Mount Major

Radiant Child Yoga

From the presentation that Kristin and I gave a few weeks ago.

I am happy, I am good

I am happy, I am good

Satnam, satnam, satnam ji

Wahe guru, wahe guru, wahe guru ji.

Satnam, satnam, satnam ji

Wahe guru, wahe guru, wahe guru ji.

Satnam = true name, true self

Wahe guru = wonderful teacher, supreme being, god...

We also played 2 games:

- The Intuition Game - The group sits in a circle, and one person leaves the room. While that person is gone, someone in the group hides an object under their seat (a coin, a feather, whatever you have). When the person comes back, he/she stands in the center of the circle, and the people on the outside send them "you can do it" vibes. The person on the inside of the circle uses his/her intuition to guess who is sitting on the object.

- Yoga Counting - The group works together to count to 10. There is no set order to tell you who counts when - you just use your intuition! If two people talk at once, you start again at 1.

These games are fun with adults and kids...have fun playing!

Moon Days

Traditionally in Ashtanga you don't practice on "moon days" which are the full moon and new moon.

I always just accepted this as a fact and didn't really care why.
However the "why" is kind of interesting. Here is a link if you would like to learn more~ http://www.ashtangayogacenter.com/moon.html

upcoming moon days are as follows:
Oct 23, 2010 ~ Saturday ~ Full Moon
Nov 6, 2010 ~ Saturday ~ New Moon
Nov 22, 2010 ~ Monday ~ Full Moon
Dec 6, 2010 ~ Monday ~ New Moon
Dec 21, 2010 ~ Tuesday ~ Full Moon ~ Total Lunar Eclipse and Winter Solstice


Namaste!

Supta Kurmasana

Prajanaparamita (The Heart Sutra)

In today's class Kathy offered us a new chant to learn: Prajanaparamita translated as "Heart of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom." Although the full sutra is much longer, the last line is the most important one, and the chant we learned today. Invoking this chant is for the eradication of attachments, or opening the heart.

gate gate para gate
para samgate
bodhisvaha

There seems to be many translations of the chant, but from what I gather, it is basically emphasizing that "beyond all that I know, beyond and all that exists, I accept to be fully awakened."

Check out Wikipedia for more details. Listen to the full sutra on YouTube...and try to keep up with the cadence!

(jaycie)

The Mahabharata by R. K. Narayana

please read.

Fly

Absurdity

Okay, I'll admit it ...
the practice of yoga seems ridiculous.

I get onto a yoga mat and twist myself into a sweaty pretzel and somehow this makes me a better, more spiritual person.
Sitting to breathe in a particular way somehow makes the world seem brighter.
Chanting in a language I don't understand somehow calms my mind.

On the surface it appears absurd.
I've been wondering a lot recently about how and why yoga works.
Then I came to a realization ...
the how and why don't matter.

I have no clue how my car works, or my computer
or most of the other things in my life.

Then why do I need to know how yoga works?
I don't.

For me it's enough to know that it does work
and every time I roll out my mat,
or sit to meditate,
or chant,
absurd or not,
it works.
That's enough for me.

Hello again from the coast of Maine!! I have yet to make it to Yoga Vermont this summer and am always thinking of it, yet life seems to keep me away.

A new Ashtanga Yoga studio opened this summer in Portland, Maine (just up the road from me) and they are searching for highly qualified (experienced) Ashtanga yoga instructors, so I said I would do my best to help and get the word out. If my schedule allows I'll make it up there once a week this fall. If anyone is interested in teaching in this area (1 hr led Ashtanga, and Mysore style classes) check the studio out online, and drop them some info or ask a few questions!! Or...just come for a workshop or holiday!!

Be well...Fall is in the air, Celina McMichael