Breathing Yoga

Happy New Year from Ramaswami

A yogi who practices asana and pranayama will become more and more Satwic, thanks to the reduction of Tamas and Rajas. And by spiritual meditation one will be able to transcend all the three Gunas. So as Lord Krishna says, “Tatha yogi bhava Arjuna”, (Therefore become a Yogi). One should practice Yoga. You will agree?

Best New Year wishes,
Srivatsa Ramaswami

Yoga with Barbara at Blackbird

Come one, come all to my new yoga class at Blackbird Yoga
Saturdays 4:00-5:15 PM
Fortify yourself with a gentle meditative flow focused on the breath and deep relaxation.
All levels are welcome!
Namaste´,
Barbara

Hatha Yoga Foundation Class Saturdays 4:30-5:45

Dear Friends,

Please join me at Blackbird Yoga on Saturdays at 4:30 for yoga!

Blackbird Yoga

The Foundation class explores basic poses, relaxation techniques and simple breathing exercises. Instructors encourage students to listen to their body, respect its wisdom, and to progress at their own pace, making it a great place to become comfortable with yoga. Deep relaxation is taught in each class after completion of the postures. This practice encourages the use of props, such as yoga blankets, blocks and straps. Because of the slower pace, attention to detail, and use of props, this class can be especially good if you're brand new to yoga, recovering from an injury, over-weight, pregnant, elderly or just nervous to get started.

Blackbird Yoga is offering a Grand Opening Special that's hard to beat - buy a 10 class card for $180 and receive 5 classes free! $12 per class!

Blackbird Yoga is located at 28 Main Street in Georgetown, CT 203-587-1221

Hope to see you soon!

Barbara

Foundation Series-Blackbird Yoga

I am honored and grateful that I was asked to teach this series at Blackbird Yoga

www.blackbirdyoga.com

Foundation Series

The Foundation Series includes everything you need for a seamless introduction to Yoga. A small class size allows for plenty of individual teacher assistance, and each student graduates with a deep understanding of the basics of yoga and how to intergrate it into their lives. Unlimited yoga, special gifts, and series discounts make the Foundation Series an incredible value.

This premium 2-week program includes:

2-Weeks of Unlimited Yoga
Two 2-hour semi-private sessions
10% Discount on next class package purchase
a free yoga mat
October 10th & 24th | November 14th & 28th | December 5th & 19th
2:15 - 4:15
$250

Kindness

I am grateful for kindness. I notice kindness. My sangha at the Redding Meditation Society, www.reddingmeditationsociety.org, under the direction of Achan Da Nilpant is very kind. How fortunate I am to have landed in such a beautiful forest refuge. My husband, daughter, mother and friends have shown me great kindness in their lives. I am so grateful for the kindness of all beings.

Much love to all beings,

Barbara

Yoga off the Mat

Hello,

I am using my yoga and meditation everyday as I walk the halls at school, meet with parents and interview for teaching positions. Everyone's telling me I have a calming effect. I'm grateful for the practice and all of my teachers.

Namaste´

Barbara

Awareness and Concentration in Teaching-Garrison Institute-www.garrisoninstitute.org

I am deeply grateful to my teachers, Tish Jennings and David Rome, from the Contemplation and Education Initiative at the Garrison Institute, for providing me useful tools to bring more awareness and concentration into my teaching.

As a yogi, I maintain a daily practice, however "seasoning the day" with grounding and centering practices has been a challenge for me. Now, I find myself aware of me feet as I walk and stand, and, I am more aware of my breathing.

When I left school today, it was with a realization that I do not have to get caught up in the scattered or angry nature of others. I can hold my ground and be steady and still bend gently with the breeze.

I'm still here.

Love to all of you,

Barbara

Asana, Pranayama, Meditation-Designing a Holistic Yoga Routine June 2007

See how yoga makes you smile? All the smiles were the result of the yoga practice and teachings that Ramaswami so generously delivered at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Would you like to smile? Check out his events at http://www.vinyasakrama.com

Thank you Ramaswami-we are all grateful,
Barbara

Please enjoy one of my favorite poems....Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye, a Palestinian poet

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken will stare out the window forever.
Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness, you must travel where the
Indian in a white poncho lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans and the simple breath that kept
him alive.
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow
as the other deepest thing. You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day
to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
it is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.

