Spring is Here!

Well, we had a great week for the Mysore Intensive - thanks to all to came! I'll definitely do that again soon, so keep an eye out for that coming up.

Check the schedule to the right for updates:

• Moon on Sundays at Evolve is cancelled

• New Tuesday morning Mysore beginning April 3rd - 6:30-9:30am. Arrive as early as 6, adjustments begin at 6:30

We have some great Ashtanga teachers and workshops coming up in the Triangle:

• David Garrigues at Ashtanga Yoga Club Durham in April
• David Keil at Ride the Breath in May

NEW!! MOON ON THE POND

Beginning with the Full Moon on Friday, April 6, 6:30-8pm, I'll be offering a Guided Moon Sequence on the evening of the full moon each month. Designed as a complement to the Ashtanga Primary Series, this grounding practice gives the shoulders a bit of a break, and focuses on awakening the sacrum and hips.
Location: Ashtanga Yoga of Cary, 207 Joseph Pond Lane, Cary
Cost: Donations
Contact me to save a space: inghamsk@gmail.com or 919-880-9409

March Updates

Reminders:

--No Mysore this Saturday, March 3rd at AYC
--Next week is the 5-day Mysore Intensive at AYC - there are a couple of spots open for those that want to just do a day or two. Contact me to save a spot. inghamsk@gmail.com or 919-880-9409

Upcoming:

Final Moon at the Blue - Friday, March 16 (6:30-8pm) will be the last regular monthly Moon Sequence at Blue Lotus in Raleigh. Join me to flow into the weekend and into Spring!

Mysore Intensive coming up - March 5-9

Updates and Announcements:

Upcoming Moon at the Blue - Friday, February 10, 6:30-8pm, Blue Lotus in Raleigh:
If you've tried Ashtanga or another form of vinyasa yoga and found it to be a bit "too much"; OR if you have wrist or shoulder issues, but still like the flow of vinyasa style yoga, give this practice a try. Moon Sequence was developed by Matthew Sweeney as an alternative to the Ashtanga Primary series. There are no chaturangas, no jumps, and lots of deep hip stretches, along with some very nice alternative backbends. Hope to see you at the blue! I also teach this sequence every Sunday morning at 9:30 at Evolve in Cary...check the schedule to the right.

Class Cancellations/Subs:
Saturday, February 18 Mysore is cancelled. Check the studio websites at Evolve and Yoga Garden before attending Moon or Ashtanga classes on February 19, 20 and 21. Those classes will either be cancelled or have subs.
March 3rd Mysore will be cancelled.

It's Mysore Intensive Time Again at AYC!
For those with little or lots of experience with Ashtanga yoga, this is a great opportunity to deepen and renew your practice. The Mysore format is self-paced, so if you are just learning the sequence, or have always attended guided classes, this week is your opportunity to really establish the practice in your mind and body. For those with experience in a Mysore setting, this is a great way to jump-start your practice before heading into Spring, and perhaps begin to go a little deeper. For those interested in learning or practicing the Moon Sequence, that is also an option for the week.
Intro to Ashtanga Mysore Style: Sunday March 4, 11:30am-1:30pm - for those interested in the 5-day Mysore practice, but are unfamiliar with the Mysore style method of learning. We'll discuss what to expect and go over some basics of the practice.
5-days of Mysore Practice: Monday March 5 - Friday March 9, 6:30-9:30am. Arrive as early as 6 or as late as 8. Must finish practice by 9:30.
Location: 207 Joseph Pond Lane, Cary, NC (AYC)
Cost: Donation
Please reserve your spot and approximate arrival time by phone or email - inghamsk@gmail.com (919)880-9409.

That's it for now, folks.

Namaste

Stacy

February 2012 Updates and Blog

Upcoming schedule stuff:

**Beginning Feb 6, the Monday night Ashtanga at Yoga Garden will be from 6-7:15pm.

**February 18th Mysore will be cancelled, and check the Evolve and Yoga Garden websites before heading to Moon and Ashtanga classeson February 19-21. There will either be someone awesome subbing or the class will be cancelled - I'll keep you posted!

**I'm working on offering a couple of things in the next month or so - a Beginner Course in Ashtanga, and another Mysore Intensive - probably early March. I'll keep you posted on that as well...

And now for a few words...

"Meaningful change is not possible when one is trying to be something other than what they are" Arnold Besser

Matthew Sweeney offered this up as one of his favorite quotes in a workshop several years ago, and it's been rolling around in my mind since then, influencing how I practice and teach.

Practicing yoga is not about changing, or fixing, or adjusting. It's about digging down to find the true self that is already there, and is perfect. Brushing aside the distractions that come in the form of doubt, fear, desire, wanting to be someone or somewhere or something else, and finding those divine spaces within us where the truest, purest form of the ourselves lives.

In the context of a physical practice, alignment details, instructions, and even a set sequence of poses to practice can help the yogi to stay on the path, stay focused, with their eye on the prize.

In Ashtanga yoga, that path is very defined. There is a breath (vinyasa) assigned to each movement in the practice, or rather, a movement assigned to each breath. Once the student is familiar with that pattern (the sequence), they are free to explore more deeply with each practice, and at their own pace. But, as David Keil said in a recent interview (posted on the Elephant Journal - read here) "The practice is the teacher, and the teacher who is standing there is just guiding you along the way."

I love this because it brings to focus what is so different about Ashtanga yoga from other forms (a question I hear a lot). A truly deep and meaningful Ashtanga practice requires that the student commit the sequence to memory and practice it consistently, with diligence, over a period of time (months, years, decades perhaps). This means developing some sort of self-paced practice - either in a Mysore style class, or a home practice with guidance from a teacher. This way, the student can find their own way down their own path, to their own truth.

Namaste

Stacy

Happy New Year!

Well, I don't know about you all, but I'm jumping into 2012 with both feet! I helped lead the New Year's Day Yoga Mala at Yoga Garden on Sunday - which was really great, by the way! Very inspirational! We chose a "word of the year" to meditate on during the mala, and I chose Tapas - translated as burning zeal, enthusiasm, dedication. I'm looking forward to how that will play out this year - I have lots of ideas, and hope you will join me on my journey!

The rest of this week will be a busy one for me, with Power Flow at Yoga Garden on Thursday 12:30-1:30, and Moon at the Blue on Friday 6:30-8pm - on top of my regular schedule of classes. Details at the right - hope to see you all somewhere this week!