Holiday Schedule

We're staying open for many of our regular classes during the holidays so you can use your free time to keep up with your practice or just relax and unwind on the mat.

Christmas Eve Schedule:
10:00AM Beginner
10:30AM Yin Yoga
12:00 Noon Intermediate

Christmas Day we are closed.

We return to all of our regularly scheduled classes on December 26th.

New Year's Eve Schedule:
10:00AM Beginner
10:30AM Yin Yoga
12:00 Noon Intermediate

New Year's Day Schedule:
10:00AM All Levels Ring in the New Year Class

We return to all of our regularly scheduled classes on January 2nd.

Happy Holidays!

Teachers playing

Here are some YouTube videos from a recent teacher class, as we played around with inversions, backbends, and arm balances. Hopefully our joy comes through, even as we struggle and fall! Enjoy!

Looking for lightness in inversions and arm balances:


Working on backbends:

Thanksgiving All-Levels Class

Join us on Thanksgiving Day for our traditional Thanksgiving Morning All-Levels Yoga Class at 9:00AM.

We are offering our regular schedule on Friday so you have lots of options to work off your Thanksgiving feast, and if you're not too busy getting things ready join us Wednesday night for our regular schedule as well.

Enjoy the holiday!

Peeling Away the Layers

Hi All,

I read this in a few classes and some of you requested a copy of it...Here it is.

Keep shining!

Tricia


Peeling Away The Layers
Trees Shedding Their Bark

Trees grow up through their branches and down through their roots into the earth. They also grow wider with each passing year. As they do, they shed the bark that served to protect them but now is no longer big enough to contain them. In the same way, we create boundaries and develop defenses to protect ourselves and then, at a certain point, we outgrow them. If we don’t allow ourselves to shed our protective layer, we can’t expand to our full potential.

Trees need their protective bark to enable the delicate process of growth and renewal to unfold without threat. Likewise, we need our boundaries and defenses so that the more vulnerable parts of ourselves can safely heal and unfold. But our growth also depends upon our ability to soften, loosen, and shed boundaries and defenses we no longer need. It is often the case in life that structures we put in place to help us grow eventually become constricting.

Unlike a tree, we must consciously decide when it’s time to shed our bark and expand our boundaries, so we can move into our next ring of growth. Many spiritual teachers have suggested that our egos don’t disappear so much as they become large enough to hold more than just our small sense of self—the boundary of self widens to contain people and beings other than just "me." Each time we shed a layer of defensiveness or ease up on a boundary that we no longer need, we metaphorically become bigger people. With this in mind, it is important that we take time to question our boundaries and defenses. While it is essential to set and honor the protective barriers we have put in place, it is equally important that we soften and release them when the time comes. In doing so, we create the space for our next phase of growth.

Yoga with Injuries

There are a few things that can happen to your yoga practice when you become injured. Sometimes people assume that if they can't do their regular practice they should not practice at all, or wouldn't know how to practice. Others may decide that they'll just "push through" their injury without changing their approach to their practice. Some people become frustrated and give up on yoga until their body is "back to normal." But there is a better way.

The practice of yoga can have great healing properties when it is approached with care and thought. Many injuries can be worked around more easily than you might think. When I broke my foot last year I continued to practice even though I couldn't do any standing poses. I continued doing some sort of sun salutation even though it might be unrecognizable to someone as a sun salutation (see the video below). I gained new insight into my breath and the subtelties of many of the postures I had been practicing for years.

So if you have an injury now or have had one in the past, or are just curious about how you would deal with one if it came up, come to my "Yoga with Injuries" Workshop on Friday 11/14 at 7:00PM. This will be a discussion of how to approach yoga with an injury, both in setting up your own home practice and also in modifying your studio practice. Everyone welcome!

Vote!!

Don't forget to vote!! As yogis it's especially important to take our practice off of the mat and bring to practice the ideals we aspire to on our yoga and meditation mat. This includes making our voices heard through the voting process.

