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The Saturday, March 13th Morning Practice with Shauna has been cancelled.
The Friday morning Restorative Class time has changed from 9:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. and will still end at 11:00.
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Chakra Correspondence
Charts
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Benefit for Haiti a Great Success!!
If there's one thing I know for sure, it's that I am surrounded by the most generous, loving and loyal people in the world! Thank you so much to all of you who committed your time, contributed your amazing energy and donated your money to Maryclair and Aaron's efforts in Haiti as they volunteered their time to help nurse whoever they could back to health. (To visit their blog, please visit http://mc-and-aaron-for-haiti.blogspot.com/)
On Saturday, February 27th, we raised $407.00 and have continued to accept donations last week and will continue to do so through next Friday, March 12th. Thus far we have raised a total of $492.00! What generosity! And all this after our so well attended Hospice benefit class on New Year's Day where we raised so much energy and money totaling $403.00 that was sent directly to the Hospice of Henderson County. I am so touched by your loving support and thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Speaking of support, I would like to extend a special thank you to Yvonne Forsythe who brought in this beautiful chocolate cake after class one Tuesday evening to celebrate the completion of our 5th year in our downtown space as Brightwater Yoga! We are beginning our 6th year and the energy and committment at Brightwater has never been as strong as it is today! I am so blessed and honored to be doing what I do and working so closely with such wonderful people. And to those of you who have been with Brightwater since it's inception...can you believe that this July 2nd is our 10th Birthday??? That proves how exceptional the benefits of Yoga really are!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
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March
Mantra
"Om and salutations to that which I am capable of becoming."
This is the second time I have chosen this wonderful mantra as the "mantra of the month" for our newsletter.
It is a very powerful and easy to recite mantra that is related directly to the principles that govern the first six chakras on the spine...earth, water, fire, air, ether.
This does not refer to the chakras themselves which have different seed sounds, but rather to the principles which governs the chakras in their place. The above translation is a rough and non-literal one.
Remember, the word "mantra" literally means "mind protector."
Repeating a mantra is the first step towards training the mind, allowing positive, beneficial thoughts to permeate your being and will, if practiced regularly, truly transform your experience of life!
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Happy March Everyone!!!
As I mentioned in last month's newsletter, I had been working subconsciously on the root chakra in my personal practice as well as in all of my classes, until one day when I realized exactly what I was doing. I've since realized that, for whatever reason, I am supposed to explore not just the root chakra - Muladhara, but all seven of the ascending chakras, and I intend to take the entire year to do so.
This amazing work unleashes energies within my body (and hopefully yours too) that I have been suppressing or wasn't even aware existed. The practices are very deep in nature and, at times, transformative. As I study and explore these "energy centers" I want to bring you along on my journey, so I have included a little basic information on the chakra system. See the Charts on the left for more details on the Seven Chakras.
Originating from within the ancient systems of India, chakras refer to spinning vortices of energy, or energy centers, created within us by the interpretation of consciousness and the physical body. The word chakras, comes from the Sanskrit language and technically means "wheel or disk." We can think of them as seven spinning spheres of energy stacked in a column that spans from the base of the spine to the top, or crown, of the head.
Just as the emotions affect our heart rate, metabolic rate, heart rate; the chakras correspond and influence various bodily processes such as breathing, digesting and procreating, thoughts and behaviors. We can influence our chakras through various modalities of bodywork, yoga, breath work, meditation and visualization.
Archetypally, the chakras represent the elemental forces of earth, water, fire, air, sound, light and thought. Understanding the essence of each associated element helps us to understand the unique qualities and nature of each chakra.
We can think of them as metaphorical representations - earth that is solid and dense; water is formless and flows; fire that radiates and purifies; air that is soft and spacious; sound that is rhythmic and communicates; light that illuminates and reveals; and thought that stores information and is the medium of consciousness.
Numerous other correspondences have been attributed to each chakra, many of which I have included in the chakra tables that you can access by going to the link provided. Basically, we all have different and unique models of hardware programmed in our own distinct language with intricate operating systems, and we work with the chakras to "get the bugs out" so all of our programs run smoothly so that we can experience a healthy, vibrant life.