"What we depend on as continuing day to day is really illusory, at any moment our lives can change." Sylvia Boorstein

I have to admit I used to resist the day to day and moment to moment changes in my life. My life was planned days, weeks and even months in advance and when events did not unfold smoothly I resisted. What helped me relax? Yoga, mindfulness, meditation and meaningful connections with others such as my beloved teachers, family, students and friends have transformed my life. Here are a few yogic terms and quotes from my teachers that have helped me during challenging moments.

"Whatever you are feeling right now, someone else is experiencing the same thing." Tarika Diana Damelio

"So hum" which means I am not my thoughts, I am not my feelings, I am not my emotions-I am that I am.

"Everything that arises passes." Sylvia Boorstein

As Thich Nhat Hahn teaches mentally repeating, "Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out."

Mark Whitwell states, "You are the wonder of life. The power of life surges through every fiber and cell of your being. Stop your searching and enjoy your life."

Tao Te Ching

When rich speculators prosper
while farmers lose their land;
when government officials spend money
on weapons instead of cures;
when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible
while the poor have nowhere to turn–
all this is robbery and chaos.
It is not in keeping with the Tao.

With Ramaswami at Esalen-March 2007

I am blessed to be able to receive the extraordinary teachings of the renowned yoga master, Srivatsa Ramaswami. He enjoyed a 33 year relationship (1955-1988) with his teacher, the legendary Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989). Please visit vinyasakrama.com for more information about Ramaswami and a list of his workshops around the United States.
In yoga,
Barbara

Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation

Dear Friends,

This past September I was blessed to be able to attend a 7 day Mindful Yoga and Meditation Retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Seven days of silence, present moment awareness, asana, pranayama and lots of meditation. Here's a short poem that was a result of a few days of opening my heart to my experience.

I fill my mind with
metta
mantra
prayer
to eliminate worry
here I am forced to
open to emotion
sensation
and face what's inside

For more information on the Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation Training Program go to www.spiritrock.org and click on the link for "Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation Training Program".

May all beings be happy at heart,
Barbara

Yoga for Your Back-Mindfully

All levels of experience are welcome to attend this ongoing class, Thursday mornings from 9-10:30 am, that provides a relaxing yet energizing way to begin your day.

Learn yoga postures and breathing techniques to release tension, give life to the spine and support your body. The increase in flexibility and strength will energize and revitalize your entire body, quiet your mind and give you a deep sense of relaxation.

This class will:
• Stretch, strengthen and tone your neck, shoulders, arms, back, abdomen, buttocks, hips and legs
• Increase flexibility of your spine, neck, shoulders, back and legs
• Hydrate spinal discs
• Balance and recharge your nervous system strengthening your immune system
• Align, tone, lengthen and extend the entire spinal column
• Increase circulation to your entire skeletal muscular system
• Firm and trim your waistline, hips, abdomen, buttocks and thighs
• Improve circulation and respiration
• Remove stiffness from shoulders and neck
• Develop balance, concentration coordination and strength

“Practice transforms us. A different life begins and the body expresses a happiness never felt before.” - Vanda Scaravelli

$20 check or $18 cash per class - Register early by e-mail or phone in advance to reserve your spot - The class is held on a first come, first served basis. There are no refunds but exceptions will be considered for special situations such as medical. Space is limited - I have minimum and maximum class sizes -minimum class size is two-classes with two students will run for one hour and cost $20 – contact me at 949.338.3793 or barbara@breathingyoga.com Mats and props are provided.

My personal experience with Kripalu yoga in Richard Faulds new book, "Kripalu Yoga".

I used to spend most of my waking hours planning the next day, week, or month. Although I was driven and passionate about life, I was never satisfied with myself or my family. I read self-help books and listened to tapes, but something was missing. Then Kripalu Yoga taught me how to breathe into life, feel its wonder, and watch it unfold with all its power and miracles. As a result, my relationship with my husband and daughter has deepened. I honestly love myself, the work I perform, and the people I reach out and touch. Kripalu Yoga has given me a new lease on life.

Barbara Templeton