April 2018

Some exciting things are happening at Heart Tree Yoga this month!  Scroll down to learn about April's offerings, which include a Yoga Nidra class; an opportunity to learn from Yoga for Depression author Amy Weintraub on how to develop compassionate self-awareness and emotional and physical balance through yoga (I'm so excited to be assisting Amy again!); and a special guest teaching appearance I'm doing for Rock Stead Boxing NOVA with their Parkinson's community.  

​This month's Movement and More clip offers a favorite yoga breathing practice (pranayama) for bringing a greater sense of balance, grounding and centeredness. It is a wonderful practice for when you are trying to reestablish a feeling of equilibrium inside.  Signup for Heart Tree Yoga's mailing list to receive our monthly Movement and More clips!   This month's newsletter also includes tips if you want to take up a Spring mini-cleanse.  I'm going to be embarking on a month-long cleanse and look forward to sharing about this experience next month!

In addition, if you'd like information about the special program THRIVE- Supporting People with Parkinson's Through Yoga Therapeutics, please reach out!

Finally, it's not all butterflies and unicorns . . .I share some thoughts below on "doing the work" to take you closer to a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose with yoga's guidance.  ​Just click on "Read More" to join me. 

APRIL EVENTS

Mark your Calendars! 

FRIDAY, APRIL 6 - 6:00-9 pm
SATURDAY, APRIL 7 -1:30-4:30 pm
SUNDAY, APRIL 8 -1:30-4:30 pm
IFS Therapy Goes to the Mat with LifeForce Yoga® -  
with Amy Weintraub and Angela Huber

Amy Weintraub, author of Yoga for Depression and founder of LifeForce Yoga®, is partnering with Willow Street Yoga in Silver Spring to bring a terrific weekend workshop to town that combines Internal Family Systems Therapy and LifeForce Yoga® practices.  This workshop offers a gentle, evidence-based yoga protocol to help you self-soothe, clear your mind and work with your Parts from a place of compassionate Self-awareness, leaving you refreshed, revitalized and excited about your practice with new tools for emotional and physical balance.  The workshop is open to the public, yoga teachers and health professionals.  As a LifeForce Yoga certified practitioner I've assisted Amy during several workshops in the past and am thrilled she has asked me to assist again for this event.  I'll be there on Saturday and Sunday afternoon this time around.  For details and registration, visit http://www.willowstreetyoga.com


SUNDAY APRIL 15
Yoga Nidra and the Art of Conscious Relaxation
4:30 - 5:30 pm at Body Grace studio in Vienna
Fee: $20 pre-registered: $25 drop-in

Yoga Nidra is an ancient practice that takes people into a state of deep relaxation through a guided meditative process and conscious visualization. Also known as yogic sleep, the practice gives rest to the mind, body and senses by drawing the practitioner into a state of conscious awareness—a brain state between full wakefulness and full sleep. This practice has been linked with reducing stress, tension and pain; improving circulation and immune functioning; lowering blood pressure and inflammation; and stabilizing mood. Yoga Nidra is generally practiced while lying down or in a seated position. For your comfort, please bring a pillow and wear comfortable clothing and arrive 15 minutes before class start. Mats and blankets are available at the studio or feel free to bring your own. Please RSVP to reserve a spot with Jan at bodygrace@verizon.net 

FRIDAY APRIL 27
Yoga for Parkinson's at Rock Steady Boxing NOVA
1:30 pm

I'll be guest teaching a yoga class at the Tyson's location of Rock Steady Boxing NOVA, a fitness boxing program for people with Parkinson's.  Rock Steady Boxing gives hope to people with Parkinson's by improving their quality of life through a non-contact boxing-based fitness curriculum.  For more information about this program visit http://rocksteadynova.com.


REMINDER:  MONDAY EVENINGS 6:45pm-8pm, Body Grace Fitness and Yoga

Yoga for "Core" and Connection

A truly stable core allows the body to respond naturally, without bracing and excessive tension, despite changes in how fast you are going, how much weight you are carrying, or if you are changing direction.  This unique class is for people seeking to strengthen and balance their internal structure—“core” stability--through improved movement.  Class will include a blend of mindful movement, breathing exercises, yoga poses and meditation to help practitioners experience how a supportive and responsive “core” emerges when you are moving and breathing well. Class suitable for all levels.

​

​AFTER THE ECSTASY,
THE LAUNDRY

This is the title of a book by Jack Kornfield.  A book that I haven't yet read but is now on my summer reading list for sure.  And that title cracks me up.

Because it's really true, isn't it?  It's not all butterflies and unicorns. 

I was incredibly fortunate in March to attend a weekend workshop of Deborah Adele. Adele is the author of The Yamas and Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice. I don't think I'm over-stretching when I say that Adele's book is the authoritative source used in most yoga teacher trainings for getting up close and personal with what the Yamas and Niyamas are and how they encourage us to live.  In 2016 I spent a year blogging on the Yamas and Niyamas, using Adele's book as a guide. You can find this exploration here:  https://www.hearttreeyoga.com/blog

The Yamas are restraints and the Niyamas are observances.  Essentially the things to subtract and the things to add in . . .sort of like the spring cleansing protocol above but really more of a life long journey for more peace, ease and wellbeing. And a foundation to enable you to can connect to your own higher purpose in life. 

There were so many full, rich nuggets coming out of Adele's workshop.  I thought I'd share just a few here with you.  And, make no mistake, this is where the work lies.  This is the laundry of life.  

Adele says that the Yamas and Niyamas are akin to clearing weeds and planting flowers.  
 

• Every moment is a choice point.  Basically the weeds are the distractions and disturbances that bring us suffering while the flowers nourish our minds, harmonize our lives and bring inner calm to us and the world. Each moment we make choices that either increase suffering or compassion.   

 

• We sometimes need to "tease out the seed."  Sometimes a seed needs to break in order to open to its full potential. That means softening the shell by taking a close look at our patterned behaviors and letting go of things that actually bring us suffering and stepping towards what is higher within us.  Depth comes when we do little things to tease the seed and find little ways to impact the world by becoming our best selves. 

 

• Every thought we have is creating tomorrow.  In the midst of fear and disembodiment there are opportunities to find what is beautiful within the darkness. Because there is brilliance in the darkness too.  How can we ground ourselves in our practice and give ourselves what we most long for so that we can give the world what it most longs for? 

 

• What is the "so what" of my life? Everything in your life extends from the relationship you have with yourself.  You can find refuge in yourself. Yoga helps us to draw towards the subtler part of ourselves, our inner truth, our greater purpose.  We move from what is loudest to what is quietest and find greater clarity, joy, refinement, freedom and harmony. 

I hope you are able to clear some weeds and plant some flowers in April.

Care for yourself and be well.  
 
With light,
 
Carolyn