Happy New Year!
2019 brings BIG, exciting changes to Satori Yoga.
I've been forever looking for ways to incorporate Meditation and Ayurveda into Satori curriculum. In my own life, yoga, meditation and ayurveda blend seamlessly into a single whole - a way of living. Yet over the years that I've taught Meditation and Ayurveda they didn't seem to stick or integrate with the other parts of Satori Yoga. It's like puzzle pieces just wouldn't fit.
Eventually my enthusiasm for putting the puzzle together fizzled out and I focused on teaching yoga.
'Till late 2018, that is.
Somehow puzzle pieces just clicked in and everything suddenly made sense.
As one of my teachers, late Dr. David Simon, said,
Let go of effort.
Timing and finesse is everything.
Perhaps it makes sense to first define these two modalities so you and I are on the same page. Otherwise it may sound like I am talking jibberish.
Meditation:
Meditation is not a matter of trying to empty or quiet the mind, achieve ecstasy, spiritual bliss or tranquility, nor it is attempting to become a better person. It is simply the creation of space in which we are able to observe, expose and eventually undo our habitual thinking patterns.
We can't change what we can't see or refuse to accept.
Meditation gives us a solid ground to sail from, and a safe harbor to turn to when the seas are stormy.
Upcoming changes:
Starting January 2019 each yoga class will finish with a 20 minute group meditation in conjunction with Savasana {the final relaxation pose}.
1-hour Group Meditation gatherings will be held on a monthly basis and offered, according to tradition, by donation. This is the time to vent your meditation frustrations and reconnect with the practice whenever you've lost its thread.
Next Group Meditation is scheduled for Saturday, January 5th, 6:45 - 7:45 PM.
Ayurveda:
There's no simple way to convey the essence of Ayurveda without getting into at least some detail. That's possibly the reason why Ayurveda hasn't gone main stream quite yet. I will put my teacher's hat on and do my best to remain succinct here.
Ayurveda is the 5,000 year old healing system from India.
Its name is derived from the words "ayus" - which means "life", and "veda" - "wisdom".
From Ayurvedic perspective human beings are not separate from environment. Instead, Ayurveda sees humans as energetic fields that are in a state of constant exchange with everything that comes into our awareness - things we see, smell, hear, touch, and taste.
Because Ayurveda concerns itself with the interactions that happen between our bodies and our environment, it recognizes that our needs can and do change from season to season.
Intuitively, we already know this to be true.
We complain of headaches and achy joints whenever Chinook blows in; crave ice cream in the heat of summer and rib-sticking stew during winter's cold; we struggle to get through the day as the nights grow longer in late fall, and feel energetic and optimistic when the first green blades of grass poke through.
Ayurvedic yoga therapy is based on the idea that our yoga practice has to change from season to season to help us adapt, balance and support the changing needs of our bodies throughout the year.
Upcoming changes:
Starting January 2019 Satori Yoga sessions are broken into 3 Ayurvedic semesters. Each semester will still remain an entity onto itself with its own unique rhythm and flow. We will also view different times of the year through the lens of Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy so we can clearly understand AND skillfully correct seasonal imbalances and energy shifts.
Winter Semester: Laying the Foundation
January - March
Spring Semester: From Pain to Performance
April - June
Fall Semester: Managing Flare Ups
September - December
More on the Ayurvedic theme for Winter Yoga Semester next week.
