Is your back sore?  Do you feel stiff and achy?

 Want to try yoga and need to take it slow?

 Sign up for our new 6 week beginner yoga session

Tuesdays 6:30-7:30pm

October 16 - November 20

Cost is $59 for the entire session (6 person minimum)

Offered at an excellent price per class, this session is designed for people who are new to yoga, struggle with flexibility, or who want to get a good foundation for a yoga practice. This session will focus on yoga basics like simple standing postures and modified sun salutes.  It will also provide an introduction to breath practice, meditation, and, of course, relaxation.  Join Jessica Presti on the mat Tuesday nights for a early week energizer.

 Meditation is training your mind. In meditation, when your thoughts wander, you let them wander and simply guide your mind back to the object of your focus. This could be breath, a symbol, a mantra(specific words), a candle flame, a concept such as 'love' or 'eternity', a physical feeling such as the softening of your body, or awareness itself, or others.

You have thoughts, emotions and sensations. They are like the waves of the ocean, rising and falling. Meditation is becoming aware of the ocean itself. The waves will still be there but you will identify less with them and more with the deep calm of the ocean.

Meditation is the consistent practice of the EXPERIENCE behind the philosophy or theology or tradition. The commonality of the various approaches to meditation comes from surrendering to the direct experience of the universal reality behind each style of meditation. The difference is how that reality is experienced.

How to choose a meditation style? Consider your background and your temperament. You may want to try a few styles to choose from your own experience. For many, the connection with the teacher is important. The meditation style will give you relaxation and a sense of peace, if it is a match to you. But, oh, by the way, that relaxation and peace may be more evident out in the rest of your life than it is in the actual meditation period. Do you want to meditate daily or only in a group occasionally? Do you want spirituality included in your meditation training or do you want it to be secular? Do you want it to be about awareness itself, or do you want a specific tool to use?

Explore these 3 meditation traditions and dive deeper into the reality of Who you are:

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION involves focusing on the present moment by bringing awareness
to your thoughts and feelings with an attitude of curiosity, openness and acceptance.
In Mindfulness Meditation (also called Insight Meditation), the mind itself is the vehicle. We use
the breath, imagery, and body scans as techniques to cultivate attention.

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MORNING MEDITATION PROGRAM in the Buddhist Yogic Tradition will provide exposure and training in a wide range of meditation techniques. After learning the preliminaries of where, when and why to meditate, we will move first into tonglen practice, which uses visualization techniques to cultivate compassion and open the heart chakra.

Wednesday mornings 8:45-9:15am

LEARN TO MEDITATE with Maureen What if you had a meditation practice that drew you to it everyday?  What if you reacted less to the stresses and challenges of your life?  What if you lived your life more from your own inner knowing?  The Svaroopa® Vidya mantra meditation practices are easy and effective, with immediate benefits. For beginning meditators, on-and-off-again meditators, and experienced meditators.  Each class includes a talk, meditation training and a discussion. The training will be held on 3 Fridays: November 9, November 16, and November 30, from 6 to 8 pm.  (No session on November 23 due to Thanksgiving weekend)  Cost is $139.  If you have done meditation training with me before your cost is only $99.

Register at the front desk.  Contact me if you have any questions at maureen@wildfire-ent.com    or call 215.262.1532.  For more information about Swami Nirmalananda visit the website

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One out of four Americans has Metabolic Syndrome.

    -Waist Size:  Women waist > 25"   Men waist > 35"

    -LDL Level:  Women LDL < 50   Men LDL < 40

    -Blood Sugar < 110

    -Triglycerides > 150

    -Blood Pressure:  systolic 130 or higher; diastolic 85 or higher

Again, if you have at least 3 of 5 of these symptoms, you may have a metabolic syndrome-a malfunction that affects your health now with symptoms such as cravings, low energy, sleep disturbances, difficulty losing weight, and low immunity. And it can mean you are predisposed to develop even more serious disorders such as adult onset diabetes or heart disease.  WHAT TO DO?

The really good news is that metabolic syndrome CAN be reversed through diet and exercise. All these markers listed above DO respond to lifestyle changes. But-and it's a big but- the changes necessary in both diet and exercise, while very simple, must be sustained day by day and over time. This syndrome did not come on suddenly and it doesn't go away overnight.

You must understand what is going on in your individual metabolism, and you must meet that imbalance with the types of food, and the timing of your food, as well as with the types of exercise, and the timing of that exercise, that will enable your body 1) to burn bodyfat for energy-particularly abdominal fat;  2) to regulate your insulin 3) to spare your muscle as an energy source, and;  4) to normalize your stress-handling hormones.

You can get started by measuring your waist. Come in with a cloth tape measure just above the level of your hipbones on each side. If your numbers are higher than 25 inches for women and 35 for men, your metabolic health may be out of balance. Keep a week's diet diary for yourself. This will begin to point you towards where and how your nutritional intake can be better balanced. And keep an exercise journal to track your consistency.

For further help contact Maureen Shortt, club Nutritionist 215.262.1532 or maureen@wildfire-ent.com

 Join us this month as we read

An Offering of Leaves - by Ruth Lauer-Manenti