Rubber City Yoga Girl
Feel good. Do good.
Centered in Celebration!
As a yoga teacher, I am regularly encouraging students to intentionally create periodic breaks from routine & consciously slow down enough to take in the fullness of every moment. However, as a wife & mother, I realized this weekend that I had unknowingly fallen into a warp-speed auto-pilot mode of living. Standing at the War Memorial, it dawned on me that although I had spent four years walking back & forth across the Drillfield, it wasn't until this Saturday that I stood long enough & still enough to appreciate the Pylons. Etched onto the stones are the names of Hokies that have died while serving their country & figures that represent the university's core values -- Brotherhood, Honor, Leadership, Sacrifice, Service, Loyalty, Duty, & Ut Prosim ("That I may serve"). It was a powerful moment of perspective to find myself literally surrounded by the qualities at the heart of my daily journey toward becoming my best Self. Thank you, universe. Message received!
With Thanksgiving & Hanukkah now only a week away, Christmas quickly following that, & New Year's peering just around the corner, it can be an especially easy time for all of us (yoga teachers included!) to get swept up in the excitement of the holidays & lose sight of what is really important during this special time of year but....it doesn't have to be!
Take a few minutes to realign your heart with the values (beliefs, ideas, principles, etc...) that keep you centered during times of chaos & celebration. Then, try writing them in dry-erase marker on your bathroom mirror. Write them on fun scrapbook paper & hang them on the fridge. Write them out in a journal. There are a million ways to remind yourself of your heart's highest intentions. Or....
If you think you could use some more tips on maintaining a state of merry mindfulness this holiday season, check out the following events:
Wednesday Break Through Flow Class
This 75-minute class, taught in the style of a mid-week mini workshop, will give you the tools needed to break down those illusive "challenge" poses you’ve been working so hard to build into your practice. Because any challenges we face, whether in our relationships, in our careers, or on our mats, instantly become less intimidating & overwhelming when broken down into more manageable pieces.
Each week, we’ll focus our energy on one specific challenge pose -- an arm balance, inversion, twist, bind… you name it. Literally!
**E-mail your requests/suggestions to Gretchen me at: rubbercityyogag@gmail.com
We’ll start by learning the Sanskrit name of the pose & any stories or mythological symbolism associated with it. Then, we’ll move into a fierce & fiery 45-minute flow sequenced specifically to prepare the body & mind for our peak pose. Finally, we’ll examine the anatomy & health benefits of the pose, as well as explore various ways to get into, out of, & modify the pose. Sometimes you just have to break down in order to break through!
Come make your break for the same cost of a drop-in or use your regular class pass!
A photo of the peak, "break through" pose will be posted to Yoga Bliss' facebook page on Wednesday morning! Click below to check it out:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yoga-Bliss-LLC/248121375203441
Get your glow on THIS TUESDAY!
The stress of the season can take the joy out of those twinkling lights & turn perfectly nice people into humbugs. Don't be a humbug! Join me & certified health coach, Terra Milo, at Yoga Bliss on TUESDAY 11/19 from 5:00-6:15 pm to learn how you can GET THAT HOLIDAY GLOW!
During this 75 min workshop, Terra & I will share yoga & healthy lifestyle practices to help you:
• Avoid Holiday Weight Gain: why you don’t want to pack on the extra pounds, and how to avoid gaining weight
• Beat the Dessert Table Temptation: why sugar is bad for you, and how to kick your cravings to the curb
• Cut the Booze and Love Your Liver: why you want to go easy on the alcohol, and how to support your liver
• Get More Sleep: why you need more zzzz’s and how to avoid insomnia
• Manage Your Stress: why stress is bad for you and how to use dietary and lifestyle changes to reduce stress
• Boost Your Immunity: why we tend to get sick easier during the holiday season, and how to boost your immunity through dietary and lifestyle changes.
***Register for the workshop here:
http://www.yogablissakron.com/workshops-events?options%5Bids%5D=556&options%5Bsite_id%5D=14814
Winter Solstice Celebration
During this symbolic 8-day window we will transform our physical bodies & purify our psyches through daily asana (physical yoga practice), meditation, chanting, & a cleansing vegetarian diet firmly routed in an intention of creating peace, harmony, & positive change within ourselves as well as in the world in which we live.
Our 8-day observance aims to clear the subconscious mind, allow for prosperity, success, and happiness to flow freely into your life in the coming year/new age. Renew your connection to your higher Self alongside likeminded, inspired Yoga Bliss community members.
Expand your inner light with experiences that will prepare you for 2014, starting with a discussion on the history & symbolism of the Winter Solstice; and a review of the daily plan for our 8-day group & individual observation. Handouts will be distributed with (suggested) daily schedule, new recipes for Solstice Diet, new mantra/chant sheet, meditation guide & journaling sheets.
Workshop fee is $120 or $45 for unlimited yoga passholders. Price includes 8 days of unlimited yoga, 2 group meetings and 6 group meditations, celebration with refreshments, & unlimited support.
*Register here: http://www.yogablissakron.com/workshops-events?options%5Bids%5D=547&options%5Bsite_id%5D=14814
Yoga = To Bring Together!
Email: rubbercityyogag@gmail.com
Phone: 330-212-2576
Facebook: facebook.com/gretchen.horinger
Twitter: @lovelivingyoga