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July 2014
 
In This Issue
Topic of the Month
Series Classes
Teacher Training
Integrated Movement Therapy
Member and Community News
India
Other workshops and trainings
Featured Teacher
Community gatherings!
 
    
Samarya means community and you have a voice here!
 
Please join us at one or all of these informal gatherings where we will share ideas, insights, and information, along with fellowship and food.
 
Save the dates, please bring simple food to share. Monday evenings, 7:30 - 9 pm.

Mon. July 21

 

Mon. Aug. 18

 

Mon. Sept. 8

 

Mon. Oct. 20

 

Mon. Nov. 24

 

Mon. Dec. 1

 

Movie nights:

 

Friday, July 18

 

Friday, Aug. 15

Quick Links...




 
Satya - hearing a truth, being with what is
 
 

Beloved community! We have now been open for two months and are just settling into our new space and routine. We have been so blessed by all of your enthusiasm and encouragement. 

I think of one student who I see every week in particular who says, every time, "This place is so beautiful! It's like every week there is something new, some new transformation or detail!" She always makes my day and reminds me of our shared process and investment, our ability to be patient and sit with change, and a sense of renewal and optimism that infuses our life with the joy of possibility.

We have scheduled monthly community gatherings (see sidebar) which will be informal opportunities for our community to connect - we will meet on our rooftop deck during the summer! - as well as to share food, ideas, and information. Please join us for those opportunities, we always want to hear from you - YOU are what makes Samarya, community, so special. 

We have also scheduled a movie night! We will meet at El Obrero downstairs to screen and discuss the film Kumare, an edgy and somewhat controversial "documentary" which features one of our very own YTT grads! Join us Friday, July 18 at 6:30 to gather and connect, we will start the screening at 7 and stay to discuss after. Come for all or any part of the evening!
 
*****************************************************
 
And now, perhaps best of all, the official reminder that we are continuing with The Samarya Center special "Topic of the Month!" 
 
At The Samarya Center it is always our intention to truly live our practice, and talking about, exploring and sharing about these basic precepts of yoga really seem to make them come alive. Last month as a community we discussed ahimsa, or non-harming, and I personally heard so many wonderful and thoughtful stories and ideas in my classes. Thank you!
 
This month, we will be exploring satya, or "truthfulness," also translated as "being with the truth, or being with what is." I'd like to share a short story of this one to start the month off.
 
 
 
In May I presented a workshop at a conference in New York. I could feel that it wasn't my very best, and there were one or two folks in the workshop with whom I was having a difficult time connecting - we had very different views of some best practices, but hey, I'm a professional, and I thought I had done a decent job of bringing us all together by the end of the two hours. 
 
I was horrified then, to find that these folks had written in very negative reviews of the workshop. I was embarrassed, feeling I had not only failed in the workshop - and by extension my life's work (!) but also that I had let down the conference organizers, for whom I have immense gratitude and respect. At first, I cried. Yup. I cried. Silly, overly dramatic? maybe. But my ego was shot, I was devastated to think I had hurt someone, that I had been misunderstood or misrepresented. I began to question literally everything I teach, and even my value as a teacher. I turned to my assistants who were at the workshop with me for their take and for some shred of validation. They were both as surprised as I, but certainly not as concerned. My anguish, began to settle, moving towards neutrality, and then momentarily turning towards defensiveness and self-vindication. Momentarily. Because as soon as those emotions came in, I knew that if I stayed with them, I would have lost a real opportunity for evolution and deep thought.
 
Satya. The truth is that someone had a perspective - and accompanying emotions - that was very real to them. I could not deny that. This was someone's truth, even if it was very different than mine. So I had to explore that truth as well, sit and settle with it to see where it could actually meet my truth so that some sense of harmony could prevail. 
 
From this more harmonious vantage point I could also consider a second translation of satya - being with that truth, those truths. In other words, if I stayed with the difficult viewpoint of "This is true, this is happening, this is someone's truth, there is a truth here that needs to be addressed," then I had a wonderful opportunity to examine my own reactions, where I still needed (always!) growth and strength in my spiritual practice, and how I could evolve in my professional presentations. From the challenging task of truly acknowledging both someone else's truth, even if it was different than mine, and the truth of what to do with that reality, I was able to see the many opportunities for personal transformation, and perhaps even radical social change. 
 
