January 2010 Newsletter

Happy New Year!

As we roll into the year of the tiger, Yoga Eight continues to grow. We have added Sunday morning classes, noon classes during the week, and a couple of advanced Rocket Vinyasa classes for those looking for a more advanced class. Some of the class times have changed, so please check the website schedule for the most current version. The Saturday 11:00am class is now a community class, which means the fee is on a sliding scale. No one will be turned away. Depending on the popularity we may expand this format in the future. We are also welcoming two new teachers, Jennifer and Laura.

A Chicago native, Jennifer came to yoga in the fall of 2005. With a background in figure skating and a passion for sports, a good friend introduced Jennifer to an active form of yoga at Yoga Now in Chicago, Illinois. Jennifer was immediately drawn to Ashtanga’s challenging sequence of poses and the integration of breath with movement. Jennifer spent the next three years building a regular Ashtanga yoga practice while she pursued a career in financial services law. In late 2008, Jennifer found an opportunity for transition. Knowing that she wanted to pursue her passion for learning more about yoga, Jennifer enrolled in Yoga Now’s Spring 2009 yoga teacher training course with Amy Beth Treciokas. Jennifer also participated in the Edgewater studio’s work-study program and remains dedicated to developing yoga on a community level.

Jennifer teaches our Sunday 10am and 12pm classes, as well as at noon on Wednesday and Friday.

Laura nurtures a deep appreciation for the healing powers of movement and yoga, which led her to New York City after receiving her BA from The Evergreen State College. She received her 200-hour Yoga Alliance teacher training in NYC at Joschi’s Yoga Studio in 2008. Upon completion (and after receiving a certification in children’s yoga) she started teaching yoga in the Brooklyn Public Schools to both children and teachers. She saw how yoga exists in all of us. While in NYC she became certified to be a Holistic Health Counselor so she could further her education and desire to bring health and happiness to people. She will soon be receiving her 100-hour training in “let your yoga dance” and is very excited to share what she learns with the Madison community.

Laura teaches our noon classes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

2010 is certainly the year for new beginnings at Yoga Eight. As many of you already know, Akemi is pregnant and due March 18th. What this means is that there maybe some last minute substitutes/cancellations when things start to roll in March. I will keep the website information up to date, as well as the voice message on the phone, with any pertinent information.

Intro to Yoga Workshops

Our next Intro to Yoga Workshop is scheduled for tomorrow Saturday (1/9/2010) from 1pm-2:30pm. This is a great workshop for someone totally new to yoga as well as the seasoned beginner. There are still some spots available, so if you are interested, please let me know. The workshop covers the basics of Yoga, pranayama (breath), asana (poses), and touching upon philosophy.

$14 for 2 weeks introductory special

Yoga Eight is now offering a 2 week introductory special for $14 for students new the studio. You can still take advantage of this special even after you have taken your complimentary first class! Now is the perfect time to start or renew your practice.

Sanskrit term of the month

Pranayama

Prana is the sanskrit word for life force or breath, while ayama is to suspend or restrain. Together, they are normally translated as breathe control. In our ashtanga classes we practice a specific form of pranayama called ujjayi breath. There are many elaborate forms of pranayama, as well as very simple ones. I like to think of pranayama as being as simple as mindful breath. You can practice this almost anywhere, just bring your focus inward and listen to your breath. Count up as you inhale and down as you exhale. This has helped me deal with stress (past and present) as well as helping me clear my mind when I try to multitask too much.

Being Here Now

One of the biggest benefits that yoga has given me is the ability to center myself. When something comes up that is beyond the present moment, I have learned to let it go, and deal with it at the appropriate time. Having my first child on the way, this is has come in extremely handy. There are a million and one things to worry about, whether it is nitrate levels in the water or the H1N1 flu. Spending too much time and energy worrying about things beyond our control only drains us with no positive gains. At the end of yoga class, in savasana we are trying to find calmness in the present moment, of being entirely present, but also being entirely silent. In this way, savasana is practice for daily life. Finding solitude is much easier, relatively speaking, in savasana than in day to day life. The entire yoga practice builds up to the end, where our body and mind have been prepared for a few minutes of quiet and stillness. Once you step outside of the yoga studio, the rest of the day is quickly upon you. Try to take that peaceful state you find in savasana, the state of simply being present in one moment, with you for the rest of the day and beyond.