There are many wonderful resources with in-depth information on the chakras. I have compiled my information primarily from the text, The Sevenfold Journey - Reclaiming Mind, Body & Spirit Through the Chakras by Anodea Judith & Selene Vega, as well as from notes from Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith. I hope the correspondence tables and work we continue to do in our asana classes, helps you to balance your body, mind and spirit and brings you continued insight and depth of practice. Enjoy the journey...I know I am!!
Namaste.... |
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Travis Ginn is teaching White Crane Tai Chi every Tuesday from 11:30am-12:30pm. 
White Crane Tai Chi is a low-intensity exercise, that enhances balance and body awareness through slow, rhythmic body movements. It teaches proper posture and breathing techniques beneficial to your health.
It does not matter your age, sex, size or limitations because anyone can participate. This class is designed to provide a comfortable, relaxing, stress-free environment to aid in a person's growth physically, mentally and spiritually.
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Member Spotlight
Sue Hjelsand
" When I'm outside in the forest, I feel what I feel in yoga...there's a peace," radiated Sue with a beautiful smile on her face, as I sat with her in the studio after class yesterday. "I've struggled to find peace all my life," she continued. "I have something about moving my body...this irresistible urge to wander, to be alone and to be outside. It's then when I feel "at home," welcome, peaceful and okay with myself... and I'm finally starting to feel that while practicing yoga." Sue Hjelsand has a graceful, calm and unassuming presence about her and I feel so comforted each time I'm in her presence. As we chat, she speaks with such eloquence and sincerity about yoga and her life passions that I am mesmerized. 
Her calmness serves her well since she is a single mother of two children, Morgan (10) and Aidan (8); and works as a nurse at the Neuro-Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Mission Hospital where she have worked since 1997. This is a career that I imagine to be highly stressful, and when I mentioned that to Sue she explained that her childhood and early adulthood were very traumatic and she lived, at times, in very extreme circumstances which enabled her to foster a deep compassion and innate ability to function calmly and clearly in the horrible, "extreme circumstances" she sees daily. "I can stay present to people in crisis because I've been there," she admitted.
Nursing was not always her chosen path, but over the years, she's learned not only to accept it, but also to really appreciate it. Sue's true passion is music. She studied music at El Camino College in Redondo Beach, California. Her studies emphasized voice, but she also plays the piano and guitar. "I wanted to be the next Joni Mitchell or Rickie Lee Jones," Sue giggled, "but for some reason I couldn't write my own songs. It felt a little like wearing my skin inside out...too deeply personal to put it out there." Consequently, Sue capitulated to nursing.
Sue says she still sings all the time. She was part of the Carolina Concert Choir for five years; an experience, she says, that took her back to her college years, but became too hard to juggle as a single mom. She is still dear friends with the accompanist for the Choir, Katherine Menefee Price, who is also the Music Director at the Unitarian Universalist Church here in Hendersonville. She is invited to sing there for special occasions and when she can work it out with her busy schedule.
Accepting and appreciating is a recurring theme in Sue's life that is reinforced by her strong yoga practice. She says she's no longer "running away" and that she is finally able to just stand and be with herself in the world...to stay "awake" and just be here now. She emphasized how yoga has brought her to a place she's never been before. It's cultivated a gentleness that makes wherever she is, or her body is, that day is okay. She's learned to embrace her body (rather than trying to re-shape it) and to accept it, love it and to love herself. "This is all information that I understood intellectually, but hadn't really experienced it. Yoga is so much more than what it's doing to our bodies and that is playing itself out in my life," she summarized.
I have the utmost respect for Sue and the life she lives. I cannot imagine seeing and dealing with the devastation she experiences every day, but I am grateful to have the honor and pleasure of witnessing her experiencing the power of yoga. And I feel reassured that she is nurturing and caring for others in such graceful, calm and eloquent way. Thank you Sue!
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