We can only change ourselves. This is the truth. We can only make radical shifts in our day to day interactions, in our ways of being in the world, of our collective responsibility to one another, by changing ourselves. I may not ever be able to change the mind of the people who really did not like my workshop, but I can change me, by having the courage to see another perspective, and by using that perspective, balanced with my own, to come to some truth in the middle that affords me an opportunity to grow. Satya. No one said it was gonna be easy. But that's why we do this together, in community. Thank you!

You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you. None can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. ~ Swami Vivekananda

you are loved

We are all in this together.

with love and light,

molly
New series and featured drop-in classes

Yoga for Anxiety and Depression 6 week series begins Tuesday, July 22, 
7:30 - 9 pm.

Yoga for Chronic Pain 6 week series begins Monday, July 28, 5:45 - 7:15pm. This class is limited to six people, please register early!

Intro to Ashtanga style yoga 12 week series begins Monday, July 28, 7:30 - 9 pm. Remember, this class is always "bring a friend for free!" 
 
Check out our Ashtanga Passport! Besides our Intro to Ashtanga-style yoga classes, we also offer Thursday evening Ashtanga - a short version where we focus on various aspects or poses from the practice, and Saturday morning Ashtanga where we practice the whole primary series. 
 
We are now offering an Ashtanga Passport to help you find the magic of repetition that is the hallmark of the practice. Come to any Ashtanga class and ask your teacher for a passport. Get 8 stamps in your passport by attending Thursday evening or Saturday morning classes, and get on Thursday and one Saturday class for free! All levels of practice joyfully welcomed! 
 
Kundalini Yoga! Now on our drop-in schedule every Monday at noon!

Rise, Shine and Center is a wonderful way to start the day. Join us Tuesday through Friday mornings, 7 - 8:15 am for an all levels class that incorporates movement, breathing and silent sitting. This class is 108% adapted to the people who are in it that day. We will do more or less of whatever you want to Rise, Shine and Center!
Samarya Yoga Teacher Training
 
Early registration deadline for Fall training is July 12th. This is also the deadline for our Diversity Scholarship.
Do you want to study yoga so that you can change your life? Do you want to study yoga in one of the most beautiful places on earth? Do you want to eat hearty, delicious food, while diving deep into spiritual life with an inspired group of students and teachers? Do you want to study yoga so that you can teach to all kinds of people in all kinds of bodies, with all kinds of experiences and all kinds of life challenges? Do you want to complete our 1000 hour Integrated Movement Therapy training program?
 
Then our teacher training is for you! Register today for best rates and rooms. Not quite sure?Join us for a FREE information session on Tuesday, August 19, 7:30 - 9 pm. 
 
Don't just study to be a yoga teacher, study to be a yogi!
Integrated Movement Therapy Trainings 

Are you interested in integrating your love for helping people with your love of yoga?  If yes, then Integrated Movement Therapy Training is for you!
 
 
We are pleased to announce that it is not too late to start or continue your IMT Training, AND that we have added a 2014 Level 2 retreat for those of you ready to launch forward and continue your effort to be grandfathered into the Yoga Therapy credential!
 
 
 
In fact, we have just added a few more IMT workshops to the 2014 schedule, so for those of you who are interested, it is not too late to complete all three IMT Level 1 trainings just in time to attend the IMT Level 2 training happening October 12-18
 
Yoga and Social Change: Friday and Saturday, July 25 and 26
IMT Basics: Aug 9, Sept 27
IMT Child: Sept 5-7,
IMT Teens: Oct 3-5
IMT Adults: Aug 15-17
 
Not sure if you can make all of these trainings? Check the unfold studios website for additional IMT workshops in Portland and here for a link to complete information about Integrated Movement Therapy and the training continuum. 

