of the chest. The standing postures create alertness and vitality, awakening the intelligence in the actions, allowing the foundational principles of movement and mobility to be carried over into all of the other yoga asanas.
How many times have you heard your teacher tell you to "lift your kneecaps!" By lifting the kneecaps, the thighs become activated and strong, beginning the the most basic work of alignment and strengthening. Strengthening the legs gives a firmness to one's stature. A sense of inner strength and power develops as the posture improves and the legs become stable and strong. Self-reliance is created by the physical action of standing on your own two feet which creates an uplifted sense of well-being.
The standing poses strengthen and stretch the legs, improve the posture so that how we carry ourselves in the world comes from a place of inner strength and confidence. The movement, mobility and flexibility developed in the spine and spinal muscles prepares not only the body but also the mind to positively accept challenge with an uplifted heart and a firm and centered body and mind.
By Tracy Forsythe
Tracy started practicing yoga in 1996 and has just completed her third and final year of the Iyengar Teacher Training Program. She is an Introductory I Iyengar teacher and is working towards her Introductory II level of certification.
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| Kelowna Yoga House - Go Deeper
We hope you enjoyed the newsletter, and we want to thank our dedicated students as well as welcome those of you who are new to KYH and just getting to know us and what we have to offer. Blessings to you all as we near the Christmas season.
1272 St. Paul Street
Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 2C9
Kelowna Yoga House
250-862-4906 |
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Did you know we have a Facebook Page? Check out photos from our 10th Anniversary Party, Yoga Around the World, Workshop and Class photos plus more. Receive information on upcoming events, inspiring quotes and video links. We want to share with you what is happening at our wonderful studio, so please like us and tell your friends!
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Deborah and Shirley during the Workshop |
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Parasitic Worms and Home Practice
by Swami Sawdust
I avoided thinking about Krisna's sadhana. I'm not a morning person. Then at the last moment, I decided to take it. I remembered how great I felt at the end of the July 2010 sadhana with Deborah.
It was tough going, up at 5:30 am in the dreaded morning and tough slogging later on in the day but after a few days I was adapting. At the end of the sixth morning, I felt terrific, almost human. I could do simple computer tasks without snarling, growling and barking. I was free from hatred and ill will.
Then a thought entered my mind like a parasitic worm. It was too late! I was already infected! The thought was " what if I got up early every day and did a yoga practice? I could feel terrific every day." I succumbed to the worm. I've continued to arise at the early hour and have been doing a home practice of one hour or more. Yes, I now have a home practice after 23 years of classes.
A few days after the sadhana, I was stretching my arms over my head and I felt my spine extend a little more than I had experienced before. Who knows what will happen next?
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Upcoming Important Happy Birthdays
Margaret Lunam,
November 22, 1921
Geeta Iyengar
December 6, 1944
B.K.S. Iyengar
December 14, 1918
CONGRATULATIONS
to Noelle Nadeau and Kong Khoo who had a baby boy, Oliver, born Aug. 30, 2011
ANNOUNCEMENT
Congratulations go out to Deborah for passing her Junior Intermediate III Assessment which was held in Toronto this past September. Way to Go!
Deborah in Adho Mukha Vrksasana
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Quick Links
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YOGA TEACHER TRAINING IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE KELOWNA YOGA HOUSE. PLEASE CONTACT ANY TEACHER FOR MORE INFORMATION |
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Recipe
Caramel Pecan Squares
Crust: 2 cup flour, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter.
Filling: 1 1/4 cup whole pecans, 2/3 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla.
Topping: 1 to 2 cup chocolate chips.
Mix 3 crust ingredients until fine. Press into ungreased
9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle pecan halves evenly over crust.
In heavy 2 quart saucepan, combine filling ingredients. Cook over medium heat , stirring constantly until entire surface of mixture begins to boil. Keep stirring and boil 1/2 to 1 minute. Pour over pecans.
Bake at 350F until entire caramel layer is bubbly and crust is golden brown ( 15 minutes). Remove from oven.
Immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips and allow to melt slightly. Lightly swirl chips and cool completely. Cut into bars.
Yummy, Yummy, Yummy way down in your Tummy!!!
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