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"All
gifts are given in love and appreciation. The love and
the gift can only be as great
as our acceptance of
it." Swami Kripalu | |
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November / December
2007
Quote: "...doing work
without attachment one attains the Supreme Being."
-Bhagavad Gita
Seva means selfless
service. It implies being connected to all things.
It's a way to express your own humanity and
divinity. It's more than just a physical act; it's
part of a spiritual practice - expanding the
hearts of the giver and receiver. It helps you
develop a spirit of true self-surrender and
humility... the path of Karma Yoga.
This
season, let's seek opportunities to perform seva
every day; to reach out to people who are less
fortunate financially, less confident emotionally,
or less secure spiritually. Stretch your empathy
muscles. If someone is negative or attacking you,
find a way to respond with compassion instead of
firing back. If someone looks sad, offer a smile.
When others receive honors, rejoice with them.
Embody the qualities of joy and allow them to
stream from you. As the Dalai Lama says: "...give
with radiance on your face."
The holidays
can be very stressful for many people. As yoga
teachers, it is an ideal time to extend our
service through meditation sessions and
restorative classes, as well as stress management
workshops. As it gets cold in certain parts of the
country, it's also the perfect time to plan a
healing retreat someplace beautiful and warm. And,
since the best teachers should always be students,
remember to treat yourself to a yoga class with
your favorite teacher or plan your own personal
getaway. As we know, to be fully present for
others we must take care of ourselves.
Yoga
Alliance is embracing this season of service. The
YA staff was happy to perform its own small act of
seva by donating used computers to Joshua House -
a children's home in Maryland. We are also pleased
to make available the beautiful 2008 calendars
featuring RYTs. Thank you for your submissions. We
count on your continual commitment to the cause to
make this coming year the best yet for us all. Read
more
Teresa Kay-Aba
Kennedy, Ph.D., MBA, RYT, CHHC |
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A Sister's
Inspiration
By Deborah
Sherman
Enter my sister... you know
the type - first born, "type A" successful ,
perpetually smiling, joyful, eager and
energetic. After raising five children to become
successful adults, my sister Mary Pat
Schermerhorn began her yoga journey. Also an
avid golfer and hiker, Mary Pat's lifestyle was
one of health, energy and enthusiasm. Read
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| Add your
wisdom to our Yoga Alliance library. We are
continuing to build our library for both our
website and Yoga Matters. You can help
by sharing tips and information to help others
become better yoga practitioners, teachers and
business people. Learn more
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ya
survey
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| Last
August, many of you took part in a survey being
conducted by IAYT about yoga injuries. The
complete results are not yet available, but the
survey's authors did respond to an October Time
magazine article, "When Yoga Hurts," in the
November issue of LA Yoga. Read more
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| reminders |
Time
to Renew?
Don't panic. Our Registry
Services Representatives will be happy to talk
to you about renewal options.
Learn
more
Link to Yoga
Alliance
Help Yoga Alliance promote
the yoga community by linking your website to
ours. We offer research, links and articles to
help broaden your students' knowledge about yoga
and yoga related topics. Link to www.yogaalliance.org
and www.yogadayusa.org. | | |
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Yoga Day USA Is Just
Around the Corner
How is your event planning coming?
Hopefully it is well underway.
We'd love
to have a record number of events for Yoga Day
USA on Saturday, January 26. You'll find all the
help you need at www.yogadayusa.org.
Join us and help introduce more people to the
benefits of yoga while growing your own
community of yogis.
From coast to coast
the list of workshops is growing. In Palmer,
Alaska Georgia Stansell's event will benefit
local libraries and in Greensboro, Mona Flynn's
program will benefit her church. Much farther
south, in sunny San Diego, Kris Ward's Yoga Day
events will benefit kiva.org,
an organization that funds micro loans for
entrepreneurs in developing countries.
On
the opposite coast in West Palm Beach, Florida,
Therese Abair and Jerry Jefferson (featured in
our last issue) are deep into planning for their
day-long event. They team-up with other local
teachers and the city to create an outdoor event
that attracts experienced yogis as well as
beginners.
Those in the Midwest can enjoy
classes in Oak Forest, Illinois where Anita
Castelli's event will benefit Hope Children's
Hospital and in Wabasha, Minnesota, Christina
Mroz's program will help out the Wabasha Food
Pantry.
Read
more
The
Himalayan Yoga and Meditation in Palatine, Il.
held a successful program in 2007.
-
photo provided by Kathy Czach E-RYT 500,
Palatine,
IL
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Yoga Bringing Peace to Combat
Veterans
Yoga is offering a respite from Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for a group of
combat veterans in Massachusetts thanks to two
creative and dedicated teachers.
Central
Mass Yoga Institute in West Boylston offers two
classes each week, one at no charge, to combat
vets representing over a half a century of
conflicts - World War II, Viet Nam, Operation
Desert Storm and Iraq.
The classes are
taught by owner Lucy Wagner, E-RYT 500 and Joan
Platt, RYT 200.
Joan offers a 75 minute
class while Lucy offers one hour of yoga plus
one hour of meditation.
We first heard
about Joan and the class in a report on National
Public Radio's "Morning Edition" last spring. In
that story, Michael Jakonski, a Marine veteran
who served in Viet Nam, said that he first came
to yoga for relief from a stiff neck but soon
found that it helped him with his anger and
depression. He told NPR that he had spent 40
years "scraping by" with his anger and
depression and that prior to the Iraq war he had
scoffed at the notion of PTSD.
"But the
Iraq war threw me for a loop," he told NPR, "(I)
found myself on the top of a mountain crying one
day and thought 'I've got to do something about
this.'" That something was yoga. He is not alone
in his discovery.
Everything in the
classes, which began in 2005, is geared towards
relaxing, slowing down and becoming mindful.
During classes Lucy and Joan help their students
to feel happy, peaceful and liberated. "The
differences we see are astounding. Many had been
depressed, withdrawn and easily angered," Joan
said. "Now they smile and laugh more and are
able to relax more easily. Those inward focused,
sad faces are now blooming."
Joan said
all of the veterans have expressed what a
tremendous difference the classes have made in
their lives. "They feel a sense of peace and
calmthey feel safe and relaxed in a way that
they can't in other parts of their lives. Yoga
class offers them a perimeter of safety and for
them to feel safe is a wonderful thing." Some of
the vets have even started their own home
practices.
Read
more
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Yoga Day USA 2008 will be
held on Saturday, January 26
It's
closer that you think.
Start planning your
event now!
www.yogadayusa.org
Yoga Day
USA 2007 in West Palm Beach was a full day of fun
in the Florida sunshine.
- photo
provided by Living Fit
Today
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Masthead
Credits: Far left, second left
and far right, provided by Jana Whiddon RYT 200,
Lakeland, FL; Center provided by Tom Larkin, RYT
500, Nashville, TN; Second right, provided by
Susan Richards, RYT 500, West Boxford, MA. Many
thanks to these generous RYTs!
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