Class Cancelled this week...

6am Yoga at Bailey Dance
Thursday, March 17

This class is cancelled this week, I will be out of town!

See you soon,

Quote of the day...

"All our dreams can come true...

if we have the courage to pursue them."
~Walt Disney

Quote of the day...

"The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life."
~BKS Iyengar

Healthy Living...

Inspiration for the day...



What can healthy living do for you? :)

More workshops in March...

Vinyasa Yoga- Cross Training

with Doug Swenson
(Balancing Strength and Softness) - (Beginner – Advanced)

Class Description...
This class is a delightful blend of Ashtanga and Soft form Yoga. Class starts with Doug’s completely unique approach to powerful Ashtanga Yoga, and then shifts gears into a challenging, yet, soft form Yoga format. Followed by, Pranayama deep relaxation and Doug's thoughts and experiences on Yoga.

Doug's Bio...
Doug Swenson began his study of yoga in 1969. He has had the fortune of studying with many great teachers including Dr. Ernest Wood, K. Pattabhi Jois, Ramanand Patel and others. Doug is a master yoga practitioner, philosopher, poet and dedicated health advocate. He has incorporated influences from several different yoga systems along with his passion for nutrition and the environment to develop his unique approach.

Over the years he has authored several books; “Yoga Helps”, “The Diet That Loves You Most”, “Power Yoga for Dummies” and “Mastering The Secrets of Yoga Flow”. He travels extensively offering workshops, retreats and teacher training courses around the world. Don't miss the opportunity to study with one of the world’s top instructors. Doug's classes are always invigorating and inspirational and his supportive style of teaching and keen sense of humor send his students home with a smile on their face and a softness within their heart.

*Cost*
Early registration (by March 15, 2011): $45
Regular registration: $50
Tickets day of the event/at the door: $55

*Place & Time*
Cahaba Pumping Station
4012 Sicard Hollow Road
Birmingham, AL 35243

Wednesday, March 23, 2011
6:00-9:00pm

Sign up via Eventbrite here: http://dougswenson-eorg.eventbrite.com/

See you there!

Yoga & Fitness...

I recently dusted off my copy of The Path to Holistic Health by BKS Iyengar and I found this forward about yoga as it relates to fitness. If you've been into yoga for a while you know that here in America and most all of the Western side of the world has made yoga into 'just another exercise' but it is so much more than that.

"Most types of exercise are competitive. Yoga, although noncompetitive, is nevertheless challenging. The challenge is to one's own will power. It is a competition between one's self and one's body.

Exercise usually involves quick and forceful body movements. It has repeated actions which often lead to exertion, tension, and fatigue. Yoga asanas, on the other hand, involve movements which bring stability to the body, the senses, the mind, the intellect, the consciousness, and finally, to the conscience. The very essence of an asana is steady movement, a process that does not simply end, but finds fulfilment in tranquility.

Most diseases are caused by the fluctuations in the brain and in the behavioral pattern of the body. In yogic practice, the brain is quieted, the senses are stilled, and perceptions are altered, all generating a calm feeling of detachment. With practice, the student of yoga learns to treat the brain as an object and the body as a subject. Energy is diffused from the brain to the other parts of the body. The brain and body then work together and energy is evenly balanced between the two. Yoga is thus termed sarvanga sadhna or "holistic practice." No other form of exercise so completely involves the mind and self with the body, resulting in all-around development and harmony. Other forms of exercise address only particular parts of the body. Such forms are termed angabhaga sadana or "physical exercise."

Stimulative exercise...

Yoga asanas are stimulative exercises, while other endurance exercises are irritating. For instance, medical experts claim that jogging stimulates the heart. In fact, though the heartbeat of the jogger increases, the heart is not stimulated in the yogic sense of being energized and invigorated. In yoga, back bends, for example, are more physically demanding than jogging, but the heart beats at a steady, rhythmic pace.

Asanas do not lead to breathlessness. When practicing yoga, strength and power play separate roles to achieve a perfect balance in every part of the body, as well as the mind. After such stimulating exercise, a sense of rejuvenation and a fresh surge of energy follow.

Exercise can also be exhausting. Many forms of exercise require physical strength and endurance and can lead to a feeling of fatigue after 10-15 minutes of practice. Many such exercises improve energy levels by boosting nerve function, but ultimately, this exhausts the cellular reserves and the endocrine glands. Cellular toxins increase, and though circulation is enhanced, it is at the cost of irritating the other body systems and increasing the pulse rate and blood pressure. Ultimately, the heart is taxed and overworked.

An athlete's strong lung capacity is achieved by hard and forceful usage, which is not conductive to preserving the health of the lungs. Furthermore, ordinary physical exercise, such as jogging, tennis, or football, lends itself to repetitive injuries of the bones, joints, and ligaments.

