caretakers yoga tonight, restorative yoga tomorrow, & ahimsa (non-harming)

hello everyone,

i hope you're all doing well.

this is a reminder about the yoga classes i'm teaching this week: tonight at the caretakers house 6:15-7:45pm, and tomorrow at the yoga loft 4:45-6pm. come by if you have the time! more details are below.

tonight we will talk a little bit about the principle of ahimsa, or non-harming. as most of you probably know, it is a main principle of yoga. when we practice asanas, or hatha yoga, we want to do it in a way that does not harm ourselves (or others!), by letting go of extra ambition and relaxing into the natural ease of the pose. with practice, we can learn to channel that ambition into the breath and mindfulness in how we move.

here is a mini-description from Wikipedia: Ahimsa (Devanagari: अहिंसा; IAST ahiṃsā) a Sanskrit term meaning to do no harm (literally: the avoidance of violence - himsa). Ahimsa is a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings. It is closely connected with the notion that all kinds of violence entail negative karmic consequences.

lastly, here are the details for the classes tonight & tomorrow:

yoga class this evening and ongoing tuesdays
at the caretakers house
848 divisadero st. @ mccallister
6:15-7:45pm ...arrive by 6:10pm, or earlier if you haven't been to class there before...
details at http://seaweedswayyoga.blogspot.com and http://caretakers-sf.org
rsvp if you get a chance... donation or trades welcome but not required

wednesday, may 20th:

restorative yoga @ the yoga loft

321 divisadero st. @ page st.

http://theloftsf.com

4:45-6pm

$10 community class

more great community events at http://seaweedsway.blogspot.com

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See some of you tonight & tomorrow,

ommmmmmmm shantih


jessie

santosha (contentment)

reminder,

you are invited to yoga class on tuesdays at the caretakers house, 848 divisadero st. @ mccallister

6:15-7:45pm ...arrive by 6:10pm, or earlier if you haven't been to class there before...

details here (below) and at http://caretakers-sf.org

rsvp if you get a chance... donation or trades welcome but not required.

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also, here are some words to contemplate about a key concept in yoga: 

santosha, or contentment

My silence sings
My emptiness is full
I lack nothing.

from I Am That

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Do you have patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?

Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?

The master doesn't seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
she is open, and can welcome all things.

from Tao Te Ching, Chapters from a new translation (Yoga Journal 1989!)

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Santosha

may i accept whatever life may bring
centered in balance, gratitude and delight

may i trust the Divine hand in everything

and see beyond life's hardships to the light

I am contented with my self and my life
I am grateful for everything that happens to me
I maintain my balance in the face of hardships
I rejoice in the flow of life
I see God's goodness everywhere

I am a lighthearted being

(this one is from a handout one of my teachers gave me a few years ago, unfortunately w/ no credits to the author...  also, you can take God to mean whatever you want - nature, spirit, etc. In yoga, the term is used loosely...)

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ommmmmmmm shantih

jessie