November 2009 Newsletter

Winter is right around the corner, and while the daylight savings time change has given our 7am class a reminder of the summer morning light, daylight keeps getting a little shorter. I’ve always found this time of year to be one of my favorite times to practice yoga (not that other times aren’t good times). Keeping my personal cycles going have helped me adapt seamlessly with the changing cycles of nature. Just another reason to be thankful for everything my practice has given me.

We are changing the start time of the 9am Vinyasa Flow class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to 8:45am-10:00am, starting next Monday 11/16/2009. This change does not affect the Saturday 9:00am class. Also stay tuned for additional changes for the 2010 schedule which will be starting in January

For the Thanksgiving weekend, we will not be having class on Thanksgiving day, Thursday 11/26/2009. The 7:00am class on Friday 11/27/2009 will also be cancelled for the holiday weekend, but all other classes will continue as scheduled.

Yoga Eight is going to be showcasing our studio at the upcoming Women’s Expo on the weekend of the November 21-22. There is no change to the 9am class on the morning of November 21nd, but the 11am class on Saturday 11/22/2009 is cancelled. The 11am class will return to the schedule the following week.

The schedule page is always kept up to date, so you can always refer to it to see any updates or changes. Another great way of staying on top of events and changes at Yoga Eight is to join our facebook page.

Newsletter Only Special Offer

This month we are offering another newsletter only special offer, only available to those subscribed to the newsletter. Our special offer is $8 off your next 10 class card or monthly membership. In order to take advantage of this offer, you need to make your purchase between 11/9/2009 and 11/14/2009.

Intro to Yoga Workshops

Our next Intro to Yoga Workshop is scheduled this Saturday, 11/14/2009. We still have a few open spots for the workshop, so if you are interested or know someone who is, let me know ASAP. The workshop covers the basics of Yoga, pranayama (breath), asana (poses), and touching upon philosophy. Our next workshop is tentatively planned for December 12th.

Ashtanga and Moon Days

Traditionally, an ashtanga vinyasa practice is practiced 6 days a week (with a day off to rest), as well as skipping moon days. Moon days are days when there is a new moon or full moon. Tim Miller’s website has a good explanation of the reasoning behind this.

Another good example of how the moons cycles affect natural cycles is by looking at coral reefs. I found this youtube video describing how the full moon affects the lifecycle of corals.

At Yoga Eight, we don’t close the school or stop practicing on moon days, it is always fun to be aware of the different cycles occurring around us, and see if you find yourself ebbing and flowing.

Sanskrit word of the month

Asana

Asana is the sanskrit word that gets tacked on almost sanskrit name for the poses we practice. Asana alone means to sit down, or seat. Yoga was originally practiced as a way to open the body so that one could sit comfortably for hours and meditate, hence the seat or to sit down. A connotation I learned to the term also implied sitting with ease. With practice, one will find that a pose can be held comfortably. I find a good example of this is downward dog (or adho mukha svanasana). This pose is practiced quite a bit in ashtanga, and with practice many people find that they have their heels on the ground and their back is flat. At this point, they don’t feel the stretch that they once did when they started yoga, so they try to take the pose deeper, maybe arching the lower back and trying to feel a stretch. This extra push in the pose to “find the stretch” is unnecessary, as in this example the student has mastered the pose and can find enjoyment and comfort in the pose with proper form.

Closing Thoughts

I hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather this weekend, getting outside and being a part of nature. Namaste

“Practice and all is coming”

—Sri K. Pattabhi Jois