Vol 1, #6
9/3/04
Dear Student,
I hope this email finds you well.
The summer series has wound down and there is a hiatus until
the fall series of classes will begin on Tuesday, September 7th in
Thanks and great job to all those who attended the
Posture/Pain Relief and Kundalini Yoga workshops this week!
I have recently completed an advanced seminar in the Egoscue
Method of Health through Motion. I will be working at the Egoscue clinic in
You’re all
invited to come to Creative body Therapies on September 12th for an
open house. I’ll be doing a “sampler” half hour Yoga class and a brief
(~1 hour) intro to the Egoscue Method. A lot of other great practitioners and
interesting demos will be going on. Call
CBT at 387-5015 or visit them at www.creativebodytherapies.com for more info.
I will again be offering a class at Branford Adult Education
on Thursday evenings starting on September 30th. There are two 5
week sessions through the fall. Call (203)488-5693 for info or to register.
Yoga Therapy
Why meditate?
“Oftentimes, one strips oneself of passion[meditation}
In order to see the Secret of Life;
Oftentimes, one regards life with passion,
In order to see its manifest results.
These two (the Secret and its manifestations)
Are (in their nature) the same;
They are given different names
When they become manifest.
They may both be called the Cosmic Mystery:
Reaching from the Mystery into the Deeper Mystery
Is the Gate to the Secret of All Life.
From the “Tao te Ching” by Lao Tze
Don’t just do something, sit there!”
Anonymous
Our
“real” lives often consist of ongoing, frenetic and sometimes overwhelming
times of activity interspersed with transition zones until the next activity.
A great question to ask ourselves as we attempt to cope is to what purpose is
that transition time used. It is no secret our society, as a rule has little
use for “idleness”, so often we find ourselves leaving the “precious
present” and ruminate about the past or endlessly rehearing or planning the
future.
The wisdom of sages such as Lao Tze informs us that in the time between our
“doings” another, more mysterious aspect of our lives and existence can be
known. Yoga, Yoga therapy and other meditative healing practices invite us to
slow down and look inside for access to this “mystery”. To those who take
time to look within toward the direct experience of this inner truth, a very
real connection to the source of healing and existence itself is often felt.
In Yoga there is a sense that living a truly balanced life involves giving
equal respect to both “being and doing” aspect of life in ways that
address stress and alienation at their root cause. We are benefited
immeasurably and inexplicably when, to paraphrase Lao Tze’s, we take the
time to access the source within, entering
a the present moment to “strip oneself of passions” and reach from
the “Mystery into the Deeper Mystery” and moving through “the Gate to
the Secret of All Life”.
Within
each Yoga or practice approached mindfully, we allow the activity of our poses
and movement flow to be interspersed with transition zones of relaxation,
mediation and absorption in which the work we have done is claimed by our body
and mind. We have “fed” our selves healing experiences and in these pauses
we integrate the healing potential inherent in these practices.
When
we carry this principle off the Yoga mat into our lives we can intuit that
within the “pauses” of life, a creative aspect operates to allow us to
receive the feedback the self offers to bring us into balance. In those
moments when simply “being” is enough, we begin to relax and hone the
capacity to receive intuitive understandings and heretofore unseen
possibilities that exist in even the most stressful and dire life situations.
Common experiences reported by meditator and Yoga practitioners include deep
physical rest and relaxation, changing mental and emotional perspectives and
the more subtle, almost ineffably joyous moments of feeling connected to all
of life. There are therefore, practical benefits and higher aims to meditative
experience as we skillfully take that “pause that refreshes”. We heal in
ways obvious and unseen, mundane and profound.
Overcoming “resistance”
Instead
of presenting a particular Yoga or meditative practice in this space, I invite
you to consider the familiar paradox presents itself when we consider that
those stressful times when you have the least time and inclination to “be”
with your self are just the times when access to the creative aspect within
can be a salvation of sorts.
Ongoing
Yoga, meditation or other growth practices can create the skills and habits to
help overcome this dilemma. Each visit to the Yoga mat or meditation cushion,
indeed, each moment the conscious connection to the breath is re-established,
the remembrance of being present and centered is more deeply ingrained within
the fabric of our busy lives. Over time as resistances diminish (they never
truly disappear), the habits, positive momentum and quality of practice will
deepen. Each Yoga and meditation practice comes to serve as an ongoing
re-commitment to a path of balance and wellness as the profound benefits
become more integrated in our bodies and mind. Over time the rewards of
overcoming the obstacles to honoring our inner world become more subtle and
sublime. We can transform our lives and heal ourselves through access to the
mysterious place of peace within, sustaining our intimate connection to the
infinite creative source of our being.
Workshops
At
Fee are $50 per workshop, $90 for both
Saturday, October 2nd,
At Powerflow Pilates
Fire In the Belly—
Kundalini
Yoga for Power, Will & Focus
The
Navel Center or Manipura Chakra (Wheel of Many Jewels) supplies energy which
underwrites the process of one's unfolding. In
Sunday, October 3rd,
At: “Riverdog Yoga”
854 Middlesex Tpk (Rt 154)
Old Saybrook, CT
Heavenly
Alignment—
Move
Your Energy Move Your Life
Kundalini
Yoga
is the science of angles, triangles, and how energy moving along
certain lines becomes exponential. Patterns of energy blockage in the body
have been linked to a propensity for various health problems and
self-defeating patterns. In this class we will begin with the equation: move
your energy, move your life. We will explore how the physical and metaphysical
work together. We will also expeerience
five major principles of alignment to help you take your yoga and life to a
new level. Featured will be a total body workout and a powerful inner
exploration to help you embody spirit and live your heart's desire.
Private,
semi private and small group Yoga Sessions
Over the past
several years I have worked with several students in private sessions in both
brief and longer term scenarios. The sessions have served different purposes
for each individual depending on specific needs and intentions. Students
have utilized this time to:
Evaluate and
modify postural issues and imbalances that may be at the root chronic
discomfort and ongoing heath conditions
Enhance skill, comfort and commitment to Yoga practice in class
and at home
Explore higher breath work and meditation practices to further grow in
yoga
Support transitions to create healthier, more self supportive lifestyles.
Discover and utilize healing principles and practices designed to support your
ongoing wellness and personal growth
Serve as a powerful compliment to other recovery and healing
practices…and more!
I am available for private Yoga instruction,
Yoga Therapy, postural alignment therapy, and meditative healing session
format consisting of an experience of Yogic balancing and healing techniques.
Sessions can be held in your home or at my teaching studio locations. For
details and to answer questions about how you may benefit from one of these
modalities please contact me at (203)488-1700.
I
will be developing more workshop opportunities over these next few months.
Please let me know of any requests or suggestion that you have.
I deeply appreciate your ongoing support and I hope to see you soon.
Sat Nam & Namaste,
Alan
If you wish to be placed on the newsletter email list please email me at alan@creativeegdgeyoga.com