Amy @ Generous Wisdom | Spacious Heart – Page 40 – Generous Wisdom

Class Cancellations & Inclement Weather Policy

Happy Snowy Day, Local Yogis:

During inclement weather, class cancellations will be posted here.

For Saturday, January 19th:

Veteran’s Yoga at the Butterfly House is Cancelled due to snow storm in progress.

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Please stay warm and cozy, visit veteransyogaproject.org for awesome guided breathing practices, meditation, mindful movement, guided rest, and gratitude sensing.

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Typically, during the winter months when Richland County authorizes a Level 1 Snow Emergency, classes will be cancelled. If Lexington School district cancels, my daytime classes will automatically be cancelled; the evening classes will be decided later in the day.

During the summer months, our outdoor yoga class will be cancelled if rainstorms are in progress or are immanent. I will make a decision no later than one hour prior to class time.

If you would like to receive text messages regarding future cancellations, please follow these steps:

Enter this number: 81010

Text this message: @yogapr

Happy Practicing!

Last Week In Yoga: Both/And

Welcome to the “This Week in Yoga” Series.

I know, the title of today’s piece is “Last Week in Yoga,” but the idea has come a week into our first series, so, better late than never!

The concept we worked with last week is the idea that two seemingly disparate things, or, sensations, emotions, and thoughts, can co-exist. For instance, if one of your most physically challenging yoga poses is Revolved Triangle (parivrtta trikonasana) or Crow (bakasana), you might consider inviting a sense of ease into the pose by unclenching your jaw, or directing your gaze downward, lengthening the cervical spine.

Try it out (follow the links above for direction): once you’re in each of the postures, first, clench your jaw on purpose then let go; second, tip your face toward the front wall, ceiling or sky, then angle your nose toward the ground. Notice there is space between the upper and lower teeth, and space between the back of the head and back of the neck; tension is released, and ease is uncovered.

Now that you’ve created all kinds of space, notice how empowering it is to feel the strength throughout the length of your back leg, your side abdominals and back muscles, and your supporting and extending arms in revolved triangle, as well as your “everything else(!)” in crow pose.

The intention of practicing Both/And is to embrace the fact that ease exists alongside intensity. Our yoga practice doesn’t have to be “all intensity” or “all ease,” “all strength and high energy” or “all rest and relaxation.” This Both/And practice allows us to circumvent an experience of Either/Or: either complete boredom and atrophy, or, overwhelming strain and exhaustion in our mat-based (sometimes vinyasa) yoga practice. Instead, we get to experience our own power, the power to notice and acknowledge all that is present in the moment, which is no small accomplishment.

Keep in mind, our power is also a piece of this Both/And journey, for power is not strength alone, but a combination of strength and grace, and maybe even courage.

Happy Practicing!

The Catholic Yogi

A Getting-Ready Prayer

puts on bracelets:

God be in my arms and in my strength
in my lifting
embracing and letting go

puts in earrings:

God be in my ears and in my hearing
in my listening
understanding and honoring

puts on necklace:

God be in my throat and in my speaking
in my conversing
expressing and silence-keeping

puts on eyeliner:

God be in my eyes and in my seeing
in my viewing
framing and witnessing

puts on lip balm:

God be in my mouth and in my empathizing
in my acknowledging
celebrating and lamenting

looks in mirror:

God let me bring about the kingdom
enter the Flow
and do the work of love