So please, vote on or before November 4th.

Namaste!

A thought that applies to negative political discourse

"Once you begin to watch your anger, you will make an interesting discovery. You will find that as soon as you know you are angry, your anger will melt away by itself. It is very important that you watch without likes or dislikes. The more you are able to look at your own anger without making judgments, without being critical, the more easily the anger will dissipate."
-Thynn Thynn

Upcoming Partner Yoga Workshop

Join Jordan and Clayton this Saturday (10/18) at 12:00 noon for an all-levels intro to partner and group yoga workshop. We encourage you to come with or without a partner, and be prepared to work with others in groups of two or more. This is not couples yoga. Although couples are welcome to practice together, this practice can be done with anyone at all.

Workshop will explore various partner and group yoga poses including assists, deep stretching, counterbalancing, and depending on participants interest, the very basics of flying. If you are planning to come and there's something you want to explore, let me know!

:) Jordan

No advance registration required, just show up. $15 to drop in or one class pass on your card, no additional charge for unlimited pass-holders.

Louie's Kids Yoga Marathon

Louie's Kids is fast approaching!

Pick up a sponsor form and raise money for kids' health by doing up to 108 sun salutations or up to 108 minutes of your own yoga. The event will be held on October 11th at 12:00 Noon in Marion Square Park.

Please join us!

(Learn more at www.louieskids.org)

September events

Three yoga events are coming up next weekend...join us for as many as you can!

Friday September 19th begins our 5 week Yoga Immersion Program with Noele. Please sign up in advance and commit to all 5 sessions...full details available here.

If you're not doing that program, join Tricia on Friday September 19th at 7:00PM for Moon Salutations!

And finally, in celebration of the Global Mala Yoga Project for Peace, join all your Serenity Now teachers on Sunday September 21st at 10:15 AM for a 108-minute open studio class to benefit Keeper of the Wild www.keeperofthewild.org. Asana begins at 10:15, chanting at 12:15.

See you on the mat!

Hurricane Hanna

Due to Tropical Storm / Hurricane Hanna, Hot Yoga will be cancelled tonight (Friday, 9/5). We will be closed Saturday 9/6 and plan to reopen for all classes as usual on Sunday.

Be safe!

National Yoga Month

In an effort to inspire a healthy lifestyle and educate the public about the health benefits of yoga, September has been declared National Yoga Month.

Follow this link to see some links to scientific studies proving the benefits of yoga in the treatment and management of diseases as diverse as chronic low back pain, depression, and even cancer.

To celebrate National Yoga Month, tell a friend about what yoga has done for you. Encourage someone new toward a healthier lifestyle.

See you on the mat!

Labor Day Schedule

We are open all morning for classes as usual on Labor Day until 1:00.

10:00 AM Beginner
10:30 AM Intermediate
11:15 AM Meditation
12:00 Core Workout

All other classes will be canceled for Labor Day. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Interesting video clip

I found this clip on YouTube. It's a Japanese news clip about Acroyoga in New York City. If you watch carefully you can see Clayton and Jordan in the background, because we just happened to be taking the class that they were filming last time we visited New York.

If you understand Japanese maybe you can tell us what they're saying!

Enjoy!

Website to check out

Hi everyone,

I stumbled upon an interesting website you may want to check out:
www.realitysandwich.com .
It covers lots of different eco topics and other issues.

-Tricia

p.s. Also you could check out Kings of Jupiter performing "I can see clearly" on Youtube posted by Rane333 with photos by Jeremiah Hill. There is another video to the same song but I like this one better. :-)

The 8 Limbs of Yoga

Yoga is classically divided into eight aspects, or limbs. The physical postures many people associate with yoga are only one of these limbs (#3 - asana). To truly practice and study yoga we must explore all of the eight limbs.