Such forms of exercise work with - and for - the skeletal and muscular systems. They cannot penetrate beyond these limits. But asanas penetrate each layer of the body and, ultimately, the consciousness itself. Only in yoga can you keep both the body and the mind relaxed, even as you stretch, extend, rotate, and flex your body.

Yoga, unlike other forms of exercise, keeps the nervous system elastic and capable of bearing stress. Although all forms of exercise bring about a feeling of well-being, they also stress the body. Yoga refreshes the body, while other systems exhaust it. Yoga involves the equal exertion of all parts of the body and does not over strain any one part.

In other forms of exercise, the movements are restricted to a part or parts. They are reflex actions, which do not involve the intelligence in the execution. There is little space for precision and perfection, without extra expenditure of energy.

Yoga can be practiced at any age...

With advancing age, physically vigorous exercises cannot be performed easily because of stiffening joints and muscles that have lost tone. Isometric exercises, for example, cannot be practiced with increasing age, as they lead to sprained muscles, painful joints, strained body systems, and the degeneration of organs. The great advantage of yoga is that it can be practiced by anyone, irrespective of age, sex and physical condition.

In fact, yoga is particularly beneficial in middle age and after. Yoga is a gift to older people when the recuperative power of the body is declining and resistance to illness is weakened. Yoga generates energy and does not dissipate it. With yoga one can look forward to a satisfying, healthier future, rather than reflecting one one's youthful past.

Unlike other exercises, yoga results in the concentration of immunity cells in areas affected by disease, and thus improves immunity. That is why the ancient sages called yoga a therapeutic as well as a preventive science."

(The Path to Holistic Health, BKS Iyengar. Pg 42-43)

I myself am guilty of training for and running a 5K this month... so I am not saying that yoga is the only exercise that anyone should ever do. I just wanted to shed some light on the positive benefits of yoga and share the words of a true Guru. Think about what your exercise really does for you.

Love,

Here is What YOU are...

http://hereswhatyouare.com/

Love,

Birmingham area yoga workshops...

Wade Imre Morrissette (no relation to yours truely) will be in town for one night only on March 10...

A special one night event offering a dynamic flow class based on Wade’s intelligent sequencing principles. Together we’ll delve deeper into a variety of asanas (backbends, inversions, and twists). Throughout the workshop, Wade will offer tips and nuggets to help you transform your physical practice into a true mindful experience. Find peaceful bliss as... Wade finishes the class with live music. Come prepared to sweat, play and learn. Open to all levels of students! Leave feeling empowered and truly alive!

About Wade...
Wade Imre Morissette has studied yoga for more than seventeen years with many of the world’s most influential yoga teachers, including Baba Hari Das, Sri K Pattabhi Jois, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, T.K.V. Desikachar, and the Krishnamacharya Lineage. Wade, a recording artist with Nutone Music,has released several critically acclaimed albums of yoga-inspired indie rock/pop music including Maha Moha-the Great Delusion, Sargam Scales of Music, and Strong as Diamonds.

Wade leads workshops, yoga retreats, and kirtan music evenings in the US and internationally. His retreats and workshops integrate yoga, music and eastern and western personal development techniques that connect students to their own inner bliss. Wade’s book Transformative Yoga: Five Keys to Unlocking Inner Bliss is being released this fall (2011). For more please visit www.wadeimremorissette.com.

Sign up via Eventbrite here: http://wademorissette-efbevent.eventbrite.com/

*Cost*
Early registration is only $40!!! (by March 1, 2011)
$55 at the door

*Place & Time*
Cahaba Pumping Station
4012 Sicard Hollow Road
Birmingham, AL

Thursday, March 10, 2011
6:00pm- 8:30pm

See you there!

Quote of the day...

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails..."
~1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Quote of the day...

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
~Hebrews 11:1

Special Treat!...

The Sunday community yoga class at First Ave Rocks will be taught by the lovely Christine. I am on the road! (I'm actually doing this post from my phone!) What is life without little traveling adventures? Christine has traveled all over studying and practicing yoga. I hope you can go and get a taste of her teaching and knowledge! I have added a link to Christines bio below, check her out!

See you soon!

Love,
Lindsey

This free, donation only class is at 5:00pm Sunday at First Ave Rocks on first ave south downtown Birmingham.

http://www.birminghamyoga.com/birminghamyogastudioteachers/news_nd1248627396643.aspx

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Tuesday AM class cancelled...

The weather is supposed to remain icy through the night tonight so I am going to cancel the 6am class at Bailey Dance.

Have fun in the icy snow! :)

Class Cancelled...