If you are interested in IMT and have any questions, please contact [email protected] and she will be happy to help answer your questions. 
 (Please note that we need 9 students registered in order to hold the October Level 2 training).  
Member and community news
 
We've got a lot of exciting things to share with our community this month, here are just a few - IMT therapy opportunities, our quarterly pass, yoga in the park!
 
community  

  • Do you know about the Plus One foundation? If not, you should. This is a non-profit foundation, started by one of our Integrated Movement Therapy students, who believed that IMT was one of the best things that ever happened to her following a severe head injury sustained at work. She started Plus One to allow others to benefit from alternative and holistic therapies and recently provided yet another scholarship for a student to receive IMT at unfold studios in Portland. Thank you Plus One! 
  •  The Samarya Center is now offering quarterly passes that we call Samarya supporters! This pass is only $279 and corresponds to the quarter (current quarter is July - September, we will prorate the rate if you purchase by July 19) This pass gives you unlimited drop-in classes and special deals on Samarya events and workshops!
 
  • Are we doing Yoga in the Park this summer? Of course we are! Join us every Sunday, 10:30 - 11:30 am through September 22 for a free yoga class at Pratt Park. Bring your sunscreen, a mat or towel and a smile and get your yoga on in the sun. Best of all? If you have never been to The Samarya Center before, we will give you a free pass to try out a class with us at the studio, just around the corner!
 
  • We are currently offering a very special opportunity to experience Integrated Movement Therapy at a reduced rate to support our Level 2 and IMT Advanced students. If you, or someone you know, would benefit from IMT sessions, here are the deets:

Simply download and fill out a child or adult new intake form here, and send it into The Samarya Center, along with a $50 non-refundable deposit, to be applied to future sessions. Intakes are scheduled on Wednesdays at 2, 4 or 6 pm with Molly and the student who will be assigned to work with the client.

 

Following the intake session, the client and the IMT students will plan five consecutive sessions. There is a $35 suggested donation for each follow-up session - this helps folks who are unable to pay and keeps the program sustainable. The total cost you will pay, including the intake session, is $175. Once you have paid the initial deposit, you will be obligated to pay the additional $125 for five follow up sessions. If you are not able to pay the suggested donation, please let us know what you are able to pay and we will be able arrange accordingly.

 

These sessions must be consecutive, but since we know things can come up, you do have eight weeks to complete them all if you are not able to complete them in five sequential weeks. You must choose one consistent time for us to schedule, so please think about the day and time that would work best for you.

Community exchange, seva and volunteer opportunities 
 
  • The application period for current quarter community exchange program is now closed. If you would like to apply for our community exchange program, you may apply for the quarter beginning October 1 - your free classes will begin January 1, 2015. Curious about the program? Ask any of our wonderful current volunteers who you will see around the studio and at the front desk.
  • Seva volunteers needed! We are looking for two seva volunteers this quarter to wash our blankets. This task should happen once a month, where a lovely and gracious community member (you!) will take all of our blankets to the commercial laundry and wash and fold them. This task costs about $40 (we will reimburse you) and about two hours of your time, but gives us much needed help. Please email us if you can wash the blankets at the beginning of August or beginning of September. 
  • We are also looking for twelve seva volunteers who are willing to bring fresh flowers to our altar on Sunday (day is flexible, could be Saturday or Monday) through end of September. This task cost is variable, depending on where you get the flowers, and takes about an hour, including purchasing the flowers, changing the old flowers out and putting the new ones in vases. This is an opportunity for you to offer directly to the altar and deepen your own sense of ownership and devotion. Email us if you are interested in this task!
India pilgrimage 2015
 
Join us for the trip of a lifetime! Our India pilgrimage 2015 is now officially half full and we are so excited to share. 
 
You will not find a more reasonably priced trip (ours is about half of the going rate!) or one that is more deeply steeped in Indian culture and community - ours is organized and hosted by people born and raised in India! 

Read here for complete information, and email us with any questions. Temple tours, ashram stays, the Taj Mahal on Valentine's day .... Why wait, why pay more, why travel without a local when you can have it all on this one journey? Join us! Hari Om!
Other workshops and trainings:
 
Anatomy and Physiology training (meets IAYT educational standards required hours): 
 
Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun July 10-13, 9 am - 6 pm daily
 
Cost is just $400 for this 40 hour training (special one time offer - wow!!!)
 