The 8 Limbs of Yoga are as follows:

1 - Yama (universal ethical principles)
2 - Niyama (rules of personal conduct)
3 - Asana (the practice of yoga postures)
4 - Pranayama (the practice of yoga breathing techniques)
5 - Pratyahara (control of the senses)
6 - Dharana (concentration of the mind)
7 - Dhyana (meditation)
8 - Samadhi (absorption in the Infinite)

In our classes we use the postures as a gateway to explore the other limbs of yoga, from concentration, to breathing, to ethical principles like truthfulness and non-harming. As our understanding progresses this full practice of yoga becomes more a part of our lives off the yoga mat.

If you've been coming for awhile you probably know something about these eight limbs. If you're new to yoga don't worry...the practice is a lifelong one that can be started at any time!

July 4th Schedule

We are open for all of our morning classes as usual on Friday, July 4th (including the 12:00 core class). We will be cancelling hot yoga on Friday at 5:00 so everyone can enjoy the fireworks.

We are back to our regular schedule all weekend.

Enjoy the holiday!

Jordan & Clayton's workshop with Tripsichore

Here's Jordan and Clayton being held in the air by Edward Clark of Tripsichore Yoga!

Jordan and Clayton drove to Chapel Hill over the weekend for a wonderful workshop experience with Tripsichore. Tripsichore is known for innovative vinyasa techniques (mixing inversions into the sun salutations, transitioning between poses in different ways), but what we really took away from the workshop was how unimportant all of the yoga poses actually are in the grand scheme of things. As Edward Clark kept saying, "There are lots of trained monkeys in the west who can do all sorts of crazy yoga poses." That's not really the yoga and focusing too much on the poses misses the whole point. We really learned how important it is to keep energy moving in your body with your breath and attention as you practice, and when we came up against a wall it was usually a limitation in our focus and energy, not our tight hamstrings or shoulders.

We also were reminded how wonderful it is to be a beginner in yoga, because we really felt like one much of the time! There are so many possibilities and each little "a-ha" moment means so much. If you click this link you can see a promo video for a dance piece made up of yoga asanas that Tripsichore performed on the first night. Enjoy!

PS. Some students wanted to see how it was possible to float your feet off of the floor into a handstand. Here's some video I shot from the workshop showing a couple very brief demonstrations (note the speed of the video has not been altered...this shows a great deal of control in lifting off slowly).

June Events

June brings two different events to Serenity Now.

Try something new with "The Five Tibetan Rites" and "Kundalini and Yoga Numerology."

The Five Tibetan Rites will be practiced as a daily practice Monday - Friday June 9-13 from 5:30-6:00PM. The practice only takes about 20 minutes and this is a great way to chart your progress. You can come to as many sessions as you like, all sessions not required. Please sign up in advance, the cost is $6/session.

Kundalini and Yoga Numerology is a process of using your birth date to calculate your soul number, karma number, gift number, destiny number, and path number. We use these numbers to understand our human experience and journey toward enlightenment. The practice includes reading and poses, so bring a yoga mat and your reading glasses. Friday June 27th at 7:00PM, $15 to drop in or one class pass on your card (free for unlimited students).

May at Serenity Now

May is always a fun month...Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and the start of our summer weather. The studio is open as usual for all of May's holidays including Memorial Day, Mother's Day, and Cinco de Mayo. So you can celebrate by taking class with someone you love.

See you on the mat,
Jordan

Earth Day

Tuesday, April 22nd is Earth Day!

In celebration, I wanted to share a link I found very thought-provoking. Visit www.storyofstuff.com to see a creative 20-minute video about all the stuff that drives our economy and lifestyle. This video shows the big picture of what happens with all the stuff that gets produced, bought, used, and discarded or recycled in our economy. And it tells the story in a compelling way.

I've heard it said that yogis, with the heightened awareness they learn through yoga practice, have an obligation to bring their awareness off the mat into the world. This earth day let's share ideas on how we can help do more good or at least less harm to the earth.