Tonight's 5:00pm Yoga class at 1st Ave Rocks (Birmingham Yoga) is cancelled due to the snowy weather.

Stay safe & warm!

Quote of the day...

"The only people who never fail are those who never try."
~Ilka Chase

New Year, new Journey...

Yoga philosophy states that by simply moving towards a new direction, you are honoring the change that is yet to fully come; as stated in the Yoga Sutras, “Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness.”

The changes we seek in our lives will come with a devotion, in any measure, to practicing some aspect of a new behavior.

This year, open your eyes to change. Celebrate newness of life.

Open to Possibility
Change is unknown, and we often cling to old habits because they feel safe. Yet yoga teaches us that change is constant. What first appears to be stillness and constancy in a yoga pose reveals itself to be always shifting, always transforming. The same is true for each of us – while our lives and personalities may seem stable and unchanging, we are actually always unfolding. Yoga teaches us to welcome the inevitability of change, to be curious about where our practice is leading us. When we are open to change, we are better prepared to direct change intentionally.

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A simple breathing exercise can help you find ease with the constant rhythm and change of life. In a comfortable seated pose, close your eyes and draw your attention to your breath. Observe the breath as it enters and exits the body. Rest your hands on your belly, and notice the movement of the breath. On each exhale, pull the belly in and press the breath out completely. Relax the belly on each inhale, and notice how the next breath rushes in. By letting go of the old, you create room for the new. Let go of what you don’t need, and create space for change in your life.

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Expand Your Awareness
Intentional change requires self-awareness. We spend much of our time listening to others, seeking advice, and looking outside ourselves for insight. Yoga teaches us to develop our own insight through careful and compassionate observation. By giving us the opportunity to slow down, yoga helps us recognize what is personally important. A good yoga practice can stir you up, challenge you, and refresh you. What is left, as you settle into savasana or meditation, is clarity. With this clarity, it becomes easy to see what changes will truly enhance your life – and they may not be the kind of changes we habitually pledge in our New Year’s resolutions.

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Through yoga practice, we also become aware of the relationship between our thoughts, actions, and experience. It can be as simple as noticing how your posture influences the quality of your breath, or how a small change in the placement of your hands makes a challenging pose easier. This process of noticing, of generating insight, seems simple. But over time, as you carry this art of awareness into everything you do, every choice will be better informed, every action more intentional, and every response more insightful.

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Balancing poses are particularly effective for developing awareness for a simple reason: without awareness and internal intelligence, we fall. To test your internal awareness in your yoga practice, try closing your eyes in a balancing pose (such as tree pose). Instantly, the unconscious processes that were holding you in the pose will reveal themselves. When you stop looking outside yourself for balance, your internal intelligence will rise to the challenge.

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Find Your Focus
Yoga develops our ability to follow through on our intentions. Each pose is an opportunity to develop concentration. We direct our effort and attention to simple actions: staying aware of our breath and our body as we hold a pose. Each pose is also an opportunity to develop commitment: we learn not to give up at the first sign of boredom, anxiety, or fatigue.

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To achieve true change, focus on the integrity of each action, rather than the outcome you hope to achieve. To find this quality of focus in your yoga practice, choose a standing pose (such as warrior pose) that is challenging but accessible to you. Enter the pose with commitment, but without ambition. Hold the pose as long as you can, without losing the integrity of the pose’s alignment or sacrificing the quality of your breath. End the pose when you feel too uncomfortable or tired to continue, or when you feel a sense of satisfaction and completion. Carry this focus and integrity to every action in your life.

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Surrender Your Timeline
Change happens in increments, sometimes large and sometimes achingly small. When we want change to happen instantly, we often give up. Yoga develops the patience to allow change to unfold at its own pace. With time, yoga shows us that small acts, performed consistently, can create profound change over time.

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To develop this patience in your yoga practice, enter a pose that directly confronts, and slowly unravels, tension in your body. Choose a pose that challenges your flexibility, but that you can comfortably hold. Relax in the pose and wait. Breathe deeply. Commit to holding the pose for five minutes, or as long as the pose remains comfortable. Notice how the body’s tension unravels slowly, but surely. Practice the same pose daily. As your body adapts to your consistent patience in the pose, your starting point in the pose will change as well. Develop the patience to move towards change slowly and purposefully.

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A Practice for Life
Yoga practice is just that – practice for everyday life. Apply these qualities of openness, awareness, focus, and patience to any change that you would like to see in your life. While we cannot control all of life’s many changes, we can act intentionally to shape our lives and experiences. You don’t need an iron will to stick to your New Year’s resolutions – a simple yoga practice is strong enough to guide you, and flexible enough to receive whatever life brings.

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Reference: Yoga for Everybody, January 2005