Friday, July 18,  5 -8:30p
Saturday, July 19, 10a-5:30p

Sunday, July 20,  10a-4p

Cost: $425 for the 15 hour training($395 if register by May 18). 

  

We are looking for folks in the community who may be able to offer accommodations for out-of-town participants. If you have an extra room you are willing to offer for the weekend, please

let us know!

 

Weekend series in Billings, Montana with Molly!

Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24

 

Molly in Hawaii 

All classes will be mostly dynamic lecture with some gentle movement to keep us awake and embodied. All levels of practice and experience joyfully welcomed.  Free satsang Saturday evening, open to all!

 

Saturday, August 23: 

 

10 - 12:30: An introduction to the pancha kosha model: our five levels of being and how their understanding can expand our view and change our life. This includes an overview of witness consciousness, developing the capacity for stillness and recognition of our own best inner voice.

 

1:30 - 4: Five obstacles to happiness: understanding and working with the kleshas to lead us into a life we love. 

 

Saturday evening: Free to all!

Join us for an informal q and a  and fellowship with Molly and kirtan around the fire!

 

Sunday: 

10 - 12:30: Prana vayus and the power of forgiveness ~ learn about the five directions of prana, or life force, and how we can cultivate those energies to direct our awareness and our intention.

 

1:30 - 4: Mantras for healing ~ come learn why and how we use mantra, not just in the yoga tradition, but as a human tool for changing our minds. Leave with simple mantras to practice on your own and a deeper understanding of how to incorporate them into your practice and your life!

 

Please call Perfect Balance 406-294-9642 to reserve your space. 

 

Prices are:

50 -one session

90 - two sessions

130 - three sessions

160 - all four sessions

$145 if paid by August 1

 

Discounted price packages must be paid in advance. Classes will not be prorated. 


See (and share!) the Facebook event for this series!
Featured Teacher ~ 
Kathleen Dowd-Gailey

 

Kathleen has practiced yoga for nearly 20 years; her strong desire to deepen her own practice and share her love of yoga with others led her to become a teacher. A student of many, she found strong resonance with Samarya yoga and in 2011 she completed The Samarya Center's teacher training. She continued her studies with Samarya's yoga therapy training program, Integrated Movement Therapy, a modality developed at the Samarya Center, and she is currently working towards completing her yoga therapy certification.

 

In her classes Kathleen shows how yoga is accessible to everyone; her classes are fun, supportive, and welcoming for students of all levels. Using the breath as a key tool for healing, Kathleen incorporates elements of pranayama in all of her classes as well as concentration and meditation techniques to help broaden students' yoga practice. She considers everyone to be both a student and a teacher and loves the process of spiritual unfolding through the practice and teaching of yoga. Kathleen will be teaching a Yoga for Chronic Pain series at Samarya starting this month!

 

In her own yoga practice she is deepening her depth and understanding of pranayama (breath) and meditation. She is also exploring and practicing various Kundalini yoga techniques (her brother just completed his Kundalini teacher training program - it runs in the family!) and enjoys working with breath and the subtle energy body.

 

Kathleen also loves being out in nature and when not in the yoga studio you can likely find her exploring some corner of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. One of her favorite activities is practicing yoga IN nature! Through nature she finds space for healing and connection, both with others and herself. 

 

This is partly what inspired her to lead her first retreat, in collaboration with Beth Kreitl, another Samarya teacher training graduate. The retreat Awaken to Nature, will take place this October in the gorgeous Methow Valley of the North Cascades. Join Kathleen and Beth to experience a deeper awakening to your own true nature! 

 

Check here for more information or to register for Kathleen's retreat! 

Thank you for your support! The Samarya Center for Humankind (ness) is a 501 c 3 non-profit, one of the only of its kind in the Northwest. Won't you consider diving deeper into your commitment by donating today and helping us continue making a positive impact in our community and in the world?

See you soon, at movie night, at a class or workshop, in the internets or at the lake!

all love,
molly



$20 off a ten class pass if you buy it this month! That's just $99 for ten classes!

Thank you for reading our newsletter and staying connected to our community and our mission! As a token of our appreciation, please bring this coupon to the studio for a $20 discount on a ten class pass!
 
Offer Expires: August 1, no exceptions. Only one pass per person.