-Jordan

Thank you Andrey Lappa!

Hosting Andrey Lappa was an incredible experience for all of us at the studio. He shared so much knowledge during his short time here. This picture was taken after his last class here on Wednesday night. He's now off on more travels but will be back in the southeast in North Carolina for a teacher training later this year.

We're thrilled that he has asked to come back to Serenity Now Yoga again during his travels next year!

Details of his travels and teachings are online at www.universal-yoga.com.

Upcoming Andrey Lappa Workshop

We're getting very excited to host Andrey Lappa April 4-9th, 2008. Spots are going fast so make sure you get in soon. I wanted to remind everyone that Saturday April 5th is the Bridge Run, so please be sure to leave yourself extra time to arrive for those workshops. Many streets will be closed and parking will take time, so plan to carpool, bike, or walk if you live close enough.

I also wanted to provide some links to learn more about Andrey Lappa.

His web site is Universal Yoga. You could spend days reading through the information on there.

Here's a recent review of a workshop Andrey led in Chicago.

Here's a Yoga Journal article about his unusual arm and shoulder stretches.

If you know of any other links you'd like to post relating to him, leave us a comment!

Book Club Discussion Questions

Our Yoga Book Club is meeting Sunday, March 9th at 7:00PM. The book under discussion is Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope.

Discussion Questions:

1. On page 109 the author talks about "the relief of being ordinary." What does he mean by this? Have you experienced this feeling?

2. On page 149 the author introduces the concepts of "the community as a guru," "safe space v. regular society," and "people who lend us their center." Why are these things desirable or necessary for someone choosing the transformational path of yoga?

3. Chapter 14 is about listening to the voice of the body. Do you believe we hold trauma or other experiences in our physical bodies. Have you had a personal experience with a samskara?

4. On page 278 the author talks about optimal disillusionment. What do you think of this concept?

Flying Workshop Photos

Thanks to everyone who turned out for the Partner Yoga workshops over this past weekend. Clayton and I had a great time teaching. It was nice to see so many happy faces as people helped each other into good stretches and worked together on the mat.

Here are a couple of pictures from our Flying Yoga workshop...visit our gallery page to see all the photos we took of the brave yogis who lifted each other into the air!

Yoga Teachers class caught on video

The teachers at Serenity Now like to get together to practice together, inspire each other, and learn from each other. We heard that many people liked seeing video of us attempting challenging poses, sometimes with great success, sometimes falling, but always having fun, so we filmed some more! Keep reading to see 2 recent videos of Hannah, Jordan and Clayton playing around with handstands, backbends, arm balances, and partner flying.

This first video is a compilation of handstands and backbends, including dropping back to wheel. Clayton tries a one handed handstand away from the wall with a spot from Hannah. Hannah and Jordan experiment with a rocking tick-tock motion in their wheels as a preparation for standing up from wheel. Popping the hands off the ground in full wheel is harder than it looks.




This next video is a compilation of arm balances and partner flying balances. These poses required lots of focus to stay balanced!

KnitWits

Join us Sunday, January 20th at 7:00PM for our first ever knitting and crocheting circle at Serenity Now Yoga.

No experience necessary. Just show up!

Advanced Yoga Practice caught on video

Here are the videos we taped in 2007...many of you said you were inspired to watch some teachers attempt advanced poses...sometimes successfully and other times falling out or messing up. So here are the YouTube videos again.

Yoga Inversions


Yoga Montage


Partner Yoga - Learning to Fly


And of course: Jordan doing sun salutations with her broken foot (as of this posting, it's now completely healed!):

New Year, New Blog

Welcome to 2008! As you can see our blog is back online, but we lost some of our old posts. If you want to leave us a comment, just click below. Check back here when you can to see photos, videos, essays, events, schedule changes, yoga thoughts, or whatever strikes our fancy.

See you on the mat!